Dylan Hillsburg '13
Major: Psycology (Neuroscience)
Internship: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Lab
For Dylan, being right in the heart of the Longwood Medical Area is an unbeatable perk of being an Emmanuel student. A psychology major with a concentration in neuroscience, Dylan currently spends close to 20 hours a week conducting research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in its transcranial magnetic stimulation lab.
"Essentially we're working with a coil that you can put over someone's head and it will activate that brain region," he said. "So, for example, you can put it over your motor cortex and it will make your hand or other muscles twitch. Mainly it's used to treat depression, and we're investigating its uses for treating Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease as well."
Dylan has done research since the summer after his freshman year, and it certainly keeps him busy. In addition to the Beth Israel lab, he works with Emmanuel's Associate Professor of Psychology Michael Jarvinen to examine the effects of vision loss on certain parts of the brain.
He has been able to share his findings not only with the Emmanuel community, but also with neuroscience enthusiasts around the country. He recently presented research at a conference in New Orleans, La., and has coauthored a manuscript that was published in a medical journal. He credits his accomplishments to the educational foundation he has received at Emmanuel.
