Ya'el Courtney

Ya'el is a fifth-year PhD candidate in Neuroscience at Harvard University. She works with Dr. Maria Lehtinen, studying the role of cerebrospinal fluid and the choroid plexus in embryonic brain development. Ya'el applied for the NSF-GRFP as a senior undergraduate and received an honorable mention. She applied again as a second-year PhD candidate and was awarded the fellowship. Since then, she has also been awarded the HHMI Gilliam Fellowship. In addition to bench science, Ya'el is passionate about science education, writing, and mentorship. She has worked with Cientifico Latino for several years as a GSMI mentor and a GSEC mentor and is ecstatic to help students applying to the NSF-GRFP hone their applications.