Presidential Scholars Program

I grew up in Illinois and completed undergraduate studies in environmental economics at the University of Illinois before completely switching gears and becoming a neurogeneticist. I didn’t even know such scientists existed before I got the chance to do research in a lab using genetics to study how nervous systems develop while preparing for graduate studies in biology. This lucky chance set my entire scientific path in motion. I completed my PhD in molecular genetics at Washington University in St. Louis, then moved to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I was a postdoctoral researcher before starting my own lab. I joined the Brown Neuroscience Department and Carney Institute for Brain Science in 2018 where my lab focuses on understanding how neurons form functional synaptic connections, modify connections in response to experience, and how these processes are disrupted in neurodevelopmental disorders. I love that I now have the chance to provide undergraduates with the opportunity to become active scientific researchers and have mentored three Presidential Scholars in the lab so far. When I’m not at work, I love traveling, running, reading, and most of all spending time with my family and our goldendoodle Oso.