As a research assistant in the Kumar lab, I focus on conducting and optimizing behavioral phenotyping assays while providing additional support to fellow lab members’ work. My primary projects include 1) Assay refinement and data generation for a pharmacologic behavioral phenotyping study characterizing drug-perturbed behavior in mice using 24/7, long-term monitoring systems. Our goal being to develop a high-throughput pipeline to better evaluate the efficacy of novel therapeutic drugs in the preclinical space. 2) Conducting data generation and preliminary analysis through behavioral assays on KOMP mouse strains to understand the genetic contributions to drug addiction susceptibility. Through my work in the lab, I’m building a strong foundation in behavioral analysis, robust experimental design, data interpretation and science communication skills essential to my eventual pursuit of a PhD.
I hold a B.A in Neuroscience & Behavior from Mount Holyoke College where I initially intended to pursue a career in trauma surgery before developing an interest in research. My ambitions now center around addressing the current gaps in knowledge regarding sex differences in pharmacology, endurance physiology, and the neuroscientific underpinnings of human performance and decision-making.