Today you will hear a conversation I (Aditi Nayak '23) recently had with Professor Kim, a new Neuroscience and Biology professor at Amherst College who used to teach at Stanford University. She researches the SHANK protein that can be found in neurons of the brain. This protein plays a specific role in forming synapses, which is where neurons connect with each other. It also plays a role in dendritic spine maturation. She specifically examines the role of zinc and the signaling pathways associated with the SHANK protein. Her research sheds a light on autism spectrum disorders and neuropsychiatric diseases. We remembered to start recording midway through our conversation while speaking about how she ended up researching this topic. So let's tune into that part of her story. A transcript of this interview is available at www.amherststemnetwork.com.