Noel-Marie Plonski
Noel-Marie Plonski, a biomedical sciences doctoral student, was one of 13 advanced doctoral students awarded the University Fellowship for the 2020-2021 academic year. Read further to learn more about her research, future goals and Kent State experience.
- Please give a short overview of your research.
My dissertation research focuses on viral host interactions. I developed a computational toolkit using a new mathematical model to predict biomarkers for neurological diseases. I then used this toolkit to find biomarkers in major depressive disorder and suicide and map RNA editing landscapes in early brain development.
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- What made you choose to pursue your graduate degree here at Kent State?
I chose to pursue my graduate degree at Kent State because of Kent State's School of Biomedical Science's highly collaborative, expansive network of knowledgeable scientists here on campus as well as at NEOMED and the Cleveland Clinic.
- What do you enjoy most about attending Kent State for graduate school?
I enjoy attending Kent State most because of the supportive and enriching environment where everyone is treated like family. Kent State has also provided the right balance between guidance and support and the freedom to grow as an independent scientist.
- What are your future goals?
My future goals are to be an independent researcher using both my computational and experimental skills to study the relationship between the immune system and neuropsychiatric disorders.
- What does this award mean to you and how will it aid you?
I really appreciated the opportunity this award provides to focus all my attention on my research goals for my dissertation. I will make great use of this time to add additional features to my toolkit and to continue to develop my "wet" lab experience growing stem cell cultures.