Carla Lacerda is an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering. She earned her B.S. degree in Food Engineering from the Federal University of Viçosa, in Brazil, in 2002. She then went to Colorado State University to pursue her doctorate in Chemical Engineering. During her graduate work, she gained experience with proteomics technologies to elucidate mechanisms of metal resistance in microbial communities. After completion of her Ph.D., Lacerda transitioned from environmental to biomedical science. Her postdoctoral work, also at Colorado State University, encompassed the development of methods for tissue engineering, microscopy and laser microdissection of heart valve tissues, as well as proteomic characterization of valve disease. Lacerda developed an in vitro model for mitral valve degeneration based on tissue stretch, which forms the basis of her current research.