Formerly a mechanic that started out as a Mechanical Engineering major, Shafa Ismail is now a third-year undergraduate at the University of Iowa majoring in Biomedical Engineering (B.E) and Neuroscience (B.S). Her current research interests include the neurobiology of impulsivity and impulse-control disorders, particularly pathological gambling and substance use disorders. In the future, she hopes to combine her backgrounds in engineering and neuroscience towards developing novel treatments for neurological and psychiatric illnesses. When she’s not swamped with academic deadlines, she enjoys playing video games, reading horror novels, playing the guitar, and making fun of poorly-made art house cinema.