Rosaforte scholars Danielle Burge 鈥�25 and Ashlee Davis 鈥�26.
Three Rosaforte Scholars in 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 undergraduate Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program find that lab work can lead to personal鈥攁s well as scientific鈥攄iscoveries.
In the lab, Danielle Burge 鈥�25 made an unexpected discovery鈥攁 new career path.
The rising senior was working as an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Jaime Ross, assistant professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences at 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, when she became interested in neurodegenerative disorders.
鈥淭he work I was doing in the Ross lab got me really interested in that area of neuroscience,鈥� says Burge. During a summer research project, she focused on the role of mitochondrial dysfunction鈥攁 breakdown in the cell鈥檚 energy supply鈥攊n Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. 鈥淚t was something I had never thought about until I became invested in the projects in the lab.鈥�
Burge was one of the inaugural recipients of the Tim Rosaforte III 鈥�77 Endowed Scholarship in Neuroscience this past year. Named for golf journalist James 鈥淭im鈥� Rosaforte III 鈥�77, the 溏心vlog免费B站 scholarship was established by friends of Rosaforte as he faced early-onset Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, before his death in 2022. A celebrated sportswriter, author, and broadcaster, Rosaforte was the first journalist invited to be an honorary member of the Professional Golfers鈥� Association of America. The scholarship, which supports undergraduate students in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, is a tribute to his legacy.
Rosaforte Scholar Ashlee Davis 鈥�26 is majoring in neuropharmacology. 鈥淚鈥檝e wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember,鈥� says Davis, who also intends to pursue an accelerated master鈥檚 at 溏心vlog免费B站 on her path to medical school. She is working as an undergraduate researcher in the lab of associate professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences Katharina Quinlan, where she has been involved in a project on the overactive reflex response that can occur in cerebral palsy.
Davis, who earned an emergency medical technician certification as a high school senior, was initially surprised to find that working in a lab offers its own kind of adrenaline rush.
鈥淚n a way, it鈥檚 similar to being in the medical field,鈥� says Davis. 鈥淭here is always a problem to solve, and I鈥檓 definitely a problem-solver.鈥�
In her senior year at 溏心vlog免费B站, Meghan Callahan 鈥�24, presented a research poster of a case study on Parkinson鈥檚 disease.
鈥�Tim Rosaforte鈥檚 battle with Alzheimer鈥檚 gave me a personal connection to my research. His strength and dedication to helping others despite his own struggles reminded me how powerful resilience can be, both in our own lives and in the work we do to help others.鈥�
鈥擬eghan Callahan 鈥�24
While the scholarship provides valuable financial support, it also gives less tangible鈥攂ut lasting鈥攊nspiration. Meghan Callahan 鈥�24 is a former Rosaforte Scholar who is beginning a two-year position as a project manager in a child development research lab at Rutgers University. In addition to the financial help she received from the scholarship, she was moved by Rosaforte鈥檚 story. 鈥淎s an undergraduate, I worked closely with individuals affected by neurodegenerative diseases,鈥� Callahan reflects. 鈥淭im Rosaforte鈥檚 battle with Alzheimer鈥檚 gave me a personal connection to my research. His strength and dedication to helping others despite his own struggles reminded me how powerful resilience can be, both in our own lives and in the work we do to help others.鈥�
Burge, too, found that the scholarship not only helped shape her academic goals but also offered a meaningful perspective. 鈥淚鈥檝e always worked during the school year to help pay for my tuition, but the scholarship really allowed me to spend more hours on research,鈥� she says. 鈥淚n the lab, I feel like I am giving my time and energy toward something bigger than myself.鈥�
鈥擭icole Maranhas
PHOTOS: NICOLE MARANHAS; COURTESY MEGHAN CALLAHAN