Dr. Rianne Stowell

Dr. Rianne Stowell is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience (SMD) at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York. Her dissertation research focused on microglial roles in the adolescent visual spectrum, specifically how Noradrenergic signaling altered both microglial dynamics as well as critical period plasticity. Her work now still focuses on microglia, but instead in the adolescent frontal cortex, looking at how microglia affect the rewiring and plasticity of dopamine circuits. In this video, Rianne explains what it was like to navigate grant rejection when applying for the same one three times. Though it wasn’t always easy to sit with the feelings and the feedback, Rianne moved forward through the processes of revisions and resubmitting by allowing herself permission to feel sad and frustrated, but then still pick herself back up and take action in her personal and professional life to care for herself and move forward.