April earned a B.S. in Biology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a PhD in Neuroscience from Yale University. As a graduate student under the supervision of Dr. Ellen Hoffman and Dr. Kristen Brennand, April investigated context-specific effects of estradiol exposure on 36 autism spectrum disorder risk genes, using large-scale CRISPR-KO and behavioral screens in dual model systems of hiPSC-derived glutamatergic neurons and larval zebrafish. April identified convergent and divergent phenotypic rescue effects of estradiol, with broad rescue of differentially expressed genes and pathways across ASD risk gene targets and gene-specific rescue of network hyperexcitability and seizure behavior. Overall, April’s research expanded and systematically examined the interaction of early estradiol exposure and ASD genetic risk to stratify 7 genes highly susceptible to estradiol
rescue. April is now pursuing her postdoctoral work at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard where she is investigating gene-x-immune interactions in the development of psychiatric conditions, with the goal of understanding how genetic risk factors and aberrant microglial biology contribute to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Outside of the lab, April enjoys reading novels, going to museums, hiking and biking, and traveling around the world to experience new cultures.