Deena (she/hers) is a first year graduate student in the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science PhD program. After receiving her B.S. in Physiology and Neurobiology from the University of Maryland, she conducted fMRI research in the Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory and the Laboratory of Cognition and Emotion. She is interested in studying the effects of environmental factors in promoting risk and resilience on brain development during childhood and adolescence. This question has led her to examine financial (in)stability and community support in historically marginalized groups. Deena hopes to use her experiences to influence policies that promote positive socio-emotional development for all children.