About me
I’m a 4th-year PhD Candidate and NIH (NIA) F31 Fellow in the Department of Neuroscience & Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at UC Berkeley studying aging and neuroanatomy in the Jagust Lab and the Cognitive Neuroanatomy (Weiner) Lab. Broadly, my interests include clinical applications of human neuroimaging and neuroanatomy research, with a particular focus on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. My PhD work investigates how individual differences in the anatomy of the sulci (folds) of the brain affect cognitive and pathological trajectories in aging and Alzheimer’s disease.
Previously, I majored in Cognitive Science and minored in Bioengineering at UC Berkeley. I was a research associate in the Neuroecon Lab, where I worked on several projects focused on dementia and decision-making, as well as an an Amgen Scholar at Columbia University, where I studied hippocampal circuitry in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease and early life stress.
I am also passionate about science education and science communication. I’m a Steering Committee Member and the Neuroscience Team Lead for Bay Area Scientists in Schools (BASIS), a nonprofit-run program that provides free, in-class science lessons to local elementary schools. I have developed and taught neuroscience/neuroanatomy lessons and hands-on demos for BASIS as well as at venues including the Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) Conference, the UC Berkeley Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP), Bay Area Science Festival (BASF) Discovery Days, and the California Cognitive Science Conference. Outside the lab, I enjoy spending time making art, baking, reading, exploring Bay Area nature or museums, and keeping up with the Cal Falcons.