WHO ARE WE
The NeuroKidz is a platform dedicated to enriching the lives of children with various backgrounds through exposure of neuroscience with STEAM. We work with local elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the school year. The Neurokidz members utilize a curriculum that contains interactive games, visuals, and projects that expand on the basics of neuroscience.
We recruit spirited individuals with a passion for neuroscience who want to give back to the community.
We recruit spirited individuals with a passion for neuroscience who want to give back to the community.
Meet The Neurokidz
We are a spunky group extremely passionate about neuroscience, and we want to impart our passion to the next generation.
Nethra SRINIVASAN
Founder and President
Nethra is a neuroscience major at Case Western Reserve University with an ardor for neuroscience and physiology. She loves neuroscience because of the many uncharted territories left to discover and learn about. Apart from the brain, she enjoys dance, art, and traveling to exotic destinations. Nethra is excited to empower others through education!
Nainika Srinivasan
Co-founder and Vice-President
Nainika is a student at Leland High School in San Jose, CA. She has a strong passion for science and research, and has always been captivated by neuroscience. Along with her ongoing interest in neuroscience, she enjoys playing the violin, baking, crocheting, playing badminton, and being an avid globetrotter. Nainika loves teaching kids because education is not a privilege, it is a right. She hopes to bridge the educational gap of minorities around the world through STEAM!
VOlunteers
Anika KapoorI am a junior in high school from Plano, Texas. I really enjoy working with children and I have a passion for neuroscience and psychology. During my free time I enjoy volunteering, photography, and painting. I am really excited to be involved with the NeuroKidz and I hope to gain some knowledge and experience from this unique opportunity!
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Ishmael AmahI am a freshman at Fort Mill High school in Fort Mill, SC. I am a future cardiologist and I want to change the world in medicine and to help in that I would like to teach the future generations by teaching kids not to be afraid of medicine but show them the cool side and how it can really help people.
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Dezarae StoneHi, my name is Dezarae, and I am passionate about everything science related. I am a high school junior but taking college classes at the Middle College of Forsyth Tech in Winston-Salem, NC to graduate early and with a degree. Not only am I a delegate of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists, but I am a proud volunteer with NeuroKidz! Not only will this prepare me for my intended career in anesthesiology, but it will prepare another generation of kids to change the future with science.
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Anika BhatiaAnika is a sophomore at Leland High School in San Jose, CA. She loves to help others, whether it's giving some friendly advice or volunteering. She also has great interest in robotics and hopes to someday incorporate this interest into her future career. Anika looks forward to supporting children in broadening their perspective in STEAM!
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Tanaya MahindrakarHi! My name is Tanaya Mahindrakar and I'm currently a sophomore at Leland High School in San Jose, CA. I want to help out NeuroKidz to teach young kids and expand the group! I think getting young kids exposed to neuroscience is great because these opportunities to learn don't usually come up very often, especially for such specialized subjects.
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Jabeen SheikhI am a sophomore in high school from Basking Ridge, New Jersey. I have a strong interest in obstetrics and pediatric medicine. I enjoy painting, traveling to new places, spending time with my family and friends, and playing with my cats. I am excited to explore the rapidly growing field of neuroscience and teach others about the fascinating role our brains play in our everyday lives.
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Shraya PalHey, I’m Shraya Pal, I go to Leland High School located in San Jose CA! I joined the organization because I believe educating the youth about neuroscience, more importantly in the context of mental health, is paramount to ensuring their future welfare.
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Heeseo JeongHi! I'm a rising junior at Gunn High School in Palo Alto. I'm excited to join NeuroKidz because I enjoy teaching and I want to help kids get exposed to neuroscience from a younger age!
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Khushboo TeotiaI am Khushboo Teotia, a junior at EVHS. I have participated in Neuroscience competitions for over a year now and have secured a position in top 20 for my state. Through Neurokidz, I can use my experience and knowledge to support this noble cause regarding the spread of education to students in our community.
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Natasha MattaHi, my name is Natasha, and I'm a rising junior at Harker High School in San Jose, CA! I'm interested in studying stem cell biology, food allergy immunology, and the intersection of neuroscience and psychology, and I'm pursuing a cognitive neuroscience and psychopathology internship under a Harvard University PhD candidate this summer. After conducting a research project modeling chelation therapy as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease, I quickly became fascinated with neurodegenerative diseases and later the complexity and diagnosis of mental disorders, and I am excited to join The NeuroKidz Team!
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Rishik GandhasriRishik is a rising 9th grader from San Jose, California. Rishik has been passionate about science, languages and spelling from a very young age. Rishik's passion for spelling culminated with winning the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Since then, he has been coaching and volunteering to mentor spellers from all over the country. Rishik loves working with kids of all ages, and he is very excited to be volunteering with Neurokidz to enrich young minds about Neuroscience. Rishik aspires to pursue a career in health sciences and hopes to eventually find a cure for allergies.
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Swayam PatelHi, I'm Swayam Patel! I always had a passion and interest for neuroscience since I was a child. I was fascinated about the function and purpose of our brain. My mind is set on pursuing a career in neuroscience, which I am working towards. I myself have been involved in Stem related activities in the past, such as MESA, USABO, being the President of the Future Medical Professionals club, among other things. The reason for my volunteering is very simple. I want to educate other on the plethora of knowledge which is Neuroscience. I wanted others to be just as//more interested in Neuroscience!
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Catherine ZhouHi, I'm a sophomore at Lynbrook in San Jose, CA. I enjoy learning about STEM-related subjects, especially biochemistry and neuroscience. I am also passionate about biomedical research, and currently, I am conducting research about polyphenolic secondary metabolites that have therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative diseases. Outside of STEM, I enjoy playing basketball, drawing, and filmmaking. I am really excited to teach neuroscience through NeuroKidz!
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Deven ShahDeven is a rising junior at the Harker School. His first experience with neuroscience came through his middle school biology teacher, who noticed his enthusiasm and connected him with a graduate student at Stanford. Since then, he has worked in two Stanford labs, primarily focusing on the functions of the motor cortex and the basal ganglia. His work detailing the effects of blue light on motor learning won first in its category and alternate grand prize at the regional science fair but was unable to advance due to the cancellation of both the state and international science fair. He also has been involved in the brain bee and helped create an informational site for patients with Parkinson's Disease. In his free time, he travels to speech and debate competitions, where he is ranked 15th in the nation.
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Diana PoplacenelDiana Poplacenel is a rising senior and Leigh High and is the Biology and Chemistry Olympiad President at Leigh High School, as well as the treasurer of the Science National Honors Society and a founding member of Leigh Science Bowl and Science Olympiad. She is the co-founder of STEM Enrichment Youth and a core team member of Bay Area Society for Neuroscience Youth. She has experience working with middle school students as an official percussion instructor for Union Middle School. She has completed Harvard’s three Fundamentals of Neuroscience courses as well as several John Hopkins Bioinformatics courses through Coursera, and is currently in the Biomedical Engineering Innovation program at John Hopkins. She is also a semifinalist in the USA Biology Olympiad. In her free time, she loves to play percussion and she's an International Open Class Champion for DCI! She's super excited to teach neuroscience!
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Soumya RaiHi, I’m Soumya Rai and I’m a sophomore at Washington High School in Fremont, CA. I enjoy painting, dancing, and playing the clarinet. Additionally, I am passionate about neuroscience and hope to pursue a career in this field. I am excited to teach younger kids such a vital subject and look forward to helping the organization grow!
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Yulia AnashkinaYulia Anashkina is a rising sophomore at Leigh High School. She has a passion for STEM, especially Biology and Neuroscience. Her curiosity in neuroscience led her to completing Harvard’s Fundamentals of Neuroscience course. Additionally, she is a competitive figure skater who competes individually as well as with SFIT, a team ranked top 5 internationally. She is very excited to be working with neurokidz and helping other students learn about neuroscience!
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Brian CaballoHi, my name is Brian Caballo and I am a rising junior at the Bronx High School of Science in NYC. I have always had a great interest in the sciences, and being able to expand my own knowledge in neuroscience alongside teaching the younger generation is what attracted me to The NeuroKidz. In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball and video games. I look forward to my time as part of the team!
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Vansika JainI am a high school student from Kolkata, India and I love reading, playing music, travelling and spending time with family and friends.
I want to pursue with economics and get into Artificial Intelligence later. I go to the Heritage School in Kolkata. I want to utilise my time efficiently and I feel that NeuroKidz is one such way to channelise my talents . |
Siddhant KarmaliHey all! My name is Siddhant Karmali and I'm a sophomore hailing from sunny Southern California. I'm interested in various fields of neuroscience research, including but not limited to addiction, spatial, and working memories. I'm stoked to be serving as a tutor for this neuroscience class. For further questions, my email is siddhant.karmali@gmail.com. Look forward to seeing y'all, bye for now!
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Ja'Lani Foster
Hi there! My name is Ja'Lani and I'm a junior in high school from South San Francisco. I have had a passion and love for the arts and sciences for the past 6 years. I have a certificate through Duke University's Arts through Activism, Medical Neuroscience, and Psychology that have helped me grow my knowledge within the wonders of the brain and arts. My focus and drive is within Cognitive Neuroscience, supporting those with autism, and mental/psychological disorders. I additionally work as a Senior Administrative Coordinator within Venetia Reyes Health Coaching business focusing on working mothers and their support of their health and wellness. Through NeuroKidz, I hope to support the new generation of young minds of all races into the big and great world of STEAM.
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Klea TryfoniHello everyone! My name is Klea and I am a rising senior from Greece. I have attended Neuropsychology classes in Philips Exeter Academy Summer School as well as introduction to Neuroscience by Caltech students. I am really excited to get the chance to work with the NeuroKidz team and with all my students as well.
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Aarzoo SinghHello! My name’s Aarzoo Singh. I am a junior at Providence High School. I absolutely ADORE kids and find the Human body very intriguing. NeuroKids seems to be an amazing platform to connect with children and talk about neuroscience. I look forward to being a part of NeuroKidz!
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Narthni ShankarHi! My name is Narthni Shankar and I am currently a Junior at Providence High School in Charlotte NC. As soon as I heard about NeuroKidz I knew it was something I would love to participate in as I love spending time with younger kids. I myself would have loved to have been introduced to neuroscience as a kid, as it is something I am very interested in, and I’m so excited to be a part of the program!
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Harsh BorkarHey ! My name is Harsh Borkar. I am a junior at Providence High School. Ever Since I took Principles of Biomedical Science last year, I've been interested in learning more about the Human Body. I love taking part in programs like this and teaching others is something I've always enjoyed and I look forward to being a part of NeuroKidZ.
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Sriradhaa SatishkumarHey, I’m Sri Satishkumar. I am a Junior at Providence High School. I love interacting with kids and looking at things from their perspective. The human brain has always been something that has interested me. Neurokidz is a way for me to share what I love with kids and they can see that science can be fun and I am extremely grateful to be a part of this program.
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Dana LinHi, I’m Dana Lin. I’m a senior at Providence High School and when I heard about Neurokidz, I knew I had to join because I absolutely love the Human Body System. I love interacting with kids and I would absolutely love teaching kids about something that I love. I am pleased to be in this amazing program.
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Daisy RobertsHi, I’m Daisy! I'm a senior at Hunter College High School in NYC. I’ve always been interested in the STEM fields from a really young age, so I think teaching younger kids about the sciences is a great way to spark curiosity that could develop into a love for STEM. I’ll jump at any opportunity get more kids interested in learning about science!
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Raisa BhuiyanHi I’m Raisa! I'm a senior at Hunter College High School in NYC. I was always into STEM growing up since to me it explained how the world worked and I always thought it was a shame that STEM got so much negative attention. I’m interested in showing kids that even though STEM may be a little challenging it shouldn’t take away from the fact that it is super cool and that anyone can be a scientist if they want to!
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Christopher DominguezHey there, my name’s Chris! I'm a senior at Hunter College High School in NYC. I’ve always been interested in STEAM since a young age, finding quickly that furthering my education also meant furthering myself. I’d love nothing more than to pass on that knowledge and help younger kids discover just how fun and rewarding it is to explore the unknown themselves!
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Rachel PakanHi, I’m Rachel! I’m a sophomore at Hunter College High School in NYC. I have a passion for neuroscience and psychology, and I enjoy learning about the ways in which our physiology connects to our behavior. I am excited to work with the Neurokidz to further develop my passion while also supporting a great cause.
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Swikruti SahuI am Swikruti Sahu from Bhubaneswar, Odisha. I am in 10th grade in Stewart School, Bbsr. My hobbies are singing, art and craft, reading books, and painting.
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Charlotte ZhangMy name is Charlotte, and I'm a junior from LA, CA. I joined The NeuroKidz because I love working with kids and mentoring them in subjects that excite them. I also have an interest in neuroscience and am wishing to expand my knowledge and experience in the field! Can't wait to see what I can contribute.
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Jessica Chen Bio coming soon!
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AYUSHI SINGHI’m 16 years old and in junior year of high school. I’m from India and wish to do something in the field of neuroscience and research.
Being a part of NeuroKidz seems like a great opportunity to widen my spectra of knowledge and at the same time motivate others to go in similar fields in the future. I hope this will be a great learning experience for me as well as my peers in this program. |
Ankush ChakrabortyI am Ankush Chakraborty, a psychology graduate from Panjab University in Chandigarh, India. My research interests include understanding stress and depression from the perspective of neuroscience. I am passionate about teaching and science communication, which makes The NeuroKidz the best platform.
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Azalfah FirdausMy name is Azalfah Firdaus and I'm currently a high school student (grade 11) at Mahadevi Birla World Academy. I am from Kolkata , India and I wish to pursue my undergraduate degree in the field of medicine and neuroscience. It's a great opportunity for me to help younger kids get to know about STEM and show them that it's very interesting and fun.
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Vaishnavi ManivannanVaishnavi is a sophomore at ABA Oman International School in Muscat, Oman. She has developed a passion for the intersection between computer science and neuroscience through a local research internship. As the founder of Inspira, an outreach community to connect budding researchers with mentors and conducting workshops, she has a lot of experience with working with people. Through Neurokidz, she hopes to impact more children and empower them with education in the intriguing field of Neuroscience.
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Amaan PunjabiMy name is Amaan Punjabi and I reside in Los Altos, California. I am currently a junior attending Mountain View High School. My passion is Mathematics and Science and I would like to enhance my skill set through the program and provide tools to students who can benefit through real life teaching opportunities.
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Kathrynn TruongI am from San Jose, California and I am currently a freshman at De Anza College. As a bioengineer major, the NeuroKidz program highly sparked my interest since it touches on topics about neuroscience and STEAM. The program also opens up the opportunity to observe young students who partake in STEAM activities since they are the future! My main motive within this program is to help encourage the students to explore the diversity of STEAM and hopefully help find out their interests & passions. More about me is that I enjoy creating sticker designs for my upcoming sticker business while also expressing who I am through makeup & fashion!
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Dhriti GuptaI am a sophomore in high school from Houston, Texas. NeuroKidz is the perfect opportunity for me to interact with my community and induce knowledge and skill for our future. Saying I am fascinated by the brain and how it functions is an understatement. I love to research and communicate every bit of knowledge I have on neuroscience. I look forward to working with NeuroKidz!
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Shivani BhattacharjyaHi, my name is Shivani Bhattacharjya and I'm a rising sophomore at Summit Denali high school! I'm passionate about the functioning of the brain and pediatrics. I also adore working with kids and teaching/inspiring them to learn more about the human body! Glad to be part of this amazing team!
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Millie KimMillie is a sophomore at Sage Hill School in Newport, California. She has been fascinated by cognitive psychology and neuroscience with a concentration in racism, sleep memory, and the Alzheimer's. She currently conducts research under Dr. Alex Bampton on the differentiative factors of aging phenomena and neurodegenerative diseases. She is enthralled to start the first NeuroKidz program in her area and build meaningful relationships with the younger students!
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Aashirya Vadivel MuruganHi! I’m Aashirya, a junior at BASIS Independent Fremont. I have been interested in science and medicine since childhood, and started to become interested in the brain and its workings around 8th grade. I have taken the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience’s Neuroscience Bootcamp to explore my passion, and some of my favorite topics in neuroscience include sleep and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease. Apart from leading my school’s club, I am very involved in the American Red Cross, holding various leadership positions and roles as part of the East Bay Chapter for the Northern California Region. I am super excited to be volunteering for The Neurokidz, as I love interacting and working with kids, while also delving into something super applicable to their daily life: Neuroscience!
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JOY QuMy name is Joy Qu, and I'm a sophomore at Sage Hill School. I've been interested in everything related to the brain, ranging from its structure to its psychological phenomena and states. This interest relates to my curiosity about neuroscience, specifically cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. This field focuses on the biological and neural processes that cause behavior, connecting to my passion for psychology which studies the mind and behavior. I have taken summer courses relating to psychology such as abnormal and social psychology which increased my interest in neuroscience since it studies the brain all the way down to its fundamental structures and processes. I would love to share my love for neuroscience with others and teach them to the best of my abilities!
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Trishay NamanTrishay is a junior at Coppell High School with a heartfelt passion for computational neuroscience, the neurological effects of meditation, and technological advances in the field. He enjoys researching, learning and teaching a variety of subjects from neuroscience to neoliberalism. Outside of school, Trishay travels to speech and debate tournaments in policy debate, where he is ranked 16th in the nation. When he has time, he also enjoys playing basketball and soccer with his friends. He is very enthusiastic to be volunteering for The NeuroKidz and hopes to spread that same passion to all of those around him!
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Dripta DASGUPTA I live in South Brunswick, and I am a sophomore (10th grade) in South Brunswick High School! I'm so excited to be a part of The NeuroKidz because I have always wanted to do something to spread the knowledge of not just mental health but psychology as well. I remember being younger and being interested in psychology/neuroscience but having no method of learning about that area because I was too young. I'm so excited to provide that method of learning for young kids now!
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Jia BankerMy name is Jia Banker and I live in South Brunswick. I am currently a 11th grader in South Brunswick High School. I have always been interested in the human body since I was little, as well as being able to interact and connect with others. I love kids and I want them to have the opportunity to learn as much as they can. Science, mental health, and psychology are topics that interest me and that I understand very well, and I would love to give more kids the opportunity to be able to learn about our minds and brains and be able to connect with themselves and others.
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Viraj ShahHi I’m Viraj Shah! I live in South Brunswick/Princeton, I am in 10th grade in South Brunswick High school. I am interested in NeuroKidz as Neurology is a subject that has been intriguing me since I've indulged in parts of it, it’s a subject that is rarely focused upon yet something that is imperative for others to learn about, and I wish to extend a branch of knowledge on such an amazing subject.
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Ethan White My name is Ethan White and I am a sophomore in Southern California. I am interested in STEAM education and nutritional sciences, and how our body relates to the energy and nutrition we consume, which ties back to neuroscience. I hope to get to know the students more as a tutor and learn more about the complex field of neuroscience as I engage in with passionate students.
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Arnav BarkatakiMy name is Arnav Barkataki and I live in Freehold, NJ. I am currently a 10th grader in Freehold High School. I have a passion for neuroscience and I'm interested in sharing my passion with others. Through my volunteering, I can help to educate children about the brain and inspire them to pursue careers in science. I also have a great desire to make a difference. By helping to educate children about neuroscience, I can contribute to a future generation of young people who are more informed about the brain and how it works.
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Bharadwaj GadeHello! I'm Bharadwaj Gade, a rising
junior at Coppell High School in Dallas, Texas. My interests include sports like tennis and volleyball, weight lifting, volunteering, and watching comedy movies. Through attending UT Southwestern's STARS Science Camps and UT Dallas's Neuroscience Camp, along with my COVID-19 research, I've developed a strong passion for healthcare, inspiring me to pursue a career in the field and share my knowledge with others. That is why I think I would be a perfect fit for NeuroKidz, as it presents an exciting opportunity for me to engage and educate others about the fascinating world of medicine. |
Naina GeorgE
Hi everyone, my name is Naina and I am in grade 12. I live in the UAE and I am so excited to be part of this wonderful community, in which I get to expand the knowledge of young children, about the astonishing brain. I applied to be a volunteer because I wanted to not only use my knowledge but also my excitement for this topic of study, and help people learn it in a much more fun way than usual, and I am extremely grateful for this opportunity.
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Deepa RameshMy name is Deepa, and I live in Cary, North Carolina! I'm a rising senior at Green Hope High School, and I wanted to be a part of The NeuroKidz because I'm very passionate about neuroscience and would love to inspire the next generation of neuroscientists! I've done neuroscience research with 2 labs at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and have participated in my local Brain Bee. I'm looking forward to establishing NeuroKidz in my area!
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Ameya JinnuriMy name is Ameya Jinnuri and I live in Cary, North Carolina. I am currently attending Green Level High School and am a rising junior. I wanted to be a part of the NeuroKidz because I have had a long lasting passion for neuroscience, since I was about 3 years old. I did all that I could to learn about the field, but was not afforded many opportunities to grow and understand more about neuroscience. I would like to provide other kids with that opportunity to learn about neuroscience and discover their passions. I have a huge passion for Neuroscience and enjoy reading research papers on the subject, and would like to share any knowledge that I gain.
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Smriti MadaramMy name is Smriti , I live in Cary, North Carolina and am a sophomore at Green Level High School. I wanted to be a part of Neurokidz to share my knowledge about neuroscience & psychology with a younger community and advance my knowledge and learn more about this field.
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Gargi GoleI am a senior in high school in Cary, North Carolina. I have explored computational neuroscience and I am passionate about neuroscience and how it intersects with our day to day lives. I am excited to be a part of NeuroKidz as it gives me the opportunity to share my passion for neuroscience with kids and teach them more about the brain and how it functions through different hand-on-activities.
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Other volunteers not featured: Kelsi Rote(TX), Sreemukhi Vangala(MA)
Advisors
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DR. ALEXANDER EL SEHAMYDr. El Sehamy is currently a Psychiatry Resident at Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn, NY. He attended New York University for his undergraduate degree where he studied Neuroscience, Psychology, and Child & Adolescent Mental Health before attending medical school. He is hoping to bring the NeuroKidz program to New York as he believes strongly in the mission to increase interest in STEAM careers and facilitate the delivery of knowledge about neurosciences and mental health to our youth. In addition to medicine, Dr. El Sehamy enjoys music performance and writing. He is happy to offer his expertise and serve as an advisor and mentor for The Neurokidz program!
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