Caroline (Cara) Mary Weisman
2021 PhD Graduate in Biophysics
Dissertation Title: Novelty or Nuisance? Where Lineage-Specific Genes Come From and Why It Matters PhD Dissertation Advisor(s): Dr. Sean Eddy and Dr. Andrew Murray, Dept. of Molecular and Cellular Biology
My interests during my PhD were broadly in the molecular mechanisms of evolution. I worked with Profs. Andrew Murray and Sean Eddy on a project aiming to use computational and experimental techniques to understand the emergence of new ("de novo") genes over evolutionary time. Questions that we asked included: do new genes ever emerge? If so: how often? And what can we say about the functions of these genes?
Outside of biology, I'm was a resident tutor in Harvard's Dunster House, played Pokemon, watched Netflix, read my favorite author Oscar Wilde, and habitually argued about controversial sci fi opinions with anyone who would listen (e.g., I think Episode III is the best Star Wars movie).