SMCM students attended and presented at two local neuroscience research conferences in December 2025.
On Dec. 4, Julia Thomas ’25 and Veronica Velez ’27 presented their research on the neuroscience of addiction, mentored by Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience Torry Dennis, Ph.D., at the Uniformed Services University Winter Symposium in Bethesda, Maryland, winning 3rd place for "Best Undergraduate Presentation." In addition, they presented their work at the National Society for Neuroscience conference in San Diego this past November. Reflecting on her experience, Velez stated, "By watching research presentations at SFN and USU, I grew my interest in research methodology by learning about new cutting-edge technology, such as using lasers to do 3D, non-invasive, high-resolution and live-action brain imaging! Attending these events also made my distant career goals for neuroscience feel much more obtainable and much less scary. I talked to many different professionals in neuropharmacology (my goal career), they gave me advice about basic things (like how they achieved their goals, what kept them motivated), but more importantly, they prepared me for roadblocks you can't easily research".
On Dec. 13, Wendy Contreras ’26, Presley Pickeral ’26, Brooklyn Kimball ’27, Emma Allan ’27, and Nasir Howard ’28 joined Associate Professor of Neuroscience Liz Leininger, Ph.D., in attending the DCMA Chapter Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, held at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP). Allan presented her research poster on student attention and usability when interacting with a neurophysiology teaching simulation, research done in collaboration with Loyiso Asante ’26, Lauren Lovejoy ’27, and T’keya Williams ’27 and mentored by Leininger. The group also enjoyed a keynote lecture by Catherine Carr, distinguished university professor of biology at UMCP and a renowned researcher and expert on how animals – from barn owls to geckos – localize sound.
Reflecting on his experience, Howard stated, “attending SFN DCMA helped me learn about local graduate programs in neuroscience like at USU and UMD. I was also able to network with current graduate students in my field who were able to give advice on the application process.” Pickeral agreed: “My favorite part of attending was meeting and networking with the different people in attendance. I was able to talk to local graduate students about their work and the programs that they are in to get a better understanding of what being in graduate school is like. I also had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Catherine Carr about her work and the research that I am currently involved in at St. Mary’s.”
Images: The top image shows Thomas and Velez at the USU symposium. The middle image shows a group photo of SMCM attendees with keynote speaker Catherine Carr (center) at the DCMA chapter meeting. The bottom image shows Em Allan presenting her poster.
