UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Evelyn Mastaglio is a second-year student pursuing a degree in neurobiology, one of the newest majors in the Penn State Eberly College of Science. Drawn to the field for its unique blend of biology, psychology and anatomy, Mastaglio made the switch from the college’s biology major as soon as the neurobiology major became available. With research experience spanning evolutionary biology and the genetics of Alzheimer's disease, she is already carving out a path toward a career in medicine and neuroscience.
In this Q&A, Mastaglio shared her experience in the neurobiology major, her research and her future goals.
Q: What drew you to neurobiology, and what made you decide to pursue it as your major?
Mastaglio: I've always been fascinated with how the nervous system works, why people think the way they do and why they act the way they do. I was originally a biology major, and I switched to neurobiology when the major launched during my second year because I thought it better aligned with my interests. I liked that I was able to take more psychology and anatomy classes, especially because I want to pursue medical school.
Diseases like Alzheimer's have always fascinated me. They've impacted so many people in the world, and it'd be cool to make a difference in that field. I did research over the summer at Penn Medicine in the lab of Dr. Angela Bradbury, in what's called the Telegenetics Program. We looked at the genetic component to Alzheimer's, specifically an allele called APOE4 that is a very high risk factor for this disease. When people have genetic screening and test positive for the APOE4 allele, they seek genetic counseling, but it's hard for people to meet face-to-face with genetic counselors to go over their results. We were examining how a virtual platform — or a platform with a chatbot and educational information — could help people better understand their results without having to come into a hospital.
Q: What has been your experience with the new neurobiology major?
Mastaglio: I feel like I went into it not knowing anything, kind of blindly following this new path. But I meet with my advisor, Malissa Martin, who helped me every step of the way. I feel like she knows me individually and can help me decide what's best for my individual track and my future.
One thing I love about the major is that it's not purely neuroscience or biology — it's an interdisciplinary mix. Right now, I'm taking PSYCH 260, which focuses on the neurological basis of human behavior, and my professor, Dustin Elliott, is one of the best professors I've had at Penn State. It feels like in classes that I'm very passionate about and interested in, I’m motivated to want and learn more, so it comes more naturally. For any neurobiology student looking for a standout class, I couldn't recommend PSYCH 260 more.
Next spring, I'll be the first neurobiology student to complete a new study abroad program in Siena, Italy. I’ll be taking two biology 400 classes, an Italian language class, and a general arts and a humanities class through the University of Siena. Because it's a new major, it's a little hard to find certain programs that fit, but Joel Waters, who's the coordinator of education abroad in the college, is doing a great job.
Q: Are you currently involved in any research at Penn State?
Mastaglio: Yes, I started research when I was still a biology major, and I work in Thomas Stewart’s evolutionary and developmental biology research lab. Currently, I'm working on a project investigating the heritability index for certain traits in dogs. We're looking at how strongly the number of teats in dogs and their corresponding litter size are determined by genetics. Right now, we're working with dog breeders to collect data. This question has never really been researched before, which is what makes it exciting.
I'm also working on another project in the lab that analyzes the plasticity of fish bones — the ability for bones to bend and not break. We're studying bone growth, looking at the evolutionary relationships of bone characteristics among other animals, and how that can be used to understand biomedical relationships to humans.
Q: Where do you see yourself after graduation?
Mastaglio: I'm on the pre-med track, so medical school is my number one goal, and I'd like to do something there that has to do with neuroscience. Right now, the research I'm doing with animals is laying that foundation for a path in medicine. Looking at how findings in animals like fish relate to humans and thinking about how that connects to things like clinical applications down the line is something I find exciting. It's also nice to have that neurological research component — if I ever decided I wanted to pursue research instead, I'd have a field I was a little more knowledgeable in.