USC Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute
Researching therapies for Alzheimer's disease on worldwide data.
ROLE
Undergraduate Researcher
TIMELINE
18 months
TEAM
1 Primary Instructor
16 Research Assistants
TOOLS/SKILLS
Python
Unix & Bash
FSL
01
Summary
I volunteered at the Braskie Lab at USC’s Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging Institute. As the youngest on the team, I worked on preclinical Alzheimer's disease and the HABS-HD study. This is one of the largest studies in America that focuses on diversifying the pool of Alzheimer's disease research.
At the end of my 18 month volunteer period, I completed:
Developed an ML model
Predicting diagnoses from LONI Image & Data Archive data
Led critique sessions
Analyzing recently published research papers with the lab
02
Takeaways
Collaboration lets you draw new connections.
Through our group discussions, we explored how findings related to other health conditions and regions across the world. Over time, clear patterns emerged—most notably, that socioeconomic status is a significant determinant of Alzheimer’s risk. Communities with lower income often face higher rates of illness due to limited access to quality healthcare, nutritious food, and early interventions.
Feedback is best understood proactively.
Quality checking demanded close attention to detail, so I made it a point to ask my higher-ups questions early—before diving in or moving forward. This helped me work more intentionally and ensured we stayed aligned on shared goals.
A special shoutout to Meredith Braskie and Noelle Lee for making my time at the lab extremely fulfilling!