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Heather Nehl '17

Bachelor of Science in Biology
Bachelor of Science in Psychology

Heather Nehl knew from an early age that she wanted to study the brain. She started off as a Psychology major, declaring the Behavioral Neuroscience minor at ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ. To provide a deeper background in physical science, she added the Biology major her sophomore year. 

During her tenure at ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ, Nehl worked as a research assistant with four different professors, over seven semesters, on projects in Biology and Psychology. Through her research, Nehl was able to hone her skills as a researcher by understanding the research process from developing a hypothesis into a published paper. Through her research she was able to acquire the skills in administering psychological evalatuions, apply and operate EEG equipment, immunoflourscence staining techiques, western blot techniques, the use of a confocal microscope, how to use various computer programs for neuroscience research and how to teach others how to use these skills as well. 

In addition to her research, Nehl had the opportunity to attend multiple national and international research conferences to present the findings of her studies. She added a first prize win at the Natural Sciences & Mathematics Symposium. 

Nehl is taking a gap year traveling and teaching English abroad. She earned a certificate for Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and is currently teaching 4-16 year olds in an after-school English program in Taiwan. Nehl teaches her students English through science lessons and experiements three days a week. Nehl is teaching herself Chinese to immerse herself in the culture. She plans on teaching in Taiwan for a year and and then head to Europe before enrolling in a Behavioral Neuroscience Ph.D. program. Her focus will be in adult neuroplasticity—the way in which the brain changes throughout a lifetime. Nehl is interested in examining what could be done better for the health of our brains and overall well-being. She is looking at Ph.D. programs that combine positive psychology, daily habit changes, and neuroimaging techniques. Her goal is to be involved with a well-being-focused laboratory and eventually start her own laboratory.