Vanessa Rodriguez ('26) is a Biology major with a concentration in Ecology and Evolution. She is interested in exploring a neurological perspective on learning, memory, and intra-species or interspecies communication. Vanessa is involved in sustainability, social advocacy, and science communication initiatives on campus. In her free time, she enjoys riding her motorcycle, making music, playing with her dog, and soaking in the sun.
Aja Zou ('28) is a Biology major at Stanford University, concentrating in Neuroscience. She joined the Institute as a Summer 2025 NeURO Fellow and will be conducting stroke research in the Steinberg Lab, with a focus on understanding Moyamoya disease.
She hopes to become a physician one day, and is passionate about using research to better understand brain disease and improve treatments for patients with neurological disorders.
Joie Kim (‘28) is studying Human Biology with a concentration in Neuroscience and a minor in Symbolic Systems. She is especially interested in the clinical applications of neuroscience and hopes to one day specialize in pediatric neurology.
As a 2025 NeURO fellow, Joie is fascinated by how the brain shapes behavior across the lifespan. At the Wagner Memory Lab, she explores how spatial context influences memory and investigates brain changes linked to cognitive decline.
Ayushi Mohanty (‘27) is a sophomore from Texas with a strong interest in neuroscience, computational biology, and cancer research. She joined the Institute as a NeURO fellow, where she works in the Hayden Lab to study how glioblastoma tumors reprogram microglia to promote tumor growth. Through this work, she hopes to uncover the molecular mechanisms driving this transformation and identify new therapeutic targets that could slow or prevent disease progression.
Melody Dailey (‘26) is an undergraduate researcher at Stanford University with a focus on neurological pathologies and behavioral anomalies. As a Summer 2025 NeURO Fellow, she investigated the neurobiological mechanisms underlying parent-offspring bonding, with particular emphasis on the distinct roles of maternal and paternal figures. Her research explored the influence of neuropeptides on attachment and detachment processes, with a focus on the dynamics of parental uncoupling.
Jaemon Jumpawong ('27) is a Symbolic Systems major with a concentration in Neuroscience. From a young age, he has been fascinated by the complex capabilities of the brain, and is especially interested by the neurobiological underpinnings of cognition. He hopes to pursue a PhD in neuroscience in the future.
Jaemon joined the Institute as a summer 2025 NeURO fellow, exploring the neural activations associated with self-regulation in the Poldrack Lab.
Samuel Egboh (‘27) is a Human Biology major concentrating in Brain and Behavior. He developed an interest in neuroscience through a curiosity about human behavior and the effects of neurodivergence in his communities. This evolved into a focus on brain development and long-term neural change, which he explores through research and community engagement.
As a 2025 NeURO Fellow, Samuel works in Dr. Harold Phillips’ lab, investigating brain-limited somatic mutations in tuberous sclerosis that drive epilepsy.
Erin Kim (‘28) is a prospective Human Biology major with a minor in Sustainability. She became interested in neuroscience through its role in behavioral regulation and hopes to apply this knowledge to preventative and holistic medicine.
Erin joined the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute as a 2025 NeURO Fellow, studying how sleep disturbances influence reward-related memory processing and addiction behaviors in the lab of Dr. William Giardino.
Richelle Shi (‘28) is a Human Biology major exploring how presynaptic proteins influence the structure and connectivity of neurons in the lab of Thomas Südhof.
Richelle’s interest in neurodegenerative disease stems from her grandmother’s experience with Lewy Body dementia. Particularly, she’s interested in music therapy, studying rhythmic auditory cues to improve motor function and movement in patients with dementia.
Bella Russo ('26) is a Biology major with a concentration in Neuroscience and a minor in Spanish. She first became interested in neuroscience after reading "When Breath Becomes Air" and hopes to pursue further education studying neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease
Bella joined the Institute as a summer 2025 NeURO fellow and her research explores presynaptic proteins, complexin-1 and complexin-2, as potential blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease.