Among the few Black women to earn a PhD in neuroscience, Monique Mendes begins her career as a research scientist.
Monique Mendes ’20M (PhD) has spent much of the past year establishing herself on the way to her childhood goal of becoming a research scientist.
Since earning her PhD in neuroscience from the School of Medicine and Dentistry last fall at the University of Rochester, Mendes has been a postdoctoral scholar in the lab of Mark Schnitzer, an associate professor of biology and of applied physics at Stanford University. There, she’s investigating the complex interplay of astrocytes and dendrites in the dynamic ensemble of animal neurons.
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“This work will have a direct impact on studies focused on learning and memory,” says Mendes, who as a Rochester student was among the few Black women to graduate with a PhD in neuroscience.
As with many students who completed their degrees during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mendes is hoping to take part in an on-campus ceremony in the near future.
“It was an amazing experience,” says Mendes of getting her PhD at Rochester. “I learned to be a better scientist at Rochester and to ask difficult questions. I also gained many mentors. I felt supported throughout my career. There were so many people in my corner.”
A first-generation college and first-generation advanced degree student, Mendes enrolled in graduate school at Rochester as a McNair Scholar, which provides support for eligible scholars from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue graduate education. As a student, she was recognized for her teaching and mentoring, receiving both an Edward Curtis Peck Award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student and the Outstanding Student Mentor Award.
Her long-term goal is to lead her own neuroscience research team, delving deeper into the role of astrocytes, the brain’s hippocampus, and their roles on behavior.
Read more about Mendes, her life as a Rochester student, and her goals.
