Team

Anya is a graduate of Rutgers University, where she earned her degree in Cell Biology and Neuroscience. During her time at Rutgers, she conducted developmental neuroscience research, examining how early-life antibiotic exposure impacts neurogenesis and behavior in genetically vulnerable mice. Currently, in the lab, she leads research focused on women’s health, with an emphasis on the effects of brain injury during pregnancy. Her work takes both an epidemiological and neuroscience-based approach to better understand and support this vulnerable population.

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Brian Szekely, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab whose interdisciplinary background spans biomechanics, vision science, and neuroscience. He earned a B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Nebraska at Kearney, an M.S. in Kinesiology from Georgia Southern University, an M.S. in Computer Science and Engineering with a focus on Artificial Intelligence, and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Nevada, Reno. His doctoral research examined how visual processing fluctuates throughout the human gait cycle, and he has contributed to a wide range of projects involving psychophysics, VR-based assessments, and machine learning models of sensorimotor behavior. Dr. Szekely now leverages this expertise to investigate the long-term neurological effects of repetitive head impacts in former American football players.

Jared graduated from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where he was a Colors of the Brain-Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind Scholar. While at UCSD, he conducted neurodevelopmental research investigating the relationship between subcortical volume and tic severity in Tourette Syndrome. As a former athlete, Jared is now enthusiastic about exploring the long-term effects of head injuries using neuroimaging techniques. In the lab, Jared focuses on manually segmenting complex brain regions in former American football players to investigate structural alterations associated with repetitive head impacts.

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Alana is a first-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. She earned her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience and Psychology from Trinity University, where she focused on behavioral neuroscience and cognitive neuropsychology research. Previously, she worked as a Research Assistant in the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Lab at Harvard Medical School and is now an affiliated member of our lab. In her current role, Alana investigates changes in white matter integrity among former American football players, offering valuable insights into the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts.

Omar is a third-year medical student at the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. Before pursuing his medical studies, Omar spent two years as the Head Research Assistant at the Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from Boston College and was recognized for his academic achievements with membership in Nu Rho Psi, a nationally recognized Honor Society. In the lab, Omar is working on neuroimaging projects relating to the long-term consequences of repetitive head impacts in former American football players.

Nuha is a fourth-year medical student at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harlem, New York. Her academic journey began at Rutgers University, where she earned degrees in Genetics and Mathematics and a minor in Spanish. She also completed her Master's at Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School in Biomedical Sciences. Nuha's experiences working at her family's restaurant, personal experiences with TBI, and profound interest in brain injury deeply influenced her decision to pursue research in TBI. In the lab, she focuses her efforts on investigating demographics and healthcare disparities in TBI rehabilitation within the New York population.

Manuel Is a current undergraduate student at New York University majoring in Psychology and minoring in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. Manuel has previously completed an internship at The University of Texas at San Antonio on a project researching Fetal brain vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In the lab, Manuel is working on understanding the global gray matter and white matter changes in former American football players.

Ocean is a senior at New York University majoring in Psychology and minoring in Chemistry on the Pre-med track. A dedicated and committed individual, Ocean consistently demonstrates perseverance and resilience, never allowing doubts to deter her from achieving her main goals and ambitions. Alongside working in our lab, Ocean also works with Dr. Arshed Arslaan's lab, where she researches racial disparities in acute settings. In the lab, Ocean works on manually segmenting subcortical brain regions of former American football players to better understand the long-term consequences of repetitive head impacts.

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Sabrina is an undergraduate student at New York University, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Chemistry. Aspiring to become a physician, she has a keen interest in neurology, particularly in the area of traumatic brain injury (TBI) research. Through her coursework and lab experience, Sabrina aims to expand her knowledge of how brain trauma affects cognitive and behavioral function, with the ultimate goal of contributing to advancements in neurological care and treatment. In the lab, Sabrina is investigating the neuroanatomical changes during pregnancy.

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David is an undergraduate student at New York University, majoring in Neural Science with minors in Business and Chemistry. In addition to his work in our lab, he also conducts research in Dr. Wendy Suzuki’s lab, where he investigates the effects of music and exercise on cognitive performance and academic outcomes. In our lab, David is studying the neuroanatomical changes that follow repetitive head impacts in former American football players.