How are Research Projects Assigned?

NeuroNauts Research Projects

Each NeuroNauts faculty research mentor has a different area of research interest within neuroscience.  Students will be assigned a faculty mentor and will work on a research project within their mentor's area of research interest.  

We anticipate the following UWF faculty will participate in the program:

Dr. Rodney Guttmann (Department of Biology) - Biomarker detection in Alzheimer's Disease

Dr. Peter Cavnar (Department of Biology) - Studies of chemicals in the brain and how the brain and immune system communicate

Dr. Shusen Pu (Department of Mathematics & Statistics) - Advanced computational techniques, including numerical simulations and machine learning, to understand brain functioning

Dr. Youngil Lee (Department of Movement Sciences & Health) - Molecular mechanisms of how exercise protects the brain from Parkinson's Disease, using brain cells and mice

Dr. Vanessa Rainey (Department of Psychology) - Using brainwave activity to better understand how neurodiverse people respond to sensory information 

Dr. Lisa Blalock (Department of Psychology) - Visual working memory and applied cognition

Dr. Daudet Ilunga Tshiswaka (Department of Public Health) - Sociocultural and behavioral determinants of brain health

How are Students Assigned to Research Projects?

As part of the application process, students will be able to rank their preference for the research projects of interest.  If you are selected, you’ll be paired with a UWF faculty mentor who will guide your research experience. We’ll use your selections to help inform mentor matches.

Selected students will also have a chance to meet potential mentors, learn more about their research and mentoring styles, and update their preferences before final assignments are made.

While we will do our best to match students with one of their top choices, we can’t guarantee placement in a specific project.