People

Biography

Christine Rushlow received her Bachelor and PhD degrees at the University of Connecticut, then began her postdoc training in developmental biology first with Dr. David Ish-Horowicz at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London and then with Dr. Michael Levine at Columbia University. Since 1991 Christine has been running her own lab, first at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology and then at New York University where she is currently a Professor of Biology. Her major research interest is the study of how genes control development from a fertilized egg to an adult. She has been an active member of the scientific community for several decades, training future generation scholars through activities such as mentoring students in her lab including undergraduate and graduate, as well as high school students through a STEM summer program for New York City high school under-represented groups including girls in science. As Director of the WINS at CAS, Christine emphasizes the importance of the research experience as well as networking across disciplines with mentors and peers.

Biography

Akriti Agrawal received her Bachelor's in Biotechnology from Amity University, India. Throughout her undergrad, she gained experience in diverse areas of biological research, including biostatistics and genetic engineering. After graduation, she pursued a master's in bioengineering from IIT Guwahati, India. During her master's, she spent a year studying protein transdifferentiation of fibroblast to β-cells in the lab of Rajkumar Thummer. Akriti is currently doing her PhD in David Gresham's lab, investigating different mechanisms of drug resistance in fungi using genomic tools. As a graduate assistant for WINS, Akriti hopes to help young women in science explore various career options and build a network that will allow them to confidently transition to their future endeavors.