*** All views and opinions are my own and do not reflect the views of the National Institutes of Health or the United States Government ***

Hi there! I’m Plyfaa :)

I’m a researcher and scientist curious about all topics relating to how we perceive and interact with the external visual world.

Currently, I am a postbaccalaureate research fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), working in Dr. Peter Bandettini’s Section on Functional Neuroimaging Methods (SFIM). Under the mentorship of Drs. Peter Bandettini and Sharif Kronemer, I am investigating how pupillary dynamics (i.e., dilation, constriction, peaks, and troughs) are linked to neural activity and relate to shaping perceptual sensitivity and consciousness in real-time.

Feel free to explore my academic journey and projects on my website. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Some pictures of my research and other experiences over the years! Notice: For optimal display of content, I recommend viewing this page in landscape mode on mobile devices.

Selected Lightning Talk speaker for the 2025 NIMH IRP Fellows' Scientific Training Day. One of two postbacs selected for a presentation typically reserved for postdocs and PhD candidates.

First-author poster presenter for the 2025 NIMH IRP Fellows' Scientific Training Day. My interpretation of consciousness won 3rd place in the conference's Science as Art competition!

First-author poster presenter at the 2025 Annual Meeting for the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness in Crete.

Celebrating a first-place finish in our heat at NIH's 40th Annual Relay Race with my supervisors Drs. Peter Bandettini and Sharif Kronemer, and fellow postbac Marlene Smith.

Prepping for the NIMH Three-Minute Talk Competition with established public speaking coach Scott Morgan, proud to connect with another UC Davis alumni! (go Aggies!)

Poster Day at NIH and dinner with the Section on Functional Imaging Methods Lab.

Investigating the perception of iridescence with Dr. Hannah Smithson in the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford.

Intergroup Social Perception Lab photo at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa.

Conducting EEG research in Professor Jonas Vibell's Brain and Behavior Lab at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, using a 32-channel BrainVision actiCAP with active electrodes.

Shared psycholinguistics research through oral presentations at Stanford University and UC Davis.

Advocating for the closure of San Francisco's Great Highway to create opportunities for urban development and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.

Distributed naloxone, food and HIV testing to communities in need. The Washington, D.C., area faces significant health challenges, with a critical need for increased access to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services.