Mara Cowen, Ph.D.

Mara Cowen, Ph.D., received her Ph.D in Neuroscience in January at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently working in Mike Hart’s lab. She received her Bachelor of Science in Developmental Neuroscience from the University of South Carolina, where she conducted research on the molecular mechanisms of rare neurodevelopmental disorders using human induced pluripotent stem cells. In the Hart lab, Mara is studying the effect of mutations in the autism-related gene, Neurexin, on social behavior, stress response, sleep, and neuronal morphology in C. elegans.