Ava Palopoli

Ava graduated from Wayne State University in 2020, where she then worked as the laboratory manager for Dr. Thomason's Perinatal Imaging of Neural Connectivity (PINC; NICHD/NIH Perinatology Research Branch) project and follow-up studies. While at WSU, Ava researched maternal mental health, the mother-child dyad, and child neurodevelopment within primary low-income, urban families. She also has prior experience in adult relationship science and neuropsychopharmacology research. In her work, Ava is passionate about improving access to resources among underprivileged communities and advocating for intersectionality within STEM fields. She intends to pursue graduate studies to further examine the role of early experience, and the social, emotional, and biological factors imbuing risk and resilience during the tender time of childhood and the beginning of life.