Alumni Directory

Faith Adams

PREP Scholar: 2019-20

Undergraduate Major, University: Biochemistry, Fairleigh Dickinson University

PREP Mentor: Talia Lerner

PREP Project Title: Early life stress and susceptibility or resilience to maladaptive behaviors

After PREP: Neuroscience PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Hawa Adaweh

PREP Scholar: 2021-22

Undergraduate Major, University: Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience/Psychology, Virginia Tech

PREP Mentor: Ken Paller

PREP Project Title: An essential type of habit learning: Cultivating compassion for other people

After PREP: Psychological and Brain Sciences PhD, Washington University in St. Louis

Saul Bello Rojas

PREP Scholar: 2017-18

Undergraduate Major, University: Neuroscience, Lake Forest College

PREP Mentor: David McLean

After PREP: Neuroscience PhD, Washington University in St. Louis

Current Position: Vollum Institute - Postdoctoral Research

Alex Benedetto

PREP Scholar: 2020-21

Undergraduate Major, University: Biology, Pennsylvania State University

PREP Mentor: Matthew Tresch

PREP Project Title: Development of a cortically controlled functional electrical stimulation system for spinal cord injury rehabilitation in rats.

After PREP: Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University

Theresa Benson

PREP Scholar: 2022-23

Undergraduate Major, University: Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Psychology, Northwestern University

PREP Mentor: Alicia Guemez-Gamboa

PREP Project Title: Investigation of the role of the Wave Regulatory Complex as a potential etiology behind the development of autism

After PREP: Northwestern University

Current Position: Clinical Research Coordinator

Todd Blakely Jr

PREP Scholar: 2020-21

Undergraduate Major, University: Biochemistry, University of Puget Sound

PREP Mentor: Rajeshwar Awatramani

PREP Project Title: Transcription Factors as Regulators of Myelination in Schwann Cell Development and Nerve Injury

After PREP: Biochemistry PhD, Vanderbilt University

Darlene Diaz

PREP Scholar: 2022-23

Undergraduate Major, University: Neuroscience, Davidson College

PREP Mentor: Puneet Opal

PREP Project Title: The role of senescence in the pathology of SCA1

After PREP: MS, Registered Nursing, University of Illinois - Chicago

Donnisa Edmonds

PREP Scholar: 2020-21

Undergraduate Major, University: Biological Basis of Behavior, University of Pennsylvania

PREP Mentor: Thorsten Kahnt

PREP Project Title: Neural Representation of Olfactory Reward in the Human Brain

After PREP: Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University

Sarah Etuk

PREP Scholar: 2019-20

Undergraduate Major, University: Neuroscience, Pomona College

PREP Mentor: Robin Nusslock

PREP Project Title: Association of early life adversity and changes in the gut microbiome

After PREP: Psychology PhD, Emory University

Andrew Fleming

PREP Scholar: 2017-18

Undergraduate Major, University: Neuroscience, Ohio State University

PREP Mentor: John Kessler

PREP Project Title: Investigating the role of astrocytic HtrA1 on cerebral vascular endothelial cell extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins

After PREP: Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University

Molishka Flores-Narvaez

PREP Scholar: 2019-20

Undergraduate Major, University: Biomedical Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Puerto Rico

PREP Mentor: Marco Gallio

PREP Project Title: The evolution of temperature and humidity sensing

After PREP: 'Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University

Abby Galvez

PREP Scholar: 2021-22

Undergraduate Major, University: Psychology, Cornell University

PREP Mentor: John Disterhoft

PREP Project Title: Optimization of Electrical Stimulation for Maximal Memory Benefits

After PREP: Neuroscience PhD, Emory University

Donte Garcia

PREP Scholar: 2022-23

Undergraduate Major, University: Behavioral Neuroscience, Purdue University

PREP Mentor: Changiz Geula

After PREP: Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University

Kathy Garcia

PREP Scholar: 2020-21

Undergraduate Major, University: Science, Technology, and Society, Stanford University

PREP Mentor: Robin Nusslock

PREP Project Title: Dimensional Psychopathology and Cognition: A Machine Learning & Network Neuroscience Approach

After PREP: Cognitive Science PhD, Johns Hopkins University

Emilia Gibes

PREP Scholar: 2023-24

Undergraduate Major, University: Integrative Biology and Human Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

PREP Mentor: Jennifer Kearney

PREP Project Title: Functional characteristics of variants associated with KCNB1 Encephalopathy

After PREP: Master of Public Health, Northwestern University

Karen Gomez

PREP Scholar: 2022-23

Undergraduate Major, University: Biology and Psychology, Lake Forest College

PREP Mentor: Robert Vassar

PREP Project Title: Role of annexin A6 in repairing Aβ-damaged neuronal membranes, a prospective Alzheimer’s disease therapy.

After PREP: Northwestern University

Camille Guzman

PREP Scholar: 2021-22

Undergraduate Major, University: Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University

PREP Mentor: Matthew Tresch

PREP Project Title: Developing devices for wireless stimulation of the spinal cord and musculature

After PREP: Biomechanical Engineering PhD, Emory University

Dina Hadj-Mabrouk

PREP Scholar: 2023-24

Undergraduate Major, University: Biology, University of Maryland Baltimore County

PREP Mentor: Raj Awatramani

After PREP: Data Science, MS, University of Maryland

Opeyemi Ibitayo

PREP Scholar: 2023-24

Undergraduate Major, University: Neuroscience, University of Buffalo

PREP Mentor: Rodrigo Braga

PREP Project Title: Precision Mapping of the Temporopolar Cortex

After PREP: University of Rochester

Reem Ibrahim

PREP Scholar: 2020-21

Undergraduate Major, University: Engineering, Smith College

PREP Mentor: Mitra Hartmann

PREP Project Title: Studying the effects of various sustained rat whisker-surface contact patterns on sensory frequency

After PREP: Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University

Jarildy Javier

PREP Scholar: 2018-19

Undergraduate Major, University: Biology, Colby College

PREP Mentor: Tiffany Schmidt

PREP Project Title: Illuminating the molecular landscape of ipRGCs

After PREP: Neuroscience PhD, Emory University

Andres Lira

PREP Scholar: 2021

PREP Mentor: Gabriel Rocklin

Naeliz Lopez

PREP Scholar: 2023-24

Undergraduate Major, University: Psychology, University of Florida

PREP Mentor: Talia Lerner

PREP Project Title: Investigating the role of glucocorticoid receptor signaling in midbrain dopamine neurons during chronic corticosterone treatment

After PREP: Computational Neuroscience Program, University of Chicago

Yasmeen Lowe

PREP Scholar: 2021-22

Undergraduate Major, University: Neuroscience, DePaul University

PREP Mentor: Genia Kozorovitskiy

PREP Project Title: Oxytocin and Dopamine Interactions in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex

After PREP: Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University

Richanne Matthews

PREP Scholar: 2022-23

Undergraduate Major, University: Psychology, Indiana University Northwest

PREP Mentor: Luis Amaral

PREP Project Title: Computationally identifying gap research on depression genetics

After PREP: Northwestern University

Current Position: Postbaccalaureate Research Fellow

Carlos Merlos

PREP Scholar: 2023

PREP Mentor: Gabriel Rocklin

Kayla Miguel

PREP Scholar: 2016

PREP Mentor: Tom Bozza

Madaline Mocchi

PREP Scholar: 2018-19

Undergraduate Major, University: Psychology, Grinnell College

PREP Mentor: Eva Redei

PREP Project Title: Sex-specific effects of adolescent stress in an X- linked congenic rat strain

After PREP: Neuroscience PhD, Baylor College of Medicine

Chad Morton

PREP Scholar: 2017-18

Undergraduate Major, University: Chemistry, Southern Connecticut State University

PREP Mentor: Anis Contractor

PREP Project Title: Mechanisms by which metaplasticity is altered in the mouse model of fragile X syndrome

After PREP: Bioscience Program, Rockefeller University

Matias Murillo

PREP Scholar: 2020-21

Undergraduate Major, University: Cell and Molecular Biology, Western New Mexico University

PREP Mentor: Jun Yao, Ana Maria Acosta

PREP Project Title: Assessment of Cortico- Muscular Coherence in Acute and Sub-Acute Stroke

After PREP: Neuroscience PhD, Yale University

Nkatha Mwenda

PREP Scholar: 2019-20

Undergraduate Major, University: Biology, Kalamazoo College

PREP Mentor: Raj Awatramani

PREP Project Title: Investigating the dedifferentiation programming of Schwann cells to aid in axon repair

After PREP: Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University

Luzivette Robles

PREP Scholar: 2016

PREP Mentor: Liming Li

Sierra Smith

PREP Scholar: 2017-18

Undergraduate Major, University: Neuroscience, Lake Forest College

PREP Mentor: Raj Awatramani

PREP Project Title: Striatal Proteome Remodeling in the Absence of Dopamine

After PREP: Neuroscience PhD, Oregon Health Sciences University

Toneisha Stubbs

PREP Scholar: 2018-19

Undergraduate Major, University: Neuroscience, Kenyon College

PREP Mentor: Murali Prakriya

PREP Project Title: The Role of Store Operated Calcium Entry in Astrocyte Cytokine Production

After PREP: Neuroscience PhD, The Ohio State University

Philip Tran

PREP Scholar: 2023-24

Undergraduate Major, University: Chemistry and Physics

PREP Mentor: Todd Parrish

PREP Project Title: 3D Craniotomy Surface Reconstruction via Infrared Focal Sectioning

After PREP: Northwestern University

Current Position: Tech, Parrish Lab

Angela Trejo

PREP Scholar: 2023-24

Undergraduate Major, University: Biological Sciences and Neuroscience, Arizona State University

PREP Mentor: Alicia Guemez-Gamboa

PREP Project Title: Exploring the Pathogenic Mechanisms Underlying PCDH19-CE

After PREP: Genetics and Development PhD, Columbia University

Leah Vinson

PREP Scholar: 2017-18

Undergraduate Major, University: Neuroscience, Northwestern University

PREP Mentor: John Disterhoft

PREP Project Title: Secondary somatosensory cortex role in whisker evoked memories

After PREP: Neuroscience PhD, University of California San Francisco

Destiny Wallace

PREP Scholar: 2022-23

Undergraduate Major, University: Biology, Xavier University

PREP Mentor: Dileep Varma

PREP Project Title: The role of nuclear envelope proteins in centromere assembly during mitosis

After PREP: Northwestern University

Current Position: Research Fellow, Varma Lab

Deborah Wood

PREP Scholar: 2022-23

Undergraduate Major, University: Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia

PREP Mentor: Evan Scott

PREP Project Title: Engineering reduction- sensitive polymeric nanoparticles for combined breast cancer therapy

After PREP: Biomechanical Engineering PhD, Georgia Tech

Josset Yarbrough

PREP Scholar: 2021-22

Undergraduate Major, University: Neuroscience, University of California Santa Cruz

PREP Mentor: Anis Contractor

PREP Project Title: Hippocampal CA1 Physiology in a Mouse Model of GluA1 Dysfunction

After PREP: Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Northwestern University

Taylor Zuleger

PREP Scholar: 2018-19

Undergraduate Major, University: Human Biology and Psychology, University of Wisconsin Green Bay

PREP Mentor: Arun Jayaraman

PREP Project Title: Characteristics of lower extremity following a stroke

After PREP: Neuroscience PhD, University of Cincinnati