Thomas Thesen, Ph.D. - Associate Professor & Principal Investigator

Dr. Thesen received his Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience from Oxford University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in brain imaging at the University of California, San Diego. He was a faculty member in the Department of Neurology at Grossman School of Medicine at New York University for over 10 years, where he was the director of NYU ECoG, a center for research in patients with brain implants. Most recently, he was a founding faculty member at the new College of Medicine at the University of Houston before coming to Dartmouth. He is a co-director of the Neuroscience & Neurology and Medical Learning Sciences courses in the MD program at Geisel, and a visiting scientist at the Brain & Mind Institute in Nairobi. Thomas initially came to the US as an international student from Germany. He is an avid sailor and outdoor enthusiast, enjoying skiing, hiking, and freediving.

Vincent Busque

Vincent received his bachelor's degree in Human Biology with a concentration in health economics and policy from Stanford University before joining Dartmouth as a medical student. He serves as a student government representative, is involved in cancer research, and has an interest in digital health and wellness. In his free time, Vincent enjoys skiing and swimming.

Elham Malik

Elham received her degree in psychology and community development from Seine College. After graduating, she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Focus Churches of Albany, where she created food security and culturally relevant programming for unhoused guests and refugees. This experience sparked her passion for improving access to care and promoting refugee health. Elham then worked as an Educational Consultant, gaining valuable insights into student-centered wellness and the importance of supportive learning environments. Her commitment to global health has led her to engage in international medical aid work, where she contributes to improving healthcare access in underserved communities. Currently pursuing her Master of Public Health (MPH) at Geisel School of Medicine, Elham is combining her diverse background with advanced public health studies. She is deeply passionate about addressing healthcare disparities, enhancing refugee health outcomes, and developing innovative approaches to student wellness. Elham's research interests lie at the intersection of neuroscience, public health, and global health policy, with a focus on how these fields can contribute to more equitable and accessible healthcare systems worldwide.

Brendan Hines

Brendan received his BS in neuroscience at SUNY Geneseo, where he was involved in cognitive psychology and pharmacology research. After graduating, he joined a neuropsychology lab at the NIH, where he assisted in non-human primate neurosurgery and researched connections between the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobe. At Geisel, Brendan is involved in hand surgery research, the Psychiatry interest group, and is interested in cholinergic and serotonergic neural pathways. Brendan enjoys skateboarding, soccer, writing, and drawing in his free time.

Nsomma Alilonu

Nsomma Alilonu graduated from Princeton University in 2021 with a BSE in Computer Science. During her time at Princeton, she contributed to research to develop a non-invasive glucometer using infrared light. She is now pursuing an MD at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, where she continues to find ways to explore how technology can serve as a means to benefit human health. In her free time, she enjoys writing comics, playing violin, crocheting, and singing.

Anaum Showkat

Anaum graduated from the University of Notre Dame in May 2024 with a bachelor's degree in Neuroscience and French. During her time at Notre Dame, she conducted memory and cognition research, focusing on identifying biomarkers of aging, health, and wellness, in order to determine the trajectory of successful cognitive health with age. She was also actively involved in health equity research, advocating for equal healthcare for historically marginalized populations, and creating a comprehensive health equity index. She is now pursuing a Master of Science in Healthcare Research at the Geisel School of Medicine, where she continues to bridge the gap between clinical care and health equity. In her free time, she enjoys performing ballet, playing the clarinet, and volunteering at the hospital.

Brenda Waiya

Brenda is an undergraduate at Dartmouth pursuing a degree in Computer Science with a potential minor in Global Health. She is originally from Kenya and is interested in exploring the intersection between technology, neuroscience, and health. Brenda sees this research as an opportunity to further her skills in data collection and analysis, programming, and data science, as well as make a meaningful contribution to research that benefits people's lives. Brenda sings, plays the piano, and spends time with her cat.

Jessica Yu

Jessi is an undergraduate at Dartmouth studying Sociology and Government. She is from San Francisco, California and interested in how research can be used to influence health policy. Jessi is looking forward to learning more about the ways that mental health, education, and AI intersect and views this as an opportunity to further her skills in both qualitative and quantitative analysis. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, playing the cello, and spending time outside.

Chloe Terestchenko

Chloe is a third year undergraduate at Dartmouth College pursuing a double major in Neuroscience and Quantitative Social Science, focused in Global Health. Throughout her undergraduate career, Chloe has been involved with research in fear and anxiety machine learning models at NYU, and psychophysics and neural networks research at Dartmouth. Chloe is interested in understanding the connection between neuroscience models and mental health measures for different sub-populations. In her spare time, Chloe enjoys running, cooking, scuba diving, and trying different restaurants!

PAST MEMBERS

Tshibambe Nathanael Tshimbombu (TNT)

Tshibambe is now a resident physician at the Barrow Neurological Institute

Frances L. Koback

Frances is a medical student at Geisel

William Escobar

William is now a Ph.D. student at Yale.