“I am NOT a Geneticist” with Emily Harriott and Harrison Parent
In this episode of Discovery Dialogues, Emily Harriott, PhD candidate in Neuroscience, and Harrison Parent, PhD candidate in Pharmacology, discuss how a chance meeting at a Vanderbilt research conference sparked an interdisciplinary collaboration funded by the Lacy-Fischer grant. Emily studies how brain structure, specifically white matter pathways, supports reading and academic achievement in children, while Harrison researches drug discovery for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Together, they've uncovered correlations between specific genetic variants, cognitive performance, and reading ability; bridging Harrison's molecular bench work with Emily's clinical and cognitive data. The two reflect on what they've learned from each other, the Vanderbilt resources that made the project possible, and the mentors and communities that have shaped their PhD journeys.
