India Pursell 

I am a first-generation, Creole-Caucasian neuroscientist completing my doctoral training at Tulane University Brain Institute in New Orleans, Louisiana. I was born and raised in Southeastern Louisiana where I come from a low-income, multicultural, ethnic family with extensive family ties to the region. I attended Louisiana Tech University where I received my B.S. in Biological Sciences. During this time at Louisiana Tech, I spent 4 years researching stem cell tissue engineering and regenerative medicine with Dr. Jamie Newman and Dr. Mary Caldorera-Moore. After graduating, I accepted a lab tech position at Tulane University Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine with Dr. Bruce Bunnell followed by an additional role with Tulane Cell and Molecular Biology researching neuroendocrine & stress with Dr. Jeffrey Tasker. Currently working in Dr. Elizabeth Engler-Chiurazzi’s Neuroimmunology Lab, I am interested in the relationship between the immune system, Alzheimer’s Disease, and cell-to-cell communication. I am passionate about advocacy regarding scientific communication and community outreach. I am a part of several outreach committees promoting education for woman and low SES students in STEM. Besides my love for science, I enjoy baking, graphic design, and gardening.