Current Students

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
Research: As an undergraduate at Purdue University, I characterized crucial structural and functional properties of Phospholipase C Epsilon, an enzyme that, when dysregulated, is implicated in cardiac hypertrophy. Driven by a strong passion for nephrology, I spent my undergraduate summers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital where I investigated protease-activated receptors and their role in nephrotic syndrome, glomerular disease, and podocyte health. To build upon my passion, I decided to return to Nationwide Children’s for my gap year, where I studied the impact of urinary tract obstruction on the kidneys using both mouse and human-derived organoids. I am incredibly excited to pursue my physician scientist training at IU and hope to continue my work studying kidney biology. 

Undergraduate Institution: Hanover University
Research: As an undergraduate intern in Dr. Benjamin Gaston’s lab, I optimized models for in vitro study of human airway epithelial cells. My findings elucidated a robust method of culturing organotypic models with preserved cell functionality, enabling more effective diagnosis and characterization of pediatric airway diseases like Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia. My undergraduate thesis demonstrated that a recombinant cholera toxin B subunit is functionally reproducible outside the founding laboratory, extending its potential as a pharmacologic agent for ulcerative colitis. I am broadly interested in pulmonary physiology, especially in the setting of ciliopathies, and seek to investigate this further as an MSTP student.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Toledo
Research: At the University of Toledo, I conducted male infertility research under Dr. Tomer Avidor-Reiss. My undergraduate work focused on the contribution of the two spermatozoon centrioles to unexplained human infertility, using multiple models such as bovine, rabbit, mouse, and guinea pig. After graduating, I continued my work in the same lab, investigating how a spermatozoon tail structure, called the outer dense fibers, contributed to a novel head-kinking motion that our lab discovered and its implications infertility. This work involved characterizing the immunoreactivity of the constituent proteins of these fibers and working on a protocol to knock down one of the protein components in a live rabbit model. As a future physician-scientist, I aim to develop diagnostics and treatments for fertility-related diseases.

Undergraduate Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology
Research: My undergraduate research investigated how peripheral somatosensory input alters proprioceptive deficits in individuals after stroke. My thesis combined somatosensory evoked potentials and electroencephalography data with whole-body motion tasks. After graduating in the spring of 2023, I worked in the lab of Dr. Ronna Hertzano at the NIH, broadly studying outer hair cell development in the mammalian cochlea. I identified and validated downstream targets of key transcription factors, characterized auditory and vestibular defects in murine knockout lines, and pioneered the use of spatial transcriptomics platforms in the mammalian cochlea. As a future physician-scientist, I aim to draw on previous and new techniques to answer clinically relevant questions regarding neurological disease.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas, Austin
Research: As an undergraduate, my research focused on theoretically characterizing the photophysics of disulfide bonds in SCO-spondin to understand the role of Reissner's fiber in neurodevelopment. I also studied aneural computation in slime molds. Then, I studied pancreatic remodeling in patients with Type 1 Diabetes by analyzing MRI data. This experience helped me realize my interest in clinically relevant research. After graduating, I returned to studying neuroscience - I completed a one-year postbaccalaureate research fellowship at the National Institute on Aging. During this fellowship, I studied isoform-level changes in the aging mouse brain using long-read spatial transcriptomics. As an aspiring physician-scientist, I hope to use my background in math, physics, and computation to investigate how complex biological systems break down in neurological diseases and to translate that understanding into treatments. 

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
Research: During my undergraduate years at Purdue, I investigated inconsistencies in the response of multiple myeloma to targeted therapeutics. I also developed an expression and purification schema for a TGF-family protein as part of a therapeutic development team at Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, and I characterized the vulnerability of small cell lung cancer to an investigational Aurora Kinase A inhibitor as part of Dr. Misty Shields’ lab at Indiana University School of Medicine. As a student of the MSTP program, I aim to continue translational work oriented towards producing innovative treatments for cancer as I build towards a career driving laboratory discoveries with clinical experience.

Undergraduate Institution: Florida State University
Research: As an undergraduate researcher, I worked on cancer immunotherapy projects at the Mayo Clinic involving both chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and chimeric switch receptor (CSR) T cells designed to target PD-L1, an immunosuppressive ligand commonly overexpressed on solid tumor tissues. Following my graduation, I was also involved in clinical ophthalmology research at the Mayo Clinic evaluating the safety and efficacy of novel minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) procedures. As an MSTP student and a future physician-scientist, I hope to pursue research at the intersection of neuroscience, immunology, and ophthalmology, with the long-term goal of developing potential strategies to regenerate damaged optic nerves and restore vision.

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University
Research: My research trajectory has been interdisciplinary across psychology, neuroscience, and bioengineering, culminating in a desire to better understand how we can tailor interventions for precise psychiatric care. My early wet lab research in genetics, alongside clinical research on conditions such as delirium and substance use disorders, shaped my ongoing interest in the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying psychiatric disease. My recent work has studied how prenatal cannabis exposure may alter postnatal reward pathways and has characterized the neuroanatomy of the Islands of Calleja, an understudied brain region implicated in anxiety and depressive-like behaviors. I have also developed brain tissue models using 3D bioprinting. Through the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program, I plan to utilize genetic and neuroimaging data across species to better understand how brain structure and connectivity are affected in disease states.

Undergraduate Institution: Ball State University & Lewis University 
Research: At Ball State University, I conducted interdisciplinary research on healthcare and informatics under Dr. Chris Davison. My work focused on evaluating a cloud hybrid architecture system designed to enable real-time data exchange for first responders during disaster scenarios. Concurrently, I contributed to an artificial intelligence model that optimized energy usage. Building on this, I transitioned to join Dr. Sarah Powers at Lewis University to investigate cyclin D3-mediated transcriptional regulation using a neutrophil model. Here, I gained experience with bioinformatics platforms, employing them to understand transcription factor binding landscapes. My future aspirations include continuing to leverage computational tools to uncover regulatory mechanisms in cancer biology. I am committed to integrating my background in business, informatics, and biomedical science to pursue translational research that bridges molecular discovery with clinical application.

Undergraduate Institution: Ohio State University
Research: As an undergraduate at Ohio State, I explored antisense oligonucleotide gene therapy approaches for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Huntington’s disease. Additionally, I spent time at the Buck Institute investigating how exogenous ketone esters influence proteostasis in aging and Alzheimer’s disease. I then returned to Columbus and worked full-time in the Samaranch Lab, contributing to research on gene therapy for multiple central nervous system disorders. The projects I worked on included characterizing neurotrophic factor delivery for Parkinsonian models, studying the safety of various AAV delivery regimens, and evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of gene therapy for MAO-A and AADC deficiency. My research experiences have deepened my interest in aging-related neurodegeneration and using molecular therapies to achieve meaningful clinical outcomes. As an MSTP student, I aim to advance treatments for aging-related neurodegenerative diseases.

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University
Research: As an undergraduate, my research focused on the disulfide bond formation pathway in bacteria as a novel target for antimicrobial development. I developed a fluorescence microscopy protocol to observe and characterize the phenotypes of mycobacteria when components of this pathway were deleted or inhibited. After graduating, I continued in the lab for an additional year, expanding the project to compare phenotypes resulting from cysteine residue mutations in key disulfide-bonded proteins. I also began expressing human and viral VKOR proteins in an E. coli background to establish a model for antimicrobial selectivity and to determine their membrane orientation, respectively. Through the MSTP, I hope to build on these foundational experiences in bacterial pathogenesis and protein function to conduct translational research on antibiotic resistance, host-pathogen interactions, and infectious disease. 

Undergraduate Institution: Butler University
Research: My research interests center on neural signaling, neurodegeneration, and peripheral nerve repair. My undergraduate thesis studied inter-tissue regulation of cholinergic neurotransmission at the neuromuscular junction in C. elegans, and I later gained experience in Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegeneration research. More recently, my interests have shifted toward translational work at the intersection of plastic surgery, nerve injury, and functional recovery. Long-term, I hope to pursue research focused on improving nerve regeneration and developing clinically meaningful strategies to restore neural function after injury.

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University
Research: As an undergraduate, I investigated the effects of chronic and binge alcohol paradigms on neuroinflammation and tau pathogenesis in mouse models at the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute. I also worked on a pilot study that applied dry electroencephalography to characterize frontal alpha asymmetry as a cognitive marker for mood and responses to visual stimuli. As a future physician-scientist, I am broadly interested in translational research and leveraging the intersection of neuroscience, immunology, and pharmacology to improve patient outcomes.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Notre Dame
Research: As an undergrad, my research focused on pancreatic cancer therapeutics and the optimization of a kinase activity assay, with the goal of identifying novel kinase inhibitors and investigating their anti-tumor efficacy. Following my graduation, I spent two years in the translational small cell lung cancer lab of Dr. Misty Shields, where I focused on biomarker identification/verification and novel therapeutic approaches. As I begin the path to become a physician-scientist, I aim to mitigate the burden of cancer for patients and their families by studying mechanisms of chemoresistance and identifying novel therapeutic vulnerabilities. 

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
Research: I began my research journey as an undergraduate assisting in the development of a microphysiological system designed to maintain and evaluate the viability of pancreatic islets. After transitioning into my master’s thesis, I investigated regenerative strategies for volumetric muscle loss (VML)—a trauma induced condition that results in debilitating muscle dysfunction. My thesis focused on how microstructural variations in engineered collagen polymeric scaffolds affect tissue restoration. As part of this work, I also developed a novel computational tool for histological analysis. In parallel with my academic endeavors, I have contributed to multiple medical device projects. Collaborating with Geniphys, I helped develop an anti-clogging injector for in-situ polymerizing collagen materials. Additionally, I worked with a multi-institutional team to improve devices used for neonate bilirubin monitoring. Moving forward, I aim to continue innovating at the intersection of regenerative medicine and device development, with a focus on translational solutions for pressing clinical needs. 

Undergraduate Institution: Goshen College
Research: My research has focused on characterizing human immune response through laboratory and data-driven lenses. As an undergraduate, I contributed to Distributed Drug Discovery (IU Indy) at Goshen College and investigated dengue virus infectivity at Colorado State University. Following graduation, I completed a postbaccalaureate IRTA research fellowship at the NIA, where I characterized longitudinal and age-associated CD8+ T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2. I then earned an MPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where I examined sex differences in influenza vaccine responses via systems serology data. In my rotations at IUSM, I have been interested in the intersection of immunology and neurodegeneration, studying the effect of the peripheral immune system on CNS pathology in FTD and the role of an aging immune system on PD progression. As a future physician-scientist, I aim to investigate immune responses in ways that integrate laboratory research, clinical insight, and population health perspectives.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Graduate Department: Medical and Molecular Genetics
Research Mentor: Renzhi Han, PhD
Research: My research focuses on the advancement of gene therapy for muscular dystrophy, cardiovascular diseases, and other genetic disease targets. Although the field of genetic engineering has experienced a technological boom in recent years, cellular delivery methods remain a major barrier to broad pharmaceutical application. Lethal viral immunogenic toxicity and poor non-viral vehicle efficiency underscore the need for novel delivery approaches. My work focuses on the improvement of gene editing efficiency and delivery, and the manipulation of cellular tropism to improve disease-specific tissue targeting using the following: viral like particles, lipid nano particles, and adeno-associated viral vectors.

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University 
Graduate Department: Microbiology & Immunology
Research Mentor: Nathan Schmidt, PhD
Research: With a background in microbiome research, my graduate research aims to further investigate the role the microbiome plays in Plasmodium infection presentation and severity. My work will also investigate how mass drug administration of antibiotics can serve as a modulator of the microbiome to decrease severity of malaria infections. I hope to continue building translational research that helps decipher the mechanism that leads to decreases in all-cause mortality during mass drug administration which will further inform future clinical trials and global health recommendations.

Undergraduate Institution: Fordham University 
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentor: Malu G. Tansey, PhD
Research: My research focuses on the intersection of neuroinflammation, exposomics, and neurodegenerative disease. In the Tansey laboratory, I study human microglial models to better understand how genetic, environmental, and social factors influence Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, with the goal of improving prevention and treatment strategies.

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Graduate Department: Sociology
Research Mentor: Brea Perry, PhD
Research: My research interests broadly span medical sociology, social networks, aging and the life course, science and technology studies, and health services research. I am particularly interested in understanding how social relationships, institutions, and emerging technologies shape health and healthcare across the lifespan. Methodologically, I draw on both qualitative and quantitative approaches and maintain a strong interest in global health.

Undergraduate Institution: Gonzaga University 
Graduate Department: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Research Mentor: Michael Weiss, MD, PhD
Research: Before joining the MSTP, I worked at Merck Research Laboratories. There, I developed live-cell microscopy assays and mouse models to evaluate potential first-in-class compounds for eye diseases. During my first two years of medical school, I developed a parallel interest in the systemic pathologies that underlie age-related vision loss — particularly diabetes. I became interested in how improving diabetes management might preserve sight.    This interest led me to Dr. Michael Weiss' lab. My PhD research focuses on designing insulin-glucagon fusion proteins as a novel approach to diabetes therapy. The strategy exploits signaling crosstalk between insulin and glucagon in the liver. It aims to smooth out blood glucose peaks and valleys, decreasing the burden of intensive monitoring — a long-sought goal in the field. Beyond its therapeutic promise, this work also offers the opportunity to investigate the intertwined biology of insulin and glucagon. Traditionally viewed as opposing hormones, increasing evidence points to a far more complex dialogue as the centerpieces of metabolism.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham 
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentors: Andrew Saykin, PsyD and Meichen Yu, PhD
Research: My graduate research explores the biological mechanisms that contribute to Alzheimer's disease, with a particular focus on the role of sex steroid hormones in brain aging, neurodegeneration, and cognitive decline. By combining multimodal neuroimaging, blood-based biomarkers, and multi-omics approaches, I investigate how hormone-regulated pathways influence disease vulnerability and progression. This work aims to advance our understanding of Alzheimer's disease and to identify potential targets for earlier diagnosis and intervention. 

Undergraduate Institution: Southeastern University 
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentor: Yu-Chien Wu, MD, PhD
Research: My PhD research is focused on translational science, specifically bridging basic neuroscience and clinical research through the use of neuroimaging. I aim to validate novel neuroimaging modalities and test hypotheses regarding their implications in neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer's Disease. To achieve this, I am utilizing in-vivo and ex-vivo MRI as well as immunohistochemistry in both animal models and postmortem human tissue.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Michigan 
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Rachel Surowiec, PhD
Research: My research focuses on using near-infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis to study bone composition and track changes across pathologies. For my graduate phase, I have joined the Quantitative Biomedical Imaging & Spectroscopy Lab (QBIS) led by Dr. Rachel Surowiec.  I am interested in utilizing spectroscopy and other imaging modalities to study the compositional effects of glucocorticoids on the pediatric population.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentors: Jungsu Kim, PhD and Fang Huang, PhD
Research: My research focuses on investigating the biological mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's Disease using super-resolution imaging, spatial transcriptomics, novel mouse models, and other state-of-the-art techniques. Specifically, I am interested in how the interactions between neurons and non-neuronal cells, such as astrocytes and microglia, may alleviate or exacerbate pathology. By analyzing disease progression at the level of DNA, RNA, and protein expression, I hope to disentangle the complex net of cell-cell interactions within Alzheimer's Disease.

Undergraduate Institution: Hanover College
Graduate Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Research Mentor: Andrew Templin, PhD
Research: My research focuses on the role of RIPK3-a protein kinase involved in necroptosis, apoptosis, and other cellular stress pathways-and its interactions with human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. More broadly, I am interested in the underlying mechanisms that drive beta-cell dysfunction in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Through this and future work, I hope to advance our understanding of diabetes and contribute to efforts aimed at reducing the inordinate burden of disease management faced by disadvantaged populations.

Undergraduate Institution: Washington University in St. Louis 
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentor: Donna M. Wilcock, PhD
Research: With a background in neuroscience and immunology research, I am interested in studying the role of inflammation and the immune response in neurodegenerative diseases. In the Wilcock lab, I will be studying vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID), focusing on neuroimmune responses in cerebral small vessel pathologies (cSVD), such as microinfarcts. Specifically, I will be investigating the role of placental growth factor as a mediator of pathological angiogenesis and immune responsiveness in cSVD. I hope to further our mechanistic understanding of VCID with the potential to improve diagnosis and develop better therapeutics for patients.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentors: Randy Brutkiewicz, PhD and Donna Wilcock, PhD
Research: My interest is in understanding the relationship between Immunology and Neurology. In particular, investigating the role of the immune system in the development and or progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentors: Joseph Wallace, PhD and Sharon Moe, MD
Research: My research focuses on understanding how Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and related kidney injuries drive pathologic changes in the skeletal and cardiovascular systems, with a particular emphasis on the mechanisms underlying Chronic Kidney Disease–Mineral and Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD). I am mentored by Joseph Wallace and Sharon Moe at the intersection of biomedical engineering, nephrology, and translational medicine. My work combines experimental animal models, quantitative imaging, physiological phenotyping, and advanced analytical techniques to rigorously evaluate the systemic consequences of kidney disease. By leveraging both engineering and biological approaches, I seek to uncover the pathways linking renal dysfunction to alterations in bone quality, vascular health, and overall musculoskeletal integrity.

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Graduate Department: Microbiology and Immunology
Research Mentors: Dibyadyuti Datta, PhD and Chandy John, MD
Research: My graduate research focuses on elucidating the pathogenesis of neuronal injury in cerebral malaria to better understand its role in long-term neurocognitive impairments among pediatric populations. Building on prior work investigating contributors to cognitive outcomes in Ugandan children with severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria, I now use a human iPSC-derived blood-brain barrier model to study how host and parasite factors contribute to endothelial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and neuronal damage. I also aim to identify non-invasive prognostic biomarkers of brain injury to support clinical decision-making in low-resource settings. Broadly, I am committed to translational research in global health and infectious disease, with the goal of developing scalable interventions that improve outcomes for vulnerable pediatric populations.

Undergraduate Institution: The University of Alabama
Graduate Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 
Research Mentor: Carmella Evans-Molina, MD, PhD 
Research: My research focuses on the pathophysiology of Type 2 Diabetes, particularly identifying changes in microRNA activity and calcium homeostasis that contribute to pancreatic beta cell dysfunction. In pursuing this research, I hope to further the understanding of beta cell physiology so it may be leveraged to prevent progression of Type 2 Diabetes.

Undergraduate Institution: Brigham Young University
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering (Purdue University) 
Research Mentors: Sherry Harbin, PhD and Stacey Halum, MD
Research: My research focuses on developing regenerative implants to treat unilateral vocal fold paralysis. These implants are intended to provide short-term relief by moving the paralyzed fold to midline while also facilitating long-term restoration of vocal fold innervation and function, ultimately restoring normal patient voice. This regenerative implant combines a highly-purified oligomeric collagen biomaterial that persists and remodels into native tissue without immune-mediated bioresorption as well as autologous motor-endplate expressing cells that induce neuromuscular junction formation within the denervated muscle, increasing muscle innervation and bulk. We anticipate this regenerative implant to be the first curative treatment for persistent unilateral vocal fold paralysis, consistently restoring voice-related quality of life in these patients.

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering 
Research Mentor: Elsje Pienaar, PhD 
Research: I am broadly interested in mechanistic modeling of biological systems, including collective cell dynamics and cell-environment interactions. My current research is focused on agent-based modeling of T cell exhaustion in non-tuberculous mycobacteria infection. As an aspiring physician-scientist, I am interested in applying computational tools to study disease progression and treatment, working towards digital twins to predict individual patients' prognoses and optimize therapeutic approaches.

Undergraduate Institution: Case Western Reserve University
Graduate Department: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Pharmacology
Research Mentor: Elizabeth Yeh, PhD 
Research: I am currently working towards my PhD under Dr. Liz Yeh to understand the role of HUNK (hormonally upregulated Neu-associated kinase) in triple-negative breast cancer. HUNK is a kinase that has been shown to promote tumor growth and metastasis in mouse models in addition to crosstalk with the tumor-immune microenvironment. Using spatial transcriptomics of mouse tumors, I am further exploring the role of HUNK in triple-negative breast cancer, its interaction with the tumor-immune microenvironment, and the efficacy of HUNK inhibitors in treating this cancer.

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
Graduate Department: Medical and Molecular Genetics 
Research Mentor: Jungsu Kim, PhD 
Research: With a background in Neurobiology and Biochemistry, I am extremely interested in studying neurodegenerative diseases from a biochemical standpoint. Previously my research focused on studying the implication of the dysregulation of human deubiquitinate enzymes in neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. As a future physician-scientist, I hope to contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration and advance our therapeutic strategies for neurologic disease. 

Undergraduate Institution: University of Kentucky 
Graduate Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 
Research Mentors: Carmella Evans-Molina, MD, PhD, and Jamie Felton, MD
Research: I am interested in better understanding why the immune system attacks pancreatic beta cells in Type 1 Diabetes. My research focuses on how alterations in both lymphocytes and beta cells can contribute to the development of autoimmune diabetes, specifically focusing on calcium signaling. By pursuing this research, I hope to contribute to a better understanding of mechanisms of diabetes development that can be exploited to prevent and treat this disease. 

Undergraduate Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience 
Research Mentor: Jungsu Kim, PhD 
Research: My previous research has focused on fetal neurodevelopment in the context of maternal immune activation and the gut microbiome, which have been epidemiologically linked to autistic and schizophrenia-like behavior in offspring. I have also performed research on the brain-gut axis, focusing on the impact of dietary fiber on pro-inflammatory microglia in an aged mouse model. Currently, I study the role of neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease, and I hope to better elucidate its mechanism of pathology as well as develop potential therapeutics that can be brought to the patients' bedside.

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering 
Research Mentor: Matthew Ward, PhD 
Research: My current research under Dr. Matthew Ward is centered around novel biomodulatory therapeutics and diagnostics for understudied and undertreated conditions. More specifically my research focuses on wearable based diagnostics and transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) in areas of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, POTS, and tinnitus. I hope to develop or at least lay much groundwork for a new wearable device aimed at personalized treatment and detection of these patients' conditions. 

Undergraduate Institution: Cornell University
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience 
Research Mentor: Brian Pierchala, PhD 
Research: I'm interested in understanding the genetic pathways of motor neuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). My research with Dr. Pierchala uses mouse models to study disease pathology and evaluate potential therapeutics. I'm excited to continue pursuing neuroscience from a genetic and molecular perspective with translational goals.