Temple University

Rebecca Parodi Rullán Temple University

Jahn O’Neil, PhD  2024 Toffler Scholar | Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine FIND ME ON BIOGRAPHY Dr. Jahn O’Neil’s path to neuroscience didn’t begin in a high-tech lab or a prestigious lecture hall. It started on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. In her early childhood, her father…

Jonathan Alevy, PhD Candidate 2024 Toffler Scholar | Neuroscience PhD Candidate at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine FIND ME ON BIOGRAPHY Jonathan Alevy didn’t grow up in one place-or follow a single path. Born in Venezuela, raised in the Caribbean, educated in France, and now conducting research in the United States, his journey has…

Devon Graham, PhD 2024 Toffler Scholar | Assistant Professor, Florida State University FIND ME ON BIOGRAPHY Born and raised in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, Dr. Graham grew up as the eldest of four siblings in a conservative, deeply religious household. While her environment didn’t explicitly encourage scientific exploration, her natural curiosity and love of reading hinted…

Elizabeth Rose Mayeda, PhD, MPH 2024 and 2019 Toffler Scholar | Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, UCLA FIND ME ON Biography Elizabeth Rose Mayeda does not begin with the brain. She begins with people—where they grow up, the opportunities they receive, and the structures that shape their lives long before disease appears. Her work sits at…

Paul Chung, DO 2024 Toffler Scholar | Physician–Scientist in Sleep Medicine, Northwestern University FIND ME ON Biography Paul Chung did not follow a straight line into medicine. His path unfolded through curiosity, detours, and a steady pull toward understanding people in context. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, Chung grew up immersed in community,…

Ndubisi (Mark) Chikwem, MD, PhD 2024 Toffler Scholar | Clinical Fellow in Cognitive Neurology, Columbia University FIND ME ON Biography Dr. Chikwem’s path into neurology was shaped early by family influences and lived experience, inspiring admiration and respect for his dedication. Raised in a household where education mattered deeply, he grew up watching his father,…

Nicole Lemon, PHD Candidate  2023 Toffler Scholar | PhD Candidate in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Temple University FIND ME ON Biography Nicole Lemon grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, the eldest of three siblings in a family shaped by both closeness and change. Born in upstate New York, she moved at a young age to Pennsylvania,…

Andrea Elia, PhD 2023 Toffler Scholar | Postdoctoral Fellow in Neurodegeneration and Cardiovascular Biology, Temple University FIND ME ON Biography Andrea Elia’s scientific path began not in a laboratory, but in the tightly woven streets of Naples, Italy—a city shaped by history, contradiction, and endurance. Born and raised in southern Italy, Elia grew up surrounded…

Ashley Carey, PHD  Ashley Carey earned the Toffler Scholar Award in 2023 at Temple University FIND ME ON Biography Ashley Carey was born in northern New Jersey and lived there until third grade, when she and her family relocated to Monroe, a large suburban town in the central part of the state. The oldest of…