Trainee Research Presentation

Stephanie Koebele, Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University

Presentation Title: Hysterectomy Uniquely Impacts Spatial Memory in a Rat Model: A Role for the Nonpregnant Uterus in Cognitive Processes

Twitter: @svkoebele

Bio: Stephanie Koebele holds a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience (Psychology) from Arizona State University. Her doctoral research broadly investigated reproductive hormones, menopause, memory, and aging using rodent models. Her dissertation focused on understanding the impact of hysterectomy on the trajectory of cognitive aging. Stephanie is currently a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the Center for Evolution and Medicine at Arizona State University, where she will investigate environmental-endocrine-immune interactions in the context of human chronic diseases of aging, including Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias and cardiovascular disease, from an evolutionary perspective.

Eunice Bawafaa, RN, MSTTI, MScN, Western University

Presentation Title: Women’s experiences and perception of reproductive health access in rural Ghana

Twitter: @EBawafaa

Bio: As a health care professional (RN) who has worked in a materially under-resourced country in the Global south for several years, Eunice brings a passion for women’s health research. Specifically, she has worked as a counsellor for pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS and their partners which has peaked her interest in issues of nurse/patient empowerment in relation to achieving quality nursing care.  Eunice is passionate about nursing care that seeks to sustain social justice activism in health education and healthcare provision. She is interested in advancing the need for more emphasis on restructuring the nursing education system to include respectful care for marginalized women and to enhance research related to women’s health.

Alesia V Prakapenka, Postdoctoral Fellow

Presentation Title: The curves, turns, and bumps along the path of cognitive aging for females

Twitter: @APrakapenka

Bio: Dr. Alesia Prakapenka is a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Dr. Donna Korol at Syracuse University. Alesia completed her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Neuroscience at Arizona State University under the co-mentorship of Drs. Heather Bimonte-Nelson and Rachael Sirianni. During her doctoral work, Alesia developed translationally relevant delivery strategies for hormones to maximize their beneficial cognitive effects while minimizing undesired peripheral burden in a rat model of menopause. Her ongoing work investigates the underlying biological mechanisms that contribute to hormone regulation of cognitive function in female rats across age and multiple memory systems.

Jodie Hughes, BSc, MSc, University of Roehampton

Presentation Title: Study on the effects of location, ethnicity, gender and care approach on people with Endometriosis

Twitter: @JodieEndoPhD

Bio: Jodie is studying disparities in the care of people with Endometriosis, and identifying where there may be gaps. I will be collecting Health Related Quality of life scores using an online survey, and comparing the results between sample groups. There will also be semi-structured interviews with people that have expressed an interest in getting involved to add qualitative weight to quantitative results.

Christie MacLeod, Doctoral Student, McMaster University

Presentation Title: Examining sex-related differences in intracortical myelin (ICM)

Twitter: @c_macleod

Bio: Christie is a PhD student in clinical psychology at McMaster University supervised by Dr. Benicio Frey and Dr. Nicholas Bock. Her research uses structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging to examine sex-related differences in the microstructure of the cerebral cortex. Currently, her research is investigating sex-related differences in intracortical myelin in individuals experiencing Major Depressive Disorder, as well as examining potential functional correlates in cognitive abilities and depressive symptoms. She is also conducting a longitudinal study to examine potential changes in intracortical myelin amount and distribution based on response to psychopharmacological treatment.

Research keywords: neuroimaging, intracortical myelin, depression, neuropsychology, sex-related differences