Project Title: Socioeconomic Status & the Brain: The Neurological & Psychological Impacts of American Poverty
Project Description: Our socioeconomic status impacts nearly every aspect of our lives, determining, in part, what we wear, who we interact with, where we go to school, how long we live, how happy we are, and more. Could this pervasive impact manifest in our brains? The short answer: yes. My project is focused on how poverty gets under the skin to impact the brain and the potential consequences of these effects for upward social mobility.Through this work, I hope to contribute to conversations about interventions aimed at enabling people to escape the cycle of poverty.
Most Important Accomplishment: Learning to love running. Throughout high school, I despised any form of cardio, but running around the Ithaca area has quickly turned into a major highlight of my time at Cornell.
Reflections on the College Scholar Program: It has been awesome to become a part of a group of students who are not only incredibly passionate about their ideas, but also dedicated to collaborating with and helping one another. Hearing insights from my peers into how I might enhance my research, as well as finding unexpected connections between our different projects, has already helped shape the direction of my work.