Donia Hassan is a senior at Emory University majoring in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology and minoring in Neuroethics (expected graduation: May 2025). She joined GTP as an intern in May 2023 and has been assisting with the longitudinal study, “Characterizing Hormonal Alterations in the Perimenopausal Transition: Examining Response to Stress.” Donia has been a recruitment and enrollment rockstar, and we are so grateful to have her on the team. She also assisted with blood processing for our study visits. We love her enthusiasm for research! Donia is currently working on an independent thesis, examining the associations between menopausal symptoms, perceived cognitive function, and prefrontal cortex thickness. She has presented her work at the 2024 Emory Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium, 2024 Scotties with Nerve Research Symposium at Agnes Scott College, and the 2024 annual meeting of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Outside of GTP, Donia assists with a study on economic mobility in the Department of Political Science, is a Lead Fellow for the Emory Environmental & Sustainability Community, and is a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies.
Q & A with Donia Hassan and her mentor Megan Hiubregtse:
Why did you want to be a part of GTP?
I joined the Grady Trauma Project out of an honest curiosity about how life experiences, trauma, and stressful events shape our neuroanatomy, psychology, and neural connectivity. I’m fascinated by the brain’s resilience and vulnerability—how trauma rewires, weakens, or strengthens certain connections—and how this impacts our behavioral outcomes and overall functioning. Understanding these mechanisms can open pathways to improve outcomes, whether through prevention or targeted interventions in hopes of preventing neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric illnesses.
What has been your favorite experience as a GTP intern?
GTP devotes a substantial amount of its resources to ethically and honestly serving marginalized and minority civilian populations. Team members of this project have an abundance of opportunities to share their work, pursue their interests, and advance as scientists. During my tenure, I have come across a remarkable team of skilled interns, faculty and staff members that are enthusiastic, encouraging, and more than keen to relay their wealth of knowledge and support to their peers and mentees.
What’s next for you?
I am applying to Neuroscience PhD programs this cycle! As my home lab, GTP has made significant investments in me as an individual and a young scientist, and I am eager to continue this approach and pay it forward to the next generation of scientists during my career as a mentor and an academic!
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