Maryann Lorino
Mary Lorino, of Birmingham, Alabama, graduated summa cum laude from Tulane University with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience. Her honours thesis examined the effects of autism spectrum disorder on cortical development. At Tulane, Mary served as co-president of the School of Science and Engineering Student Government, an ambassador for the Office of Undergraduate Research, and a chemistry teaching assistant. Mary also completed summer research fellowships at the University of Chicago and the National Institutes of Health. In Chicago, she conducted clinical research, developing a behavioural assessment to measure social cognition across dementia subtypes. At the NIH, she performed high-throughput drug screening to identify candidate therapeutics for lysosomal storage disorders. As a Marshall Scholar, Mary is pursuing a PhD in Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh in the lab of Professor Brian Bigger. Her research focuses on developing novel gene- and cell-based therapies for neurological lysosomal storage disorders. Long term, Mary aims to pursue a career in medicine and translational neuroscience to provide care and develop therapies for patients facing neurodegenerative diseases.