Genomic infectious disease diagnostics and monitoring, Nucleic acid sequencing technology development, Tuberculosis
B.S., Biochemistry, Northeastern University, 2023
Laurel began her undergraduate studies in biochemistry and art in 2019 through the Honors Program at Northeastern University. While there, she undertook two unconventional co-op positions. At 6K Energy, she developed a homemade filtration system to purify novel battery nanomaterial. She then worked to construct the first connectomic dataset of the Aedes aegypti mosquito’s antennal lobes in the Lee Lab at Harvard Medical School
to better understand the neural circuitry underpinning the deadly infectious
disease vector’s carbon dioxide sensitization. Across both experiences, she
found developing and applying systematic approaches to address urgent global
issues deeply motivating.
In the
spring of 2023, she graduated summa
cum laude and joined the Broad
Institute of MIT and Harvard as a research associate in the Gerstner Center for
Cancer Diagnostics. There, she worked on detecting circulating tumor DNA to
monitor cancer progression in clinical patient studies, leading the processing
for two and assisting on another four. She also led an independent technology
development project to improve the sensitivity of the CODEC single-molecule
duplex sequencing technology and broaden its applications.
Laurel
plans to synthesize her eclectic scientific experiences by developing a
rigorous assay for sequencing whole Mycobacterium
tuberculosis genomes directly
from human patient samples as her DPhil project. If fully realized, such a
technology could dramatically reduce the time required for appropriate therapy
selection by clinicians and help combat rising antimicrobial resistance for the
world’s deadliest infectious disease.
Laurel grew up in Franklin Township, New Jersey, and began her technical training as a fine artist. In high school, she found that her observational and creative problem solving skills translated well in her biology and chemistry studies, leading her to participate in Rutgers University’s Waksman Student Scholars Program and compete in Princeton University’s Chemagination contest. She still, however, maintains
her artistic practice when she has free time and occasionally takes on
freelance work.
Her passion
for art has evolved in tandem with her passion for community engagement.
Outside of her undergraduate classes at Northeastern University, she took on
the creative direction of NU Mural Club, designing and managing the execution
of large-form art installations for on- and off-campus groups with the goal of
fostering community within the wider Boston area.
While
conducting research at the Broad Institute, she organized programming for early
career researchers as co-Chair of BroadRATS Social Committee. She also
participated in Broad’s Scientists in the Classroom program where she taught
eighth graders in Cambridge public schools about both her research and
bioethics.
She hopes
to continue her outreach and leadership efforts on a more global scale while
conducting her doctoral studies across multiple continents.
Dr. Clifton Barry (NIAID), Dr. Helena Boshoff (NIAID), Prof. Derrick Crook (Oxford), and Prof. Timothy Walker (Oxford)