Hi everyone!
I am Shenelle Shaw, a rising Junior majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology. As a UConn McNair Scholar, I had the opportunity to have hands-on research experience during the summer of 2021. I conducted my UConn McNair Scholars Project under Dr. Tzingounis in the department of Physiology and Neurobiology. My project focused on identifying Dyrk1a dependent phosphorylation sites on KCNQ2 channels. Understanding the relationship between Dyrk1a kinase and KCNQ2 protein is essential as a result of them being co-expressed and both being associated with epilepsy. Learning more about this connection can lead to further research and treatment advancements for neonatal developmental disorder, autism and epilepsy.