AnnJosette Ramirez, B.A. is a Ph.D. student in the Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Physiology (CBNP) track of the Biomedical Science PhD program at Rutgers. She currently investigates the requirement and regulation of Second Heart Field (SHF)-derived vascular progenitors in Pharyngeal Arch Artery (PAA) development. Prior to joining the Astrof Lab in 2016, she worked at the University of Pennsylvania as a research assistant for a CDC project focused on understanding the etiologies of Autism Spectrum Disorder. AnnJosette earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology at Arcadia University, which is where her passion for developmental research was first established, under the direction of Dr. Sheryl T. Smith. When she is not working on her lab projects, AnnJosette can be found baking, running, playing with her cat, or binging Netflix.