Avika received a B.S. in Molecular Genetics at the University of Rochester in 2018. During her undergrad, she assisted with research projects in Dr. Edward Schwarz’s lab focused on rheumatoid arthritis and Dr. Andrew Samuelson’s lab focused on aging. After graduating in August 2018, Avika joined the McCormick/Ellison Lab as a research assistant with a long-term goal of pursuing a Ph.D.