I started in Harvard’s PhD Program in Neuroscience in 2019. I work with Maria Lehtinen at Boston Children’s Hospital, where we study cerebrospinal fluid, the choroid plexus, and their roles in development and disease. I am specifically excited about the mechanisms by which the choroid plexus modulates cerebrospinal fluid contents, and the biological importance of this modulation. Ultimately, in addition to working on the cutting edge of neurobiology and running my own academic research group someday, I am exceedingly passionate about serving as a communication liaison between scientists, the public, and lawmakers.
I graduated from the Honors College at Kent State University in 2019 with a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology and a B.S. in Psychology, minoring in Chemistry. I wrote and defended an honors thesis with Dr. Gemma Casadesus in neuroendocrinology. Over the course of my undergraduate career I also had the chance to conduct fMRI research with Todd Braver at WUSTL and neuroimmunology research with Beth Stevens here at Harvard.
Outside of the lab, I am an avid reader, averaging a book every two weeks during the academic year! I enjoy writing, whether it be prose, poetry, or technical writing. I use my skill and experience writing to help many mentees prepare applications for college, graduate school, internships, and more! I do this on a volunteer basis with several organizations that serve underprivileged groups in an effort to demystify academia and make it more accessible to all. I also love to teach. I’ve taught several undergraduate courses at Harvard College so far – Neurobiology of Behavior, Cellular Basis of Neuronal Function (Electrophysiology), and Foundations of Neuroscience!
In 2021 I was appointed a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellow, an award I am proud to hold as it is given to around 50 individuals a year across the country who must display not only cutting edge scientific research, but true dedication to leadership as well as increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM.
Less science-related hobbies include bartending, weightlifting, thrifting, and getting outside to backpack and hike!
find my CV at https://www.kickresume.com/cv/ogMde/, or learn more about my path to neuroscience here https://brain.harvard.edu/hbi_humans/yael-courtney/