Ph.D. Student, Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory (Vaidya Lab)
Research Interests: Childhood & adolescent developmental neuroscience, executive function, social & affective neuroscience, translational psychiatry, mental healthcare, holistic medicine
Advisor: Dr. Chandan Vaidya
Rotations: Dr. Chandan Vaidya, Dr. Casey Brown, Dr. Ashley VanMeter
Prior Education: B.S. in Physiological Science & Neuroscience w/minor in Religion, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Ariel (pronounced AH-ree-EL) is an MD/PhD student in the Georgetown University School of Medicine and Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (IPN). He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2023 with a B.S. in Physiological Science & Neuroscience and a minor in the Study of Religion. During this time, he was an undergraduate researcher studying sensorimotor vocal learning in zebra finch songbirds in Dr. Stephanie White’s laboratory. Following UCLA, Ariel served as a Seton Teaching Fellow in the South Bronx, NY, where he taught middle school English and Catholic studies. He then matriculated into Georgetown’s combined MD/PhD program in 2024 and completed his first two years of medical school before joining the IPN full time in 2026. Outside of the lab, Ariel enjoys long-distance running, graphic designing, checking out Catholic events, cooking Filipino dishes, & coming up with dad jokes/puns.