Rachel Yin
Rachel Huiwen Yin is a third-year Bioengineering, Neuroscience, and Interdisciplinary Honors student. She joined the Steinmetz lab in her freshman year, where she initially conducted mouse behavioral training to study visually guided behavior and electrophysiology. With the guidance of her supportive mentors Dr. Nicholas A. Steinmetz and research scientist Kimberly E. Miller, she later developed a research project focused on optimizing the accuracy of in vivo mouse brain targeting. Her current work involves quantifying discrepancies across mouse brain atlases, generating in vivo measurements with stereotaxic dye injections, and evaluating atlas accuracy against the in vivo space. Rachel has also contributed to research in the Samuel lab at Harvard University investigating Drosophila embryo cryopreservation methods and larval thermotaxis. Rachel’s work has been recognized with the Mary Gates Research Scholarship, UW NAPE Center Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, and Simons Foundation Shenoy Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Neuroscience. Outside of research, Rachel serves as an Engineering Peer Educator and the Senior Editor for Grey Matters Journal (UW chapter). In these roles, she mentors peers, leads scientific outreach initiatives, and promotes accessibility in STEM education. In her free time, Rachel enjoys trying new food and boba spots, crafting, and working on puzzles.
Goals
Rachel plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience after completing her undergraduate studies. In the long term, she intends to conduct research aiming to model intricate architecture of the brain, learn with researchers from all walks of life, and teach at the university level.
Tips
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