Lab Alumni

Kayla hails from small town Minnesota (cue John Mellencamp) where she grew up collecting ladybugs on dandelions and reading books by the light of the moon. She decided to study Biology at Carleton College and, when she wasn’t saving puppies from tornadoes, she spent her summers researching the coloration of lizards and learning how to lasso the little guys out in Colorado. Leaving the lizards behind in 2012, she joined Teach For America and spent the next 4 years trying to cram scientific knowledge into the brains of reluctant children in both Kentucky and Massachusetts. Kayla then settled into life as a Molecular Genetics and Genomics graduate student and quite liked the opportunities in nearby Forest Park. You might catch her running or playing ultimate frisbee on a warm day when she’s not in lab. While she would love to study the effects of environmental stress on animal behavior through the lens of genetics, she thinks videotaping Nathan’s back-flipping mice is pretty fun too! Kayla also holds the record for longest submitted bio for the lab’s people page.

Rachel was a graduate student in the Neuroscience program, working in the Dougherty and Culver (WUSTL Radiology) labs. She is interested in using functional neuroimaging and behavioral testing in the study of both healthy and disordered development across time in mice. Outside of the lab, she enjoys hiking, playing board games, and discussing current events.

Darshan studied the mechanisms that regulate neuronal differentiation from multipotent progenitors and earned a PhD from the State University of New York, Buffalo. As a postdoc in the lab, he was characterizing different neuronal cell types of the brain based on their translational profiles. Two things thrill him the most: scientific discoveries and Mark Knopfler’s songs. Darshan is now an Assistant Professor at UT Dallas.

Joelle was a first year student at Washington University at the College of Arts and Sciences. She had not yet decided on a major, but is considering neuroscience and statistics. In the lab, her focused on Autism Spectrum Disorder. Outside the lab, Joelle swims butterfly on the WashU varsity swim team and enjoys cooking and working out.

Llaelyn was part of the Opportunities in Genomics Research (OGR) post-baccalaureate research program. She received her BS in biology from Linfield University where she worked with Dr. Catherine Reinke studying genome annotation to better understand how the positions of genes within well-characterized biological pathways influence the evolution of pathway genes and their regulatory regions. She is now attending graduate school and earning her PhD in genetics and genomics at WashU! Outside of lab, she enjoys making vanilla lattes, crocheting, reading, and having fun!

Raylynn Swift is a research assistant in the lab supporting mouse behavioral research. She graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2020 with a master’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in behavioral neuroscience. At home, she has two rat roommates and is working on expanding her houseplant collection.

Dora was an undergraduate student at WashU majoring in Neuroscience and double minoring in Children’s Studies and Spanish. She worked with Susan and Katie and is interested in the behavioral mice studies being conducted in the lab. Dora plans on attending medical school and would like to practice as a surgeon. Outside of the lab, Dora enjoys practicing Tae Kwon do, watching movies and running her club “WashU’s Save a Child’s Heart”.

Arthi was an undergraduate student at WashU majoring in Cognitive Neuroscience and minoring in Computer Science on the pre-med track. She worked in the lab starting Summer 2022 under Simona’s mentorship, until her graduation in the Spring of 2023! In her free time, she enjoys dancing, drawing, going on walks, listening to music, and binge-watching romcoms on Netflix

Leah was a current undergraduate at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. She majored in neuroscience with a general education concentration in public health and plans to attend medical school in the future. Outside of the lab, Leah enjoys running, exploring Maine, and perfecting her matcha latte recipe.