2025 Harvard Medical School PhD Graduation Student Address: Ya’el Courtney

Ya’el Courtney, who graduated with a PhD in neurobiology from the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in January 2025, gave a student address at the Harvard Medical School Division of Medical Sciences PhD Hooding Ceremony on May 29, 2025. While at Harvard, Courtney worked in the laboratory of Professor Maria Lehtinen at Boston Children’s Hospital. One of her key studies focuses on how activating certain serotonin receptors during pregnancy can disrupt molecular signals into the cerebrospinal fluid, with consequences for fetal brain development. Courtney’s work raises critical questions about the safety of medications that activate those receptors during pregnancy and has opened new avenues for understanding how maternal health and brain development are connected. Read more about Courtney's journey to Harvard and her research: https://bit.ly/44fCOUH 147 students in HMS-based programs celebrated their achievements at the 2025 HMS DMS PhD Hooding Ceremony. During the ceremony, a faculty member places the doctoral hood over the head of each graduate, signifying their success in completing the graduate program.