Rachel is an Associate Research Scientist fascinated by the mechanisms that determine how cells make choices when presented with seemingly equal genetic options.
About
What are the signals that distinguish one allele from another in the same cell? How are gene activation and repression intertwined to arrive at a final genetic selection?
As an Associate Research Scientist in the Lomvardas Lab, Rachel is working to answer these questions. Rachel's previous work explored X chromosome inactivation and genomic imprinting, and she's currently investigating olfactory receptor choice as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Lomvardas Lab. By studying the many layers of signals that govern monoallelic choice in the olfactory system, Rachel is investigating the mechanisms that underlie gene regulation more generally.
Rachel began her education at the University of Virginia, where she received her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience and French. She holds a master's degree in Genetics from the University of Paris VI, and she completed her PhD in Genetics and Genomics at the University of Paris VII.
While she is currently based at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute in New York City, Rachel has conducted research around the world. At the University of Virginia, she worked in Dr. Emilie Rissman's lab before joining the French Pasteur Institute as a Fulbright Scholar under Dr. Philip Avner. At the internationally-renowned Institut Curie in Paris, Rachel worked with Dr. Déborah Bourc'his while pursuing her Masters and PhD.
Rachel enjoys mentoring BRAINYAC students and engaging the public in science.
Rachel is passionate about travel, languages, photography, culture, and food. Always up for an outdoor adventure, she is particularly fond of backpacking, camping, and (perfectly) organizing lab retreats. Nowadays, most of her free time is spent with her baby, Ikal, and her partner Martin.