Linda Li

I am a MCDB pre-med senior at Yale with interests in neurobiology and translational research. With the help of Dr. Lombroso during the end of my sophomore year, I applied for and received the Yale College Dean’s Research Fellowship to help fund a 10 week research project in his lab during the summer of 2009. That summer, I worked with Matt Baum to elucidate the involvement of STEP in Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). Since then, I have been working under the guidance of Susan Goebel-Goody, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab. We are exploring how STEP interacts with Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein, the protein whose absence leads to FXS. We are also looking at how overexpression of STEP contributes to the behavioral deficits characteristic of FXS.

Working in the Lombroso Lab has been a wonderful experience. After looking at many labs at Yale, I have found that the Lombroso Lab is the most supportive and understanding towards students. My experience here has not only allowed me to become a better researcher but has also challenged me to perform to the best of my potential and has helped me develop critical thinking skills that will be extremely useful for my future pursuits. I would recommend this lab to any student interested in an intensive but extremely rewarding long-term research experience.