This workshop by Project SHORT (Students for Higher Education Opportunities and Representation in Training) explores how student-led initiatives are fostering a diverse community of researchers in STEM and neuroscience. Join us to hear panelists from diverse backgrounds share their experiences as Project SHORT mentors and discuss how the program bridges gaps in higher education through mentorship, panels, and practice interviews. This is your chance to explore strategies for fostering inclusivity in neuroscience, build confidence to advance your career, and discover opportunities to become a mentor or mentee with Project SHORT.
Speakers
Maria Luisa Valle, PhD
Maria Luisa Valle, PhD, is an international postdoctoral fellow from Italy currently working on Alzheimer Disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy at New York University. She earned her PhD in pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Georgia and her MS and BS degrees at the University of Bari (Italy). As the first person in her family to pursue a doctorate abroad, she is aware of how challenging the process can be for underrepresented applicants who may not have access to resources, and she is committed to making STEM a more inclusive field for everyone. Since 2022, she has been an active member of Project SHORT and serves as pre-grad mentor, member of the boarding committee and has recently been appointed pre-grad director of outreach. Valle is also part of the EIDA (Equity, Inclusion, Diversity and Accessibility) committee within the NYU Grossman School of Medicine Postdoctoral Association leading active efforts in addressing equity, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility among NYU and surrounding communities.
Taissa Lytchenko
Taissa Lytchenko is a doctoral candidate at the University of Nevada, Reno, specializing in human visual attention. During her early graduate studies, she collaborated on multiple research projects with universities across the United States, including MRI research at Dartmouth College and single cell recording at Montana State University. These projects were made possible through the support of an NSF EPSCoR grant for the Attention Consortium and multiple scholarships from the Nevada Women’s Fund. Beyond her research, Lytchenko is deeply committed to neuroscience outreach and teaches adults and children at local schools and community organizations and serves as a substitute teacher at a juvenile justice center. Lytchenko is also a neuroscience mentor for Frontiers for Young Minds, a journal that introduces young students to accessible scientific literature and the peer review process. Since 2020, she has also been a graduate mentor for Project SHORT, where she guides students from diverse backgrounds through the PhD application process.
Su Jin Kim
Su Jin Kim (she/her) is a PhD Candidate and F31 fellow at Johns Hopkins University studying how sensorimotor associations are consolidated for long-term use. She has actively mentored prospective trainees with Project SHORT since 2021. She has worked on increasing diversity and inclusion by serving on the Psychological and Brain Sciences Early Career Colloquium Committee and has previously collaborated with Yale's psychology department as an organizer for their Psychology Graduate School Bootcamp. She credits her motivation to mentor others with graduate school applications and throughout graduate school to her personal experiences as a scientist from an underrepresented background.
Lydia Gordon-Fennell
Lydia Gordon-Fennell (she/her) is a neuroscience PhD candidate and NIDA F31 fellow at the University of Washington (UW) studying neural circuitry of substance use disorder under the guidance of Paul Phillips. Her passion for mentoring started while she was an undergraduate at The University of Texas at Austin, and since starting at UW, she has developed and volunteered for several mentorship and outreach organizations both locally and nationally. She has been involved with Project SHORT as a mentor since 2022 and as a member of the pre-grad programming committee since 2023. Gordon-Fennell is passionate about helping budding scientists find their path and thrive by providing tailored mentorship and resources/connections, uplifting other amazing organizations with similar missions.
Who can attend these webinars? All webinars in this series are complimentary to SfN members. Join or renew for access. This webinar is $15 for nonmembers
Will the webinars be available on-demand? Yes, all webinars will be available to watch on demand after the live broadcast.
How do I access the conference on the live day? After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with the event link and the option to download calendar reminders.
What are the technology requirements for attending? These webinars are hosted on Zoom Webinar. Instructions for joining and participating in a webinar can be found here.
Can I ask the presenters questions? Yes! You can submit any questions before the webinar through the registration form. During the webinar, you can submit questions through the Q&A box.
I have other questions not answered here. Email digitallearning@sfn.org with any other questions.
Review SfN’s Code of Conduct, rules for virtual events in the Digital Learning Community Guidelines, and communications policies regarding dissemination of unpublished scientific data, listed below. SfN asks that conference attendees respect the sensitivity of information and data being presented that are not yet available to the public by following these guidelines:
- Do not capture or publicly share details of any unpublished data presented.
- If you are unsure whether data is unpublished, check with the presenter.
- Respect presenters' wishes if they indicate that the information presented is not to be shared.
Webinar Refund Policy
- What is the cancellation/refund policy for webinars?
If SfN changes fundamental details of the webinar (date, time, or speakers), non-member registrants may request a registration refund. To request a refund, please email digitallearning@sfn.org at least 48 hours before the event. Otherwise, refunds are not provided. All webinars are complimentary to SfN members.
- SfN webinars can be watched on demand if someone is unable to attend the live broadcast.
