Miranda Chappel-Farley
She/Her
I am bi and I am a neuroscientist.//
I am a PhD student at the University of California, Irvine. I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2017, with a Bachelor’s of Science focusing on Neuroscience and Biochemistry.
My graduate research aims to determine whether exercise can modify cognitive outcomes by restoring sleep, and through which neurobiological mechanisms. I use high-density electroencephalography to measure brain activity during overnight sleep, and functional MRI to understand how interactions between sleep physiology and exercise influence brain activity at rest. In order to capture how sleep and exercise act in concert to influence memory function during aging, I use statistical modeling to integrate these relationships and to understand how they might change in individuals with heightened Alzheimer’s disease risk.
When I’m not in lab, I am likely outdoors! On the average weekend, you’ll probably find me climbing outside or at the local rock gym. I enjoy the challenge that comes with climbing; pushing my physical and mental limits by stepping outside of my comfort zone.