Faculty mentors Shannon M. Harding, PhD, and Karl Schmidt, PhD, accompanied students in Fairfield’s Behavioral Neuroscience program to San Diego for the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Annual Meeting in Nov. 2025. The John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences students presented original research, engaged with experts, and networked with Fairfield alumni and others in the field.
Marikate Kenny ’26, Claire Supernant ’26, Sofia Nelson ’26, Pilar Mengotti Estrada ’26, and Kate Gerrish ’27 participated in the conference’s poster sessions. Dr. Schmidt, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences, led a workshop focused on mentoring undergraduate researchers in neuroscience.
According to Dr. Schmidt, students arrived at the meeting with different goals. “Some were focused on networking with potential laboratories for graduate school or job positions,” he said. “Others went to see the overwhelming breadth of neuroscience research—from microscopic protein function, to animal behavior, to human cognition, SfN has it all. Of course, presenting our research results was the primary focus of going for all of us.”
Sofia Nelson and Pilar Estrada presented research on parsing the anxiogenic and anorexic effects of cocaine. “Presenting on the main floor provided a valuable opportunity to share research we had worked diligently to complete and to connect with faculty from all over the world conducting similar research,” said Nelson. “Society for Neuroscience is always an inspiring experience, as it showcases the breadth of the neuroscience field and offers exposure to novel advancements across its many subdisciplines.”
Also presenting were Marikate Kenny and Claire Supernant, whose research explored how social isolation stress can lead to depression-like behaviors in laboratory rodents.
For Kate Gerrish, the experience strengthened both her academic and professional confidence. “I was able to strengthen my presentation and communication skills by sharing my lab’s research, attend talks by leading neuroscientists, and learn about a wide range of topics,” she said. “I also connected with scientists from around the world and with graduate schools and faculty members who foster innovative research labs.”
Fairfield alumni currently pursuing advanced degrees in neuroscience and related fields met with the Fairfield Meditz students; it was a highlight of the conference’s networking opportunities. Dr. Schmidt said that hearing directly from former Fairfield students at various stages of graduate training helped current students better understand their academic and career options.
“Attending SfN should give students a sense of the depth and breadth of neuroscience, beyond the behavioral work that is conducted in our labs,” Dr. Harding said. “Additionally, at the conference our students were able to network with PI’s and graduate students in programs they are applying to. This will likely set them apart from other applicants who are going through the process, and it also allowed them to talk about ongoing research projects with potential mentors and peers.”
Gerrish shared that the SfN conference validated her passion for scientific research. “My biggest takeaway from this experience was witnessing how many scientists have committed their lives to solving problems,” she said, “and are working together with a common goal to improve the health of individuals around the world.”
Nelson is grateful for the opportunity to speak directly with current graduate students, admission committee members, and representatives from programs all over the country. “As an applicant for neuroscience PhD programs this cycle, these connections truly aided in understanding both the format and culture of each institution.”
