Asmani Yamin ('26) is a freshman interested in Neuroscience and Bioengineering. At Stanford, Asmani is a part of the Stanford Decarceration Collective, is an avid language-learner, and is a part of the Nirao Shah lab. In the Shah lab, she is researching genetic mechanisms behind estrogen-dependent structural plasticity in the hypothalamic circuit from VMH to AVPV. In her free time, Asmani enjoys writing music, hiking, and reading.
Faculty Mentor: Nirao Shah
My name is Cydney Wright I am a sophomore studying Biology and a sprinter on the Track and Field Team here at Stanford University. My biggest aspiration in life is to break barriers and to open doors for myself and others that were once inaccessible. Post undergraduate study I will embark on a journey to medical school with sights of pursuing a career in neurosurgery and research. I want to be a lifelong learner and contribute to society through the study and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
I am currently a junior at Stanford University majoring in Human Biology and planning to minor in Data Science. As a NeURO fellow, I will be continuing my research at the Wernig Lab, where I am studying the mechanisms behind microglial tiling. Outside of research, I am involved in Ravenswood Reads and will be an RA this upcoming year. In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing the violin, and watching reality cooking shows.
Faculty Mentor: Marius Wernig
Zara Thomas (‘26) is a freshman at Stanford planning to major in Chemistry. She is part of the Anderson Lab, where she will be studying the effect of focused ultrasound on compound action potentials in rat sciatic nerves. In her free time she enjoys running and playing violin.
Faculty Mentor: Thomas Anthony Anderson
I am originally from Claremont, CA, and hope to major in either Bioengineering or Biomedical Computation. After reading philosophy and working closely with individuals who suffered from neuropsychiatric disorders, I became motivated to study the biological basis of cognition. I look forward to participating in research under Dr. Nolan William’s Brain Stimulation Lab, investigating brain stimulation techniques for treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression.
Ariana is a rising sophomore interested in bioengineering, economics, and neuroscience. Through the NeURO program, she is working at Stanford's STAAR Lab, led by Dr. Neir Eshel. Her project focuses on the neural circuits of frustration, aggressive behavior in autism spectrum disorder, and allied topics. In her free time, she loves to draw pencil portraits, play piano, and swim.
Faculty Mentor: Neir Eshel
My name is Rebecca Pizzitola, and I am a sophomore (class of '25) majoring in Symbolic Systems with a concentration in Natural Language and minoring in Italian. I fell in love with the brain after watching "Gifted Hands" in 4th grade, and have since studied various aspects of neuroscience including psychopathology, pediatric hydrocephalus surgery outcomes, and now memory and decision making with the Heller Lab. This summer, I'll be working on the impacts of GABA antagonists on memory in mice with Down syndrome.
Hi! I'm Hannah and I'm a freshman from the Chicago area planning on studying Biomedical Computation with a minor in Chemistry. I originally became interested in neuroscience once I found out I had a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) and got involved in advocacy work and research about these stigmatized disorders. I'm currently learning how to program so I can use computational models to simulate effects of and therapies for neurological disorders in hopes of finding better future screening tools and treatments.
As a sophomore, I am currently pursuing a degree in psychology with a concentration in neuroscience, complemented by a minor in data science. I was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. At Stanford I have had the opportunity to engage in research with the Vision and Perception Neuroscience Lab that focuses on understanding the visual development of infants spanning from 3 months to 1 year of age. In addition to my research work, I also serve as a student staff member at the First Generation and/or Low Income Student Success Center.
I am currently a sophomore majoring in Bioengineering on the pre-med track. My family and I immigrated from Mexico to Fargo, North Dakota when I was 5 years old. It was in Fargo that my passion for neuroscience took root, sparked by my curiosity about how the brain works and now driving my desire to understand how we can enhance the diagnosis, treatment, and management of neurologic diseases. I am thrilled to be working in Dr. Melanie Hayden Gephart's lab this summer, where I hope to contribute to our understanding of metastatic brain cancer progression.