Posts classified under: 2018

Year in program: 2018

UCLA Mentors: Dr. David Evan Krantz

HBCU Mentors: Dr. Hakeem Lawal

Current Institution: Washington University School of Law

Jeremy spent three and a half years in a neuroscience lab at Delaware State University. He studied behavior in drosophila that had mutations in the gene encoding for VAChT. Their group looked to see how the transportation of acetylcholine affects the aging process. At UCLA he was able to spend the summer with Dr. Krantz who had previously served as a mentor to Jeremy’s mentor from Delaware State. Jeremy had a great experience, and was able to accomplish a lot as he already had a lot of experience with fruit flies. At UCLA his project specifically focused on tracking the presence of octopamine in the larval neuromuscular junction. Currently, he attends Washington University School of Law. Jeremy hopes to pursue intellectual property law where he can bridge his interest for science and the law.

Year in program: 2018

UCLA Mentors: Dr. Nanthia Suthana

HBCU Mentors: Dr. Amol Kulkarni

Current Institution: Fitbit

Nathanael grew up in Trinidad & Tobago, a twin island country in the Caribbean, and moved to the United States when he was 19, to complete his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at Howard University. Despite his major, it was always his goal to study the brain. As part of the 2018 UCLA-HBCU Neuroscience Pathways, he was able to study brain wave activity and imagination. He analyzed data collected from electrodes implanted in human patients and proved the presence of theta oscillations during imagined navigation tasks. He intends on attending graduate school for Neuroscience and studying brain-computer interface. He wants to pursue a career at the intersection of technology and the brain. Outside of neuroscience, Nathanael is interested in space travel, environmental sustainability and criminal justice reform. His hobbies include soccer and programming.