Laura Luebbert

Laura obtained her B.Sc. degree in biology at Leiden University in the Netherlands in 2017, acquiring a broad understanding of biochemical, genetic, physiological and pharmacological principles. Devoted to acquiring as much additional knowledge as possible, she continued her professional career with a M.Sc. degree in molecular genetics and biotechnology at Leiden University. The aspect of biology she became most attached to is Neuroscience. During her Bachelor's degree, she participated in several neuroscience related research projects. Amongst others, she attended the Max Planck Florida Institute of Neuroscience, where she used Synaptotagmin 1 overexpression to build a tool for the investigation of GABAergic interneurons. At the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), she applied optogenetic tools and electrophysiology to study the effect of Familial Hemiplegic Migraine (FHM) on signal transduction in cortical networks. She hopes to gain more extensive experience in Neurobiology and related research topics through international internships and fulfil her dream of contributing to great scientific achievements in the future.

Laura is currently working in the Lester lab as a visiting grad student. This visit will form part of her M.Sc. degree at Leiden University. Her research focuses on the development of a biosensor for the SSRI fluoxetine. The goal is to build an intensity-based biosensor with high spatial resolution, which can be applied in vitro, as well as in vivo, to shed light into the working mechanism of fluoxetine in different cellular departments.