BS, PhD Candidate

Nellie Nelson grew up on a small sheep and cattle ranch in Anderson, CA. Her passion for science led her to receive her BS in Genetics from UC Davis in 2011. She then worked as a Research Associate I/II for Focus Dx, JWCI, and USC. Nellie has been pursuing her PhD at UCI under the guidance of Dr. Autumn Ivy since 2019. She aims to elucidate epigenetic mechanisms of early-life exercise intervention to alleviate early-life adversity-induced cognitive deficits in adult mice. This research will influence our understanding of how epigenetic mechanisms can be shaped during early life to persistently impact neurodevelopment and adult neurobiology. After grad school, Nellie intends to pursue a California Clinical Genetic Molecular Biologist Scientist license and pursue a career in clinical diagnostic testing. When she is not at the lab bench, Nellie enjoys spending quality time with her husband and 2 cats, playing board games, crocheting, and cross-stitching.