Naomi

Naomi
Revere High School 
Revere, MA

Mentor: 
Nuria Roxana Botticello-Romero
Stanley Center and Psychiatric Disease | Deverman Lab 
 

Naomi was particularly enthusiastic about joining the BSSP program. “I would love to experience the structure of a formal lab and be able to work with fellow students on research. The collaborative aspect of it all is exciting as well.” During her summer project in the Deverman lab, she had the chance to contribute to the development of innovative treatments, including gene therapy. The lab specializes in adeno-associated viruses (AAVs), which are used for gene therapy delivery but face the challenge of crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). AAVs can transcytose or cross the BBB by binding to the CA4 receptor. Naomi and her partner explored the binding sites of various AAVs on human and mouse CA4 receptors using an inhibitor that targets the active site of CA4. She identified a capsid that effectively binds to the active site of the human CA4 receptor, as evidenced by inhibited transduction in the presence of the inhibitor. Conversely, other capsids exhibited enhanced transduction with the inhibitor present, suggesting that these capsids do not bind through the active site. Reflecting on her experience, Naomi shares, “BSSP taught me that research is not all about the science, it can also be about making connections. Thanks to BSSP I am able to look at challenges and have the confidence to face them.”