Alena graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular/Cellular Neuroscience at Loyola University Chicago in December 2021. During her undergrad, she worked as an undergraduate research assistant and investigated neurophysiological mechanisms of neurological disorders (focusing on epilepsy); she used Aplysia Californica as an animal model and utilized various research tools, including electrophysiology methods such as field recording and whole cell patch clamp, as well as computer simulation. She joined the CLIMB Study team at the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases as a Technical Research Assistant in June 2022 and helps maintain the CLIMB Study Biorepository.