Betancourt, Jennifer

Jenn is a graduate student in the Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology program at UC Santa Cruz.  Her thesis research focuses on how specific transcription factors mediate the development of the cerebral cortex in terms of neural stem cell maintenance, neuronal migration and axon growth.  In 2009, Jenn participated in the PDP and was part of a team who redesigned and taught a three week unit based on the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for the Eukaryotic Genetics Laboratory at UC Santa Cruz.  Her PDP experience has heightened her interest for teaching and upon receiving her Ph.D., Jenn plans to acquire a post-doctoral position in the field of neurodegenerative disease.  As part of her post-doctoral training, she hopes to implement inquiry-based teaching and learning in both classroom and mentorship settings in order to engage students in their scientific experiences.