Mei Blundell studies Computational and Systems Biology at UCLA (B.S., ’21). She recognizes mathematical modeling as a powerful tool for addressing ecological problems and is interested in applying computational methods to conservation efforts and for predicting the consequences of climate change. While working on the Mojave Desert Springs project with Dr. Maura Palacios Mejia at the Wayne Lab, she is also working on her project Brain-Wide Changes in Synaptic Abundance due to Sleep-Deprivation at the Donlea Lab (UCLA), for which she received the Ehrisman Scholarship from the Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program and the Vice Provost’s Summer Research Award.