Posts classified under: cohort 9

I am originally from Rhode Island and earned my undergraduate degree at Mount Holyoke College, a women’s college that is gender diverse. I graduated in 2016 with majors in biological sciences and mathematics and wrote my senior thesis on epidemiological modeling of tuberculosis in the US.

I pursued my PhD at Yale University in Dr. Valerie Horsley’s lab, where I studied the role of apoptosis and the detection of dead cells during wound healing using a mouse model. During my graduate education, I also developed an interest in science outreach, communication, and teaching. After finishing my graduate studies, I began my postdoctoral research in Dr. Alvaro Sagasti’s lab at UCLA. I am currently investigating the function and characteristics of migratory cells in zebrafish skin during early development.

I am honored and excited to be an IRACDA scholar at UCLA. My long-term goal is to achieve a faculty position at a primarily undergraduate institution, which will integrate my passions for rigorous and collaborative research in the field of skin formation and healing as well as teaching and mentoring the next generation of scientists.

I was born in the country of Syria and my parents and I immigrated to the United States when I was 4 years old. In 2016, I received my Bachelor of Arts degrees in Cognitive Science and Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley. In 2017, I began graduate school at the University of California, Los Angeles under the mentorship of Prof. Anne Andrews. My research examined the neurobiological effects of exposure to in utero stress and antidepressants on offspring using a rodent model. In May 2022, I graduated with my PhD in Molecular Toxicology and shortly after, began my postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Prof. Catherine Cahill. My current research examines brain circuits involved in chronic pain and opioid seeking.

During my undergraduate and graduate studies, I have been fortunate to have incredible professors that have inspired me to pursue a teaching-focused faculty position. I have enriched my research experiences with teaching neuroscience and psychiatry courses throughout my academic training. Through the IRACDA program, I hope to advance my understanding of how to support students, empower them to enjoy and succeed in education, and mentor the great minds of generations to come.

I grew up as a Colombian American in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. In 2016, I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University. I went on to pursue a Neurobiology Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, in the human behavioral pharmacology laboratory of Dr. Harriet de Wit. My research focused on hormone-related variability in female responses to oral delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive constituent within cannabis. After completion of my doctoral training, I began a postdoctoral position at UCLA’s Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Center, under the mentorship of Dr. Ziva Cooper. My postdoctoral research investigates hormone-related variability in cannabinoid-induced changes in impulsivity and cardiac activity across different routes of consumption (i.e., Smoked, vaporized, oral).

As a Colombian woman pursuing an academic career, much of my research funding has come from diversity-focused grants for members of underrepresented minorities. Many of these grants included programing and mentorship to ensure preparedness for academic adversity. Through these initiatives, I received invaluable training and gained several mentors, who served as essential supports throughout my academic development. These relationships and experiences drove me to participate in diversity-focused outreach initiatives, become more involved in community organizing, and actively advocate for underrepresented individuals in academia.

My long-term career goal is to develop an independent behavioral pharmacology research career, while teaching and mentoring future generations of researchers. I plan to pursue a faculty position at an academic institution deeply committed to equity, inclusion, and advocacy. I will use my privilege and resources to conduct rigorous behavioral pharmacology research, while also training and advising future generations of STEM professionals.