From: Hudson Valley, NY
Education: Frankie received her Bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia where she double majored in Neuroscience and Animal Science, with a minor in Literature.
How she ended up here: Frankie participated in a summer research program at the University of Michigan and fell in love with both the university and Behavioral Neuroscience research.
Research interests: Frankie is interested in the neurobiology underlying psychiatric disease and the effects of stress on these pathways. She is also interested in learning and memory, as well as reward pathways.
What she’s studied in the past: As an undergrad, Frankie worked with zebra finches in Kendra Sewall’s lab to understand the effects of toxins, such as lead, on song learning pathways and, translationally, human speech learning pathways.
What she’s studying now: At Michigan, Frankie has rotated with Shelly Flagel, Emily Jutkiewicz, and Jonathan Morrow studying the neurobiology underlying addiction and potential treatments.
Involvements outside of the Tronson lab: Frankie is a member of the Neuroscience Graduate Program’s task force in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Hobbies/Fun Facts: Frankie loves to read, run, hike, and spend time with her friends.
Twitter: @CzesakFrankie
Email: czesakf at umich.edu