Larissa is a graduate student in the University of Washington's neuroscience program. Before grad school she earned her B.S. in neuroscience from the University of Michigan where she studied variations in genes encoding for sodium channels that cause pediatric epilepsies. Now she studies the relationship between Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy and how gene variants implicated in the familial form of Alzheimer's disease promote hyperexcitability. Larissa has been involved in several outreach programs and is very passionate about improving diversity in STEM. Outside of the lab she enjoys sewing, hiking, and taking pictures of her cat.