Elizabeth Cooke

Elizabeth Cooke is a Doctoral Candidate Researcher at the White Lab within the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is currently focusing her research on the role of the zebra finch's Area X in vocal learning, particularly examining gene expression and neural circuit activity related to this process.1

Educational Background

Cooke holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Neuroscience and a Bachelor of Music (BM) in Violin Performance, both obtained from Oberlin College & Conservatory. Her academic journey includes working in Dr. Tracie Paine's lab, where she studied GABA's role in regulating attention, and she also served as a technician in Dr. Zachary Knight's lab at UCSF, researching the neural circuits involved in mammalian thermoregulation.12

Research Interests

In her doctoral studies, Cooke is part of the Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program (NSIDP) at UCLA, where she investigates how songbirds learn to vocalize, which has implications for understanding communication disorders.13

Additional Activities

Outside of her research, Elizabeth Cooke is involved in clinical research within the nephrology department at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She co-founded an organization aimed at promoting psychosocial awareness among marginalized communities and is preparing for the MCAT.1

Personal Interests

In her free time, Cooke enjoys hiking and playing chamber music, reflecting her diverse interests that blend science and the arts.1