STEM Shoutout: Dr. Amalia Parra

Biology professor chosen as a 2021 Women in STEM Award winner

Dr. Amalia Parra, a research assistant professor in Biology was selected in June as a 2021 Women in STEM Award winner.

Her project with Dr. TyAnna Lovato, a research assistant professor in Biology, is “Transcriptional Regulation of Stem Cell Function in the Drosophilia Central Nervous System.”

The research intends to further the understanding of how healthy brains age and their relation to neurodegenerative diseases. While some aging cells experience functional decline, other older cells conserve their functions. The reason for this is unclear to researchers.

According to the proposal, “the aim of this project is to identify the genetic changes that underlie aging-related deficits in neural stem cell function. These results will generate new insights into stem cell aging and have implications to human aging and neurodegenerative diseases.”