How A North Babylon Native Earned International Awards For Brain Study At SUNY Old Westbury

NORTH BABYLON, NY — North Babylon native and SUNY Old Westbury senior Stephanie Velez earned two major awards at an international science conference for her neuroscience research examining how low levels of lead exposure reshape the developing brain, school officials said.

Velez, a Biological Sciences major with a minor in Neuropsychology, received the honors at the 2025 International Forum on Research Excellence, hosted by Sigma Xi, the international honor society for science and engineering. The conference centered on the theme “Science and Society: Crafting a Vision for a Sustainable Tomorrow.”

Velez, who participates in Old Westbury’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Sciences (OW STEAM) program, presented her project, “The Effects of Neurodevelopmental Lead Exposure on the Formation of Prefrontal Cortical Neural Networks,” and earned top awards in both the Physiology and Immunology and Biology and Biotechnology categories. The recognition also granted her a free one-year membership and induction into the Sigma Xi Research Society.

Her research was completed under the guidance of Professor Lorenz Neuwirth of the SUNY Neuroscience Research Institute. Velez’s work studied Long-Evans rats, a common laboratory strain used in neuroscience, to determine how exposure to low levels of lead shortly after birth affects the developing brain.

She found that even minimal exposure can harm neurons within the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain responsible for decision-making, attention, memory, and behavioral control, by shrinking their dendrites, the branch-like extensions of neurons that receive signals and form connections with other brain cells, and reducing both the number and strength of synaptic connections.

According to researchers, these disruptions limit the formation of neural networks and may contribute to sensory integration disorders, intellectual disability, attention and working-memory challenges, impulsivity, difficulties with decision-making, and problems with planning and organizational behaviors. Velez said the opportunity to conduct research as an undergraduate has shaped her academic path.

“This experience allowed me to realize my talents, develop new skills and pursue a graduate degree in Neuroscience and Behavior,” she said. “I have become passionate about conducting neuroscience research and being able to teach other upcoming students the benefits from these opportunities to help them start doing research early.”

Velez is also supported through the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program and is a student-athlete competing on the Panther women’s volleyball and lacrosse teams.

Professor Neuwirth described Velez as “very dedicated, self-disciplined, thoughtful, critical, and passionate about each thing she engages in daily,” adding that she “really is a ‘one-stop-shop’ of what it means to seek out and embody the Old Westbury experience.”

Although Velez presented the work independently, the project included major contributions from fellow Biological Sciences majors and recent graduates Camryn Friedberg ’26, Sabrina Johnson ’28, Nayeli Vicioso ’25, Aisha Hameed ’29, and Able Monichan ’25.

Vicioso, in particular, gained significant experience in histology while supporting the study. As an alumna of OW STEAM and the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, she became deeply engaged in developing applied-learning skills. Under Neuwirth’s mentorship, she trained in preparing and cutting brain tissues, including processing, embedding, cryosectioning, staining, and slide preparation. After graduating, she continued advanced classes to become a state-certified histotechnologist.

“Although I have not yet started a formal job in histotechnology, the hands-on experience I’ve gained in tissue processing, embedding, cryosectioning and staining, and slide preparation has strengthened my attention to detail, precision, and understanding of laboratory workflows,” she said.

Velez expects to complete her program in Summer 2026 and hopes to work in a pathology department at a local hospital, such as Northwell Health.

“I could not be prouder of these talented women in STEM who take full advantage of these applied research opportunities that Old Westbury has to offer,” Neuwirth said. “They put their free time into the lab not just to learn conceptual theory but rather applied workforce-ready skills and become highly competitive applicants for both graduate degree programs and prospective employment.”