BHRI Undergraduate Fellows 2025
The Brain Health Research Institute Undergraduate Fellows Program offers highly qualified and motivated undergraduate students an immersive program that includes research-intensive experiences in neuroscience as well as mentoring, skills training and career development support. The culmination of the BHRI Fellows' experience is a capstone presentation of their research.
This year, BHRI Fellows Program has an incoming group of 12 Fellows. The Fellows鈥� majors represent a diverse range of disciplines, including Psychology, Nursing, Biology, Aerospace Engineering, Neuroscience, Exercise Science, Molecular Cellular Biology, and Environmental and Conservation Biology.
Name: Taylor Dimmerling
Major: Neuroscience
Hometown: Louisville, Ohio
Mentor: Ronald Seese, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences, NEOMED, Akron Children's Hospital
Hi! My name is Taylor Dimmerling (She/Her), and I鈥檓 from Louisville, Ohio. I鈥檓 a sophomore Neuroscience major at 妖姬直播 State University and excited to be part of the BHRI program this summer. I鈥檓 looking forward to learning more about the brain and connecting with others passionate about neuroscience.
I鈥檒l be conducting translational autism research in the Seese Lab, focusing on autonomic brain networks. In my free time, I enjoy reading, traveling, and hiking. I'm excited for the experience and insights this program will bring!

Name: William Maynard
Major: Biology; Minor: Chemistry
Hometown: Green, Ohio
Mentor: Dinah Qutob, PhD, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
My name is William Maynard (he/him), and I鈥檓 from Green, Ohio. I will be starting as a freshman in the 2025-2026 academic year, planning to major in biology with a minor in chemistry, with the goal of attending medical school. This summer, I鈥檓 excited to be working under Dr. Qutob alongside my twin brother, Raymond Maynard, on a project to verify whether SOX3 is SUMOylated in glioblastoma cells. We鈥檒l be using in vitro SUMOylation assays to determine if SOX3 is modified by SUMO proteins, and how this affects its function in the context of glioblastoma. I鈥檓 particularly interested in this research because it has potential applications in cancer treatment and provides a valuable opportunity for hands-on lab experience.
In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer, basketball, lifting weights, and hanging out with my friends.

Name: Madeline Desmond
Major: Environmental and Conservation Biology; Minor: Microbiology and Environmental Studies
Hometown: Independence, 妖姬直播ucky
Mentor: Brian Trevelline, PhD, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
My name is Madeline Desmond (she/her/hers). I am from Independence, 妖姬直播ucky and this year, I will be a senior environmental and conservation biology major with a minor in microbiology and environmental studies. My research this summer is focusing on the effects of microbiome and captivity on wild bird brains with Dr. Brian Trevelline.
I am super excited to step into the understudied field of wildlife neurology! In my free time, I enjoy hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, and crocheting!