Star Spotlight: Nelly Musajeva ’26, Neuroscience

Time spent on learning and memory research in DU’s Slug Lab was great preparation for Nelly Musajeva’s prestigious—and highly competitive—summer internship.

Nelly was selected for the Neuroscience Internship Program at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she conducted lab research on the vestibular reflexes of mice. Such studies are aimed at finding treatments for people with vestibular disorders that can cause vertigo and impact balance.

“It was a whole different side of research that I was never exposed to, but with the research experience and mental preparation I had at Dominican, I gained confidence to do it,” Nelly notes.

Being away from the university made Nelly appreciate the close-knit, supportive learning of the Slug Lab under the direction of Drs. Bob and Irina Calin-Jageman, she says.

“They create an environment for us to freely explore scientific research, never be afraid of asking questions, and never be afraid of failing,” Nelly says.

A first-gen student and Mazzuchelli Scholar, Nelly hopes to become a physician assistant in pediatric neurology or pediatric neurosurgery.