University: Skidmore College
Hometown: Cape Elizabeth, ME
NIH Research Project:
Candidate Genes for Anxiety and Depression
Mentor: Daniel Pine, M.D.
Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program
National Institute of Mental Health
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My first introduction to medicine was in high school when I was training to become an EMT. During my first rescue call, I had to stand back and watch as the rescue team tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate a close family friend. The frustration of not knowing what to do and not being allowed to assist motivated me to increase my ability to help others.
In college I discovered a passion for research. My first lab mentor, Dr. Joanne Conover of the Jackson Laboratory, was instrumental in my initial growth as a scientist. Her excitement and passion for research quickly became my own, and when I learned about Medical Scientist Training Programs (combined M.D./Ph.D. programs) I realized it was a perfect fit for me. Becoming a physician would allow me to treat patients and improve the quality of their lives; becoming a scientist would allow me to treat diseases on a larger scale, benefiting later generations of patients.
Several research experiences later, my commitment to training as a medical scientist has become stronger. Last summer, working with Dr. Ajay Chitnis in the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, I learned the value of computer modeling as an educational and experimental tool as I simulated, and then conducted, experiments in neural development. At Skidmore, in Dr. Marc Tetel's laboratory, I studied the mechanisms through which estrogen acts on the brain, using a newly discovered technique.
This summer, I am working under Drs. Daniel Pine and Alan Zametkin in the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program in the National Institute of Mental Health. In our lab, we use fMRI to determine where differences exist between child and adult emotional regulation and processing of emotional stimuli. Specifically, my project involves looking at DNA samples and fMRI data to determine whether different genes are associated with anxiety or depression. |
