After completing my undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago, I joined the lab of Dr. Marc Freeman at University of Massachusetts Medical School for my doctoral work. Under the mentorship of Dr. Marc Freeman, I utilized Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the molecular mechanisms that regulate bi-directional communication between astrocytes and synapses during development. Currently, in the Stevens lab, I am studying the mechanisms that regulate microglial phagocytosis during synapse pruning. In particular, I am curious in how microglia recognize and remove select synapses during circuit refinement.