Llaelyn Sierra-Cortez

Llaelyn received a Bachelor of Science in biology from Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon. There, she worked in Dr. Catherine Reinke’s laboratory doing 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 joined the Opportunities in Genomic Research to further my knowledge in science and strengthen my laboratory skills to better prepare myself for graduate school. She is currently pursuing a PhD at Washington University.

Research area

In the Dougherty Laboratory, Llaelyn studied neurodevelopmental disorders to better understand how gene expression differences can change the trajectory of neural development. The lab believes that a better understanding of basic science behind syndromic conditions has the potential to give patients with these syndromes and their families a deeper understanding on what their conditions mean.