Bay Path Neuroscience Students Accepted Into Highly Competitive Research Experience for Undergraduates Program

While most students spent winter break decking the halls or binge-watching their favorite shows, neurobiology students and tutors Emily Burns ’19 and Hannah Cournoyer ’20 were busy preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime research opportunity. Burns and Cournoyer both applied for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), a competitive 10-week-long research-based program that takes place during the summer.

Students in the neuroscience programs at Bay Path University are required to take part in some type of research during their undergraduate career, and the REU opportunity allows students to get the experience at a large research university.

“This is a highly prestigious honor for Bay Path,” Neuroscience Program Director Dr. Princy Quadros-Mennella said. “In prior years, we've been lucky enough to get one neuroscience student into one of these programs, but this is the first year that two were selected, and they were both accepted into the same neurobiology program.”

Typically, there are hundreds of student applications for only 10-15 available slots, making it a very rigorous and unique process. Burns and Cournoyer applied to the program early and both were notified of their acceptance to the University of Wisconsin-Madison on the day of the application deadline. Dr. Quadros-Mennella believes that the students’ applications stuck out to the REU program since they heard back so early in the decision-making process.

“Both of these students are very unique and motivated,” Dr. Quadros-Mennella said. “I know this will be a defining moment in their careers whether they stick with neuroscience or not. I’m so excited for them, and proud, too.”

Cournoyer is a Rhode Island native who will be joining Burns at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but will be focusing her research on stem cells in animals. Burns is a commuter student from Belchertown, Massachusetts, who will be journeying to Wisconsin to research the protein REST (RE1-Silencing Transcription factor) and its influence on epilepsy and breast cancer. Burns believes that this experience will be beneficial to her both inside and outside the classroom.

“It’s going to be a big leap for me leaving home,” Burns said. “This unique opportunity allows me to grow academically and I get to experience life outside of Massachusetts.”

Burns and Cournoyer begin their research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on May 29, 2018, and will end August 4, 2018. We look forward to sharing their more about their experiences in this program after they return in Fall 2018 to Bay Path.