I am a Genetics PhD student in Dr. Hanna Stevens' lab. My hometown in Haymarket, Virginia. I received a bachelor's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. At VCU, I began my research career in genetics studying craniosynostosis in a zebrafish model and mitochondrial function in c. elegans. I am very interested in developmental genetics, placental biology, and neurodevelopmental research. In Dr. Stevens' lab, I study how placental genetics influence fetal brain development in mice. Specifically, I study placental Igf-1 expression's impact on brain regions associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ASD and ADHD,

Publications:

Carver AJ, Hing B, Elser BA, Lussier SJ, Yamanashi T, Howard MA 3rd, Kawasaki H, Shinozaki G, Stevens HE. Correlation of telomere length in brain tissue with peripheral tissues in living human subjects. Front Mol Neurosci. 2024 Mar 7;17:1303974. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1303974. PMID: 38516039; PMCID: PMC10954899. 

Carver AJ, Taylor RJ, Stevens HE. Mouse In Vivo Placental Targeted CRISPR Manipulation. J Vis Exp. 2023 Apr 14;(194):10.3791/64760. doi: 10.3791/64760. PMID: 37125793; PMCID: PMC10664715.

Honors/Awards:

Graduate Student Senate Presentation Travel Award (2024)

Best Data Blitz Presentation Hawk-IDDRC Retreat (2024) 

Outstanding Student Researcher – UI Dare to Discover Downtown Banner Campaign (2023)

Pappajohn Biomedical Institute Best Graduate Student Paper Finalist (2023)

Graduate College Post-Comprehensive Exam Research Fellowship (2023)

Graduate College Summer Fellowship (2023)

Genetics T32 Pre-Doctoral Training Grant (2022 - 2023)

Pappajohn Biomedical Institute Microfinance Grant (2022)

Graduate Student Senate/Graduate College Presentation Travel Award (2022)

Genetics T32 Pre-Doctoral Training Grant (2021 - 2022 )