Angela is a rising senior majoring in Physiological Science at UCLA. She has conducted research at the Hsiao Lab at UCLA since her sophomore year. At the Hsiao Lab, Angela studies the effects of the ketogenic diet on Autism Spectrum Disorder using mouse models. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an idiopathic neurodevelopmental disorder largely characterized by behavioral symptoms, including deficits in social communication and interaction and the presence of repetitive behaviors. While there is currently no curative treatment for ASD, recent studies have shown that the ketogenic diet (KD) is promising in alleviating the behavioral symptoms of ASD. However, the exact mechanisms are not well characterized. Working with her postdoctoral mentor Dr. Gulistan Agirman, Angela aims to uncover the mechanisms underlying KD improvement of ASD core behavioral symptoms. Angela’s project with the UCLA Amgen Scholars Program seeks to better characterize the effects of KD on different mouse models of ASD and to better understand the specific cell types that could potentially be involved in the mechanism by which KD improves ASD behavioral symptoms. Angela would like to thank Dr. Gulistan Agirman, Michael Quicho, and Dr. Elaine Hsiao for their exceptional mentorship, guidance, and encouragement. She would also like to thank the members of the Hsiao Lab for their support. Last but not least, she would like to thank the Amgen Foundation for this wonderful opportunity and Dr. Tama Hasson, Dr. Beth Lazazzera, and Kimberly Mendez for their guidance this summer.