Ayush Gang and mentors at the Health, Brain & Cognition Lab.

As part of the Belin-Blank Center Secondary Student Training Program, Ayush Garg, second from left, spent six weeks last summer at the HBC Lab. His project involving the application of machine learning and AI to human neuroscience, sparked an interest in the field that he’ll pursue as a freshman at Stanford University this fall. He is shown here with HBC Lab mentors, from left, graduate scholar Bryan Madero, lab director Dr. Michelle Voss, and then-graduate scholar and current post-doctoral fellow at UT-Dallas, Dr. Marco Pipoly.

Ayug, second from left, with HBC Lab summer mentors: From left, graduate scholar Bryan Madero, lab director Dr. Michelle Voss, and then-graduate scholar and current post-doctoral fellow at UT-Dallas, Dr. Marco Pipoly.

HBC Lab internship sparks neuroscience interest for Stanford University student Ayush Garg

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Ayush Garg, who interned at the Health, Brain & Cognition Lab for last summer as part of a highly competitive program designed to immerse high schoolers in real-world research, begins studies at Stanford University this fall.

A San Francisco Bay area resident, Ayush participated in the University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center’s Secondary Student Training Program, with a project using machine learning techniques to analyze how old-age deterioration in brain structure/function can affect the ability to consistently exercise and improve physical health. "If we can learn what stops people from maintaining their physical health in old age, we can reduce aging and improve mental cognition,” he says.

"Being in a research lab was an amazing way to quickly get a ton of real-world experience, especially when you work under the amazing and supportive people at the HBC lab,” he adds. Mentors at the HBC Lab included graduate scholars Byran Madero and Marco Pipoly, along with undergraduate research associate Zak Gilliam.

"I learned much more in the 6-week period I was there than much of my own self-led exploration over the past year, and I realized that simply being in charge of your own project teaches you a lot more about leadership, communication, and time management than a traditional classroom ever could,” says Ayush. “Just as importantly, being a part of real-world research like this cemented my passion for computer science and neurology, a career path I'm excited to pursue in the future.”

Ayush says the HBC internship opportunity "was not only a learning experience but an amazing steppingstone for my future throughout college and my career."

HBC Lab Director Michelle Voss is pleased that Ayush’s HBC experience sparked his interest in brain research. "His project focused on learning how to apply machine learning and AI to human neuroscience. He replicated and extended findings on how neuroimaging can help us understand why some people adhere to new exercise programs more than others. He blew us away and pushed his project farther than we could have imagined. We are so proud of his accomplishment to get into a dream school and excited to see what is next."