Congratulations to Ana Paula Arruda, an assistant professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, on being selected as a member of the 2025 Society of Hellman Fellows.
Established by the late F. Warren and Chris Hellman in 1995 and supported by the Hellman Family since its inception, the Hellman Fellows program supports Berkeley faculty who show exceptional academic promise at the start of their careers. Each fellow may receive up to $60,000 to support any research-related needs, including assistantships, equipment, or travel.
Arruda is currently pursuing a project targeting endoplasmic reticulum (ER) function to treat liver fibrosis, a condition characterized by excessive scar tissue buildup in the liver. This research builds on the discovery of a transmembrane protein in the ER that plays a crucial role in regulating protein translation and secretion in liver cells. Her Hellman award will support research into the role of this protein in the secretory capacity of hepatic stellate cells and whether targeting this system could offer a more effective approach to reducing the risk and progression of liver fibrosis.
Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, Arruda received her PhD in biochemistry from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University. She joined the College in 2022 and was named a Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator in the same year. Her research focuses on understanding the relationship between organelle architecture and metabolic regulation, inter-organelle communication and metabolism, and calcium signaling at organelle contact sites.
Learn more about the award on the Society of Hellman Fellows website.
