Selena is an alumna of the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), where she completed a BA in Psychology with a minor in Biology ’17. She has previously worked in six different laboratories, ranging in topics from acculturation and health disparities to learning and behavior in children and animals. Her interest in cognitive neuroscience stemmed from an invaluable summer spent at the University of Wisconsin Madison as a Psychology Research Experience Program (PREP) Scholar ‘15. In addition to research, Selena also used her time at UML to increase accessibility and knowledge of resources for first-generation college students as a student affiliate for the Center for Asian American Studies. She then spent her postbaccalaureate years at a nonprofit organization specializing in the research and care of children with rare genetic disorders.
​
Selena is beginning her PhD in Psychology (concentrating in Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience) at the University of Michigan in Fall 2020. Her research interests are in age-related changes of the brain and their subsequent effects on cognitive functioning in healthy, older adults, as well as in those with neurodegenerative diseases. Her commitment to pursing a PhD is motivated not only by her research resolve, but also by her passion to mentor future researchers and scientists. Outside of research, Selena can be found running, climbing, reading, and always saying yes to ice cream.