English Laserna, B.S.

English Laserna is a 4th year Ph.D. candidate in Genetics & Genomics whose thesis work bridges gene therapy, retinal regeneration, and science education. Her research has led to the development of novel AAV-based therapies targeting the Hippo pathway to restore vision—work that has earned national and international recognition, including awards for scientific presentations and collaborations with clinical partners like YAP Therapeutics.

Prior to Baylor College of Medicine, English was a Palmetto Fellow and received dual degrees at Clemson University Honors College, with a B.S. in Biochemistry with a minor in Genetics and a B.S. in Biological Sciences with a minor in Microbiology, graduating summa cum laude. At Clemson, she worked all four years under Dr. Leigh Anne Clark, a canine geneticist.  Her projects focused on reducing the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in American Eskimo Dogs and uncovering the novel casual variant of Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome in a family of Great Danes. The summer before attending BCM, she completed a summer research fellowship at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. There, she worked under Dr. Martin Pera, creating RPE-organoids for Age-Related Macular Degeneration research.

Beyond the lab, English is an educator and mentor dedicated to building an inclusive and empowered STEM community. She serves as Program Director of the ASPIRATION program, expanding access to science communication and AI literacy for high school students, and leads hands-on bioinformatics and genetics workshops for underserved youth through the Young Biologists Program. An award-winning speaker and a McNair Teaching Scholar, she also teaches graduate-level genetics and mentors students from middle school to postbaccalaureate levels.

Driven by a deep commitment to science communication, equity in education, and translational impact, English plans to pursue a career at a teaching-focused undergraduate institution where she can integrate research, mentorship, and community engagement to train the next generation of scientists.

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