Amanda grew up in Princeton, MA and graduated from Wachusett Regional High School. She then went on to college at Umass Amherst, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science/ Biotechnology. She then became a licensed veterinary technician through the state of Wisconsin and received her registered Laboratory Technician certificate through AALAS. Amanda is interested in participating in all mouse experiments, learning new surgical techniques and applying her experience to help better the mouse data. She loves learning new surgical techniques. It is very important to her as the veterinary technician to make sure that our animals get the best care available to them. She also spends time at a farm in New Hampshire volunteering to help a SPF herd of sheep. She gets to learn and participate in C sections and lambing. She loves to spend time with her parents and little brother at her childhood home in Princeton, MA where they have a dog, Gerry, a cat, Ava, and chickens! She lives near the beach and likes spending time there. She also enjoys running and vegetable gardening. She grows everything from basil to butternut squash. She also loves spending time with her 2 cats, Bruin and Whitney. Her best friend succumbed to liver cancer when she was 14. Amanda believes that played a huge part in leading her into the field of cancer research.