BHRI Undergraduate Fellows 2025

The Brain Health Research Institute Undergraduate Fellows Program offers highly qualified and motivated undergraduate students an immersive program that includes research-intensive experiences in neuroscience as well as mentoring, skills training and career development support.  The culmination of the BHRI Fellows' experience is a capstone presentation of their research. 

This year, BHRI Fellows Program has an incoming group of 12 Fellows. The Fellows’ majors represent a diverse range of disciplines, including Psychology, Nursing, Biology, Aerospace Engineering, Neuroscience, Exercise Science, Molecular Cellular Biology, and Environmental and Conservation Biology.  

 

 

Taylor

Name: Taylor Dimmerling

Major: Neuroscience

Hometown: Louisville, Ohio

Mentor: Ronald Seese, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences, NEOMED, Akron Children's Hospital 

Hi! My name is Taylor Dimmerling (She/Her), and I’m from Louisville, Ohio. I’m a sophomore Neuroscience major at Kent State University and excited to be part of the BHRI program this summer. I’m looking forward to learning more about the brain and connecting with others passionate about neuroscience. 

I’ll be conducting translational autism research in the Seese Lab, focusing on autonomic brain networks. In my free time, I enjoy reading, traveling, and hiking. I'm excited for the experience and insights this program will bring! 

 

 

Will

Name: William Maynard

Major: Biology; Minor: Chemistry

Hometown: Green, Ohio

Mentor: Dinah Qutob, PhD, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

My name is William Maynard (he/him), and I’m from Green, Ohio. I will be starting as a freshman in the 2025-2026 academic year, planning to major in biology with a minor in chemistry, with the goal of attending medical school. This summer, I’m excited to be working under Dr. Qutob alongside my twin brother, Raymond Maynard, on a project to verify whether SOX3 is SUMOylated in glioblastoma cells. We’ll be using in vitro SUMOylation assays to determine if SOX3 is modified by SUMO proteins, and how this affects its function in the context of glioblastoma. I’m particularly interested in this research because it has potential applications in cancer treatment and provides a valuable opportunity for hands-on lab experience. 

In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer, basketball, lifting weights, and hanging out with my friends. 

 

 

Madeline

Name: Madeline Desmond

Major: Environmental and Conservation Biology; Minor: Microbiology and Environmental Studies 

Hometown: Independence, Kentucky

Mentor: Brian Trevelline, PhD, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

My name is Madeline Desmond (she/her/hers). I am from Independence, Kentucky and this year, I will be a senior environmental and conservation biology major with a minor in microbiology and environmental studies. My research this summer is focusing on the effects of microbiome and captivity on wild bird brains with Dr. Brian Trevelline. 

I am super excited to step into the understudied field of wildlife neurology! In my free time, I enjoy hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, and crocheting! 

 
Matthew image

Name: Matthew Puleo

Major: Neuroscience

Hometown: Brunswick, Ohio

Mentor: Min-Ho Kim, PhD, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences

My name is Matthew Puleo (he/him), and I am from Brunswick, Ohio. I am a neuroscience major and will be a senior this Fall. For the past year, I have been working in research and have fallen in love with the work I do because I get to apply what I learn in a place that matters. 
This summer, I will work with my lab to investigate the structures of amyloid beta to help increase the informed drug design of Alzheimer’s therapeutics. In my free time, I like to hang out with friends, read, and try new things.
 
 
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