Meet Our Fellows
Black In Genetics is proud to offer our second year of the Fellowship program. We selected two fellows, one undergraduate and one graduate student, who each exhibit a passion for both their science and their community. Get to know each of them from the profiles below!
Courtney-Grace Nezier, Undergraduate Fellow
Courtney-Grace Neizer is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, majoring in Computer Science with a concentration in Bioinformatics. She contributes to research at the intersection of bioinformatics and statistics, applying statistical and machine learning models to environmental metagenomic data. Her work examines how microbial proteins influence carbon cycling, using a method called Excess Atom Fraction (EAF) to study carbon uptake in oxygen-free environments through chemosynthesis. Courtney-Grace is also the founder of The STEMinist Blog, a platform uplifting women-identifying voices in STEM through science explainers, career advice, and student-led storytelling. Her long-term goals include pursuing translational research that connects data-driven approaches to global health, with a particular interest in impactful work in Ghana.
Scientific Interests: Bioinformatics, Genomics, Translational Medicine, Global Health, Statistical & Machine Learning Modeling, STEM/Tech Education
Outside the lab: Indoor cycling classes, rewatching early seasons of Law & Order: SVU, and reading anything by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Francine Baker, Graduate Fellow
Francine Baker is an Immunology PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania studying how disruptions to the microbiome and immune system during early life contribute to long-term disease outcomes in sickle cell disease (SCD). Her research seeks to elucidate how penicillin prophylaxis and splenic dysfunction influence immune development and microbiome composition, with the goal of improving clinical outcomes and informing more holistic standards of care for individuals living with SCD. A longtime advocate for equitable healthcare and a caregiver to young adults with SCD, Francine is passionate about research that centers community experiences and leads to actionable changes in patient care, policy, and education.
Scientific Interests: Host-Microbiome-Immune Interactions; Auto-Inflammatory-Immune Diseases; Sickle Cell Disease; Early-Life Immune Imprinting; Translational and Community-Engaged Research; Health Equity and Public Health Advocacy
Outside the lab: Reading medical and historical fiction, traveling, cooking, serving in her church and community, organizing community- and faith-based events, sleeping (her favorite activity), and relaxing at the beach (her favorite place to be)