Michka Sharpe is originally from Kingston, Jamaica. As a graduate student in Developmental and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University, Michka is particularly interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern the zebrafish's unique ability to regenerate its heart after injury. is particularly interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern the zebrafish's unique ability to regenerate its heart after injury. Michka perform surgeries and dissections on the zebrafish heart to study regeneration in a number of different contexts. She also use a technique called transgenesis to visualize the heart and watch regeneration as it is happening! Understanding how the zebrafish is naturally able to regenerate its heart after injury will provide us with better insight into how we might be able to boost the regenerative potential of the mammalian (human) heart after injury.

My Scientific Name is a children's picture storybook developed in collaboration with female and minority scientists across many science fields. Each book is personalized using the letters of their name as a way of introducing them to many different STEM careers.