Geena joined IACS in 2021 as an intern and became research assistant soon after. Working on three protocols, she has learned how to utilize EEGs and low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU). Intrigued with the intersection of a body’s physiology and the mechanisms behind behaviors, she hopes to pursue a career as a neurologist in the future. Outside of running protocols, she can be found dabbling in Indesign making posters and graphics for the lab.
Undergraduate
UCLA, B.S. Psychobiology
Your ideal research study
I am interested in the connection between chronic pain and consciousness – especially mindfulness-based pain relief. Using psychophysics and EEGs, I would like to analyze and uncover the interaction of biological and psychological layers of a conscious experience and study the mechanisms in which mindfulness uniquely improves different dimensions of pain.
What drew you to consciousness
Consciousness is a central aspect of our personal experience in this world. Throughout my time as an undergraduate, I have always been intrigued with the intersection of how a body works physiologically and the connection behind how an individual’s thoughts and personality is formed. A major obstacle for consciousness research is the lacking consensus of how to measure consciousness empirically; however, this only opens my curiosity to discover more about integrations of new methods in understanding how and why consciousness exists.
Hobbies
Anything involving my hands! Tufting, crocheting, baking, and collecting little figurines and plants!
