I am passionate about sharing my science with the lay public, as this is a great way to increase scientific literacy in the general population. For example, below I am pictured sharing my research in a TED-style talk, entitled "Mom matters: Early-life maternal care shapes the developing brain" at a Brews and Brains event (a grassroots community organization powered by Meetup that promotes sharing research with the community).

@JessicaLBolton sets the stage for her work exploring how early-life experiences can affect learning & emotion. #UCI #GPSBIOMED #TEDTalks pic.twitter.com/vMHXe7kt9d

— Emma Flores, Ph.D. (@emn_flores) December 23, 2016


I am also committed to fostering diversity and equal opportunity in the next generation of scientists via community outreach to children in the community. I believe it is especially important to encourage girls to pursue their interest in science/STEM from a young age, and have recently worked with my fellow Ambassadors for the UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory to develop brain awareness events for 2nd grade Girl Scouts. Pictured below is one such event, where I am holding a human brain and showing the girls different brain regions.