Research Interest
My Research
As a neuroscience graduate student I used genomic analysis to identify and target changes in gene expression that facilitate aberrant neuronal function. This work primarily focused on uncovering and targeting underlying gene and epigenetic dysregulation in Alzheimer's disease and Autism spectrum disorder. Such an approach allowed us to discover novel mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration and neurodevelopment, and reverse cognitive and social deficits in animal models.
My current work is a collaborative effort that focuses on expanding on existing data for neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by generating and utilizing large-scale genetic databases comprised of African-American children with ASD. Moreover, I will use such resources to identify neurodevelopmental risk factors in individuals from such an understudied ancestral background. in addition, I intend to leverage these findings to add to the growing knowledge of how such risk-factors converge on common pathways in ASD and other NDD, to better understand how to target these mechanisms.
