Alicia V
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at University of California San Diego (UCSD)
Expertise
Autism spectrum disorders, brain organoids, stem cell biology, fetal and adolescent neurodevelopment, anxiety & depression, medical marijuana, STEM career exploration
Bio
Hi there! My name is Alicia, I am a Neuroscience Ph.D candidate at the University of California, San Diego. I am currently doing my thesis in Dr. Gene Yeo's lab at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative medicine, where I use human stem cell models (like brain organoids or ”mini brains”) to study autism spectrum disorders. Before starting my PhD, I obtained my master's degree studying chronic pain and peripheral nervous system injury. I did my undergraduate degree at Boston University, where I investigated the role of microglia, the brain's immune cells, in Alzheimer's disease and neuroimmune disorders. Fun fact: I first became interested in studying neuroscience after attending a parent-teacher conference on adolescent brain development as a junior in high school. I was instantly fascinated by the notion that our brains weren’t fully developed and remained a “work in progress”. Captivated by this idea, I chose to write my high school senior research paper on delayed prefrontal cortex maturation in adolescents. I went on to publish this review at the beginning of my freshman year at Boston University in The Nerve, a student journal issued by the neuroscience undergraduate program. I am really excited to accompany you on your journey to discovering your passion! Outside of lab I enjoy going to the beach here, in sunny San Diego, snowboarding up in Lake Tahoe and Mammoth, and finding cool new restaurants to try out.Project ideas
How to read, critically evaluate, and present a scientific paper
For this project, we will work together to identify a specific field or question in neuroscience that fascinates you. It can be anything! Have you always wondered how the teenage brain works? Do you have a family member with a neurological disorder and want to understand more about it? In the first session, we will go over how to choose, understand, and critically evaluate a peer-reviewed research article. After that, you'll pick one article each week to read and analyze on your own, and we will meet to discuss your findings. The project will culminate in a written literature review or oral powerpoint presentation in which you will critically analyze a handful of scientific articles on your own and present your findings.
Marijuana and neurological disorders: friend or foe?
The use of medical marijuana for treating a variety of neurological conditions, such as chronic pain, autism spectrum disorders, and even Alzheimer's disease is becoming increasingly popular. On the other hand, studies have suggested that chronic marijuana use, especially during adolescence, predisposes individuals to mental health disorders. In this project we can: - Explore the literature available on the use of marijuana as a treatment for neurological disorders and create a literature review, presentation, or blog post to communicate the findings. - Explore the literature on the adverse effects of marijuana use, especially during adolescence, and create a podcast, powerpoint presentation, or youtube video to be shared with high school students, counselors, or other organizations.