Year you started the Neuroscience Program: 2003

Why you chose the UC Denver Neuroscience Program: Friendly faculty, location

What labs you rotated in: Nick Seeds, Sherry Leonard, Kristin Artinger

What lab you joined and why: I joined Kristin Artinger's lab. I have a background in behavior therapy treating children with autism, and an interest in developmental disorders of the nervous system. Dr. Artinger's lab investigates the development of cell types that form at the neural plate border, which include cells that eventually go on to form the peripheral nervous system (neural crest cells) as well as Rohon-Beard sensory neurons. Understanding what happens in normally-developing embryos is key to understanding what may go wrong when certain neurodevelopmental disorders occur.

Short description of your project: Neural crest cells (NCCs) and Rohon-Beard sensory neurons (RBs) are unique embryonic cell populations that are essential for proper nervous system development. Both cell types arise at the neural plate border (NPB) in developing anamniote embryos. Although much is already known about these cell types after they have been specified at the NPB, relatively little is known about their development at earlier developmental stages. The overall objective of my project is to define the cellular and molecular relationships between RBs and NCCs during early NPB development. I hypothesize that:

1. a population of precursor cells exists prior to differentiation of cells at the NPB that is capable of giving rise to both RBs and NCCs
2. that the genes that affect both RBs and NCCs act early in neural tissue development, at least in part by regulating proper development of the entire NPB; and
3. that the conditions that occur at the NPB including tissue interactions and intermediate levels of BMP signaling can induce RBs

Where you attended undergrad and what your major/minor(s) were: University of Texas, Major: Psychology, Minor: Biological sciences

What you did (if anything) between undergrad and grad school: I worked as a behavior therapist for children with autism.

Other school affiliated activities/clubs you are involved in: Admissions Program

What you like to do outside of school: Yoga, Book Club