NEUROSCIENCE PHD STUDENT & MUSIC THERAPIST

Hi! I’m Ali. I am a 1st year PhD student in the Neurosciences Graduate Program at the University of California, San Diego. I’m currently engaged in lab rotations, remaining open to new-found interests while aiming to incorporate my backgrounds in music, social interaction, development, communication, and health in my eventual dissertation lab. I am also a Board-Certified Music Therapist with experience serving children and families at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, as well as cancer patients at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. My path is grounded in recent research experience in human cognitive neuroscience as a lab intern in the Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab at the Italian Institute of Technology in Rome, Italy, as well as translational industry research as a Biologist in the Neuroscience Department at Merck Research Labs, academic research in Alzheimer’s Disease at Rutgers University, and music performance as a Violinist in multiple bands in Philadelphia, PA.

I am passionate about inclusive and accessible Science Communication and Education and have been honored to volunteer for Colors of the Brain at UCSD, Neuromatch Academy / Conference online, and Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science in Camden, NJ. I’m also excited to create more content for my YouTube Channel - stay tuned!