Mya Rodriguez, PhD candidate in the laboratory of Andrea Stavoe, PhD, in the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, is the 2025 recipient of the Terry J. Crow, PhD, Scholarship in Neuroscience. Rodriguez received the scholarship for her outstanding scholastic achievements.

Rodriguez received her M.S. degree in Experimental Psychology – Behavioral Neuroscience at Angelo State University, where her research focused on investigating how lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus), an edible mushroom with nootropic properties, impacted memory in a mouse model of tauopathy. Following completion of her degree, Rodriguez matriculated at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. For her doctoral thesis research, Rodriguez is using a combination of live-animal microscopy and primary mammalian neurons to investigate how neuronal identity regulates the autophagy pathway during aging, under the guidance of Stavoe. According to her faculty mentors, Rodriguez is a highly ambitious, hardworking, and resourceful student who has demonstrated impressive intellectual curiosity. Rodriguez is extremely grateful and appreciative to be the recipient of this scholarship. Outside of the lab, Rodriguez is involved in leadership activities within the Neuroscience graduate program and more broadly at the Graduate School. She is a member of the Neuroscience Program student council and secretary of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Student Council.

The Terry J. Crow, PhD, Scholarship in Neuroscience was established in honor of the late Terry Crow, PhD, professor emeritus in the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy at McGovern Medical School. Crow was an outstanding neuroscientist who studied the cellular and molecular mechanisms of learning and memory. He made seminal contributions to the field, for which he received both national and international recognition. In addition to Crow’s substantial contributions to the medical school's research activities, he was also a superb educator who, during his 27-year tenure, made significant contributions to the institution’s academic mission. He was recognized as one of the best lecturers by medical students and received the Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award for 18 consecutive years.