Lakshitha Balachandar

Lakshitha is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia with a strong passion for neurobiology and cognitive science. Her academic background includes advanced coursework in Neurobiology, AP Biology, DNA Science, Bioinformatics, and AP Psychology, along with hands-on lab experience in bacterial transformation and microbial ecology.

Lakshitha is also a certified EMT who volunteers at the fire station and hospital emergency rooms. She is an active member of Biology Society and Neuroscience Society at school and recently participated in the JMU Brain Bee. Lakshitha’s interests lie in understanding how the brain supports learning and memory and she hopes to explore how neuroscience can be applied to improve education and health. Her long-term goal is to contribute to research that combines medicine, behavior, and public health.

In her free time, she likes to dance, play lacrosse, play the violin, and bake with her sister!