About:

Stephen Braren is currently finishing his senior year at Hunter College studying Psychology and Public Policy. As a student and researcher, he seeks to better understand how interactions between social and biological factors contribute to learning and cognitive development, particularly within the context of stress and poverty. As an advocate and activist, he hopes to further use neuroscience and psychology research to critically inform education and health policy. For the past two years, Stephen has been a Fellow in the BP-ENDURE program where he has worked with Dr. Peter Serrano at Hunter College researching the neurobiology of spatial learning and working memory. He has also conducted research with Elizabeth Phelps at New York University, examining processes involved in fear learning and emotional memory. At his former LaGuardia Community College, he has participated in tutoring and mentoring undergraduate students in the Peer Activist Learning Community with Dr. Eduardo Vianna. Recently, Stephen has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, which will support his research with Dr. Clancy Blair at the Neuroscience and Education lab, where he will be studying as a PhD student in Developmental Psychology at New York University.