Natalia Alonzo

Where did you complete your undergraduate degree?
Boston University

Please provide your lab and description of research.
I'm in both the Bauer Lab and the Strahle Lab.
My research involves wide-field optical imaging of the mouse cortex as a way to investigate connections between neurovascular activity and cerebrospinal fluid circulation.

Did you participate in summer research prior to your graduate degree? If so, when and where did you complete your research?
I participated in WashU Summer Engineering Fellowship in Summer 2022; I was in Dr. Hong Chen's Ultrasound Lab. 

What played into your decision to get a graduate engineering degree?
Mentors from my undergrad days told me that when it comes to a career in research, there was a glass ceiling for biomedical engineers who only had a Bachelor's. I didn't want any restrictions placed on me, so starting a PhD was simply the next logical step.

Why did you pick WashU?
My experience in the 2022 WUSEF program was overwhelmingly positive and helped me to discover my main research interests. I knew WashU would be my top pick for graduate school, as I was already certain that the things I wanted to do were being done by labs here.

What is your favorite thing about St. Louis?
I love the art and farmer's markets. Some happen weekly when the weather's nice, and some are special events that happen once a year. Either way, I get so much joy from that type of environment where I can purchase from small and local businesses. Those moments are when I feel the strongest sense of community.

What advice would you give to a new student?
Something that helped push me into exploring the city was making a list of all the coffee shops I knew of and visiting them one by one whenever I had free time over the weekend. Not only did it force me to get out of my apartment more often to do something I enjoyed, but it also helped me get to know all the different neighborhoods and their distinct qualities. It makes STL feel more like home. It's also fun to rank which shops have the best coffee and pastries, which are best for studying, or whatever other metrics I decide to come up with. I recommend people new to the city to do something similar with something they really like (ice cream shops and bookstores are some other examples). Having ready-to-go list of places that make you happy will do wonders for your mentality.

What campus activities or groups would you recommend to a new student?
AGES and UMANG both have great events open to all graduate students.

What are your plans for the future?
After completing my PhD, I plan to go into industry. Outside of that, I'm keeping the details open-ended. Who knows what future me will want to do?