Ava Mackay-Smith is a research associate in the Sabeti lab focusing on the functional characterization of positively selected human variants, more specifically those within genetic regulatory elements and linked to disease traits. Prior to her position in the lab, Ava obtained a B.A. in Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies at Wellesley College, where she completed an honors thesis in Dr. Andrea Sequeira’s lab on the transcriptomic responses and adaptations of an invasive insect on various novel host plants. Outside of the lab, she enjoys music, hiking, reading fiction, and experimenting in the kitchen.