{"690023":{"#nid":"690023","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Student-Led Symposium Spotlights the Impact of Undergraduate Neuroscience Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, undergraduate students are an integral part of the research enterprise \u2013 particularly when it comes to neuroscience. That dedication to undergraduate research was on full display on April 8, when more than 100 students from Atlanta-area universities gathered for the annual ATL Neuro Networking and Symposium Night.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis student-run event, hosted by the Georgia Tech Student Neuroscience Association (SNA) and co-sponsored by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuroscience.cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENeuroscience Undergraduate Program at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E, aimed to bring together students and faculty from the broader Atlanta neuroscience community for an evening of data-blitz talks showcasing faculty research, undergraduate poster presentations, and catered networking.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur goal was to bridge the gap between Atlanta\u2019s institutions and showcase the diversity of undergraduate research,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/harshinvijay\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHarshin Vijay\u003C\/a\u003E, symposium director of SNA. \u201cBy bringing these groups together through SNA, we\u2019re fostering an ecosystem where the next generation of scientists can exchange ideas and build collaborative networks essential for future innovation.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe impact of undergraduate neuroscience research is \u201cmore than bench to bedside,\u201d said INNS Executive Director Chris Rozell at the event. \u201cIt\u2019s about advancing neuroscience and neurotechnology to improve society through discovery and innovation. Undergraduate research catalyzes innovation \u2013 invigorating and advancing educational programs through collaboration that empowers society \u2013 fueling impact and fostering the community of next-generation scientists.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFeaturing more than 40 undergraduate posters, research topics ranged anywhere from the impact of music on associative memory to the role of taste projection neurons in\u003Cem\u003E Drosophila\u003C\/em\u003E. Some students even examined their own coursework, either as a TA or their involvement with capstone research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere are neuroscientists in every College at Georgia Tech, and we have undergraduate neuroscience students performing research all over campus and in the broader Atlanta neuroscience community,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/user\/1322\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKatharine McCann\u003C\/a\u003E, the director of Undergraduate Research for Georgia Tech\u2019s neuroscience program. \u201cEvents like this bring those students together to learn from each other and broaden their networks. It is exciting to see so many students passionate about their research.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFour posters were awarded for their work:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest Poster Design:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cRole of Taste Projection Neurons in Drosophila Taste Processing\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHanti Jiang, Emory University\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest Presentation:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cNeuroscience and Computer Science Roots of Pattern Recognition\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERishi Polepally, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAryan Kumar, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EVedanth Natarajan, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBest 4001 Group: \u201c\u003C\/strong\u003EEvaluating Cognitive Engagement in AI-Generated VS. Human-Created Educational Content\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHannah Ammari, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EShobini Palaniappan, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERayhan Quraishi, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAryan Shah, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDivya Tadanki, \u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPeople\u0027s Choice Award:\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cVibration as an effective facilitation of sensorimotor learning in\u003Cem\u003E Blaptica dubia \u003C\/em\u003Ecockroaches\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDiana Sethna, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EJacob Hayes, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEllie Kate Watson, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EArya Oak, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EEsha Panse, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHersh Mathur, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech undergraduates organized and hosted a cross-campus symposium showcasing the impact and breadth of undergraduate neuroscience research.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech undergraduates organized and hosted a cross-campus symposium showcasing the impact and breadth of undergraduate neuroscience research."}],"uid":"36781","created_gmt":"2026-04-27 15:12:14","changed_gmt":"2026-04-30 15:45:31","author":"hashcraft6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680106":{"id":"680106","type":"image","title":"OpeningRemarksattheATLNeuroNetworkingandSymposiumNight.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChris Rozell is giving the opening remarks at the ATL Neuro Networking and Symposium Night.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777483840","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 17:30:40","changed":"1777486932","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 18:22:12","alt":"Chris Rozell is giving the opening remarks at the ATL Neuro Networking and Symposium Night.","file":{"fid":"264345","name":"IMG_1481.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1481.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1481.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":298534,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/29\/IMG_1481.jpg?itok=PXcqMivU"}},"680109":{"id":"680109","type":"image","title":"Postersession1photo1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA group of students is discussing a poster, and the presenter is giving an example during the first poster session.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1777483840","gmt_created":"2026-04-29 17:30:40","changed":"1777487034","gmt_changed":"2026-04-29 18:23:54","alt":"A group of students is discussing a poster, and the presenter is giving an example during the first poster session. 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