Neuroscience Youth Club

Eileen is a senior at Mountain View High School in California. She is active in Neuro Youth Club activities.

Maria Tahk is a junior at Homestead High School in Sunnyvale, California, and a dedicated community leader in the Neuro Youth Club. She helps connect local families with outreach programs centered on science, empathy, and community support. Maria teaches swimming through SNAP and serves as a youth swim director at the YMCA, where she leads inclusive activities that help children build confidence and social skills. She also organizes year-round sports camps where children with and without disabilities can participate together in a supportive environment. Maria is deeply interested in science, particularly biology and chemistry. She has participated in research programs such as the Amherst Winter Research Program and the OPALS Summer Research Internship. These experiences strengthened her passion for scientific inquiry and her commitment to research that benefits communities. Maria also participated in the research that was done with the Neuro Youth Club and worked to publish a research poster. Driven by service and curiosity, Maria hopes to continue creating programs that uplift others and to pursue research that makes a meaningful, positive impact.

Timothy is a dedicated and curious member of our neuroscience club, bringing both heart and intellect to everything he does. As a 10th grader, he’s already making an impact—actively participating in all of our guest seminar series and contributing thoughtful questions that deepen our collective understanding.

His commitment to service shines through in his volunteer work, including helping with LA wildfire relief efforts in January of 2025 and performing in the Harmony For Mind Winter Concert in December of 2024 at the Palo Alto Sub-Acute and Rehabilitation Center to support local causes. Timothy believes that science and compassion go hand in hand.

Currently, Timothy is conducting research on sleep and dementia in collaboration with a professor from the University of Virginia Health Systems. His work explores how sleep patterns, cognitive decline, and vascular health are correlated. He is also conducting review research on the correlation between stress hormones and optical nerve disorders. His research poster on "How musical tempo affects pre-grade school children’s episodic memory" was accepted to INBC 2025.

Jennifer Kang is a junior at Mountain View High School. She serves as a regional director for Back to Bach, a youth-led nonprofit that brings music education and outreach to children in local communities. 
Jennifer is also a violist studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has attended leading summer music institutes, including the Perlman Music Program, Morningside Music Bridge, Music@Menlo, and Heifetz. She is a semifinalist in the Johansen International Strings Competition and one of 21 musicians selected worldwide for the live rounds of the 2025 Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition in England.
Beyond performance, she is also an award-winning writer, earning Scholastic Art & Writing recognitions, including two Gold Keys and multiple regional honors.
Besides academic work, Jennifer enjoys reading, talking with friends, and experimenting in the kitchen.

Daniel is a 10th grader from Los Altos, California. He is active in Neuro Youth Club activities.

Diane is a 10th grader from Austin, Texas. She is active in Neuro Youth Club activities.

She has been active in research activities and participated in community outreach activities such as Camp CAMP and MEDLIFE Movement.

Eileen Lee is a 10th grader from Palo Alto High School in California.

- Performing at Sunrise Senior Living in San Mateo(2024.Oct.14)

- Senior holiday card project (delivered Mountain view Avenida senior center in 2024.Nov.2)

- Organizing classical music concert and performing for Los Altos Sub-Acute & Rehabilitation Center patients (2024.Dec.21)

My name is Joohah Kim, and I am attending Korea International School as a sophomore in Seongnam, Korea. 

Activities I have done that are related to this club include the creation of a research proposal as part of a group, called Noise Pollution and its Effects on Episodic Memory in Adolescents, and actively volunteering for SNAPkids. 

Outside of the neuro youth club, I am part of the Waksman Student scholars program, a research project led by Rutgers University. I am sequencing a gene from Landoltia punctata, incorporating both wet lab techniques and bioinformatics to add to research about this duckweed species, which has the potential for use as biofuel. 

Overall, I am interested in the intersection between environmental issues and the neurodivergent community, which I look forward to exploring further at the Stanford Neurodiversity Project - Research, Education, and Advocacy Camp for High Schoolers this summer.

Nathan is a 10th grader from Centreville, Virginia. He is active in Neuro Youth Club activities.

Noah Lim is currently a sophomore at Valley Christian High School, and member of Neuro 
Youth Club, a non-profit organization where he demonstrated a keen interest in neuroscience 
and how the brain shapes human behavior. Noah presented his research poster from research camp, “The effects of sleep deprivation on memory recollection through”, at INBC 2025, where he shared insights on how lack of sleep can impact short-term recall. Outside of neuroscience, he plays Viola and participated in volunteer performances at a local senior living center within the club, using music to connect with and bring joy to residents.

Seoyun Chong is a sophomore at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California,
and she has been actively engaged in research and community service. She conducted
a team research project titled “The Impact of Different Video Features on Long-Term
Memory,” which sparked a strong interest in neuroscience and led her to join the
Stanford Neuroscience Journal Club, where she analyzes and discusses peer-reviewed
neuroscience research with guidance from Stanford faculty. The team’s research poster
was later accepted by INBC, and they presented their work at the INBC Conference
2025.
Seoyun also volunteers with SNAPkids, an adapted swimming program that supports
children with special needs. At Mitty, she is an active member of the Speech and
Debate team, which competes across multiple states, as well as the school newspaper
team. She enjoys creative writing, holds a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo, and
serves as a Taekwondo instructor.

SNAPkids
SNAPkids is a nonprofit organization that provides adapted swimming and aquatic
programs for children with special needs, helping them build physical skills, confidence,
and joy in the water. Founded in 1991, the program emphasizes inclusion and
community by creating a safe, supportive environment where every child can participate
regardless of ability. Each swimmer is paired with trained volunteers who offer
one-on-one assistance and encouragement throughout the class. SNAPkids serves
children with a wide range of physical and developmental challenges and works to keep
programs accessible to families.

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Stanford Neuroscience Journal Club
The Stanford Neuroscience Journal Club is a high-school-focused program led by
Stanford faculty that helps students learn how to read and critically interpret scientific
research articles in neuroscience and related fields. It meets once a month in a
low-pressure environment where participants discuss scientific literature and recent
developments with expert Stanford scientists, fostering a deeper understanding of
scientific communication and research methods.

David is a 9th grader from Menlo Park, California. He is active in Neuro Youth Club activities.

Kendall Lee is a 9th grader from California. She is active in Neuro Youth Club activities. Her research poster on "How musical tempo affects pre-grade school children’s episodic memory" was accepted to INBC 2025.

Matthew Li is a ninth grader currently attending Saratoga High School. Matthew is part of the California Youth Symphony and loves to play cello. He has a research poster on the connection between stress and memory: self driving vs. manual cars. 

Noelle Lim is 9th grade student at Valley Christian High School with a strong interest in 
neuroscience. As an active member of NYC, she enjoys exploring neural mechanisms, leading 
discussions, and contributing to hands-on demonstrations. Her research project “The Impact of Different Video Features for Long-Term Memory.” was accepted to INBC 2025, and presented the poster, where she examined how visual elements influence memory retention.  
She also plays piano and enjoys writing stories and journals in her free time. Noelle looks forward to exploring more about how the brain learns and remembers. 

Joonseo is an 8th grader from California. He is active in the Neuro Youth Club and also leads the Linguistics Club at his school, linking language and brain studies.

Nayul is a 8th grader from Chicago, Illinois. She is active in Neuro Youth Club activities.