Northwestern

Kimberly Paul, PhD 2024 Toffler Scholar | Assistant Professor, University of California, Los Angeles FIND ME ON Biography Kimberly Paul grew up in Southern California, where an early fascination with biology and human health began to take shape. A Los Angeles County native, she spent her childhood observing the rhythms of everyday life in a…

Laurie Bayet, PhD  2024 Toffler Scholar | Assistant Professor of Psychology, American University FIND ME ON Biography Laurie Bayet’s scientific curiosity took shape early and expansively. As a child growing up in southwestern France, she felt drawn to understanding the natural world in all its forms. Her interests shifted constantly. When she learned about ancient…

Micaelly Alves, PhD Candidate 2025 Toffler Scholar | Neuroscience, Temple University FIND ME ON Biography Micaelly Alves grew up between two worlds. Born in Philadelphia to a Brazilian family, she spent much of her childhood moving between the United States and Brazil, shifting languages, schools, and cultures as her parents searched for connection and belonging.…

Wanhao Chi, PhD  2025 Toffler Scholar | Postdoctoral Researcher, Northwestern University FIND ME ON Biography Wanhao Chi’s scientific curiosity began not in a classroom, but outdoors. She grew up in a small town on China’s east coast, where her grandparents’ home included a modest yard filled with trees and insects. As a child, Chi spent…

Prabesh Bhattarai, PhD  2024 Toffler Scholar | Associate Research Scientist, Columbia University Irving Medical Center FIND ME ON Biography Prabesh Bhattarai’s journey into neuroscience began far from the laboratories and research centers where he now works. He was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal. In this city, opportunity concentrates amid striking natural beauty and profound…

Tirth Patel, MD, PhD  2025 Toffler Scholar | Neurology Physician-Scientist, UCLA FIND ME ON Biography From an early age, Tirth Patel learned how to sit quietly with curiosity. An only child growing up in western India, he spent long stretches immersed in books, sometimes so absorbed that his parents had to limit how long he…

Tamar Gefen, PhD  2025 and 2024 Toffler Scholar | Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine FIND ME ON Biography Deep curiosity about meaning, identity, and how people make sense of the world drove Tamar Gefen into neuroscience. As a young student, Gefen initially gravitated toward religion and philosophy,…

Elena Barbieri, PHD  Elena Barbieri earned the Toffler Scholar Award in 2023 at Northwestern University FIND ME ON Biography Elena Barbieri was born in Milan, Italy, and grew up in a small town just outside the city. Dr. Barbieri’s parents encouraged her to pursue her education, and she was the first person in her extended…