Events Highlights

Student scholars from the NEUROCITY program presented their research projects during the 2023 Summer Undergraduate Research Programs poster session at the School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester Medical Center on Thursday, August 3, 2023. NEUROCITY — a partnership program between the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Commission and City College of New York (CCNY) — provides CCNY undergraduates from historically marginalized backgrounds an opportunity to study in neuroscience-related research labs at the University of Rochester for 10 weeks during the summer.

NEUROCITY

Naira Abdelkarim, CCNY

Mentor: Doug Portman, PhD

Poster Title: Investigation of Sexually Dimorphic Behavioral States of C. elegans Development

Authors: Naira Abdelkarim, Gregory Reilly, Chance Bainbridge, and Douglas S. Portman

Jason Cabral, CCNY

Mentor: Tom O'Connor, PhD

Poster Title: Prenatal Maternal Stress Physiology and Child Fear Behavior: Preliminary Evidence of Sexual Dimorphism at 12months

Authors: Jason Cabral, Thomas G. O’Connor

Angelica Carmona, CCNY

Mentor: Karl Rosengren, PhD

Poster Title: Examining Students’ Conceptions of Variability using Markov Chain Monte Carlo with People (MCMCp)

Authors: Angelica M. Carmona, Olympia N. Mathiaparanam, Pablo León- Villagrá, Karl S. Rosengren, Daphna Buchsbaum

Chisom Ibe, CCNY

Mentor: Julie Fudge, MD

Poster Title: Understanding microglia morphology following maternal separation in macaque amygdala

Authors: Chisom R. Ibe, Dennisha P. King, Ania K. Majewska, Judy L. Cameron, Judie L. Fudge

Catherine Rivas, CCNY

Mentor: Maria Quiñones-Cordero, PhD

Poster Title: Understanding Dementia Care Barriers among Latino Caregivers

Authors: Catherine Rivas, Maria Quiñones

Nicole Serino, CCNY

Mentor: Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, PhD

Poster Title: Effects of Cueing Type on Distractor Suppression in the Sense of Touch

Authors: Nicole Serino, Alyssa Ignaco, Manuel Gomez-Ramirez

Jazmine Taylor, CCNY

Mentor: Ben Suarez-Jimenez, PhD

Poster Title: The Effect of Trauma Exposure on Attention Allocation in Threat-Learning

Authors: Jazmine Taylor, Claire Marino, Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez

Laura Villatoro, CCNY

Mentor: Ania Majewska, PhD

Poster Title: Microglia Morphology is Unchanged in the Somatosensory Cortex of an FMRP Deficient Mouse Model

Authors: Laura Villatoro, Alexis Feidler, and Ania Majewska

NEUROEAST

Student scholars from the NEUROEAST program presented their research projects during the 2023 Summer Undergraduate Research Programs poster session at the School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester Medical Center on Thursday, August 3, 2023. NEUROEAST is a partnership program between the Neuroscience Diversity Commission and East High School in the Rochester City School District. Selected high school students work in neuroscience-related labs learning to conduct research and to navigate the education and training necessary to pursue a research career

Nevaeh Grisham, East High School

Mentor: Kuan Hong Wang, PhD

Poster Title: The effects of d-9-THC on locomotor activity of female mice in an open field

Authors: Nevaeh Grisham, Catalina Guzman, Kuan Hong Wang

Aniya Means, East High School

Mentor: Manny Gomez-Ramirez, PhD

Poster Title: Quantifying Expression of the BL-OG Molecule In Mouse Neocortex

Authors: Aniya Means, Chen Li, Emily Murphy, and Manuel Gomez-Ramirez

Abdi Mungani, East High School

Mentor: Ben Suarez-Jimenez, PhD

Poster Title: My ZVR Experience

Authors: Abdi Mungani, Claire E. Marino, Caitlin Sharp, Shreya Bavdekar, Evelyn Pineda, Kendal Jordan, Mary Halvorsen, Jay Taylor, Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez

Arielise Quinones, East High School
Mentor: Julian Meeks, PhD

Poster Title: Exploring alternative cell labeling methods for the major components of the mouse olfactory system

Authors: Arielise Quinones, Kevin Y. Gonzalez-Velandia, Michael Mastrangelo, Julian Meeks

Nyleiah Shaw, East High School

Mentor: Patricia White, PhD

Poster Title: Foxo3 expression in outer hair cells: Does it protect them from noise?

Authors: Nyleiah Shaw and Patricia White

On Friday, this year’s class of NEUROCITY scholars and Meliora and Bilski-Mayer summer research students in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department at the University of Rochester gathered for a welcome picnic at the Witmer House.

The NEUROCITY scholars from City College New York are part of the summer undergraduate pathway program supported by the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Commission.

The Commission chairperson Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, PhD, assistant professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, welcomed the scholars to Rochester during brief remarks and thanked University of Rochester President Sarah Mangelsdorf, PhD, and her husband Karl Rosengren, PhD, professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Psychology at the University, for welcoming the Commission and scholars to the Witmer House. Duje Tadin, PhD, chair of the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, also shared his appreciation for their hospitality and support for the Meliora and Bilski-Mayer summer research program.

It is the third summer of the NEUROCITY program.

On Wednesday, the Neuroscience Diversity Commission group NEURO2ALL held its first event to teach kids, and adults, about the brain at the Rochester Museum and Science Center (RMSC). The group set up experiments to show how the brain works with our eyes and ears and even how it helps us taste. Kids were also given a backpack with brain facts and experiments to continue to learn about the brain at home. NEURO2ALL aims to foster curiosity around brain science and empower the next generation of neuroscientists. Part of the mission of the group, led by Assistant Research Professor Tufikameni Brima, PhD, is to educate and provide community outreach opportunities to UR and URMC students at all levels. This spring Brima, and Neuroscience graduate students Victoria Popov and Kathryn Toffolo, developed the course IND 442-2 — Science Outreach to All. The Commission and students from this course will host two more NEURO2ALL events at RMSC; Saturday, April 15, 10-12 pm, and Saturday, April 29, 10-12 pm.

During the week of March 13, 2023, the Neuroscience Diversity Commission members answered this question: “If you could only be one area of the brain, which area would you be and why?” Their answers aimed to share relatable functions about different areas of the brain while also showing how diverse they are as a group. Brain Awareness Week is a global celebration of the brain to promote public enthusiasm about the brain and brain science. Check out their answers below!

Tahra Eissa, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research associate in Computational Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder, presented her talk title: The impacts of environmental inference on human decision-making at the University of Rochester on October 27. She was the first speaker selected to come to the University as part of the new NEURO YES program. NEURO YES is seminar series developing an inclusive network of scientists poised to transform the future of the field. Hosted by the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Commission, Center for Visual Science, and Brain and Cognitive Science – the series was also created to uplift researchers from historically marginalized backgrounds. Visit NEURO YES for more details about the program and for list of future speakers.

Images Above: Tahra Eissa, Ph.D., give presentation to group in Meliora Hall at the University of Rochester.

From left: Nathan Smith, Ph.D., Tahra Eissa, Ph.D., and Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Ph.D., stand together for photo outside a restaurant in Rochester, N.Y., during Eissa's visit.

The second summer of NEUROCITY concluded with a final poster session on Thursday, August 4. Ten undergraduates from City College of New York (CCNY) presented the projects that they had worked on during the 10-week summer program. NEUROCITY is a partnership between the Neuroscience Diversity Commission at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience and CCNY that gives historically marginalized undergraduate students an opportunity to work in neuroscience related research labs at the University of Rochester during the summer.

Nana Wiafe Addae Owusu, CCNY

Mentor: Kuan Hong Wang, PhD

Poster Title: Comparison of labeling methods for dopaminergic innervations in mouse prefrontal cortex

Authors: Nana Wiafe Addae Owusu, Vielka Inoa Santana, Rianne Stowell, Hayley Wnuk, Jackson Pulizzi, Kuan Hong Wang

Vielka Inoa Santana, CCNY

Mentor: Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, PhD

Poster Title: Comparison of labeling methods for dopaminergic innervations in mouse prefrontal cortex

Authors: Nana Wiafe Addae Owusu, Vielka Inoa Santana, Rianne Stowell, Hayley Wnuk, Jackson Pulizzi, Kuan Hong Wang

Alivya Barry, CCNY

Mentor: Karl Rosengren, PhD

Poster Title: Do diagrams help students “think outside the box?”

Authors: Alivya M. Barry, Olympia N. Mathiaparanam, Karl S. Rosengren

Cheko France, CCNY

Mentor: Ed Lalor, PhD

Poster Title: Mapping the spatiotemporal representation of natural spoken language through fMRI scans and semantic processing models

Authors: Cheko G France, Lauren A Szymula, Andrew J Anderson, Edmund C Lalor

Chen Li, CCNY

Mentor: Ian Fiebelkorn, PhD

Poster Title: Theta-rhythmic coordination of working memory

Authors: Chen Li, Miral Abdelaziz, Paul Cavanah, Zach Redding, Lauren Szymula, Ian C. Fiebelkorn

Samuel Ogunyemi, CCNY

Mentor: Mark Buckley, PhD

Poster Title: The effect of trephination on corneal endothelial cell viability

Authors: Samuel Ogunyemi, Alex McMullen, Mark Buckley

Evian Pollack, CCNY

Mentor: Paul Kammermeier, PhD

Poster Title: Screening split inteins for orthogonality and spontaneous association using bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) and western blotting

Authors: Evian Pollack-Blackwood, Paul J. Kammermier

Jose Reynoso, CCNY

Mentor: Duje Tadin, PhD

Poster Title: Mechanisms of perceptual decision-making

Authors: Jose Reynoso, Ying Lin, Duje Tadin

Jahdiel Rondon, CCNY

Mentor: Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, PhD

Poster Title: Different reinforcement rates to test the screaming lady sound on discrimination of threats

Authors: Jahdiel Rondon, Claire Marino, Pavel Rjabtsenkov, Shreya Bavdekar, Maria Rojas Tawil, Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez

Kaylin Sevilla Lopez, CCNY

Mentor: Julian Meeks, PhD

Poster Title: TBI-induced anosmia, anhedonia, and depression

Authors: Kaylin J. Sevilla Lopez, Bryan Crum, Julian Meeks

Chantel Ynoa, CCNY

Mentor: Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, PhD

Poster Title: Cortical representation of vibrotactile stimuli in awake behaving mice

Authors: Chantel Ynoa, Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, Michael Duhain

Four East High School students completed the second year of NEUROEAST – a pathway partnership program with the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Commission and East High School in the Rochester City School District. During their time at the University, the students worked in neuroscience-related labs for the academic year. The students learned how to conduct research and navigate the education and training necessary to pursue a career in research, “It has changed my life. I want to do this for my life," high school sophomore Kaniyah Cooper said. She worked in the Haptics Lab in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department.

High school student Luanys Nicol Rivera, who was in the Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University, also expressed how NEUROEAST has impacted her future, “I love it. I want to study the brain and work with people who have Neurocognitive disorders."

“It has been a pleasure to be a part of NEUROEAST and see these students thrive in research labs,” said Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, Ph.D., assistant professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and chair of the Del Monte Institute Neuroscience Diversity Commission. “It is programs like these [NEUROEAST and NEUROCITY] that will set the foundation for the future of science, making sure all of the best researchers have access to the education and opportunities they need to succeed.”

East High School is designed and monitored by the University of Rochester's Warner School of Education and Human Development. NEUROEAST is a Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Commission program.

2022 NEUROEAST Scholars:

Kaniyah Cooper – Haptics Lab

Jemilyann Pierluissi-Santiago – Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab

Zara Pyatt-Ramos – Auditory Neuroscience Lab

Luanys Nicol Rivera – Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab

The Neuroscience Diversity Commission. From left (back): Bryan Redmond, Adrienne Morgan, Ph.D., Shaun Nelms, Ph.D., Shraddah Shah. From left (front): Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, Ph.D., Tufikameni Brima, Ph.D., Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Ph.D., Elizabeth Berry, Nathan A. Smith, Ph.D. NDC members not pictured: Katherine Andersh, John Gonzalez-Amoretti, Chigusa Kurumada, Ph.D., Sarah Latchney, Ph.D., Ania Majewska, Ph.D., Monique Mendes, Ph.D., Victoria Popov, Keshov Sharma, Rianne Stowell, Ph.D., and Kathryn Toffolo.

A group, mostly consisting of neuroscientists, meets bi-weekly outside the lab with a simple but powerful common purpose – to fundamentally change the bench.

“This experience has been eye-opening,” said Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, PhD, assistant professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester and chair of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Commission. “It is such a diverse group in every sense – cultural, gender, experience in both academics and non-academics – we are all able to have input and listen to each other while considering different perspectives and focusing on one problem together.”

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What a year this has been! During the past 12 months, we have all had our fair share of challenging and promising experiences that have really transformed us in a very meaningful and profound way. Some of these experiences have been bleak, but we have emerged from them full of hope and enthusiasm.  For some of us, that hope began last August when we first met to form the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Commission (NDC). The NDC is a diverse group of neuroscientists’ across multiple levels including students and staff. The meeting was the brainchild of a poignant letter written by the Director of the Del Monte Institute, John Foxe, Ph.D. It was a letter that went beyond saying the right thing, following the senseless murder of George Floyd, it instead laid out necessary actions and promised change in a way that has transformed our lives. One year later, we have now witnessed how it has also changed the lives of others.

We are all very proud of all that we have accomplished in the past year, despite being in the middle of the relentless COVID pandemic. NDC has been meeting every other week throughout this entire year to develop a targeted and pragmatic agenda with the primary goal of generating meaningful change in the community to ensure that aspiring neuroscientists of any background can feel like they belong. We take great pride in the pipeline programs we have created to bring bright young scientists, from underserved groups, into neuroscience labs across the Medical Center and the University. In a few short months, we developed and implemented a partnership program with The City College of New York (CCNY) called NEUROCITY.  For 10-weeks this summer, eight undergraduate students from CCNY made Rochester home. This partnership allowed the students to understand what a career in research would look like and that it is a realistic and attainable goal. One of the rising seniors shared this with us: “The program has helped me tremendously to understand how graduate school and research work. It has also allowed me to explore the neuroscience field, something that I never thought of doing before, and now it is a career I am considering pursuing.”

We have watched this program change more than the lives of the students at the bench – it has also impacted the perspective of bench mentors and faculty who were there as these students excelled and grew as trainees and people.

We also developed a new partnership program with East High School in the Rochester City School District, wherein high school students are immersed in research experience in neuroscience labs at the University and Medical Center. This program, termed NEUROEAST, was such a success that we have doubled the student enrollment for this fall semester. Programs like NEUROCITY and NEUROEAST do more than inspire young scientists; they remove barriers and create the pipelines necessary to ensure future students have access to neuroscience and research. Progress like this is only possible because of the support of exceptional members of the community, including leadership from the Summer Scholars Program, Graduate Education and Post-doctoral Affairs, and Center for Visual Science, who have generously devoted their time and effort to ensure that our programs are successful. Our tremendous progress is also a reflection of the commitment made by the leadership of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our field. The institute provides us with enough financial and logistical support to ensure that our initiatives are ultimately successful and sustainable.

We are part of the great momentum happening in the work of diversity and inclusion across the University and Medical Center. This is evident in the many accomplishments of the Equity and Anti-Racism Action Plan, which is starting to gain traction after a year of infrastructure building. The plan called for each department to appoint a Diversity and Inclusion Officer and for those officers to receive training to help them be ambassadors for the plan. We felt this momentum building when we hosted a Round Robin event for neuroscience-related departments across the University and Medical Center to share their ideas, programs, and insight. The turnout was fantastic, with presenters from Biomedical Engineering, Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Neurology, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry. We learned a lot about other efforts taking place across our campuses and have identified specific areas where we can combine efforts to further maximize our goals of diversity and inclusion at the University and Medical Center.

Attracting and retaining underrepresented faculty is key to the effort of the NDC. We believe that having a diverse bench will bring valuable perspectives and backgrounds. It also gives students faculty who look like them and who have similar life experiences. Assistant Professor Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Ph.D., is an example of this. He came to the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience in January 2021. Originally from Puerto Rico, he is also one of the 15 members of the NDC. Last spring, he came across a letter about diversity and inclusion that resonated with him – he would later learn that was the same letter that started the NDC. It helped solidify his decision to come to Rochester as he was already talking to John Foxe, Ph.D., about a possible faculty position. We hope the work of the commission continues to help bring in more faculty from diverse backgrounds.

There is much work to be done to make the systemic changes necessary to transform academia. We are keeping this in mind as we prepare our white paper to lend recommendations to leadership, and as we build and implement a badging system to provide diversity and inclusion training for faculty and bench mentors. This mentorship training will create accountability and ensure that all who enter the lab are treated equitably. As part of our pipeline initiatives, we are also developing a post-baccalaureate program to help prospective neuroscientists pursue a career in academia or industry.

What we have accomplished in the last year is just the beginning – as Dr. Foxe wrote last June: “Transformational change requires bold and decisive action.” Yet, we are moving in the right direction and with great momentum. The success to date gives us hope that we will change how we look at the bench, making sure the best and brightest – no matter their skin color, creed, or socioeconomics – have the necessary resources and opportunities to access the research world. It is imperative that science, neuroscience, is accessible to all because this ensures that transformational discoveries about the brain are made, thus ultimately benefiting our community and society in general. We at the NDC are committed to making the University of Rochester an exemplary institution that can serve as a model for others.

Sincerely,

Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, Ph.D., on behalf of Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Commission

(Image captured in July 2021)

NEUROCITY is one of two pipelines to neuroscience recently created by the University of Rochester Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Commission (NDC). The program is a partnership with City College of New York aimed at giving underrepresented minority students access to neuroscience research labs. In a similar vein, NEUROEAST, another pipeline program with similar goals, welcomed two high school students from East High School in the Rochester City School District into The Haptics Lab in the Brain and Cognitive Science Department at the University.

“These programs have begun invaluable partnerships,” said Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, PhD, NDC chair.  “Being able to provide these students a real-world experience in working research labs sets the foundation for the future of science. Progress in neuroscience depends on having the best researchers doing the work. And to find the best, we must provide access to all." READ MORE

Members of the NDC organized a number of group activities for NEUROCITY students during their time in Rochester. The group worked together to try to get out of an escape room, visited the Rochester Public Market and tried cuisine from some of Rochester's favorite food trucks, and they also went rock climbing. The final group activity was held at Radio Social.

The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Commission (NDC) is working to create a pipeline for underrepresented minorities interested in pursuing neuroscience research. Eight undergraduate students from City College of New York (CCNY) are living and working at the University of Rochester this summer as part of a new program called NEUROCITY. NEUROCITY is a partnership between the University and City College New York.

“This is program has begun an invaluable partnership between the University of Rochester and CCNY. Giving these students a place to come and get hands-on research experience. This opportunity could have a significant impact on their future education, career, and ultimately on the future of science,” said Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, Ph.D. NDC chair. “We need to have the best at the bench, and part of doing that is removing barriers.”

For ten weeks, students are working in neuroscience labs across the University and Medical Center, each under a co-mentorship of University and CCNY faculty. They are also paired with a graduate student or post-doctoral trainee who will help them read journal articles, conduct lab work, and build a poster that they will present at the culmination of the program.

“Our goal is to give students interested in the field of neuroscience an experience and opportunity they may otherwise not have,” said Duje Tadin, Ph.D., professor and chair of Brain & Cognitive Sciences. One of the students, Yacinda Hernandez, is working in the Tadin Lab this summer, using virtual reality and EEG to understand sensory function in both neurotypical individuals and people with autism spectrum disorder. “The pool of students working with us this summer is exceptional and is yet another example of how the field of neuroscience benefits from being more inclusive.”

“This summer, NEUROCITY is giving eight very motivated and talented City College students the chance to study in a field normally out of their reach,” said Robert Melara, Ph.D., professor and chair of Psychology at CCNY. “They are loving the experience.  We hope that this internship opens a door to their future doctoral education and a career in neuroscience. Indeed, some of the students have already begun their Ph.D. applications.”​

The Institute is committed to providing all scholars interested in scientific research, particularly in the field of neuroscience, access to the best educational opportunities.

A new program is providing more access to neuroscience research. In May, NEUROEAST, a Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Diversity Commission program, welcomed two students from EAST High School in the city of Rochester School District into The Haptics Lab in the Brain and Cognitive Science Department at the University of Rochester. The NEUROEAST program is designed to give underrepresented minority students access to scientific research in an academic setting.

“Being able to provide these students a real-world experience in a working research lab is setting the foundation for the future of science," Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, PhD, principal investigator of The Haptics Lab and Neuroscience Diversity Commission chair. "Progress in neuroscience depends on having the best researchers doing the work. And to find the best, we must provide access to all." 

During the six week pilot program, students learned how to conduct scientific research, and were guided on how to navigate the education and training necessary to attain a career in research. In the fall, the program will expand to six students who will rotate through multiple labs for the duration of the academic year.

The Neuroscience Graduate Program Student Solidarity Organization (NGP SSO) hosted a Growing up in Science panel discussion featuring Kaela S. Singleton, PhD, postdoctoral at Emory University and adjunct professor Agnes Scott College, and Sally Bernardina Seraphin, Ph.D. assistant professor at Trinity College.

Shraddha Shah of the Neuroscience Diversity Commission helped organize the event. Shah is a co-founder of NGP SSO and a steering committee member. Other co-founders/steering committee members are Mark Stoessel, Kathryn Toffolo, Luke Shaw, and Karl Foley.

A fast-paced information session of micro-presentations providing an overview about diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives – both proposed and underway - happening within Neuroscience-related departments across the University.

Participating departments: Biomedical Engineering, Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Neurology, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry

Event Flyer

The Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience joins science organizations from across the globe committed to making science more inclusive by endorsing the ALBA Declaration on Equity and Inclusion. “This supports the work of the Neuroscience Diversity Commission,” said commission chair Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, PhD “Our members have spent the last several months committed to creating an inclusive an equitable environment in the neuroscience community in Rochester. As we continue this work we hope actions like signing this declaration encourages other individuals and organizations in science to join this same commitment. The more we empower those studying neuroscience and those interested in the field, the more we will elevate this important work.”