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Ilana Cohen
Ilana Cohen (She/Her/Hers) has been a STEM Content Contributor at Research Girl, Inc. since August of 2024. Her current scholarly research, and content contributions to Research Girl, Inc., focus on psychology and neuroscience.
About
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Languages: English
Biographical Sketch:
Ilana Cohen is a graduate of Barnard College and from Irvine, California. When Ilana was younger, she developed an interest in neuroscience and psychology and began reading books and articles recommended by her older sister, who was studying neuroscience. Ilana developed a passion for the mental health field as she supported several friends through mental health struggles. In high school, she worked with children as a camp counselor and classroom assistant, which transitioned well into her early research experiences in developmental psychology.
Once Ilana entered Barnard College, majoring in Psychology and Human Rights, she began pursuing research opportunities. In her first position, she worked in a bilingualism lab studying language development. Here, she learned some small details about how research works, and worked in data entry. The next summer, she began a position at a Cerebral Palsy research lab, working to determine the effectiveness of intensive versus more spaced out sessions of motor learning therapy. This position was very hands-on and collaborative among professionals from various fields.
During her junior year at Barnard, Ilana began working at a moral development lab. She started off working in recruitment, scheduling, and running participants. She completed her senior thesis focused on children's moral judgments, learning how to design a study from the very beginning, and see it through to the end. She learned how to analyze data, write a research paper from start to finish, and present findings.
After graduating with her BA in Psychology and Human Rights, Ilana began working full-time in clinical research at Penn Medicine in the Department of Neurology on the Epilepsy Research Team. She has been learning about the field of neurology, clinical trials in medicine, and conducting assessments. She also began volunteering for Crisis Text Line and writing for the 988 Lifeline You Matter Blog.
Recently, Ilana founded a social media platform, Psych Grad Network, dedicated to providing support to psychology majors in choosing and pursuing their postgraduate path, after realizing there was a lack of support for students pursuing a career in Psychology. On Instagram and TikTok, you'll find advice for pursuing psychology research and clinical opportunities in undergrad, as well as different paths for grad school, and spotlights from people in different related careers.
Ilana is grateful for the variety of her research experiences, and is excited to share what she has learned about research with younger students. She is passionate about making academia more accessible, and she hopes to continue working in research as she pursues a career in psychology.