“Neurofest 2024” took place on April 11 to celebrate current and former neuroscience students and their accomplishments. This event was organized by Dr. Wilson Chung, Director of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Program and Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, and was held in the BHRI lobby, located in the lower-level of ISB. The event was attended by undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty members.
Dr. Chung first shared an update about the neuroscience major, followed by talks by recent alumni of the neuroscience major who shared their experiences and advice to the attending undergraduate and graduate students and faculty. The major event of Neurofest 2024 was the announcement of the winners of the Excellence in Neuroscience Research Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to neuroscience majors who are juniors or seniors and have or are currently engaging in neuroscience research. Each awardee received a $250 scholarship and gave a 10-minute presentation on their undergraduate research.
Congratulations to the Excellence in Neuroscience Research Scholarship awardees 2024:
Autumn Redd, Junior, Neuroscience/Premedicine (2022 BHRI Fellow). Mentor: Lique Coolen (Biological Sciences)
Kendra Dillon, Senior, Neuroscience (2022 BHRI Fellow). Mentor: Aleisha Moore (Biological Sciences)
Aidan Wade, Senior, Neuroscience (2022 BHRI Fellow). Mentor: Jeff Mellott (Neomed)
Autumn Redd:
"My name is Autumn Redd, and I am a third-year neuroscience/pre-medicine major. I am currently working at the Brain Health Research Institute under Dr. Lique Coolen, and we are studying the effects of a chronic spinal cord injury on neuropeptide expression in the spinal ejaculation generator of male rats. I have worked on this study for upwards of two years, having presented at the 3MT, neuroscience symposium, and the Undergraduate symposium. In the upcoming future, I would like to attend medical school while also continuing to indulge in the world of research!"
Kendra Dillon:
"I have the privilege of working in the laboratory of Dr. Aleisha Moore where I study the neuroendocrine basis of infertility. Throughout my time there, I have had the opportunity to become skilled at a multitude of laboratory techniques, present my research, and collaborate with different individuals. After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in embryology where I will work in an in-vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory."
Aidan Wade:
"In Dr. Jeffrey Mellott's lab at NEOMED, I have investigated age-related changes to the synaptic ultrastructure of the rat inferior colliculus. Last summer, I was selected to be an Amgen Scholar at Stanford University where I created a spatial map of receptor expression across the mouse hippocampus in Dr. Longzhi Tan's lab. I was recently awarded the NIH Undergraduate Scholarship, so upon graduation I will join the Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit at the NIMH where I will study non-invasive neuromodulation techniques for psychiatric treatment in clinical populations. I hope to enter a PhD program next year to study clinical neuroscience."
We would also like to congratulate the following BHRI Undergraduate Fellows for winning awards at the 2024 Annual Undergraduate Symposium on Research, Scholarship, and Creative Endeavors:
First place winners:
Anna Anello - Senior, Computer Science (2021 BHRI Fellow). Mentor: Kwantaek Kim.
Clarice Farley - Senior, Biology/Premedicine (2023 BHRI Fellow). Mentor: Angela Ridgel.
Second place winners:
Autumn Redd - Junior, Neuroscience/Premedicine (2022 BHRI Fellow). Mentor: Lique Coolen.
Elli Marhefka - Senior, Biology/Premedicine (2023 BHRI Fellow). Mentor: Lique Coolen.
For the full list of 2024 Annual Undergraduate Symposium award winners, please visit:
2024 Award Winners and Mentors for Undergraduate Symposium on Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors | 5X