Marissa is currently a Neuroscience PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania where she studies neuroepigenetics in Erica Korb's lab. Previously, she received her Bachelors of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and Biochemistry from Bridgewater State University (BSU). While at BSU, Marissa conducted research on the behavioral and physiological effects of an altered circadian rhythm. She spent the summer of her sophomore and junior year being a part of two research internships at Scripps Research - Florida and at Stanford University as an Amgen Scholar. In addition, she is passionate about outreach where she's been involved in programs such as the Science Education Academy (SEA) and the Penn Rising Scholar Summer Academy (PennRSSA). She is excited to be a part of the Project SHORT team and looks forward to mentoring undergraduates interested in applying for graduate school.