My interest in science rose to the forefront sophomore year when I enrolled in an Honors Biology course. After a captivating experience in class, I was nominated by my instructor for a position with Dr. Kyuson Yun and ended up spending all of junior year and the summer after forging a place in her brain cancer research lab. Eventually, I was spending most of my time working with brains, and learning from Dr. Yun and her staff the details of our studies. 

 

This year, I am studying Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (an orphan disease somewhat similar to Down Syndrome) with Dr. Steven Munger. Those diagnosed with CdLS vary greatly from one another since the mutation is expressed in a variety of ways. Some infants won’t live past a few weeks, while others will live through old age in a relatively “normal” capacity. This suggests that genetic variation in the human population may be playing a protective role for some people with mutations in Nipbl. My aim is to uncover more about the etiology of the disease, the genetic and environmental causes, and where during development problems originate.

 

Next fall, I will attend Mount Holyoke College where I’ll study Biology and Neuroscience. I’m unsure of what I want to do in the future, but I’m interested in medicine and research.

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Contact: 17abridgers@mdirss.org