Current Scholars

Scholars in the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program at Northwestern University (NU PREP) come from undergraduate institutions across the U.S and territories and from a broad range of interests and research backgrounds. Overall, we have trained 29 female and 13 male scholars from backgrounds underrepresented in the biomedical sciences.

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Aldair Acosta

Year entered PREP: 2023

Mentor: Elizabeth Norton

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Aldair Acosta

Year entered PREP: 2023

Undergraduate: Oregon State University - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Psychology

Mentor: Elizabeth Norton

Research Project Description:

As part of NUIN-PREP, I'm participating in the HBCD study at the LEARN Lab, which focuses on researching the early brain and child development. I aim to use neuroimaging techniques like Electroencephalography (EEG) to explore the relationship between irritability and different auditory event-related potentials like the Mismatch Responses (MMRs) in infants. I hope that through the analysis of the MMRs, we can begin to understand how MMR signals relate to high irritability scores and potentially lead to the identification of a neurophysiological biomarker for early detection of irritability. This could enable earlier identification of high-risk children and more effective clinical interventions.

Laura Arroyo

Year entered PREP: 2024

Mentor: Pablo Penaloza-MacMaster

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Laura Arroyo

Year entered PREP: 2024

Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin Madison - Microbiology

Mentor: Pablo Penaloza-MacMaster

Research Project Description:

My lab's primary focus is enhancing vaccines to improve their effectiveness against various infections. Diseases like HIV are highly heterogeneous, making a single vaccine ineffective against ongoing infections. In my project, I will assess the immune response in mice induced by an HIV cocktail (multiple vaccines in one shot) to determine the potential for a robust, HIV-specific response following multiple boosters.

Jenna Goldberg

Year entered PREP: 2024

Mentor: Luis Rosas-Vidal

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Jenna Goldberg

Year entered PREP: 2024

Undergraduate: University of Colorado Boulder - Psychology

Mentor: Luis Rosas-Vidal

Research Project Description:

I am interested in studying neuronal components underlying psychiatric conditions. For my current project, I use a combination of behavioral assays and optogenetic techniques to investigate how projections from the BNST mediate avoidance generalization in mouse models.

Santiago Guardo Maya

Year entered PREP: 2024

Mentor: Greg Schwartz

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Santiago Guardo Maya

Year entered PREP: 2024

Undergraduate: Universidad del Rosario - Medicine - concentration in Neuroscience

Mentor: Greg Schwartz

Research Project Description:

As part of Schwartz's lab, I study the biophysics of retinal computation. I'm exploring how retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) regulate their glucose-uptake in response to light and the functional consequences of this process. Additionally, we are studying the activity-dependent regulation of RGC excitability and its role in sensory processing, particularly if the electrogenic nature of Na/K-ATPase plays a role in spike-frequency adaptation and whether this is related to the statistics of the visual world.

Jessica Howard

Year entered PREP: 2024

Mentor: Julia Cox

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Jessica Howard

Year entered PREP: 2024

Undergraduate: Concordia College Moorhead - B.A. in Psychology and Neuroscience

Mentor: Julia Cox

Research Project Description:

I am interested in studying the neuroscience behind mental health and neurodegenerative disorders. For my project I will be looking at how opioid addiction affects decision making and motivation in mouse models. Specifically, how opioid withdrawal affects motivation for drug vs. non-drug reward.

Anagha Kangovi

Year entered PREP: 2024

Mentor: Hao Li

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Anagha Kangovi

Year entered PREP: 2024

Undergraduate: Emory University - Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology

Mentor: Hao Li

Research Project Description:

I am highly interested in the neural circuits underlying emotions and motivated behaviors as well as the role these circuits play in mediating various mental disorders. As an undergraduate, I studied the lateral septum’s role in reward-related behaviors. Currently, I am investigating the interactions between physiological and behavioral responses to different stressful situations and how these can change over time.

Andela Savic

Year entered PREP: 2024

Mentor: Lisandra Vila Ellis

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Andela Savic

Year entered PREP: 2024

Undergraduate: Roosevelt University - Biochemistry and Computer Science

Mentor: Lisandra Vila Ellis

Research Project Description:

Medical research is something I am very passionate about, working in the medical field and helping people.