Minnesota Inclusive Neuroscience Development Scholars (MINDS) Program

Eyerusalem Abebaw:

Eyerusalem graduated from Macalester College with a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and minors in Biology and Psychology. During her undergraduate career, she conducted cognitive neuroscience research in the Burgund Lab at Macalester. She is interested in researching the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders as well as developing and improving treatment options. She is passionate about improving mental health outcomes among underserved communities and youth and increasing access to proper healthcare.

Christie L. Alexandre:

Christie L. Alexandre obtained her bachelor of Sciences at the University of the Ozarks in May 2021. She majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry, Philosophy, and Business Administration. Having discovered a particular interest in Neurosciences during her last year of college, she decided to join the MINDS post-baccalaureate program at the University of Minnesota. Through this program, she was hired as a psychometrist in the Vinogradov lab. Christie would like to later obtain her Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology.

Kasey Bertelsen:

Kasey is a first year MINDS Scholar. He graduated from Bemidji State University in Spring, 2023, earning his bachelor of science degree in Psychology. During his senior year, he developed an interest and passion for neuroscience. Key areas of interest include impulsivity and addiction and potential links between the mesolimbic pathways and the gut/ gut-microbiota axis. This interest includes the relationship between microbes with sugar affinity and endogenous counter-regulatory hormones as well as microbial capacity to produce exogenic neurotransmitters. Despite years of research supporting the role of exogenous neurotransmitters, diet, and stress as influencing mental health and overall wellness, he believes this is an understudied area that holds the potential to illuminate new modalities of both treatment and prevention for substance use disorders and other areas of reward-related addiction, such as binge-eating disorder and even media use disorders such as internet/gaming addictions. He hopes to develop, refine and expand his skills in research methods and experimental design to one day pursue a PhD in neuroscience. 

Nicole Payne:

Nicole obtained her Bachelor’s of Science at Minnesota State University with a major in Psychology and a minor in Creative Writing. Neuroscience became a passion of Nicole’s in her Sophomore year and she continued to pursue it in the rest of her undergraduate coursework and research with a particular emphasis on psycho/neuropharmacology as well as drug and addiction studies. She has decided to join the University of Minnesota’s MINDS post baccalaureate program to explore these interests further and plans to utilize these experiences to apply to a PhD program in the field of Neuroscience. Some of her hobbies include writing poetry, singing and bicycling. 

Delilah Pineda:

Delilah graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience and a minor in Chicana/o and Latin American Studies. During her undergraduate career, she researched the retinal eccentricity dependance of complex stimuli as a member of the Elegant Mind Club at UCLA. She also spent her free time as a community member of Grupo Folklorico de UCLA. Her passion lies in connecting neuroscience research with community outreach. Delilah's goal is to foster understanding of the functions of the brain and remedy afflictions that affect others. She hopes to achieve this as a MINDS Scholar and future neuroscience Ph.D. candidate.

Fernando Aguilar Ortega:

Fernando Aguilar Ortega graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree of arts double majoring in Psychology and Biology with a Neuroscience concentration from St. Olaf College. His research goal is to understand the neuroscience of neuropsychiatric disorders and explore the complex brain circuitry. As a MINDS scholar, Fernando is  working on mapping the structural, functional, and anatomical connectivity of the posteromedial cortex in humans using non-human primates at the Heilbronner Lab. He was accepted to continue this research as a graduate student in the neuroscience PhD program at Baylor College of Medicine starting Fall 2024.

John Brent IV: 

John Brent IV (he/him) completed his B.S. in Neuroscience at Knox College in 2022, joined MINDS shortly after graduating, and completed two years of post-baccalaureate research in Dr. Kevin Wickman’s lab in the Department of Pharmacology. As a MIND Scholar, John led a project which established a novel dual viral approach to optogenetic intracranial self-stimulation in wild-type mice, in addition to receiving an “Outstanding Poster Presentation” award at the ABRCMS conference in 2022. His current research interests are in elucidating alternative uses for existing drugs and optimizing pharmacological agents for therapeutic use. John will be pursuing his Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy - Twin Cities starting in the fall of 2024.

Osmar Del Rio:

Osmar Del Rio (he/him) graduated from Macalester College in 2021 with a B.A. in Biology and minors in Data Science and Spanish. In joining the Sederberg lab, he discovered his passion for computational neuroscience. He has spent the past three years building statistical and mechanistic models of inhibitory neuronal populations in the primary visual cortex of mice and ferrets alongside Drs. Audrey Sederberg and Cheryl Olman. This experience helped refine his research interest in building statistical and computational tools to unveil neural mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition to the faculty and research, Osmar was drawn to MINDS given his passions for science communication, mentorship, and DEI-related work to promote equitable access to STEM education and foster inclusivity for marginalized scientists in academia. In Summer 2024, Osmar will begin at the University of Minnesota as a PhD student in the Graduate Program of Neuroscience. He looks forward to the opportunity to continue conducting research as well as supporting DEI efforts both on-campus and beyond.

Michaelle DiMaggio-Potter:

Michaelle DiMaggio-Potter (she/they) completed their B.A. in Psychology at Columbia University, where they also researched music and cognition in the Developmental Affective Neuroscience Lab. During her tenure as a MIND Scholar at the University of Minnesota, she investigated nonsuicidal self-injury and arts-based treatment interventions for youth with depression in the Research on Adolescent Depression Lab. She is particularly interested in exploring interpersonal dynamics and maladaptive coping mechanisms in individuals with personality disorders. They plan to pursue these research interests at the University of Michigan as a Clinical Psychology PhD student beginning in the fall of 2024.

Olalekan “Lukman” Ganiyu:

Lukman received a bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy in Nigeria before immigrating to the United States in 1996 and completed a master’s degree and a clinical doctorate in physical therapy in the United States.  He has been a physical therapist for about 30 years with an orthopaedic rehab focus. He was a core faculty member at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences and taught in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Lukman joined MINDS from 2021-2022, and is now pursuing his PhD in Physical Therapy at Nova Southeastern University.

Dante Rogers:

Dante Rogers (he/him) completed his B.S. in Psychology and minors in Neuroscience and Communication at the University of Minnesota Twin-Cities in 2021. After graduating, Dante joined  the MINDS program and completed two years of post-baccalaureate research in Dr. Rene Pierpont’s MIND Lab in the Department of Pediatric Neuropsychology. While working with Dr. Pierpont, Dante studied medication efficacy, behavioral topographies, genotype-phenotype associations, seizure semiology’s, and long-term neurocognitive outcomes in children with rare neurogenetic disorders. His work over the past three years, paired with his diverse array of research experiences during his undergraduate studies, have cultivated his interests in understanding genetic, neurologic, and cognitive markers associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in children to improve early identification, prognosis, and developmental outcomes. Dante will be pursuing his Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Clinical Psychology at Northwestern University’s Feinburg School of Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Molly Losh starting Fall 2024.

Parsa Taheri:

Parsa Taheri graduated with her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Barnard College of Columbia University in 2019, and then gained experience as a research assistant in psychology labs before joining MINDS from 2021-2022. Her research interests include the neural and socio-emotional correlates of resilience from early life stress in vulnerable youth. Parsa is now pursuing her PhD in Developmental, Cognitive, & Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Houston.

Angelica Velosa: 

Throughout her time conducting neuroscience research, Angelica Velosa has been able to refine her research interests and develop a passion for the neuroscience of learning and cognition. She also has a strong passion in her heart for applying her understanding of neuroscience to education. Angelica decided to join the MINDS post-baccalaureate program due to its research - through faculty and its commitment to diversity. She is currently working as a research technician at the Grissom lab and studying the importance of NMDA receptors for complex decision making. Here she has spent time developing experimental design skills and science communication skills to pursue a neuroscience PhD. Angelica is delighted to continue her studies at the University of Minnesota’s Graduate Program in Neuroscience starting Fall 2024.