India Pursell combines neuroscience research with hands-on STEM engagement across New Orleans
As a neuroscience PhD student at Tulane University, India Pursell is conducting research that could deepen scientists’ understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and depression. Outside the lab, Pursell is equally passionate about bringing neuroscience into classrooms and communities across New Orleans.
“I didn’t see a human brain, or any brain, until I got to graduate school,” Pursell said. “So I think neuroscience engagement in the community is really important.”
For the past four years, Pursell has served as the graduate student representative for the Brain Institute’s outreach arm, helping organize and participate in community engagement initiatives across the region. From introducing local students to STEM fields to partnering with community organizations and public events, Pursell enjoys helping make neuroscience feel accessible outside the lab. One of her favorite parts of the work, she said, is giving students a glimpse into “what a day in the life of a neuroscientist or researcher” looks like.
A native of the New Orleans region who grew up in Slidell and several south shore suburbs, Pursell said she saw firsthand how limited exposure can discourage students from pursuing science.
“Growing up, I really loved science, and I saw a lot of people love science up until a certain age, and then it kind of dipped down, because we weren’t really exposed to it,” Pursell said. “It’s always important to give back to the area that you’re living in, especially when there’s a lack of STEM education at the K through 12 level.”
Pursell’s interest in neuroscience began with her grandfather’s battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. After he was diagnosed at 57, her family moved in to help care for him, giving Pursell a firsthand view of how neurological disease affects not only patients, but entire families. Watching the progression of Alzheimer’s sparked her curiosity about the brain and the behavioral changes caused by disease.
Now in the fifth year of her PhD program and expected to graduate in spring 2027, Pursell is exploring careers in biotech, science policy, academia and industry. But she says community engagement will remain central to her work, wherever she goes next.
