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UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH HUB UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH HUB
  1. Undergraduate Research
  2. Research Mentors
  3. Outstanding Mentor Awards
  4. URH Outstanding Mentor Award
  5. Miranda Koloski

Miranda Koloski

2026 URH Faculty Mentor Award Recipient

Giordano Lippi Headshot

Please tell us a bit about your educational background and current research.

Dr. Koloski received her PhD in Psychology from the University of New Hampshire and went on to complete postdoctoral training at the University of California San Diego, supported by a T32 fellowship in Biopsychiatry and Neuroscience. Currently she is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UCSD and a Research Scientist at VA San Diego. Her research uses preclinical, animal models, to study neural network impairments after traumatic brain injury or neuropsychiatric disorders with hopes of restoring brain activity to remediate function.

Did you do research as an undergraduate student? How did you get started in your current field?

I started volunteering in a basic neuroscience research lab as a second year undergraduate. I found that the applied research "brought to life" concepts I was learning about in class. It was challenging, technically demanding, and I soon realized there were lots of unexplored questions. I loved my undergraduate lab experience so much that I stuck around the same lab for graduate school!

Who are some of your most memorable mentors? How did you meet them?

I have been lucky enough to have a handful of thoughtful, supportive mentors who helped push me on my own independent trajectory. I met my graduate school mentor (Dr. Robert Mair, University of New Hampshire) through undergraduate research. He was the first to make me believe that my scientific opinion was valued. My postdoctoral mentor (Dr. Ramanathan, UCSD) found ME and reached out about an open position - it felt fortuitous and right away he made me like I had ownership over the science and my pathway to independence. Because my field is largely male dominated, I have also sought out female mentorship, women who can speak to specific challenges and offer advice on a personal and professional level.
Why do you enjoy being a mentor?
I recognize the science is collaborative and I enjoy the new, fresh, creative ideas that come from my mentees. I enjoy getting to start a spark and then watch my mentees launch off on their own trajectories.

What is the most useful piece of advice a mentor gave you?

There isn't a "right" way to do it. Make it work for you, whether that be in science, professional, or personal advancement.