Aria
Merrill
Hometown: Arlington, VA
Major: Neuroscience
Research Interest: Intersection of Youth Trauma and Neuroscience
“Carolina’s community has always called to me; CSS is the perfect embodiment of it.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE CSS PROGRAM AND CAROLINA?
Carolina’s community has always called to me; CSS is the perfect embodiment of it. There was nothing I wanted more from a college experience than a close-knit group of people with whom I could intellectually converse and drive scientific understanding.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPERIENCING AT CAROLINA OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS?
I’m most excited to unite with such a lively student body, both in and out of the classroom. From dynamic research to dynamite spirit, I can’t wait to strap on my lab goggles, stand shouting at a basketball game, or skip down Franklin for a sweet treat with a community that prizes all of the above.
WHAT RESEARCH TOPIC(S) ARE YOU INTERESTED IN EXPLORING AND WHY?
I hope to focus my work at the intersection of youth trauma and neuroscience. Childhood adversity demonstrably alters neural development, its repercussions extending well into adulthood. My research primarily lies in investigating the long-term effects on learning and cognition suffered by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) survivors.
WHAT IS ONE THING YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH IN YOUR FUTURE STEM CAREER?
Children don’t deserve to be defined by their life before they get to make it their own; I hope to work at the forefront of research undoing the neurological damage behind ACEs. It’ll be enough to one day know I’ve made a definitive difference in young lives, be it as a physician serving them or as a researcher informing & changing systems.