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Hey everyone--

I'm Felicia and I'm a bio major at Haverford. I'm from Indianapolis, and I'm planning on medical school after taking a year off. I'm in Rachel Hoang's lab studying Drosophila development, and while it doesn't directly relate to neuroscience, I find it fascinating that the same organic molecules we're studying are involved in everything from early embryonic patterning to later, more complex organ and pathway formation (like the nervous system).

I am very interested in exploring and discussing how this happens - how genetic material translates to development, formation of characteristics and social behaviors - and how differences in genes affect the latter two. I think one of the more pressing problems the field of neuroscience faces is trying to define and characterize a "normal" brain with a narrowed view of normality.

With an interest in medicine, I am fascinated at the amount of medicating that goes on. One of the things that has struck me most about my doctor shadowing experiences is just how medicated we as a society are. Is there a problem with turning to drugs first to treat symptoms? It's definitely often times the easiest of choices, but part of the reason I became interested in medicine was because I appreciate how resilient our bodies are - and I think taking advantage of that through alternative therapies is important to consider. I'm also interested in the relationship between diet and health and in addiction/reward pathways. Looking forward to the semester!