Lourdes graduated in 2025 with a B.A in Chemistry and a B.S in Psychology. She decided to focus on neuroscience after taking a class in Brain and Behavior, becoming fascinated by the brain's complexities and how its parts work together to create a fully functioning being. Lourdes also worked as a chemistry TA during undergrad and as a lab aide for Dr. Valenzuela, where she developed wet-lab and computer skills and gained research experience. After graduation, she wanted to gain more experience working with lab animals to eventually apply to a Neuroscience PhD program. She is very excited to contribute to the addiction research field in the Kawa lab.