Program Affiliations
PhD Candidate in the Neuroscience Program
Graduate Student in The Personal Relationships, Interpersonal Stress, and Mindfulness [PRISM] lab
Former graduate Student in The Human Factors Sociotechnical Systems Lab [HFSS]
Group Team Leader with Summer Pre-Doctoral Institute at UIUC
Education
Psychology B.A with a minor in Biology
PhD Candidate in Neuroscience (4thyear)
Fields of Interest
I am interested in understanding how experiences of stress and trauma shape later behavioral adjustment, with particular attention to neurobiological mechanisms (i.e., gut microbiome composition, HPA axis activation) in these paths. I am also interested in team cognition within heterogeneous human-intelligent agent teams.
Awards, Fellowships, Certifications and Professional Activities
Trainee Professional Development Award, Society for Neuroscience, 2018
Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service,Semifinalist, 2018 & 2019
Neuroscience Program Fellowship, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2015
Neuroscience Scholars Program Associate, Society for Neuroscience, 2015
Temporal Dynamics of Learning Center’s (TDLC) Research Experience for Undergraduates(REU) Site program at the University of California, San Diego, 2014-2015
Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, 2014-2015
Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) scholar, San Diego State University, 2014
William A. Hillix and Terry Cronan Scholarship, 2014
Inducted into Mortar Board Honor Society, 2014
Faculty Student Mentoring Program (FSMP) Scholar, San Diego State University, 2013
Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) scholar, San Diego State University, 2013
Ronald E. McNair Scholar, San Diego State University, 2012
Dean’s List, San Diego State University, 2011 & 2012
Publications
Cintora, P., Arikkath, J., Kandel, M., Popescu, G., & Best-Popescu, C. (2017). Cell density modulatesintracellular mass transport in neural networks. Cytometry Part A, 91(5), 503-509.
Lee, Y. J., Cintora, P., Arikkath, J., Akinsola, O., Kandel, M., Popescu, G., & Best-Popescu, C. (2017).Quantitative assessment of neural outgrowth using spatial light interference microscopy. Journal ofBiomedical Optics, 22(6), 066015.
Klarich, D. S., Penprase, J., Cintora, P., Medrano, O.,Erwin, D., Brasser, S. M., & Hong, M. Y.(2017). Effects of moderate alcohol consumption on gene expression related to colonic inflammationand antioxidant enzymes in rats. Alcohol, 61, 25-31.