Amy joined the Rare Disease Translational Center in April 2024, where she is responsible for the behavioral phenotyping program. She applies her extensive background in behavioral phenotyping in mice to develop, optimize, and standardize behavioral assays, as well as working with the rest of the operations team to develop the training program and establish proficiency standards. Amy also works closely with study directors to optimize the design, execution, data analysis, quality control, and interpretation of behavioral phenotyping experiments.
Amy received her B.A. in Psychology from Huron University College, Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. She then worked on the effects of estrogen receptor agonists on social behavior in mice under Dr. Elena Choleris at the University of Guelph, in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, receiving M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Psychology and Neuroscience. Following graduate studies, Amy worked at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida in Dr. Damon Page's laboratory, focusing on neurobehavioral characterization of the Pten haploinsufficiency mouse model of autism spectrum disorders. She first joined JAX as a Study Director in Preclinical Services in 2022 before transitioning to her current role in the Rare Disease Translational Center.