Cecilia Hu
Berkeley,CA
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
Work History
Student Researcher
Feldman Lab
University of California, Berkeley
01.2025 - Current
- Investigate the causal relationship between ER81 signaling and PV interneuron function to identify therapeutic targets for homeostatic plasticity deficits in autism models.
- Optimized delivery of BRD ER81 drug inhibitors in TSC2 mouse models, successfully achieving a quantified reduction in ER81 protein expression.
- Executing bidirectional gene modulation using CRISPRi and CRISPRa systems to precisely enhance or decrease Kcna1 levels, investigating the resulting impact on PV intrinsic excitability.
- Determine if transcriptional regulation of Kv1.1 channels can successfully recover dynamic PV plasticity in response to sensory stimuli.
- Execute end-to-end histological workflows, including immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy to visualize and quantify protein expression levels.
- Mastered microtomy for neuroanatomical sectioning, and optimized antibody solutions to improve signal-to-noise ratios in fluorescence imaging.
Math Tutor
UC Berkeley Student Learning Center
08.2025 - Current
- Facilitate academic support for 24+ students a month, specializing in Single Variable and Differential Calculus.
- Engineered personalized pedagogical frameworks that resulted in significant academic improvements, transitioning students from failing exam averages to consistent B-level performance.
- Cultivated a high retention student base for having patience and adaptability, leading to being specifically requested by returning students within a multi-tutor environment.
- Facilitate conceptual bridging for students by adapting technical mathematical proofs to align with individual learning styles, including translating abstract calculus theorems into graphical and algebraic frameworks.
Research Assistant
Flannery Lab
University of California, Berkeley
05.2024 - 08.2024
- Contributed to the development of AAV-mediated gene therapies targeting age-related macular degeneration in retinal tissues.
- Identified optimal segments of DNA to recode through priming using Python BioSeq.IO package.
- Performed quantitative analysis through Q-PCRs to measure transgene expression levels and conducted mouse eye dissections.
Founder and President
Neuroscience Club
Homestead High School, California
08.2022 - 06.2024
- Founded and scaled an academic organization to 25+ members within a semester, with a focus on molecular neurobiology and recent neuroscience breakthroughs.
- Designed and facilitated inclusive, hands on workshops such as creating candy brain anatomy diagrams and simulating brain dissections.
- Cultivated a collaborative community culture by integrating interactive social components with academic presentations, increasing member retention and engagement among students previously uninterested with the field.
- Directed a team of 7 officers to distribute tasks, coordinate logistics, and brainstorm strategies to foster a high-engagement environment.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Neuroscience & Data Science
UC Berkeley
Berkeley05-2028
High School Diploma -
Homestead High School
Cupertino06-2024
Skills
- Confocal Miscroscopy
- Data analysis using statistical software (ImageJ)
- Immunohistochemistry
- Lesson planning
- Microtomy
- Rodent colony management (weaning, sexing, pedigree tracking)
- Programming in Java, Python, Scheme, SQL
Languages
English
Native/ Bilingual
Chinese (Mandarin)
Professional
Spanish
Limited
Timeline
Math Tutor
UC Berkeley Student Learning Center
08.2025 - Current
Student Researcher
Feldman Lab
01.2025 - Current
Research Assistant
Flannery Lab
05.2024 - 08.2024
Founder and President
Neuroscience Club
08.2022 - 06.2024
Bachelor of Arts - Neuroscience & Data Science
UC Berkeley
High School Diploma -
Homestead High School