Alumni

Rocío is a PhD student in the FunGen lab since December 2019. Her project involves the unravelling of the function of two transcription factors, ZFHX3 and ZFHX4, in neuronal development and assess how dysfunction can lead to disease.

To better understand how loss of function can lead to disease, she uses CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering and overexpression to study the molecular, morphological, and electrophysiological effects of aberrant proteins. She also works with in vivo models, Drosophila melanogaster and Danio rerio, to study the phenotypical effects of ZFHX3 and ZFHX4 aberrations.

In addition to working in the lab, she highly values specialized skills, therefore she has completed the postgraduate course Human Genetics from the Belgian Society of Human Genetics.

She has also improved her transferable skills with the following courses: “Effective Scientific Communication”, “Presentation Skills”, “Time management” and “Initiation GIMP and Inkscape” courses. Most of these courses were put into practice during selected talks concerning the ZFHX3 project at the joint meeting BeSHG/NVHG in Bruges on the 21st April 2022 and the international ESHG meeting in Vienna (Austria) on the 11th of June 2022. She has also mentored different master students during her PhD.

In her spare time, Rocío likes to go for a run, enjoys hanging out with her friends, and travel around the world.  

Rocío has been awarded a Marguerite-Marie Delacroix fellowship to work on these exciting projects.