Amanda Reyes

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Research Background

I was born and raised in Grapevine, Texas, but left the DFW area for something slightly different and more humid for college at the University of Houston. There, I did undergraduate research in the lab of Dr. Benjamin Deneen at Baylor College of Medicine, where I worked on a project that helped uncover the different epigenetic roles that the transcription factor Sox9 plays in different subtypes of brain cancer.

Missing Dallas, I moved back and joined Dr. Sean Morrison’s lab at UT Southwestern as a research technician, where I worked on many projects that helped further define the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal and differentiation.

In 2024, I joined the Basic Biomedical Sciences PhD program at UT Southwestern, and in 2025 I joined the Chen Lab. I am interested in pediatric cancer, its genetic drivers, and uncovering ways to exploit these mutations for therapeutic benefit. My work focuses on how specific point mutations in the DICER1 gene lead to defective microRNA expression and tumorigenesis.

When I’m Not in the Lab

I have a roommate named Cactus (pictured above) who enjoys my company (despite not looking like he does), so when I’m not in lab I like to read, cook, play the Wii (yes, the one from 2006), and craft things out of clay. Despite Cactus’ wishes, I do also enjoy spending time with friends outside of the house by going line dancing, practicing jiu jitsu, walking (and people watching) on the Katy trail, and trying different coffee shops.