Adriana Padilla Roger, BS

I graduated from University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras with a BS integrating Cellular and Molecular Biology and Neuropsychology prior to joining the UCSF Neuroscience PhD program. As an undergraduate in the lab of Dr. Alfredo Ghezzi, I studied the epigenetic interactions underlying neuroadaptive and behavioral responses to psychoactive drugs such as alcohol and ketamine in D. melanogaster. During this time, I collaborated with psychiatrist Dr. Frank H. Benítez-Cruz as Clinical Assistant to assess mental health patient care in Puerto Rican communities. My interest in the Ingraham lab, where I am eager to carry out my graduate work, is to investigate how estrogen modulates emotional and metabolic states. My passion for research lies in reimagining future advancements in mental health and female physiology.