Celena’s research is focused on understanding the sex differences in growth and body size at a cellular level. As a PhD student in the Rideout Lab at UBC, she works with the mighty fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). She is investigating mitochondrial function and protein synthesis in adipose tissue to find mechanisms that might contribute to the sex difference in growth and body size. Besides research, she is involved with student-led organizations in varying capacities, including the Women in Science club and the CPhyGS graduate student society, as well as meetings like the Life Sciences Symposium.