Education

• Postdoctoral Training in Neuroscience and Biochemistry, California Institute of Technology, 2021
• PhD, Molecular Biology from the University of Southern California, 2015
• BS, Biological Sciences from the University of California, Riverside, 2006

Research

• Neuroscience
• Biochemistry
• Memory and Learning
• Cell Biology
• Genetics

Overview

Tara Mastro, PhD, is an Instructional Assistant Professor of Gerontology. She has a passion for facilitating active learning experiences for students. Tara Mastro received her undergraduate degree in biological sciences with an emphasis in medical sciences from UC Riverside. Her PhD in molecular biology was completed here at USC where she studied DNA repair processes that underlie cancer progression and genetic disease. Later, she completed postdoctoral training at the California Institute of Technology in neuroscience and biochemistry. Her current research investigates the biochemical basis of learning and memory and how this is altered in genetic and aging-related diseases.