This is the 71st article in Bears Doing Big Things, a weekly column celebrating the stories of notable M-A alumni.
Laura Parisi ‘18 has never doubted her path in STEM and looks back fondly at her formative time at M-A. Parisi recently finished her residency at Stanford’s School of Medicine studying neurology, and is set to complete her master’s degree in bioengineering this fall at UC San Diego (UCSD).
Born and raised in Menlo Park, Parisi attended Oak Knoll for elementary school and Hillview for middle school. “Despite the large amount of pressure I felt like parents and schools put on students in our community from a very young age, I had a very good education and a great Bay Area upbringing,” she said.
As one of the only Latina kids in her elementary and middle schools, Parisi said, “I felt a little out of place, like I couldn’t relate to anyone. I was also one of the only Latinos from Menlo Park and not Redwood City or East Palo Alto, so I sometimes felt like an outsider.”
At M-A, Parisi played in the symphony orchestra for all four years. “Orchestra was very formative for me. Most of my friends were from the orchestra and I loved the whole program,” she said. Her other favorite classes were AP European History with John Florio, AP Computer Science Java with Cindy Donaldson, and AS Physics with Joseph Vanderway.
After graduating, Parisi attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), a small college in upstate New York, where she majored in biomedical engineering, and minored in psychology. “Very few people from M-A ever had gone to RPI, so it was a completely fresh start for me, which was scary but exciting,” she said.
Parisi fell in love with biomedical engineering during her time at RPI. She said, “there was never any point where I doubted my major or career path.”
Right after graduating from RPI, Parisi returned to the Bay Area to study neurology at Stanford’s School of Medicine in the Bronte-Stewart Lab, where she helped conduct research on deep brain stimulation and also develop remote monitoring technologies for those with Parkinson’s disease. “I also did a lot of the clinical work like managing all the patients’ data and ensuring compliance with research protocols,” she said.
During her two years at Stanford, Parisi recruited and met with over 80 patients with Parkinson’s disease. “Being with the patients was the most valuable part of my job because it’s so rewarding to see that my research and the technologies we use are actually helping people, changing lives, and spreading awareness about the disease,” she said.
Being with the patients was the most valuable part of my job because it’s so rewarding to see that my research and the technologies we use are actually helping people, changing lives, and spreading awareness about the disease.
Parisi continued, “my time at Stanford helped me be more confident in my research, data analysis, and lab skills. I was lucky enough to be able to explore the industry more before going to graduate school.”
Parisi will begin working on her master’s degree in bioengineering this fall at UC San Diego (UCSD). After she completes her master’s at UCSD, Parisi is interested in doing biomechanics research for the sports industry. “I would love to supplement my knowledge with human motor control, biomechanics, and human performance. I also hope I can use my work on biomedical engineering to contribute to the field,” she said.
Parisi’s advice to current M-A students: “Don’t compare yourself to other people. Do what you want to do and what makes you feel good, not just what everyone else does. Don’t listen to anyone who’s trying to tell you differently. It is your future at the end of the day and good things will follow you.”
Parisi’s advice for students interested in bioengineering: “The STEM field is very large and constantly evolving, but always make sure to be confident in yourself and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Build good relationships with your peers and your professors because they can have a lot of great advice.”
