Eliza Podvalny ‘24

Hi! My name is Eliza and my hope is to one day work in the medical field, although the specific occupation is still in the works. Dealing with stress has always been difficult for me, but playing the piano and dancing allows me to express myself without using words, as sometimes it is difficult to do so, and allows me to temporarily escape to a world of carefreeness and simplicity. I've been playing the piano since I was five years old, and I've fallen in love with the instrument as well as the numerous types of styles and composers it allows me to explore, although Chopin will always be my favorite. If not on the dance floor or at the piano, I also enjoy taking long walks in the woods with my German Shepard, Phoebe, listening to anything from ABBA to Cage the Elephant.

Science has and will always be one of my main passions. I have always been fascinated with the way our brains work and how it has the capability of multitasking so many things at once. Specifically, I’m intrigued by the way memories work and am interested in the functioning of this system. I also want to learn more about neurological disorders, due to the still remaining many unanswered questions in this subject, despite significant advances in research over recent years. Combining the two areas of interest, I decided to focus my research on Alzheimer’s Disease. I have been reading various research articles on this disorder and am excited to attend the SSTP Program this summer, to advance my understanding of this disease.