March of Dimes High School Science Week Panelist Profile Name: Nancy Padilla Coreano Hometown: Bayamon, Puerto Rico Position: Neuroscientist Hobbies: running and painting

What do you study? I am interested in understanding how the brain controls our behaviors. How do we know how to socially interact? How can we adjust our social behaviors depending on the situation? I study this by recording from the brain and seeing how those brain signals relate to behavior.

Why is it important? As scientists, we have a responsibility to society to study scientific questions that will help us better understand the world we live in and understand our bodies. If we understand how the healthy brain works, we will be better positioned to help people that suffer from disorders that affect their social abilities.

What piqued your interest in science? When I was young, I was in a music school and music made me wondered about the brain. How come music can affect your emotions and behavior? I decided I wanted to understand the brain to understand how our behavior is affected.

What do you like about being a scientist? I get to keep learning new things forever. We discover new knowledge and new technologies that keep us in our feet forever. I also love working in teams to solve puzzles.

What are 5 general vocab terms someone should know going into your field of science? medial frontal cortex, animal models, electrophysiology, machine learning, action potential What are 5 specific vocabulary terms someone should know about your research? optogenetics, neural circuits, cre/lox system, social dominance, operant behavior