Coco Plasencia '24

Hello! I’m Coco, a prospective Biochemistry major and Anthropology minor. I am a member of the Wellesley class of 2024 from West Palm Beach, Florida. I joined the Tetel lab in the summer after my first year through the science center’s summer research program.

This past summer, I worked with Dr. Kalpana Acharya to investigate the effects of inulin, a soluble dietary fiber, on high fat diet-fed female mice. I’m looking forward to continuing with this projectin the fall by completing an immunohistochemistry assay to examine protein expression and cell proliferation in the colon of these mice. I’m excited to learn moreand contribute to our research on the intersection between estrogens, inulin, and the gut microbiome. Before joining the Tetel lab, I was a UROP student in the Language Acquisition Lab at MIT where I investigated the acquisition and development of language in children.

Outside of the lab, I serve on the executive board for the Sexual Health Educators (SHEs). I am also involved in Mezcla and the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS). I love spending time outside on Wellesley’s campus (you can usually find me reading on my hammock near tupelo point) or, when I’m back home in Florida, at the beach!