Emily Rainge

Emily is currently a junior at Pomona College majoring in Neuroscience. Emily is really interested in studying change in social behavior as a result of neurodegeneration, and after recently completing a Neuropharmacology course, she has also developed a deep interest in pharmacology. Emily loves learning about the mechanisms of action of different drugs and how they would inhibit, possibly reverse, or stimulate neurodegeneration. Her interest in neurodegenerative diseases stems from growing up watching both her paternal and maternal grandfathers suffer from Parkinson's disease. However, the bulk of her research experience has been working with model organisms like C. elegans and studying environmental effects on food choice behavior, as well as how their olfactory system works to distinguish choices between bacteria. In her previous research, she has used GCMS-MS and bacterial choice assays to analyze the chemical components of different bacteria types and whether C. elegans show a preference for one or the other under certain conditions. The common denominator between both interests is the desire to learn about how genetic mutations evolve to change behavior.