Stephanie Laderwager '23
BS Biology
Pronouns: she/her

Where are you originally from?
I was born in Queens and raised on Long Island, NY.

On her major:
I am a Biology major with a specialization in neuroscience. I chose this major and specialization because neuroscience feels limitless- the complexities of the human brain are vast and it seems that as questions are answered, even more questions arise. The interdisciplinary structure of neuroscience integrates many fields and I would absolutely love to have a career where I get to collaborate with others in search of those answers, all while improving the lives of individuals living with neurological disorders.

Greatest Achievement:
Being the mother of my two children has by far been my greatest achievement, and graduating with my B.S. in Biology while raising them is pretty high up there too! While it was difficult balancing my studies with bedtime stories, field days, and science projects, my hope is that they see that regardless of where you are in life, there is no limit to what you can achieve if you put in the work, continually help those around you and always look to better yourself.

Awards & Accolades:
I am graduating this semester Cum Laude and have remained on the Dean’s List for all five years that I attended Stony Brook. I was a member of the 2022 Stony Brook iGEM team, where we received a gold medal in the international synthetic biology competition for our project which aimed to create a novel intravenous alternative treatment for individuals suffering from protein S deficiency as well as address the health disparity that exists among patients due to a lack of characterization of this disorder in African American and Indigenous populations.I also participated as a research mentor for the INSPIRE (Include New Students through Peer Introduction to Research Experience) program in the spring 2023 semester. This program works to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in research, where first year students have the opportunity to observe a senior undergraduate researcher through weekly lab visits.

Plans for post-graduation:
After graduation I am excited to continue my academic studies at SBU as a graduate student, where I have been accepted into the Neuroscience Ph.D. program.

Thanks & Gratitude:
I want to thank all of the professors that I have met over the past few years who have helped me along the way. I am especially thankful to Dr. Gergen, who showed me that although SBU is a large university, where you can sometimes feel lost, particularly as a non-traditional student, there is a community of peers who will support you. I would also like to thank Dr. Sirotkin and Amalia Napoli, Ph.D. candidate, my research mentors, for providing me with so many resources and opportunities that have been invaluable. Finally, to my family, husband, and daughters, thank you for putting up with me when I was stressed, overwhelmed and exhausted. Thank you for your encouragement, because without you, I could not have done this.