Lab Manager
Sara Larson ‘27 (she/her/hers) is a Neuroscience and Behavior and Psychology major from Buffalo, NY. She is especially interested in neuroplasticity and how different nonpharmacological interventions may be used to improve cognitive functioning including different forms of memory, learning, and attention. She is interested in the neuropsychological assessments, and loves the ability to gain clinical experience administering and scoring cognitive measures with individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Outside of the lab, she is an EspWESo Cafe barista, a farm hand at her hometown goat farm, a club ultimate frisbee player, and avid Outing Club leader. She loves being outdoors and staying active :). After graduating from Wesleyan, she hopes to pursue higher education in psychology and neuroscience. She aspires to work in clinical neuropsychology or neurology, by combining research and patient care to better understand and treat disorders of the brain and behavior.
Student Researchers
Jade Ma ‘27 (she/her/hers) is a Neuroscience & Behavior and Theater double major from Rhode Island. Her interest in this lab stems from having a deep curiosity about ways to improve cognition and social cognition. She has seen how neurological disorders impact one’s everyday life. Because of this, she wants to learn the different approaches to improving cognitive function. Through the lab, she has learned the importance of different approaches in treatment, while strengthening her understanding of cognitive function in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, and how the research helps reduce the stigma surrounding Schizophrenia. Outside of the lab, she is in the Chinese Culture Club, Spiketape, and Psi Upsilon. She loves acting, playing instruments, and swimming at any beach or lake with my friends! Post graduation, she hopes to move to New York to pursue acting, and then attend graduate school to study Behavioral Neuroscience! She hopes to combine both passions in the future.
Alex Ji ‘28 (he/him/his) is a Psychology and College of Integrative Sciences double major with a minor in Data Analysis. Beyond an academic interest in clinical psychology and neuroscience, Alex loves this lab because of the meaningful work. He believes the study is an avenue for participants to take greater control of their rehabilitation journey. He loves seeing participants recognise their hard work in the study has paid off. When he’s not researching, he loves cooking, playing video games, and going on spontaneous adventures with friends! He is a huge animal nerd (he is particularly fond of spiders). He also volunteers at a soup kitchen on Saturday and would love for anyone to tag along! After Wesleyan, he would love to continue researching throughout grad school in either psychology, neuroscience, and/or data science. He intends on becoming a research professor after school.
Reniand Somenou ‘28 (she/her/hers) is a Sociology major from Newark, NJ. She is interested in this lab because Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders have a really bad stigma. She is interested in mental health and the de-stigmatization of it especially in black and brown communities and as well as the roles health care workers can play to make patient experience better. She finds the brain is also super interesting and she loves talking with people. At Wesleyan, she is in BUMA (Black Undergrad Medical Association), Threads and Thingamabobs (a fiber arts club at Wesleyan), and SUYA (the Afro fusion dance team). In her free time, she likes watching The Pitt, and playing with dot-to-dot puzzle books. She intends to become a physician in the future.
Tim Watson ‘28 (he/him/his) is a Neuroscience & Behavior major from Southern California. He is interested in the lab because after taking Behavioral Neurobiology, he loved the subject and switched majors. He was excited to join the lab, especially because this lab provides the ability to get hands-on experience with participants with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders. Outside of the lab, you can find him sailing at Wesleyan, building, tinkering, and snowboarding. He is currently on the pre-med track.
Annie Wrubel ‘28 (she/her/hers) is a Neuroscience & Behavior and Government double major from Colorado Springs, CO. She is interested in this lab because it tackles stigma surrounding Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders from multiple angles (including through participant interactions, patient autonomy, and clinical experience). Additionally, she enjoys learning more about the symptoms of Schizophrenia, the dopaminergic pathway, and the impact of antipsychotics. Outside of the lab, Annie is a doula for the Wesleyan Doula Project, coordinator for Wesleyan Habitat for Humanity, social chair for the Wesleyan Club Soccer Team, and employee at WesWings. In her free time, she likes to read, hike, swim, bake, dance, and hang with friends. She hopes to get involved in public health by improving healthcare accessibility and affordability for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, schizophrenia, and/or dementia, as well as tackling issues of inequitable reproductive care for women.