Alesia Prakapenka received dual BS degrees in psychology and business management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While there, Alesia was involved in learning and memory research as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Roberto Galvez’s laboratory. Alesia also gained research experience in nanoparticle synthesis as an intern in Dr. Elena Shevchenko’s laboratory at Argonne National Laboratory.
Alesia is currently a PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Neuroscience Program at Arizona State University. She is interested in studying the role of hormones in learning and memory, utilizing surface modified nanoparticles as the delivery platform. In particular, her research aims to more closely examine brain-specific effects of estrogens while reducing undesired peripheral exposure to the hormone. This research work is a collaborative effort under the mentorship of Dr. Rachael Sirianni at Barrow Neurological Institute and Dr. Heather Bimonte-Nelson at Arizona State University.