Undergraduate research opportunities were a high priority for Emily Lundstrum as she weighed her college options, and she found what she was looking for at Mercer University. Since becoming a Bear, she’s been busy in the lab, where her research focus has been attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in underserved populations.
“The accessibility of undergrad research is really what drew me here,” said Lundstrum, a junior neuroscience major from Cumming. “I knew I wanted to do some sort of research, but it seemed like it was pretty easy to get started as an undergraduate. At bigger schools, you were fighting with graduates.”
Lundstrum learned hands-on lab skills and biotechnology basics in her high school STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — academy and narrowed her focus to “brain science” after a biology class.
“My teacher mentioned that behavior can be genetic, and there’s a biological basis for why we do things. I thought that was so fascinating. I decided I wanted to know more about it,” she said.
Once at Mercer, Lundstrum knew she wanted to be a part of the research team of Dr. Anastasia Kerr-German, assistant professor of biological psychology and neuroscience, when she learned of the professor’s speciality in developmental cognitive neuroscience.
In partnership with local schools, Dr. Kerr-German is using innovative technology called functional near-infrared spectroscopy, or fNIRS, to collect neurocognitive data from toddlers and preschoolers to identify risk factors for conditions such as ADHD and autism.
Lundstrum, now in her fourth semester working with Dr. Kerr-German, has collected and analyzed data for the project and spent time in the classroom with the children. She is the first author on a publication titled “Characterizing Behavior, Sex and Subtype in Childhood ADHD via the Related Spectrum of Functional Network Connectivity at Rest” that Dr. Kerr-German and her student researchers recently submitted to BioMed.
Lundstrum said this research can help fill a gap in services in the area by providing support, resources and recommendations to families.
“When I was picturing what I wanted to do in a career in research, I was already drawn to ADHD as a research venue,” said Lundstrum, who is in the Mercer Honors program. “There’s a lot of gaps in the literature. There’s a lot more inclusivity that needs to be done.
“It’s been really rewarding to give back to the area with how underserved it is.”
Lundstrum said learning about the research process has been fun, and she has enjoyed the community aspect of this research. Dr. Kerr-German said Lundstrum has helped to guide and train new members of her research team.
Additionally, Lundstrum conducted hyperthyroidism research with Dr. Katharine Northcutt, associate professor of biology and director of Mercer’s neuroscience program, last year and presented their findings at the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology conference last summer.
Separate from her Mercer work, last fall Lundstrum organized and cleaned lab data for a National Institutes of Health grant-funded project related to ADHD led by Dr. Anne Arnett from Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital.
Lundstrum will continue her focus on ADHD research through her senior thesis next year. She plans to focus on parent behavioral training and facilitate workshops that will provide parents with tools to use in the home.
“Emily is one of the most inquisitive, motivated and capable students I have had the pleasure to work with during my career,” Dr. Kerr-German said. “Her energy, attention to detail and consistency make her an outstanding budding scientist. She has accomplished an incredible amount as an undergraduate student, and I am honored to be one of her mentors.”
Outside of her studies, Lundstrum can be found playing the trombone for the Mercer Marching Band, Mercer Wind Ensemble and Middle Georgia Community Band. She said the community she’s found at Mercer has been one of the best parts of her college experience.
“Just being able to walk across campus and see at least one person I know, it’s good for me. It’s not something you’d get at a bigger school,” she said. “The smaller campus and smaller class size, it feels like you’re involved in the space and like you’re actually making a difference.”
After completing her degree at Mercer, Lundstrum plans to go to graduate school and potentially pursue a Ph.D., with an end goal of a career in research.
