Alexa Karatzas of Palm Beach Central High School and Olivia Berman of Wellington High School were among the seven talented high school seniors who spent six weeks of their summer break immersed in neuroscience research projects alongside neuroscientists at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI).
On Friday, July 25, they shared what science means to them and presented posters summarizing their research findings with family, friends and the MPFI community.
The students’ projects focused on challenging neuroscience endeavors, including advanced neuroimaging and brain behavior. This summer, the interns explored a wide range of neuroscience topics, including neural circuit function, brain development, synaptic transmission, computational modeling and advanced imaging techniques.
Aside from Karatzas and Berman, other MPFI interns were Ariana Perez Arias of Martin County High School, Jason Pitchford of Suncoast High School, Joy Chen of the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Nicole Walsh of the Benjamin School and Rishan Thangaraj of American Heritage School.
The 2025 intern class was selected from a record 167 applicants from schools across Palm Beach and Martin counties. The students demonstrated an exceptional passion for science and record of scholastic and extracurricular achievement.
“This program gives already outstanding students the opportunity to reach a new level of experience and prepares them to pursue careers in STEM with more focus and clarity. We are so proud of the work our interns did and are grateful to the mentors and supporters who made everything possible,” MPFI’s Katie Walsh Edwards said.
The highly sought-after internship program at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience aims to foster a passion for science in the next generation of researchers. Interns are provided valuable guidance and exposure to the institute’s state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, working in the labs and scientific core facilities. The six-week, donor-funded initiative has benefited 95 students since 2011, many of whom have continued in research or medical fields. In addition, each intern makes significant contributions to ongoing research questions, advancing tools or knowledge that move our understanding of the brain forward.
MPFI, a not-for-profit research organization, is part of the world-renowned Max Planck Society, Germany’s most successful research organization with more than 80 institutes worldwide. Since its establishment, 30 Nobel laureates have emerged from the ranks of its scientists. As its first U.S. institution, MPFI provides exceptional neuroscientists from around the world with the resources and technology to answer fundamental questions about brain development and function. MPFI researchers employ a curiosity-driven approach to science to develop innovative technologies that make groundbreaking scientific discoveries possible. For more information, visit www.mpfi.org.
