LVC Allwein Scholar Advances Neuroscience Research at Tulane

You never know where a conversation or a connection can lead.

For Charlee Kurtz '27 it led to a summer internship at Tulane University in New Orleans-former home of LVC President Dr. James MacLaren.

Kurtz, a Neuroscience and Creative Writing major, talked with MacLaren and her advisor, Dr. Deanna Dodson, Professor of Psychology, about summer opportunities and then applied to the Tulane program. Her lab assignment focused on research related to Duplication 15q Syndrome (Dup15q), which is characterized by pharmacoresistant epilepsy.

"Using fruit flies to model the robust seizure phenotype seen in individuals with Dup15q, the end goal of our project was to determine potential drug therapies for this disorder," said Kurtz.

At the end of the nine-week program, Kurtz joined 11 other undergraduate students to present their research at a poster session.

"This opportunity taught me to problem solve and practice diligence as I learned different lab techniques and procedures, and it allowed me to develop a better understanding of the successes and challenges that come with tedious lab work."

Kurtz selected her Neuroscience major to combine her interests in biology and psychology to explore why people behave the way they do.

"Looking toward my career, I hope to study neurobiology and contribute to furthering research on brain injury and cognitive decline," said Kurtz. "I have a strong desire to make a positive impact on the lives of others, and research is the backbone to discovering how we can treat and assist people in need."

One of the College's prestigious John Bowman Allwein Scholars, Kurtz applied the annual stipend from her scholarship to help support her time in New Orleans. The previous summer, she studied in Perugia, Italy.

"This scholarship has made these opportunities possible by covering housing and traveling expenses, and I cannot thank LVC enough for how much these experiences have expanded my horizons and contributed to my education," said Kurtz.

In addition to her academic pursuits, Kurtz competes on the women's cross country and women's track & field teams at LVC. She received All-Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) honors during the Fall 2024 cross country season as well as numerous MAC Academic Honor Roll accolades.

"Although balancing the demands of being a double major and a student-athlete can be challenging at times, I do it because I love it," said Kurtz. "There is always time for what matters to you. Practice is my time away from studying that allows me to de-stress, bond with my teammates, and push myself in ways that translate back to my hard work in the classroom.