Mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of the gut microbiome in mood-related behavioral side effects of chemotherapy using female mice
Yonaida Valentine received her bachelor’s degree in Integrative Neuroscience from Binghamton University in 2017. She took a detour into law before returning to science through the NIH PREP program, where she worked in the lab of Dr. Matthew Rasband at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Yonaida joined the Neuroscience Graduate Program (NGP) at The Ohio State University as a University Fellow in 2020. In 2022, she joined the lab of Dr. Leah Pyter, where her work has focused on understanding the role of the gut microbiome in the behavioral side effects of chemotherapy treatment. Yonaida has been invited to present her work at conferences and private corporations, and has attended over 20 local, national, and international conferences since joining the NGP. She has also received multiple awards, including the 2024 Michael Irwin Travel Award from the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society. Since joining the Pyter lab, Yonaida has produced one first-author publication, and one co-author publication, with additional first- and co-author manuscripts currently in submission. She has also served the graduate program, most notably as the NGP Delegate to the Council of Graduate Students from 2022–2024.