Linda completed her Bachelor of Science with Honours in experimental Psychology at Massey University in 2017. Her social cognition Honours project explored how social pain impacted on facial gaze patterns. In 2018 she joined Victoria University of Wellington’s Behavioural Neurogenetics Group to pursue a PhD in behavioural neuroscience, focussing on an empathy animal model for autism spectrum disorder.  Autism is a condition affecting social interactions and communication and has been linked to several genes. But genes are only half the story; environmental factors (e.g. stress, social interaction, or trauma) can switch genes on or off.  Linda’s research will investigate how growing up in an enriched environment impacts on gene expression and empathy-driven behaviours in autistic individuals. She hopes that her findings will be useful to guide advances in the treatment of autism, which in turn will improve the quality of life of those affected.  Outside of psychology research, Linda loves to be creative in the kitchen, read a good book, and go mountain-biking