Dounya Jalloul, a fifth-year PhD student in the Neuroscience program at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, was named one of the 2025 Kopchick Fellows earlier this year. This prestigious fellowship, granted by Dr. John J. Kopchick, supports Jalloul’s research on how brain circuits process information at the cellular level.

“Understanding these circuits can offer insights into conditions like anxiety, depression, and addiction. This award will also allow me to pursue specialized training in advanced techniques that are central to my work.”

Drawn to brain research and comprehending mental health

As humans, we make decisions and experience emotions every single day. Whether it’s choosing what to eat for breakfast or deciding on a course of treatment when we’re ill, decision-making is a constant part of our lives. Along with these decisions, we feel a wide range of emotions daily.

Jalloul said neuroscience chose her in the grand scheme of things. Growing up, Jalloul was acutely aware of the many conflicting decisions that she and those around her had to make amid a lot of great uncertainties — she wanted to better understand what drives human behaviors.

“I believe there is intrinsic value in understanding the fundamentals of how the brain works so we can better comprehend mental health conditions that affect so many lives.” 

Starting in the lab of her advisor, Michael Beierlein, PhD, Jalloul said she was fortunate to work on a collaborative project with Guillermo Aquino-Miranda in Fabricio Do Monte PhD’s lab, focusing on brain circuits and behaviors involved in emotional regulation. Their research was published in the journal Neuron. Jalloul was second author and Aquino-Miranda first author on the paper Functional properties of corticothalamic circuits targeting paraventricular thalamic neurons.

“My current project takes this further by studying the underlying mechanisms of how specific brain cells process information within these circuits to help maintain emotional balance.”

In today’s world, mental illness affects countless individuals and their families. Jalloul’s research ultimately aims to deepen our understanding of the human experience and the disruptions caused by mental illness to allow us to offer better care to those struggling.

Community within the Graduate School

From the moment she interviewed at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Jalloul knew it was the right fit. She was drawn to the program’s collaborative environment and the staff’s clear commitment to “support and enrich” her journey as a PhD student.

Jalloul acknowledges that graduate school can be challenging, but believes the setbacks and changes are all part of the process that leads to success. She emphasizes that asking for help and remaining flexible makes the journey more meaningful and rewarding. Without the supportive community she found at the Graduate School, her path might have looked very different.

Honors and aspirations

Last year, Jalloul was awarded the Terry J. Crow, PhD, Scholarship in Neuroscience in recognition of her outstanding scholarly work and academic achievements. See the story here. Jalloul was also a recipient of the 2024 Roberta M. and Jean M. Worsham Endowed Fellowship, a fellowship awarded to students who are carrying out research in neuroscience or behavioral science. As a recipient of the Crow scholarship and two prestigious fellowships, Jalloul is undoubtedly poised for a bright future after graduation.

Looking ahead, Jalloul hopes to continue working in neuroscience and to contribute to discoveries that “deepen our understanding of the brain and mind.” If she could offer one piece of advice to first-year PhD students, it would be to stay open-minded, connect and network with alumni, and lean on their academic and career advisors.