NeuroPolicy Paper Competition

Midlife Monitoring: Integrating Cognitive Health Screening into Routine Women’s Health Check-Ups 

Emma Muller is a first year Clinical Psychology PhD student at the University of Kansas with a concentration in health psychology. She researches biobehavioral risk factors for dementia and is specifically interested in understanding lifestyle factors for women in midlife that may lead to cognitive decline. She is currently a student representative of the Women in Neuropsychology committee with the Society for Clinical Neuropsychology APA Div 40. She is also involved in the KU Diversity committee and a member of the Diversity committee with the Massachusetts Neuropsychological Society. Before starting her program, she worked as a neuropsychology research assistant with the Framingham Heart Study. Emma aims to become a clinical neuropsychologist, focusing on reducing dementia risk and advancing women’s health initiatives. In her free time, she enjoys singing in choir, trying new restaurants and writing short stories.

The Aftermath of Abandoned Neurotech: Ethical and Regulatory Challenges in the Dawn of Brain-Computer Interfaces

Dr. Bottorff is a postdoctoral researcher in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Minnesota, where her research focuses on developing biomarkers to assess sexual function recovery after spinal cord injury. She earned her B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh and her M.S.E. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Michigan. She is particularly interested in neuromodulation therapies and translational approaches that bridge engineering and clinical neuroscience. Ultimately, she intends to pursue a faculty position to continue her research career.

She is passionate about the intersection of neurophysiology, women's health, and society, exploring how advances in neurotechnology can be applied to historically overlooked aspects of health and well-being. She is also engaged in science policy and advocacy efforts that promote responsible and inclusive innovation in neuroscience.

When she’s not in the lab, Elizabeth enjoys exploring national parks, cooking, and passionately cheering (and occasionally suffering) through Michigan football season—both college and pro.

Rep. Jones and Rep. Oliver: Reduce Mental Health Care Barriers for Pregnant Georgians

Anna Rader Groves, M.S., is a Ph.D. candidate in the Neuroscience Institute at Georgia State University studying adolescent development and schizophrenia pathophysiology using translational paradigms in rodent models. Her research and science policy interests draw from her passion for patient-focused and patient-driven frameworks, and she is happiest engaging with her Atlanta community through mutual aid and nature. In her free time, Anna enjoys hiking Georgia’s stunning trails and eating delicious food.

Fan Favorite!

People living with experimental brain implants are unprotected by policy. It’s a matter of human rights

Nada holds a BSc in molecular biology and is currently a Master’s student at Harvard Medical School studying ethical issues in medical artificial intelligence, brain organoid research, and emerging biotechnology. Her work focuses on informed consent challenges for patients, research participants and stem cell donors.

Nada is also a multimedia science communicator with a background in science advocacy. She has experience organizing national campaigns advocating for the transparent use of evidence in government policy-making in Canada, and continues to write about social justice issues in science.

Huge thank you to our other authors for participating!

Rockets, Risk, and Resilience: Safeguarding the Brain in Space Travel 

Alaina Tillman graduated with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavior and B.A. in Sociology. She is currently performing clinical and translational research at the National Institutes of Health and will be matriculating into an MD-PhD program in Fall 2025. Alaina has gained a multitude of different experiences in science communication and policy to understand how to connect with various audiences. She is also an instrument-rated pilot and aims to integrate her interests with neuroscience in the budding field of aerospace medicine.

Depression and Dementia: Care for America’s Silver Tsunami

Catherine Cavanaugh is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh studying neuroscience and working towards her 4+1 in Health Policy and Management. For the past 3 years, she has contributed as a student worker to the Koldamova/Lefterov Lab researching neuro-muscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in klotho-deficient animals. As a science policy writer and editor for the MIT Science Policy review, she has written pieces on extracellular vesicles (EVs) in anti-aging neurotechnology. In her free time, she founded the Spanish Translation Project (a free online resource to help Spanish-speaking students excel in PA Common Core life science concepts) and is a vocal advocate for equity in science education.

Jacob Voelker (he/him) graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in Neuroscience and History and Philosophy of Science. His academic interests lie at the intersection of medicine and the humanities, with aims of better understanding human experiences in response to illness and finding actionable ways to improve those experiences. Jacob will begin medical school in Fall of 2025 and is currently interested in exploring the field of psychiatry. Outside of academics, he enjoys hiking, cooking, and drinking tea with friends.

The Chicken and the Egg of Homelessness and Mental Illness: New Solutions to a Multifaceted Issue

Akshara is an undergraduate at Rice University studying Neuroscience and Social Policy Analysis. She is passionate about the intersection of medicine, policy, and scientific research, and currently works in labs studying noninvasive neuroengineering and therapies for posttraumatic stress disorder. Along with her love for writing and reading in all genres, she enjoys playing music, dancing, exploring new languages, and spending time outdoors!