Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia
One of the highlights of our summer is welcoming New York City high school students into our lab for an intensive research experience through the Zuckerman Institute’s Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia (BRAINYAC) program. Our BRAINYAC students greatly contribute to our research and inspire us with their excitement for science. During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual summer (2020, 2021) apprenticeships focused on computational work and transcriptomics.
In 2022 our lab started working with EE Just Research Biomedical Scholars, a partnership with talented HBCU undergraduates interested in biomedical fields who join the lab for an immersive research internship.
Brainyac Alum
Aldo N Terrana mentored by Martin; summer 2022
America Mendoza mentored by Martin; summer 2022
Shantel Sosa mentored by Ariel; summer 2022
Samanatha Dong mentored by Albana; summer 2021 (virtual) and merit scholar (Jan-April 2022)
Hajar Ebid, now at NYU, co-mentored by Hani and Natalie; summer 2020 (virtual)
Max Manoach, now at Stony Brook University, mentored by Hani; summer 2019
Michelle Villagran, now at Wellesley, mentored by Rachel during summer 2019 and by Jerome in summer 2018
Jose Sanchez mentored by Jerome; summer 2017
Nicole Lee currently at Teachers College. A graduate of Stony Brook University who was mentored by Rachel in summer 2016
Aysha Tabasumm, graduate of Macaulay Honors Program CUNY, mentored by Martin; summer 2016
EE Just Research Alum
Joanne Herard, rising junior at Spelman College, joined the lab and worked with Joan Pulupa, during summer 2022.
Chastin Brathwaite, rising junior at Morehouse College, interned with Rachel Duffie, summer 2022.
Columbia University Neuroscience Outreach
Lab members have the opportunity to share their scientific expertise and enthusiasm to inspire New York City residents and students by guest lecturing with Columbia University Neuroscience Outreach (CUNO).
“Introduction to Neuroscience” at East Harlem School at Exodus House, 8th grade students, October 2019
“Transcription, Chromatin and Neuroscience” at the Harlem Academy, 7th grade students, May 2019
“Introduction to Neuroscience” at East Harlem School at Exodus House, 9th grade students, April 2019
“Introduction to Neuroscience” at East Harlem School at Exodus House, 8th grade students, April 2019
“Introduction to the Brain” at PS198, Juan Bosch Public School, 5th grade students, January 2019
Ten-class semester long course introducing topics in neuroscience to middle school students at Citizen Schools New York, with the goal of setting students up for success through mentorship and interactive learning experiences.
Rachel gave an interactive lecture entitled "Scents and Sensibility: How Neurons in our Nose Make Choices" to a non-scientific audience as part of CUNO's Late Night Science initiative. The lecture was followed by a lab tour and Q&A session in which participants were able to engage with the scientific process and different techniques our lab uses.
STEM Starters
Natalie is on the board of STEM Starters, an outreach program through Women in Science at Columbia (WISC) that engages middle and high school students with hands-on science experiment filled events.
Zuckerman Institute Educational Lab
Our lab members love participating in the Zuckerman Institute's Educational Lab, which aims to engage the community in science through interactive experiments. Albana particularly enjoys volunteering at Saturday Science's hands-on interactive afternoon sessions that teach children and community members about neuroscience.
World Science Festival
At the 2019 World Science Festival, an event that aims to inspire and inform the public about science, Stavros joined a panel of neuroscientists and perception experts to discuss sensory perception and illusions in THE REALITY OF REALITY: A TALE OF FIVE SENSES. Stavros explains the vital role of smell in how we perceive reality and highlights that genetic differences can determine inter-individual variability in how we perceive scents.