Four Occidental juniors studying biochemistry, chemistry, cognitive science, and geology make up the prestigious cohort being honored with research grants funded by the Fletcher Jones Foundation and the Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Foundation.
This year’s Science Scholars include chemistry major Olivia Paredes ’27 of Los Angeles; cognitive science major Cintya Roby ’27 of Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia; biochemistry major Kelly Shen ’27 of Menlo Park; and geology major Mae Stone ’27 of Austin, Texas. Scholars were chosen after applying and being interviewed by a committee of six Occidental faculty members.
Representing the best of Occidental science students, Science Scholars receive a $15,000 research award that supports work across four terms: the spring of junior year, the following summer, and both semesters of senior year. Along with conducting their research, Scholars have the opportunity to present their results at a professional conference and at 鶹Ƶ’s Summer 2026 Undergraduate Research Conference.
Olivia Paredes is working with John Stauffer Professor of Chemistry Andrew Udit on a project titled “Biophysical Investigations of Heme Protein-Surfactant Films to Elucidate Parameters for Biocatalysis.” Cytochrome P450 enzymes are specialized proteins that help carry out precise chemical reactions in the body. One interesting aspect is their ability to perform difficult chemical changes under mild conditions, which is valuable for pharmaceutical and industrial applications. In living cells, these enzymes rely on partner molecules to supply the energy they need to function. Scientists are trying to recreate this function outside of cells by supplying the enzymes with energy from an electrode, but getting them to work normally in this setting has been challenging.
To better understand why, Paredes is looking into how the enzymes’ structure and electrical properties change in the presence of certain detergent molecules called surfactants. Early experiments used a similar protein called myoglobin to test these methods. So far, results show that increasing amounts of one surfactant change the protein’s electrical behavior. Additional experiments will examine how structural changes relate to these electrical shifts. Once the approach is refined, the same studies will be done with P450 itself, with the goal of adjusting the enzyme so it regains its natural activity when attached to electrodes.
“With applications from drug development to fuel synthesis, using this enzyme outside of the body lowers the fiscal and environmental costs associated with chemical synthesis,” Paredes says.
Cintya Roby is working under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Cognitive Science Sasha Sherman on a project called “Messages From the Night: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Dreaming and Cognition in American and Balinese Contexts.” Many people have woken up from a vivid dream only to realize it was not real. But around the world, people think about dreams in very different ways. In many Western cultures, dreams are seen as private experiences, often viewed as random or byproducts of memory, and are usually shared only if they feel especially emotional. In Bali, by contrast, dreams are considered meaningful messages from the spiritual world. People regularly share them with family and community members, who help interpret their meaning.
Roby wanted to know: Does the way a culture treats dreams affect how our minds work? Foundational research shows that sleep and dreaming help with memory, emotions, and creativity. She will explore whether sharing and reflecting on dreams as a group, as is common in Bali, might strengthen these mental benefits compared to keeping dreams private. To study this, Roby will survey both Balinese and Western participants and compare how dream practices relate to thinking and emotional well-being.
“By comparing dream practices in Balinese and U.S. cultures, this project provides a novel understanding of how social context shapes our cognition,” Roby says. “The findings will challenge Western assumptions about the mind and sleep, leading to a richer theoretical understanding of consciousness, and more inclusive practices within research.”
Kelly Shen is working with Professor of Biology Joseph Schulz on a project titled “Venom-Derived Activation of Persistent Sodium Currents in Spinal Motor Neurons.” Cone snails are marine animals that use venom to quickly paralyze their prey. Their venom contains small protein molecules called conotoxins that affect the nervous system. Some of these peptides have become valuable tools in brain research and have even led to medicines. One type of cone snail that hunts fish, Conus catus, uses especially fast-acting toxins to paralyze prey almost instantly. Although scientists know which family these toxins belong to and that they cause rapid paralysis, they still do not know exactly what types of neuronal cells they target.
Schulz’s lab studies these toxins using zebrafish as a model to better understand how they affect spinal nerve cells. Shen developed a method to measure how these toxins change movement patterns in the spinal cord over time. Using this method, she will then test where two synthetic versions of the toxin act using patch-clamp. This research will help explain how cone snails paralyze prey so quickly and improve our understanding of how spinal nerve circuits control movement.
“We are potentially identifying the first venom-derived molecule that directly modulates persistent sodium currents,” Shen says. “This would be a major step forward in understanding how these neuropeptides work and opens up new treatment options for neurocognitive and motor conditions, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.”
Working with Assistant Professor of Geology Lydia Harmon, Mae Stone is pursuing a project titled “Filling the Gaps: Using Small-Volume Explosive Eruptions to Resolve Long-term Magma System Cyclicity in the Taupō Volcanic Zone, Aotearoa, New Zealand.” Very large volcanic eruptions are infrequent but catastrophic. To understand how these massive eruptions occur, scientists study the rocks and ash left behind by past eruptions. In the Taupō Volcanic Zone, researchers have learned a lot about the magma that fuels the biggest blasts. Less is known about what the magma system beneath the volcano is doing in the long quieter periods between major eruptions.
Stone's project focuses on smaller eruptions in the 40,000-year gap between two major eruptions. By studying the chemistry of the rocks from these smaller events, she aims to identify where the magma was stored underground, how hot it was, and how many separate pockets of magma were involved. This helps reveal how magma builds up in the shallow Earth over time.
“This research directly addresses the most pressing problem in volcanic hazard assessment by illuminating patterns of volcanic cycling in one of the world's most volcanically active regions,” Stone says. “Using smaller eruptions as probes to quantify magmatic conditions on timescales of centuries, this work provides the crucial long-term context essential for hazard management.”
The deadline to apply for next year’s scholarship is in November.
