Romina Garcia de leon

Biography:

My name is Romina Garcia de leon, in 2020 I completed my BSc in Cognitive Science and a BSc in Neuroscience and Mental Health at Carleton University. During my time at Carleton, I completed my honours thesis under the supervision of Dr. Natalina Salmaso. I examined sex differences in the effects of chronic stress, on neuroplasticity (specifically perineuronal net (PNN) expression) in the hippocampus. In 2019, I also completed an international research internship in the Department of Integrative Biology of Trento, Italy. I worked under Dr. Yuri Bozzi, examining the molecular basis of autism. Outside of school, I volunteered at the Royal Ottawa Hospital’s geriatric psychiatry program, a day program for older adults living with psychiatric illnesses.

Currently, I am an incoming Neuroscience MSc student at the University of British Columbia in the faculty of medicine, under the supervision of Dr. Liisa Galea. The underlying goal within my research is to bridge the gap in women’s health research, as it is widely understudied. My research focus is on how hormones, and immune cells impact resiliency to stress, and play a role in pathologies such as depression. Specifically, in postpartum depression (PPD) and whether immune changes impact antidepressant efficacy, and neurogenesis/plasticity. Additionally, am interested in observing whether these changes impact offspring and their resiliency to stress as well.

Advice for 4th Year Undergrads:

Try and form as many connections as you can – with professors, peers, mentors that make you feel like you belong, and can succeed. Most importantly, give yourself grace. Work super hard, but set aside time to recharge. In the long-run, if you take care of yourself (by listening to your body and mind), it will benefit you in all aspects of your life, academics in this case. Burning out is common – but can be prevented. However, if you do find yourself in this situation, be transparent with yourself and those around you, so you can finish strong, while still looking out for your mental health.