NEUROSCIENCE PHD STUDENT & MUSIC THERAPIST
Hi! I’m Ali. I am a rising 2nd year PhD student in the Neurosciences Graduate Program at the University of California, San Diego. I’m working with Drs. Terry Jernigan, Anders Dale, and Brad Voytek to study developmental brain and behavioral trajectories in infants and adolescents, utilizing extensive longitudinal multimodal datasets from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) and HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) studies. I am also a Board-Certified Music Therapist with experience serving children and families at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, as well as cancer patients at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. My path is grounded in recent research experience in human cognitive neuroscience as a lab intern in the Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab at the Italian Institute of Technology in Rome, Italy, as well as translational industry research as a Biologist in the Neuroscience Department at Merck Research Labs, academic research in Alzheimer’s Disease at Rutgers University, and music performance as a Violinist in multiple bands in Philadelphia, PA.
I am passionate about inclusive and accessible Science Communication and Education and have been honored to direct the UCSD Neurosciences Outreach Program, as well as volunteer for Colors of the Brain at UCSD, Stories of Women in Neuroscience, Neuromatch Academy / Conference online, and Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science in Camden, NJ.
Me holding the most mysterious object in the universe
At a fundamental level, I’m driven by curiosity about how the spectrum of living experience and expression arises from biology. I want to work collaboratively across disciplines to understand our nervous systems and minds, communicate discoveries beyond our disciplinary silos, and spark neuro-enthusiasm in the public. Music, art, and dance are not only powerful modalities for engaging folks in science, but for studying the brain. I’m excited to be creative and blur the boundaries between science and the arts.
Disability justice and mental health advocacy are particularly important to me, and I’d like to connect with others working in these areas of activism.
Outside of lab, I love observing marine life on the CA coast, musicking, dancing, plane watching, sci-fi books/shows/movies, naps, and anything astro!
Let’s connect! Email me at arigby@ucsd.edu