Neuroscience Research

Lab Work

Research Assistant

to Present

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

PI: Claes Wahlestedt

Center for Therapeutic Innovation

The influence of the hormonal changes that occur during menopause and its relation to Alzheimer’s Disease.

  • Embedded and mounted tissue, followed by slicing using the microtome, and relevant immunohistochemistry procedures.
  • Measured the level of specific hormones present in the plasma using ELISAs.
  • Trained in cell culture protocols.
  • Senior Honors Thesis: Using estrogen to rescue ABeta induced Alzheimer Disease related dysfunctional pathways.

Research Assistant

Summer

Mayo Clinic

PI: Wolfdieter Springer

Department of Neuroscience

Characterize the effect of higher PINK1 kinase activity of mitophagy and behavior during normal aging in a new mouse model both on the behavioral and biochemical level.

  • Processed and analyzed confocal microscopy images of different organs from a specific mouse model and quantified mitophagy.
  • Shadowed and assisted in the mice organ harvesting process, including the brain, heart, and muscle extraction.
  • Ran numerous Bicinchoninic Acid Protein Assays to determine protein concentration and proceed with tissue homogenization and Western Blot procedures.
  • Determined phosphorylated ubiquitin levels through running Meso Scale Discovery assays.

Research Assistant

Summer

National Institute of Medical Research

PI: Drenka Trivanovic

Department of Hematology and Stem Cells

Understanding the role of MSCs in aging, metabolic pathologies, and cancer.

  • Processed human white peripheral adipose tissue, and bone marrow adipose tissue to obtain MSCs.
  • Cultured cells, familiarizing myself with passing, seeding, treating and freezing procedures.
  • Processed confocal microscopy images using ImageJ MiNA toolset.

Research Assistant

to

University of Miami School of Medicine

PI: Michal Toborek

Department Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The influence of HIV-1 on the function of brain endothelial extracellular vesicles and neural progenitor cells.

  • Trained in the use of confocal microscopy and image processing.
  • Carried out mitochondrial morphological analysis using imageJ.
  • Aided in manuscript preparation.

Other Experiences

Relevant Cousework

  • Senior Honors in Neuroscience
  • Neuromotor Engineering
  • Nerual Mechanisms of Disease
  • Neurobiology
  • Neural Mechanisms of Psychiatric Disorders
  • Psychobiology
  • Psychopathology

Honors and Awards

  • President's Scolarship
  • President's Honor Roll
  • Provost's Honor Roll
  • Dean's List
  • Nu Rho Psi
  • Psi Chi
  • National Society of Collegiate Scholars
  • Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society
  • Highschool Valedicotrian