Alex (she/her/hers) is a senior Honors student majoring in Molecular & Cell Biology and Human Rights with a minor in Mathematics. On campus she is a Teaching Assistant for Cell Biology, a mentor for BIOL 1107, and a chemistry and physics tutor at a local high school. She enjoys volunteering as a mentor in the Academic Achievement Center and advocating for immigrants’ rights through CT Students for a Dream.
During her sophomore year she became involved in research in Dr. Sciolino’s neuroscience lab, where she studies the neural circuits involved in the development and progression of obesity. During the Summer of 2022 she received funding through UConn’s SURF Award to examine the effects of optogenetically stimulating the locus coeruleus (LC) on feeding behavior, with the purpose of elucidating the specific hunger-promoting cell types that contribute to diet-induced obesity’s (DIO) attenuation. Alex was awarded a UConn IDEA Grant for the 2022-2023 academic year to investigate the effects of continuously chemogenetically activating LC neurons at different points in DIO’s progression to determine at which stage chemoactivation is most effective in attenuating DIO. These projects are part of her larger University Scholar project that utilizes intersectional genetics to explore the physiological basis of DIO.
During the Fall of 2021 Alex received a UConn Co-op Legacy Fellowship - Change Grant to design, implement, and instruct a college preparation program at a local high school. She is also a Research Assistant for the Pandemic Journaling Project, where she researches the intersection between public health and human rights in the context of women’s reproductive health. She is passionate about the intersection between public health, human rights, and the life sciences. If you have any questions about getting involved in undergraduate research (STEM or humanities), finding the right lab/mentor for you, or applying for grants, feel free to reach out!
Student Research Blog Posts by Alexandra: