Helaina R. Stergas grew up in a small, rural community in upstate New York where, early on, she found herself fascinated with the intricacies of “life” and the sciences. She received her B.S. in biological science at ̽̽. Helaina began her work investigating early retinal development and neuronal migration in the zebrafish model organism with Dr. Alicia Ebert as an undergraduate. She became intrigued by the intersection of cellular communication and central nervous system development and decided to extend her time in the Ebert Lab by completing the Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) in Biology. After graduating with her M.S., she took a gap year to explore her other passions outside of research – travel, hiking, the outdoors, and dog ownership – before returning to ̽̽ and the Biology Graduate Program to pursue her doctoral degree, once again as a member of the Ebert Lab.
In her current dissertation project, Helaina studies the roles of cell signaling molecules in neuronal patterning of complex central nervous system structures, with a focus on the retina. Her project utilizes both organismal phenotype investigation and, in collaboration with Dr. Bryan Ballif, biochemistry and proteomics to compare neurodevelopmental roles of related families of signaling molecules. Helaina is not only passionate about the intricacies of organismal development, but also about teaching and mentoring, science communication, and accessibility. To her, helping to develop the way students and the public see the scientific world has been the most rewarding experience of her Ph.D. program. She hopes to continue to cultivate excitement and instill understanding in science during the rest of her time here at ̽̽ and beyond.
Dr. Rodney L. Parsons joined ̽̽ as Assistant Professor of Physiology in 1967. In 1979, he became chair of the then Department of Anatomy and re-purposed it to establish one of the first Anatomy and Neurobiology departments in the country. He was the founding and only chair of that department, which merged with the Department of Neurology in 2012 to become the Department of Neurological Sciences, integrating basic and clinical science under one department. The goal of the Parsons Award is to support outstanding graduate students who demonstrate excellence in both neuroscience research and teaching in any broadly defined anatomical science, the disciplines which Dr. Parsons played a key role in the growth and evolution of at ̽̽.