Allison Kao

Program: Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Current advisor: Aaron DiAntonio, MD, PhD

Undergraduate university: Harvard University, 2020

Enrollment year: 2021

Research summary
My research investigates how metabolic perturbation causes neuronal vulnerability and contributes to neurodegenerative disease.

In the DiAntonio and Mitra labs, I am interested in applying functional genomics to elucidate genetic regulators of mitochondrial dysfunction that drive axon degeneration and neuronal cell death. In doing so, I hope to advance our mechanistic understanding of programmed cell death conserved across neurodegenerative diseases.

Graduate publications