Shelby Brunenieks is a Research Assistant with the Division of Infectious Disease and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, at the University of California San Diego. She is currently working with Dr. Stockman as a Research Assistant on the Women SHINE study. At UCSD, she is also a STARTneuro fellow, a two-year fellowship supported by the National Institute of Health for neuroscience research. Prior to joining the iSTRIVE research lab, she was a research assistant investigating the efficacy of accelerated intermediate theta burst stimulation for inducing synaptic plasticity and reducing the symptomology of anhedonic depression.

Beyond the lab, Shelby volunteers at the UCSD Student Service Center, where she helps create sexual education campaigns and distribute condoms, Naloxone, and fentanyl testing strips, hoping to advance sexual education and harm reduction efforts on campus. Shelby hopes to pursue a career in medicine and work with communities to eliminate social injustices that contribute to intergenerational trauma and mental health disparities.