Sofia Éllen

Sofia Éllen
Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School
Taunton, MA

Mentor: 
Yan-Ling Zhang
Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research | Zhang Lab 
 

Sofia was confident that this opportunity would change her life. She expressed in her application, “I've never imagined having an opportunity like this, especially when I think about how the science field is not widely engaged in my home country, which makes this opportunity at the Broad Institute even more extraordinary for me.” At the Broad, she worked on the Therapeutics Group of the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, where the goal is to reduce the burden of serious mental illness by understanding its mechanisms and identifying new treatments through research. Sofia and her partner focused on evaluating agonist and antagonist molecules targeting a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) on the surface of microglial cells, hypothesized to regulate neural inflammation and the phagocytosis of amyloid-β fibrils, whose accumulation is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Using a β-arrestin assay, they validated a few potent activators and inhibitors that could potentially help clarify the receptor's role in psychological disorders and Alzheimer’s disease. Reflecting on her time in the program, Sofia shared, “BSSP was an incredibly transformative experience. I never imagined I would be accepted into a program like this and meet so many people who look like me and share similar backgrounds. Coming from a small, distant school, I didn’t think I had a chance, but the Broad proved me wrong. I’ve learned so much, and thanks to the Broad, I feel more prepared for the path ahead. This experience has been truly inspirational, and I’m grateful I applied.”