My name is Jasmine Meredith and I am a third year honors student majoring in molecular and cellular biology with an emphasis in genetics and human health at the University of Arizona. I am also minoring in flute performance, french language, and sociology. Currently, I am a part of the Madhavan lab studying neurodegenerative diseases, particularly, Parkinson’s disease. PD is a neurodegenerative disease often referred to as a mitochondrial disorder due to severe impairment in mitochondrial function. The project I am currently contributing to involves utilizing a mouse model that replicates key aspects of sporadic Parkinson’s Disease in order to assess the efficacy of Lasmiditan, an FDA-approved drug known for treating migraines, but also showing promise in mitigating mitochondrial dysfunction. Earlier in my college career, I was in the Zarnescu lab working with Drosophila Melanogaster studying Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and the Yao lab studying the heterogeneity of quiescence and senescence depth and its relation to cancer progression utilizing cell culture. In my free time, I am the president of the badminton club at the U of A, and love to participate in tournaments and play for fun. I also love to watch horror movies and learn about art history. After graduation, I would like to pursue my masters by continuing my research in the Madhavan lab, then continue on to an MD/PhD.
