BY

I have been extremely fortunate to be surrounded by intelligent, fun, and caring individuals throughout my graduate school experience. I am deeply grateful to all of my family, friends, and colleagues who have helped make this dissertation possible. Above all, I would like to thank my graduate advisor, Katie Thomas. From day one Katie has given me the freedom to pursue my own independent research and provided consistent encouragement in the face of the many obstacles that occurred along the way. I consider myself lucky to have worked with a graduate advisor who has been and will continue to be both a mentor and a life-long friend. I am convinced that I could not have selected a more talented and fun group of people to serve as my committee. To Michael Georgieff, Melissa Koenig, and Matt Chafee – I have been inspired by your genuine curiosity and your dedication to research. I have sincerely enjoyed our discussions and I am truly grateful for all of your feedback and the time you have devoted to my project. I would also like to thank several other individuals who were not on my committee but have provided unyielding support over the years. Dick Aslin introduce