Maedot: Pickering tutor

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One's environment can greatly shape how he or she goes through life. I moved to the United States from Ethiopia when I was nine years old. Adapting to a new way of life, especially with the language barrier, was incredibly difficult, but a challenge that I welcomed. The exploration of a new place, new culture, and unraveling a new world felt inspiring and enriching, rather than a road block. At a young age, I had a heightened sense of awareness of how people behaved, a small interest that started as people-watching grew into deeper behavior analysis. I feel that me being in America made this behavioral observation multi-layered, and the variety of people which I was being exposed to only opened my mind. I am the daughter of a truck driver, my father, and a CNA nurse, my mother. Although neither had the opportunity to pursue higher education they both graduated high school - they have always instilled the importance of education in my sisters and I and have helped me to get to where I am today at the University of Washington (UW).
I am currently in the process of earning my Bachelor's degree in Microbiology at UW. During my time at UW, I have expanded my study skills, maximized my time management, and gained invaluable lab skills. The rigorous courses in Microbiology have allowed me to develop my own study skills and establish what works and what does not work for me as it pertains to balancing a heavy work load. In addition, I was awarded a SURE-EH (Supporting Undergraduate Research Experiences in Environmental Health) Grant to conduct my own research. I am currently working as a researcher on the ACT-AP's (Adult Changes in Thought-Air Pollution) team. The ACT-AP study focuses on the impact of air pollution on the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, such as the development of neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. As a researcher, my responsibilities range from collecting samples, organizing and analyzing databases, and conducting my own research under the cohort. Last year, my personal research focused on determining whether there is an association between the level of air pollution exposure and economic status and ethnic background in Washington. The result was significant and notable and was presented at the University of Washington Undergraduate Symposium. This year, the main goal of my study is to determine if there is any association between air quality and depression. Being part of the ACT-AP team has given me a glimpse of the life of a researcher; there will be multiple bumps or issues that arise along the way, failures will lead to observations and advancements, and, eventually, new knowledge and insight will be gained.
Following my graduation from UW, I plan on attending a MS program in the field of Cognitive Neuroscience. Going forward, I want to work towards earning a PhD in Neuroscience and, ultimately, carry out my own researches. Where I grew up (Ethiopia), the knowledge about mental health is almost nonexistent. A schizophrenic person talking to him/herself, or a child that cannot focus on one thing for more than 30 seconds, is usually condemned and labeled as a person that is possessed by a demonic spirit. With so many stories like the above, the level of awareness we have and scientific evidence supporting the relationship between brain function and mental disorder is close to none. On the contrary, the Western world has thorough research on mental health (lots of work still needs to be done) and yet the stigma surrounding mental health remains.
I am extremely devoted to learning how the brain develops during infancy (0-2 years). I want to focus on child brain development, where I can constantly seek to understand how neurological pathways on a molecular level are shaped by environmental and genetic backgrounds. Many great studies have found evidence on the correlation between mental disorder and the upbringing of a person. I believe that understanding the brain on a molecular level during those integral years of development can get us closer to a solution. Improving the environment that one is brought up in can subsequently prevent or reduce the growing number of adolescences and adults falling victim to mental disorder. The key is producing research that is solid and factual and can easily be communicated with the rest of the world. I have always been interested in why people turn out the way that they do. I want to understand how the pathways in the brain of a low-income person from a hostile environment who perseveres and becomes a Harvard graduate compares and contrasts with the brain of someone from a wealthy, privileged environment who ends up in rehabilitation for drug use. In understanding, it is my high ambition to expand our understanding of brain functions, thus raising awareness in the world, especially in less advanced places like Ethiopia. Awareness is the initial and most vital step that can bring about true change to the rapidly rising population of people with mental disorders. I believe that we must expand our awareness of mental illness and place its healing mechanisms on the forefront of our communities. I am here today because of my community, from scholarships, to mentors and teachers. I hope to utilize my scholarships, such as the Gates Millennium Scholarship and McNair Scholarship, to further advance my involvement and impact within the Neuroscience community. In the end, I want to be able to give back to the community that raised me and helped me achieve my dreams.