ALEJANDRA QUINTERO

Entered: Neuroscience Graduate Program NGP 2022
Mentor: Chad Forbes, Ph.D.
Thesis Topic: TBD
BS Behavioral Neuroscience/Psychology, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL

"I am investigating the cognitive and psychosocial symptomatology associated with long COVID. The objective of my research is to determine the potential therapeutic benefits of photo biomodulation in alleviating symptoms within these domains for long COVID patients, under the mentorship of Dr. Chad Forbes.

During my first year in the NGP I was given the opportunity to rotate with Dr. Julie Pilitsis, Dr. Henriette van Praag, and Dr. Carmen Varela. The lab rotations offered through the neuroscience graduate program (NGP) presented the opportunity to explore various research domains, assisting me in selecting the lab where I am currently conducting my studies with Dr. Forbes. As an undergraduate, I majored in Behavioral Neuroscience with a minor in Psychology at Nova Southeastern University. During that time, I worked on a research project aimed to investigate neural and behavioral differences in executive function between bilinguals and monolinguals as well as reveal the relationship between inhibition and linguistic balance.

I was attracted to the Ph.D. Neuroscience program not only because of its cross-disciplinary nature but also due to the unique two-way partnership between FAU and Max Planck. Through NGP I look forward to collaborating across different areas of research and becoming involved in the numerous community outreach programs available through this institution."