Jessica is an undergraduate student majoring in Neuroscience and Behavior at Barnard College, Columbia University. She participated in Barnard’s 2024 Summer Research Institute as a research intern in the Dumitriu lab at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Her project focused on understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of resilience, particularly examining how the structural and functional connectivity of the anterior insular cortex responds to repeated stress. Outside of her classes, Jessica enjoys tutoring youth in the Harlem community through organizations such as Columbia’s State Pre-College Enrichment Program and America Reads. In Fall 2024, Jessica joined the Stroller Lab to expand her knowledge of various neuroscience research areas, with a specific interest in how early-life challenges impact cognitive and language development in young individuals.