Todd Parrish, PhD, literally has “junior” scientists working for him. Mentoring high schoolers from the Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA) in Aurora, Parrish has spent the last decade fostering a passion for science in inquiring young minds.
“When I was in high school, I would go to a science center once a week. The experience shaped who I am today,” says the professor of radiology. “Giving back to the community is key, especially if it sparks an interest in these kids to pursue careers in science.”
IMSA attracts the “cream of the crop” of students from around the state. The school partners with mentors like Parrish for what can be a significant commitment. With the assistance of research assistant professors Xue Wang, PhD, and Jennie Chen, PhD, Parrish welcomed eight students this summer who worked full time in his neuroimaging lab for six weeks. Their projects included developing a spatial memory task for fMRI in epilepsy, studying the effect of rotation on c-spine rotational and translational coupling, and assessing an automated chronic stroke segmentation algorithm. These same students will continue in the Parrish lab, spending one full day a week during the 2014-15 academic year.
Last year two of Parrish’s IMSA charges won an award at the Illinois Junior Academy of Science’s State Science Fair for their work on how brain networks change during sleep. In May they traveled to Los Angeles to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, one of the world’s largest pre-collegiate research competitions.