Sarah Allen is a fourth-year PhD student in the lab of Dr. Anastasia Khvorova at the RNA Therapeutics Institute at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. Sarah graduated from Colgate University in 2020 with a degree in cellular neuroscience. After graduation, she completed a yearlong post-baccalaureate fellowship at the NIH’s National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders, where she studied the genetics of inner ear development. Sarah’s PhD work centers on developing potential therapeutics for Huntington’s Disease, focusing in particular on the small exon 1 fragment, Htt1a. Sarah is interested in exploring the use of different oligonucleotide technologies including both chemically modified ASOs and siRNAs. After graduate school, she intends to pursue a career in industry where she can continue advancing the state of oligonucleotide therapeutics for neurodegenerative disease. Outside of the lab, Sarah enjoys painting, second-hand fashion, and spending time with friends and family.