{"id":478522,"date":"2021-05-06T16:45:17","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T20:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=478522"},"modified":"2023-02-15T09:14:19","modified_gmt":"2023-02-15T14:14:19","slug":"neuroscientist-begins-career-few-black-women-phd-478522","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/neuroscientist-begins-career-few-black-women-phd-478522\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I learned to be a better scientist at Rochester\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Among the few Black women to earn a PhD in neuroscience, Monique Mendes begins her career as a research scientist.<\/h2>\n
\"2021
One of a few Black women to hold a PhD in neuroscience, Monique Mendes has been a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University after receiving her doctorate from Rochester last fall. (Courtesy of Monique Mendes)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Monique Mendes \u201920M (PhD) has spent much of the past year establishing herself on the way to her childhood goal of becoming a research scientist.<\/p>\n

Since earning her PhD in neuroscience from the School of Medicine and Dentistry<\/a> last fall at the University of Rochester<\/a>, Mendes has been a postdoctoral scholar in the lab of Mark Schnitzer, an associate professor of biology and of applied physics at Stanford University<\/a>. There, she\u2019s investigating the complex interplay of astrocytes and dendrites in the dynamic ensemble of animal neurons.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n\"2021<\/a><\/p>\n

Celebrate the Class of 2021!<\/h2>\n

Visit the Class of 2021 site<\/a> for details about this year\u2019s Commencement ceremonies and for a downloadable toolkit of materials to share your support on social media.\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThis work will have a direct impact on studies focused on learning and memory,\u201d says Mendes, who as a Rochester student was among the few Black women to graduate with a PhD in neuroscience.<\/p>\n

As with many students who completed their degrees during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mendes is hoping to take part in an on-campus ceremony in the near future.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an amazing experience,\u201d says Mendes of getting her PhD at Rochester. \u201cI learned to be a better scientist at Rochester and to ask difficult questions. I also gained many mentors. I felt supported throughout my career. There were so many people in my corner.\u201d<\/p>\n

A first-generation college and first-generation advanced degree student, Mendes enrolled in graduate school at Rochester as a McNair Scholar<\/a>, which provides support for eligible scholars from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue graduate education. As a student, she was recognized for her teaching and mentoring, receiving both an Edward Curtis Peck Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student and the Outstanding Student Mentor Award.<\/p>\n

Her long-term goal is to lead her own neuroscience research team, delving deeper into the role of astrocytes, the brain\u2019s hippocampus, and their roles on behavior.<\/p>\n

Read more about Mendes, her life as a Rochester student, and her goals.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Among the few Black women to earn a PhD in neuroscience, Monique Mendes begins her career as a research scientist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1132,"featured_media":480252,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[33362,4536,37592,14,18432],"class_list":["post-478522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-community","tag-class-of-2021","tag-commencement","tag-covid-19","tag-events","tag-school-of-medicine-and-dentistry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRochester PhD is one of few Black women in neuroscience<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One of few Black women to earn a neuroscience PhD, University of Rochester graduate Monique Mendes begins her career as a research scientist.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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