Assistant Professor
Department of Neurobiology
UMASS Chan Medical School

Marcela received her bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania. During her doctoral work, she discovered her love for flexible biological systems working on the evolutionary history of the adaptive immune system in the lab of Dr. David Schatz at Yale University. She then turned to another instance of biological flexibility: learning. In her postdoctoral work, conducted in the labs of Dr. Tom Jessell and Dr. Rui Costa at Columbia University, Marcela focused on examining the contribution of specific cell types to motor learning. She continues to examine the changes in these neurons in her own lab at UMass Chan Medical School.

When not in lab, Marcela enjoys biking, hunting down pastries, and fostering kittens.

We’re looking for new lab members! Reach out if you interested.