Acknowledgments

I would like to thank everyone who has helped me get to and through my summer research experience, it truly takes a village and I have a great one!

My recommenders (and professors) from Chatham University: Pierette Appasamy, Robert Lettan II, Lisa Lambert, Nataliya Myshakina, who helped me get accepted to a research program for this summer.

The co-directors of the the Univeristy of Pittsburgh's Center for Neuroscience Summer Undergraduate Research Program, Anthony Kline and Jon Johnson, who sponsored my chance to research as well as coordinated neuroscience lectures that I would not have heard otherwise.

Quasar Padiath, my mentor in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, who consistently encouraged me in the project he assigned me - which was truly relevant to his research - and made sure that I understood the overall scope of his research as well as where my project fit in.

The Padiath Lab members: Guillermo Rodriguez Bey, Bruce Nmezi, Juliana Schneider, and Nisha Nanavaty, who helped me in the lab day-to-day with my project and taught me so much in only 10 weeks.

My internship advisor at Chatham University, Nataliya Myshakina, who made sure my blog was as good as it could be and that I was having a great experience.

My contact in Chatham's Career Development Office, Crystal Vietmeier, who helped me complete my requirements and reflect on my research experience.

Last but not least, all of my family and friends, who supported me during my ten weeks of research.