Trainee Tuesday – Joanna Medina

Welcome to ASPE Trainee Tuesday!

Here at the Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence (ASPE), we take pride in our leading team of clinicians, scientists, and trainees. Our trainees include a multi-disciplined group of Postdoctoral Fellows, Undergraduate and Graduate Students, Clinical Research Coordinators, Data Analysts, and Research Specialists. 

At ASPE, not only do our trainees have the opportunity to apply what they are learning to meaningful scientific research, but they are also encouraged to explore professional and scientific opportunities to lead them to successful scientific careers at both Penn and beyond.  

Our trainees do not go unnoticed for their exceptional achievements, ongoing commitment to ASPE, and substantial contributions made to the research community. 

For our next Trainee Tuesday, meet Joanna Medina – Postdoctoral Fellow in the Zhou Lab!

Joanna has been a member of the ASPE team since 2021, spending the past three years in Dr. Zhaolan (Joe) Zhou’s Lab. Keep reading to learn all about Joanna and the research she has contributed to during her time at ASPE.

1. Tell us a bit about your responsibilities as your role for ASPE.

Copy number variations in the Neurexin1 (NRXN1) gene are among the most frequently observed single-gene variants associated with autism. As a part of ASPE, I’m using mouse models carrying Neurexin1α (Nrxn1α) mutations to characterize the contribution of Nrxn1α towards behavioral, circadian, and synaptic phenotypes relevant to ASD. I’m also investigating the degree of reversibility of these phenotypes by reinstating Nrxn1 protein expression in adulthood with the goal of better informing the development of therapeutic genetic strategies for treating ASD and other neurexin-related neurological disorders.

2. What made you join the ASPE team?

Having a sibling with autism, I’ve always been interested in learning more about the biological underpinnings of autism and investigating new interventions or therapeutics to improve care and quality of life for the autism community. Being a part of the Zhou lab gave me the opportunity to get involved with ASPE and ASD research here at Penn!

3. Can you share a bit about your educational background, and any future academic or professional plans?

I graduated from Binghamton University in 2014 with a BS in Integrative Neuroscience and earned my PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University at Albany in 2021. Following my postdoctoral fellowship, I look forward to exploring careers in the pharmaceutical and clinical research sectors to continue making healthcare advancements for neurodevelopmental disorders.

4. What’s been the most interesting thing you have gotten the chance to work on at ASPE?

Finding that several ASD-relevant behavioral phenotypes are at least partially reversible in adult animal models has been exciting to discover and offers great promise for future therapeutic development. I look forward to probing whether sleep perturbations and sensory processing deficits via evoked response potentials can also be mitigated in the next phase of my project.

5. What was the most valuable thing you learned during your time at ASPE?

Teamwork truly makes the dream work! The level of collaboration in ASPE is incredible. Each lab working together to investigate multiple domains affected by ASD really makes the program one of the best equipped to make the next big discoveries to improve our understanding of autism with the greatest impact for the ASD community.

6. Fun fact you’d like to share?

I’m a big baseball fan, Go Phils!