​Jaffna Mathiaparanam is a Graduate Student at the University of Pennsylvania pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience. She studies mechanisms of motor nerve and CNS regeneration using the zebrafish model in the lab of Dr. Michael Granato. She previously worked as a Research Intern at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying the genetic basis of simple startle behaviors in zebrafish. She also completed her undergraduate studies at UW Madison, majoring in Neurobiology. As an undergraduate, she took advantage of many research opportunities and completed projects in labs specializing in neuroscience, genetics, and immunology- which ultimately helped her in choosing a field she felt passionate in. Jaffna has been involved in several outreach activities including K12 and summer science teaching, science writing, and designing K-12 curriculum. She also loves combining her love for science with art. She completed a mural for her undergraduate science program, Biocore, and is currently working on designing Neuroscience coloring pages for all ages.