Kristen Ball is a staff researcher at Michigan State University's Institute for Quantitative Health Science & Engineering located in East Lansing, Michigan. Here, she studies the effects of lipid signaling molecules on cardiac tissue development using human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and mouse models in Dr. Aitor Aguirre's lab. Prior to her time in East Lansing, she completed her bachelor's of science degree at the University of Michigan located in Ann Arbor where she majored in biology and minored in philosophy. During her time as an undergrad research assistant, she helped investigate the effects of varying medications on embryonic development using whole embryo mouse culture at the Environmental Health Sciences department located at the School of Public Health. She also studied at the UM Biological Station where she investigated how contaminants navigate water systems.