Justin McMahon is a neuroscience PhD student at Harvard Univeristy who is interested in leveraging translational neuroscience research to deepen the understanding of – and potentially develop therapeutic approaches for – neuropsychiatric illnesses. Prior to beginning this program, he earned his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan, where his fascination for two things really began to grow: neuroscience and Swahili. Having spent time in multiple research settings throughout his undergraduate career, he studied Alzheimer’s Disease, epilepsy, memory, and ultimately composed his thesis on neurophysiological underpinnings of psychiatric disorders. After graduating in 2020, Justin went on to work at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard where he designed vectors and developed viral tools for targeting different neuronal cell types. Eager to rekindle his interest in Swahili while conducting neuroscience research, Justin later sought a position as senior research coordinator for the Neuropsychiatric Genetics in African Populations (NeuroGAP)–Psychosis Study, where he aimed to diversify our understanding of psychiatric illnesses.
Justin is also passionate about science communication, and strives to make science more accessible and engaging to diverse audiences. Outside of science, you can find Justin listening to music/podcasts, taking pictures, boxing, or appreciating a good coffee bean.