Meet the Team
Anastacia “Tasha” Garcia, PhD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Primary Investigator
Dr. Garcia received her PhD in Biology/Molecular Biology from the University of North Texas in 2015, after which she conducted a 4-year postdoctoral fellowship in the Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Laboratory at CU Anschutz. Dr. Garcia was ultimately recruited to stay on as faculty at CU Anschutz and was promoted to Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in January 2020. Day-to-day Tasha serves as the principal investigator of her independent cardiology research laboratory and oversees everything from the science to the finances.
At CU Anschutz, Dr. Garcia serves as a committee member on the Department of Pediatrics PhD Faculty Working Group and is an elected senator on the School of Medicine Faculty Senate. She also serves as the Associate Director of Pre-Clinical Research for the Children’s Hospital Colorado Heart Institute. One of her most prized accomplishments was her nomination for the Outstanding Women in STEM (WiSTEM) Mentorship Award in 2021.
Outside of CU Anschutz, Dr. Garcia is a member of several national organizations including the American Heart Association (AHA), the International Society for Heart Failure Research (ISHR), and is a long-standing member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos, Hispanics, and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). She also serves as a member of the AHA’s Young Hearts Council - Pediatric Heart Failure & Transplantation Committee and AHA’s Young Hearts Council - Communications committee.
In her free time, Tasha enjoys mountain biking, snow skiing, and spending time with her two dogs, Maddie and Zoe!
Cristina Velasquez, BS
PhD Graduate Student - Cell Bio, Stem Cells, & Dev (CSD)
Cristina is an alumnus of California State University San Marcos and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree (BS) in Molecular and Cellular Biology in 2024. She is currently a second year PhD student in the CSD Program, and officially joined the Garcia Lab in Summer 2025. Her thesis project focuses on investigating the role of immunometabolic dysfunction in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) patients. In her free time, Cristina enjoys exploring Colorado, finding new coffee shops, and being outdoors in the sun!
Ashley Pietra, BS
Medical Student - Research Track
Ashley is an alumnus of the University of Florida, where she was on the University of Florida's Division 1 Women's Soccer team and graduated with her Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Biology from the College of Agriculture and Life Science in 2021. Following graduation, Ashley worked as a professional research assistant in the Garcia lab from 2021 – 2024. Now she is a current medical student at CU Anschutz (Class of 2028!) and is part of the School of Medicine’s competitive research track program where she is working on her project to investigate metabolic remodeling in pediatric congenital heart disease. In her spare time Ashley enjoys spending time with friends and family and watching sports!
Efren Montelongo, MS
Professional Research Assistant
Efren is an alumnus of the University of Colorado Denver, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Bioengineering in 2023 and a Master's of Science (M.S.) in Bioengineering in 2025. Efren joined the Garcia Lab as a PRA in August of 2025. In his free time, Efren enjoys reading science books, playing the guitar, going to music shows, and hanging out with his 4 cats.
Praveen Ramaswamy, MS
PhD Graduate Student - Pharmaceutical Sciences
Praveen is an alumnus of the University of Kansas and graduated with his Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Biochemistry and Biology in 2017. Following undergrad, Praveen worked in industry (pharma & biotech) for several years after which he decided to pursue a master’s degree in pharmacology. Praveen Joined the Garcia lab as a research assistant in 2024, completed his Master’s thesis in 2026, and he is now a PhD student continuing his work to identify novel therapeutics for pediatric congenital heart disease using a high-throughput drug screening approach paired with state- of-the-art cell painting analysis. In his free time, Praveen enjoys hiking and board games.
Natali Miranda, BS
Professional Research Assistant
Natali is a University of Colorado - Denver alumna. She graduated in 2025 with her Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in history. She joined the Garcia Lab as a PRA in the summer of 2026. She is working towards expanding her laboratory techniques and learning more about cardiology. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, making jewelry, watching Formula 1, and reading.
Join the team
We would be nothing without a dedicated group of intelligent, empathetic, and diverse people.
Lab Alumni
Angela Baybayon-Grandgeorge, BS
Research Assistant (2020 - 2023)
Current position: Study Coordinator, Inotiv (Westminster, CO)
Mary Turner, BS
Research Assistant (2023 - 2025)
Current position: PhD Graduate Student, Cell Biology, Stem Cells and Development (Kang Lab), University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus (Aurora, CO)
Chase Bolding, BS
Research Assistant (2024 - 2026)
Current position: Medical Student, Rocky Vista University (Parker, CO)
Phillip Zegelbone, MD
Clinical Fellow (2020 - 2022)
Current position: Assistant Professor (Pediatric Cardiologist), University of Miami (Miami, FL)