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Safia 
Josiah Quincy Upper School
Boston, MA

Mentors: 
Lakshanyaa Kannan & Todd Yau
Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research | Pan Lab
 

Safia joined BSSP drawn to the intersection of neuroscience, genetics, and mental health. At the Stanley Center, she studied the I900S variant of NR3C2, the gene encoding the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), which regulates stress responses and is linked to schizophrenia risk.

Her work began with culturing HEK293-Trex cells and transfecting cells with Wild-Type or NR3C2 variant plasmids. She then used Western blotting to measure MR protein levels and luciferase reporter assays to test how well the receptor bound to its hormones, including aldosterone and hydrocortisone.

Her results showed that the I900S variant produced MR levels comparable to wild type but exhibited slightly increased activity at high hydrocortisone concentrations, suggesting a subtle  increase in ligand-specific binding efficiency. These insights contribute to understanding how NR3C2 variants may influence stress pathways and psychiatric risk.

Over the summer, Safia developed strong technical skills in cell culture, protein analysis, and functional assays, while gaining confidence in her ability to navigate high-level research environments.By characterizing how subtle changes in receptor behavior may influence stress pathways, Safia’s project adds an important piece to understanding the biological mechanisms that underlie schizophrenia risk. “Thanks to BSSP, I proved to myself that I can hold my own in high-level science spaces… I am capable of a lot more than I thought,” she said.