Was there a defining moment during your time at UConn?

There were many defining moments throughout my graduate career, but certainly one of the highlights was my public thesis defense. As a Ph.D. student, it is easy to bury yourself in daily experiments and upcoming program requirements, without stepping back to appreciate the big picture. The public defense provides an awesome opportunity to share your entire body of work with the broader community, including brave friends and family.

Describe someone you’ve met here who has already impacted your future.

I believe that most people impact your future, but certainly the most influential people in my career have been my thesis advisors, professors Betty Eipper and Richard Mains. In addition to being excellent scientists, they took active roles in my career development, encouraging me to attend and speak at scientific conferences, interact with leaders in the field, and even pursue other interests. I am eternally grateful for their guidance along the way and their continued support as I take the next step in my career.

Where are you headed after graduation?

More neuroscience! I recently began a postdoctoral position with Marina Picciotto in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University.

What will you miss most about UConn?

I’ll miss the camaraderie amongst the graduate students at UConn Health. Although I’ve made some lifelong friendships here, there is something uniquely unifying about overcoming the challenges of a graduate program together.