I grew up catching praying mantises and damselflies in rural Kentucky. As an undergraduate at Centre College, I majored in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; I spent my summers taking care of sick children at the Center for Courageous Kids and doing research in organic chemistry and neuroscience. I matriculated directly to the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and completed my first three years of medical school. I then moved to Janelia Research Campus as a HHMI Medical Research Fellow; there I studied the neural and genetic bases of behavior. As a PhD student in Zoology, I will study adaptive behavior. All animals integrate information about past experience into future decisions; this is the basis of learning and memory. I am proposing to write a specific memory and read the memory trace in the brain. I will use the fruit fly as a model organism. By understanding mechanisms of memory storage, we can begin to investigate changes in memory formation in disease; this may allow us to develop rational therapies for disorders of memory formation, including autism and Alzheimer’s disease. After completing my PhD, I will return to finish my last year of medical school and pursue a career as a child neurologist and neuroscientist, using my lab to better understand the patients I see in clinic.
Centre College
Gates Scholar Niraj Lal (2008) was recently interviewed on the Naked Scientist radio show. The award winning BBC weekly radio programme reaches a potential audience of 6 million listeners across […]
A four minute profile of Siza Mtimbiri, a current Gates Scholar from Zimbabwe undertaking a PhD in Education at St Edmunds’ College. Siza is working on the nexus between education […]
A four minute profile of Rajiv Chowdury, a current Gates Scholar from Bangladesh undertaking a PhD in Public Health.
A four minute profile of Gates Scholar Rachel who works in the Centre for Atmospheric Science studying the effects of large scale biofuel production on atmospheric chemistry. Rachel hopes to […]
A 12 minute film from June 2009 when Bill and Melinda Gates came to Cambridge to meet with Gates Cambridge Scholars.
Caitlin Casey (2007) – a recent Gates alumna – has been awarded the prestigious Hubble Fellowship to pursue her research at the University of Hawai’i. The Director of the Space […]
Barack Obama’s New Media Director discussed the lessons learned from the US presidential campaign at a distinguished lecture in Cambridge this week. As the UK prepares for a general election […]
The Gates Cambridge Trust has now emailed all candidates who have been shortlisted for interviews at the end of March. If you have not received an email from the Trust […]
Joseph Bonneau (2008) – Gates Scholar, Chair of the Scholars’ Council and PhD student at the University’s Computer Lab – has been undertaking research with his colleagues which has found […]
For the weekend 16-18 April 2010, Gates Alumni from all over Europe are warmly invited to the Inaugural European Gates Alumni event taking place in the vibrant city of Berlin, […]