YARELY HOFFIZ

Graduate Student

My passion for science started out by studying microorganisms. I obtained my undergraduate degree in Microbiology at the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, but inevitably fell in love with neuroscience after completing internships at UC-Berkeley and UC-San Francisco studying the role of cholinergic synaptic transmission in the development of retinal circuits and the mechanisms underlying retinal angiogenesis, respectively. In the Forger lab, I am continuing to study developmental neuroscience, particularly the role of birth in brain development, focusing specifically on the mechanisms underlying neural activation in the perinatal brain. Besides science, I enjoy spending time with family, traveling, exploring nature, cooking, running, calisthenics and yoga.