Meet Emma

Neuroscientist, Educator, Mentor

I started working at the National Institutes of Health the Summer of my Junior year in high school. I went on to earn a BS in Biology from Case Western Reserve University. Now, I am a PhD candidate in Neuroscience and Behavior at UMass Amherst. I also edit academic papers with Enago and write science education videos with SciShow.

My success so far can be largely attributed to my mentors along the way: Orna Cohen-Fix, Ally Walters, Dan Wesson, Kaitlin Carlson, and Sonji Johnson-Anderson. They taught me the unwritten rules of research and mentorship and have supported my scientific growth for a decade now.

It is my turn to pay it forward. I was lucky in finding mentors who showed me how to succeed in research. Many students show the same grit and enthusiasm for science but are not met with the same level of guidance. I hope that this website acts as a resource for people with interest and drive but who don’t know how to reach the next level in their scientific exploration.

It has been my immense pleasure to work alongside undergraduate and high school students during my PhD. Their insights help shape our experiments and their countless hours of hard work lead us to the results we have today. In chronological order of when I started working with them, I fully endorse the skills and enthusiastic scientific pursuits of Cam Donahue, Kara Conlan, Ben Earle, Judy Luu, and Harrish Ganesh.

Over the years, I have found that scientific exploration does not need to be restricted to the lab. Although I love the lab and have plenty of experience to share in that realm, I believe that outreach and science communication are incredibly undervalued components of the scientific process. I have found great joy in sharing science with people of all ages and backgrounds (from elementary school to adults) in person, in text, and everything in between.

Find more about the organizations I have partnered with to further science communication on my Contact page.

Specifically, find examples of the videos that I’ve written on my SciShow page.

Find more guidance in research and outreach on my Research Guidance page.

Learn about my own laboratory findings on my Research page.

Find more thought provoking science inspiration on my Lab Discoveries page.

Si quiere leer algunos de mis artículos en Español, mira mi página Español.

If you’re looking to get funded for your research, check out the $$$ page.

And if you’re interested in creating a scientific community more representative of the natural diversity in our world, check out the Justice page.