“I am investigating the clinical characteristics of vestibular dysfunction and cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) in Dr. Ali Danesh’s lab. My work focuses on understanding characteristic measures of postural control, eye movements and cognitive abnormalities in PD and how these variables can contribute to both fall risk and a diminished quality of life in this population. In addition, these variables have potential for future therapeutic intervention in PD. My prior work involved research in a molecular biology lab setting, where I studied the correlation between the peripheral effects of exercise in modulation of adult neurogenesis and neuroinflammation in the central nervous system. Following my undergraduate work, I was employed at Radius TBI of South Florida, where I worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator. Here I studied the use of oculo-motor function as a potential non-invasive biomarker of mild cognitive impairment. I was attracted to the Neuroscience program at FAU because of its multidisciplinary approach to the field of neuroscience. The structure of the program was very appealing, because it provides students with the opportunity to have a rotation within each of these disciplines when making the decision of which PhD to further pursue."