Worked within the Neuroscience department with efforts focused on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Angelman Syndrome (AS).• Established methods for flow cytometric analysis of immune cell markers in the central nervous system of SOD1 knockout mice.• Characterized behavioral (grip strength, novel object, fear conditioning) and physiological changes (through western blotting, qPCR, IHC/immunofluorescence) in SOD1 mice and Ube3a+/- mice after treatment with various drugs.• Participated in daily disease model clinical scoring, end of life transcardial perfusion, blood collection, tissue harvest, drug delivery (IP, IV, PO, IM, SC), and stereotaxic surgery including pre- and post-operative treatment.

Assisted in the characterization of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway in the laboratory of Dr. Roger J. Davis, under the direction of Dr. Norman J. Kennedy. • Monitored the effects of high-fat diet induced insulin resistance in JNK-interacting protein-2 (JIP2) deficient mice utilizing insulin and glucose tolerance tests, EchoMRI, dissection, and general animal husbandry including breeding and weaning.• Characterized the JNK pathway through techniques such as immunoprecipitation/western blotting, (q)RT-PCR, DNA/RNA isolation, multiplex ELISA (luminex), cloning, and immunohistochemistry.• Identified changes in autophagy in JNK1/2 knock-out cells as well as p53 JNK1/2 knock-out cells using beta-galactosidase staining, flow cytometry (FACS), and western blots. • Successfully cultured, maintained, and treated various cell lines under cell culture conditions. • Contributed to lab-wide PCR genotyping, synthesized and maintained common stock solutions, performed weekly radiation safety testing.

Tutored students enrolled in Physics I and II.

The Neuroimmunology Research Project is a collaboration between Emmanuel College (under Dr. Todd Williams) and Massachusetts General Hospital (under Dr. Josef Kurtz). The research utilizes a mixed chimeric mouse model to study the turnover rate of microglial cells in adult neural tissue.• Tested a novel method of inducing mixed chimerism eliminating the use of irradiation and monitored the repercussions on lymphoid tissue.• Utilized immunofluorescence and flow cytometry to identify donor-derived cells in chimeric mice.• Trained in safe animal handling, IP injections, transcardial perfusions, harvesting and sectioning of peripheral and central nervous system tissues.