Bakari is a P2 from Los Angeles, California, who earned their B.A. in Neuroscience from Middlebury College. They are currently working in the Wilson Lab at Harvard Medical School, studying sensory processing regions of the Drosophila brain, particularly motor control and leg movement, to understand how movement sequences are shaped by sensory cues, internal drives, and memory.

Bakari’s research interests lie in epigenetics and the ways environmental and genetic factors shape brain function, behavior, and vulnerability to disease. They are especially curious about how hereditary chronic illnesses influence epigenetic markers and neural pathways related to pain perception across generations, and whether these markers can be targeted to mitigate long-term effects.

Outside of research, you can find Bakari taking dance classes (especially hip hop and Afrobeats), cooking or eating (they love food), or watching way too much TV.