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I would like to thank the Cold Spring Harbor School of Biological Sciences, Leemor, and the Joshua-Tor lab, as well as the wider CSHL community for supporting me through to the completion of my Ph.D. When starting my scientific career at the University of Leeds, I attended lectures that praised the quality of research at CSHL, including the innovation of early structure-function studies by the Joshua-Tor lab. It was therefore an absolute honor to be invited for an interview, and an easy decision to accept the subsequent offer. This experience has undoubtedly changed the course of my life forever, and I have grown both as a scientist and as a person since my arrival in 2019. I am proud of the knowledge I have gained across different scientific fields, and of how deeply I now understand my own field of structural biology. I am excited about the opportunities that have opened up to me as a result of this achievement and am eager to continue expanding my skill set. But most of all, I am enormously grateful for the relationships I have formed during my time at Cold Spring Harbor. From the mentorship of Dr. Joshua-Tor and Dr. Tonks to the camaraderie of the Joshua-Tor lab members, from the friendship of my fellow CSHL SBS students to the family I have created with those closest to me—this is what I could have attained nowhere else.

Looking back at the four years I have spent working toward my Ph.D. at CSHL, I find myself with deep appreciation for the Lab’s extraordinary community and everyone who has helped me during my time here. Studying at CSHL not only expanded my academic knowledge but shaped me into an independent thinker, and I could not have dreamed of a better place to learn how to become a scientist than CSHL.I am deeply thankful to the CSHL School of Biological Sciences for the opportunity to pursue my graduate studies here. I am grateful to my mentor, Semir Beyaz, for his guidance and support throughout my Ph.D., and for encouraging me to challenge myself and become the best version of myself. I am equally thankful to the many other members of the CSHL community whose mentorship, collaboration, and support have shaped the scientist I am today. CSHL is truly a unique environment for science, and I am profoundly grateful to have had the chance to study and work here.

My thanks also go to all the friends I have found here. Without them, this journey and this place would not have been the same. I am lucky to have found such a great community to work and live alongside.

As I close this chapter, I carry with me the experiences, lessons, and memories I have made here. Thank you to everyone who made this journey possible.

I came to CSHL with a curiosity about science, but I leave with a far deeper appreciation for the people and experiences that make discovery possible.My time here has been shaped by an extraordinary community. I have been fortunate to learn from mentors who challenged me to think more rigorously and, just as importantly, to remember the human side of research. I have also benefited from lab-mates whose generosity with their time, ideas, and encouragement made even the most difficult moments manageable. Whether troubleshooting experiments, sharing perspectives, or simply reminding me to step back when things did not go to plan, they defined what it means to conduct research as part of a team.

Graduate school has been as much about personal growth as it has been about academic training. It has taught me to be resilient in the face of uncertainty, to approach problems with both rigor and creativity, and to recognize that progress is often non-linear. Just as importantly, it has shown me the value of balance, through friendships, time outside the lab, and the support of those who kept me grounded throughout this journey. I am especially grateful to my friends and family, near and far, whose constant support made this experience possible. Their encouragement, perspective, and humor carried me through more moments than they probably realize.

As I leave this chapter, I do so with a strong sense of gratitude: For the science, the people, and the experience as a whole.

One night after finishing the reading for AP Biology, I looked up at my Mom and said, “I wish I could study forever,” to which she replied, “Well, you can.”My interdisciplinary curiosity in neuroscience and genomics seemed a perfect fit for CSHL. I was particularly interested in working with MAPseq, a technique developed in Dr. Tony Zador’s lab that combines sequencing technology with mapping neuronal circuitry. Tony first suggested I do a joint rotation with him and a newly hired professor, Dr. Arkarup Banerjee. Arka and Tony pitched the idea of using MAPseq to compare singing and lab mice neural circuitry. Somehow, the perfect project that combined my interests in neuroscience and genomics found me.

During my Ph.D., I have taken beautiful images of mice brains, used plenty of my PI’s money on sequencing, and immersed myself in the study of biology. We found that the singing mouse has expanded projections from the motor cortex to an auditory and midbrain region. Our results suggest that rather than drastic changes or novel connections, a tweak to an existing pathway could lead to novel behaviors.

With this project, I have experienced many scientific firsts, including my first conference talk and my first published paper in a journal that I used to read at the local Bethesda library.

I am privileged to have pursued my passion over the last six years, and I am proud of the scientist I have become. I have grown as a mentor, leader, friend, and daughter, all of which make me a better scientist. Lastly, I would like to thank the mentors, friends, and family who have supported me along the way. This journey, and this accomplishment, would not be possible without you.

CSHL is a very special place. As a graduate student tour guide, I spent years sharing the key stories that make this institution remarkable. But what truly transformed my life is a small cottage named Urey, nestled in the heart of campus, which houses the CSHL School of Biological Sciences. I am forever grateful for its open doors, smiling faces, and outstretched hands always eager to offer support.I had the privilege of studying under Alex Gann, Zachary Lippman, Monn Monn Myat, and Alyson Kass-Eisler, who together crafted a rigorous and deeply rewarding academic experience. It is because of their generosity, in both time and effort, that I can proudly assert myself a member of the global scientific community.

Tucked in a historic corner of campus, the McClintock Building is where I spent most of my time as a Ph.D. student. To my advisor, Corina Amor, thank you for teaching me how to think bigger. Where I saw repeated iterations in the process of designing and executing a research question, Corina saw an opportunity to truly disrupt the field through a living, breathing hypothesis. That optimism lit something in me, and I now carry forward a legacy of constructivism and scholarly engagement, building upon the foundation she helped create.

Looking back with a full heart, my experience here would not have been what it was without the support of my many colleagues and collaborators. CSHL has given me a sound education, lifelong friendships, and a resilient scholarly spirit. I now look forward to honoring that gift by opening doors, offering support, and passing on the scholastic excitement that was so nurtured in me.

I first came to Cold Spring Harbor as a baby-faced undergraduate. At the time, I was immersed in my studies, but I had never touched a pipette or seen how research is done. I had vague ideas of wanting to do a Ph.D., and I thought it would be a jolly good time to spend a summer in the “US of A.” I’m grateful to Ullas Pedmale for giving me a shot and hosting me in his lab—I doubt I would be here today if not for that formative experience.I came back to Cambridge full of excitement, and after a few more stints in various labs and a grueling set of examinations, I had my mind set on returning to CSHL to study gene regulation. I’m grateful to Alex Gann and the School for allowing me the opportunity to do so. I recall sitting in Heathrow airport on my way to the interview, with ominous warnings about a mysterious “coronavirus” playing on loudspeaker, reading a recent paper from Rob Martienssen’s lab describing how tRNA fragments regulate transposable elements.

I was hooked, and after I was accepted, I joined Andrea Schorn’s lab, newly formed to investigate this curious mechanism of transposon control. I had an idea of what a transposon was, but no appreciation of the depth to which they are intertwined with gene regulation. I hope my thesis sheds some light on this complex relationship. I’m deeply thankful to Andrea and other faculty for helping me along the way, and turning me into a proper scientist. Thanks to my family, to Rama, and to my friends, who have made this time worthwhile.