Joanna He traces her career aspirations in neuroscience back to a single elementary school project. Her class project on Alzheimer’s disease introduced her to the hippocampus—the part of our brains responsible for memories—and sparked her interest in the brain.
Her curiosity was furthered by her experiences working with memory care residents in senior homes during high school, and it became personal when her grandmother began showing signs of dementia.
Now, as a third-year student majoring in neuroscience on the pre-med track at Case Western Reserve University, He seeks to better understand and address neurological disorders.
As an aspiring future physician, He’s dedicated to addressing patients’ underlying circumstances during treatment. That commitment, paired with recommendations from friends, inspired her to take “The Neurobiology of Trauma” course taught by Adrienne Bedell, a lecturer at the College of Arts and Sciences.
“One of my biggest takeaways is the widely prevalent role that trauma plays in people’s lives, starting from a very young age, and how trauma can manifest in many different ways,” said He, who has minors in chemistry and public health. “It can be caused by a wide range of factors and worsened by various circumstances, making each individual’s experiences unique. I think this is especially important in healthcare as we interact with and care for patients from diverse backgrounds.”
During this course, He explored the concepts of ambiguous loss and disenfranchised grief, or situations in which the loss is unclear. For example, it could relate to a person who is physically not there, but remains psychologically present (as is the case during divorce or when a parent is incarcerated), or when someone is physically present but not psychologically available (such as when a grandparent has dementia).
“This often leads to disenfranchised grief, where the loss is not openly acknowledged or recognized by society, leading to a lack of support,” He said. “I found these concepts fascinating as I had never thought about grief and loss from this perspective, so I decided to explore these topics when we were assigned a research project.”
He’s resulting paper, which was centered on ambiguous loss experienced by children in the foster care system, was ultimately recognized by the Association for Death Education and Counseling with the Mary E. Brown Undergraduate Student Paper Award.
Learn more about He’s paper and other experiences as a student at CWRU.
Answers have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
1. What drew you to CWRU?
At first, I was a little hesitant to leave California for Cleveland—not because of the distance, but because of the drastic difference in weather. However, even with this colder winter, it hasn’t been as bad as I expected.
I felt that CWRU’s proximity to hospitals and the wide range of both academic and fun clubs/organizations would provide amazing opportunities in guiding me along the pre-med pathway, which has certainly proven to be true.
Additionally, I was drawn to the smaller, tight-knit community here, which has allowed me to be part of a collaborative atmosphere and strong support system with both my peers and professors.
3. What interested you in minors in chemistry and public health?
I have been working on a manuscript about the ongoing shortage of stimulants that has disproportionally affected patients with ADHD based on socioeconomic factors and access to healthcare. Through this project, I have encountered areas like health policy advocacy, education and awareness campaigns, data surveillance and other areas of public health.
Additionally, during my health policy internship, I saw the powerful impact that legislative decisions had on healthcare. From these experiences, I decided to study public health to better understand how policies can drive or impede sustainable solutions for complex health issues.
My chemistry minor pretty much comes with being on the pre-med track, but I appreciate how it has strengthened my critical thinking and problem-solving skills while helping me further understand interdisciplinary fields like pharmacology and biochemistry.
3. Talk about the paper you wrote that was recognized by the Association for Death Education and Counseling.
My literature review explores how ambiguous loss manifests in foster care settings and its impact on children’s behavioral and clinical development. It investigates children’s experiences of grief, attachment and identity while evaluating current interventions in mitigating the long-term implications of the foster care system to shape healthier futures. By examining these issues, this research has deepened my interest in the intersection of adverse childhood experiences and disenfranchised grief, particularly within public health and the policies that influence these issues.
4. Can you describe your research experiences?
I am currently in the Trapp Lab at the Lerner Research Institute. I focus on studying cortical atrophy to investigate the pathology of multiple sclerosis by staining and imaging brain tissue sections. I joined this lab earlier last year and stayed in Cleveland over the summer to deepen my involvement in the research, and I’m excited to continue working with my lab on this project!
5. Are you involved on campus in any other ways, including volunteer work and student organizations?
I’m involved with trauma-informed care as an asylum clinic scribe and affidavit writer through the Case Western Reserve University Human Rights Initiative. Through forensic medical documentation, we support the legal advocacy for asylum-seekers. I sometimes get the chance to talk to the clients about the experiences and trauma they have endured, which often reflect the kind of ambiguous loss I explored in my paper.
Additionally, I lead the Brain Exercise Initiative Club, where I volunteer with residents at senior living communities and lead them in research-based brain exercises to help improve their cognitive function. I enjoy sharing stories with one another and building fun, supportive relationships with the residents!
I am also involved in Partners in Health Engage, where we engage with representatives to advocate for legislation like Medicare for All and the End TB Now Act. This has been a contributing factor to why I want to study public health, specifically the policy aspect. Lastly, I serve as the Conference Chair of Delta Epsilon Mu!
6. Have you had any internships or other experiential education experiences?
I am also part of Consult Your Community! I have had the opportunity to work directly with diverse small businesses in the greater Cleveland area, helping them navigate funding,
marketing, and strategic growth. Although this experience is pretty different from healthcare, it has strengthened my public speaking, communication, and adaptability skills, and I have enjoyed assisting businesses in creating positive, tangible outcomes.