TAMIU Alum Alvarado Lands Prestigious Position at Harvard Medical School Lab

A Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) alumna is making significant strides in her career.

Rebecca Alvarado (’21,’23) was accepted into Harvard Medical School’s Bernardo Sabatini Laboratory as a research assistant. 

Alvarado, who holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from TAMIU, hopes to use this experience as she works to apply for an MD/PhD—program in Neuroscience.

“Anything is possible if you believe in yourself. It is always better to try and fail than to try and wonder ‘what if,’ ” said Alvarado.

Alvarado said she thanks God for this opportunity and gives credit to her family, mentors, and loved ones who supported her along the way. Previously, Alvarado worked at the National Institute of Health in Washington, D.C., where she obtained research experience while working at the David Lovinger Lab.

While at the University, Alvarado worked as an adjunct faculty member and graduate research assistant in the Department of Psychology and Communication.

Alvarado’s research has been published in several academic journals, including the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, Current Psychology, and the Journal of Orthopedic Survey and Research. She’s presented at several major conferences, including the Psychonomic Society’s 64th Annual Meeting, the National Institute of Health Summer Poster Day, and the Texas A&M University System Pathways Student Research Symposium.

She has also served as an international medical volunteer in Cusco, Peru, and has shadowed several local physicians.

Alvarado is the recipient of the David T. Newman Changemaker Award, the Dustdevil PRIDE Scholarship, the Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology Scholarship, a Presidential Volunteer Service Award Gold Recipient, the Dusty’s Food Pantry Student Advocate of the Year, the Vice President’s Award for Outstanding Service to the University community, and the University’s Dean’s List.

In her capacity as a community leader, Alvarado has served as a national court-appointed special advocate for Voz de Niños, a project manager with the Migrant Research Project, a team leader with a National Institute Research Project, founder of TAMIU Gives, an organizer and event planner for the Holding Institute City-Wide Health fair, president of the TAMIU Psychology student organization, and more.  

Alvarado earned a Master of Science degree in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at  TAMIU. Her research interests include fiber photometry, rodent handling and behavior, acute brain slice preparation, and more.

Registration for Summer and Fall 2024 at TAMIU is now underway. View the registration schedule here: https://www.tamiu.edu/registrar/registration

To learn more about the University’s Registration processes, visit the dedicated Registration Hub at https://go.tamiu.edu/registration. 

Summer Semester II begins Monday, July 8, 2024. The first day of classes for the Fall 2024 semester is Monday, Aug. 26, 2024.  

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