Graduate Student

43 Vassar Street, Office: 46-4033D
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
Email: anique27@mit.edu
Connect: LinkedIn

Ph.D. Student, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, present
B.A., California State University, Los Angeles

Kanique is a doctoral student in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Program at MIT
and an NSF GRF Fellow utilizing neuroimaging techniques to investigate variability
in neural circuit dynamics and their influence on perception, cognition, and mental
health symptoms. Her work aims to identify modifiable biomarkers that inform non-
pharmacological interventions and advance predictive, precision-based mental health
strategies.

Kanique earned her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Los Angeles.
She subsequently conducted post-baccalaureate research at the NIH National Institute
of Neurological Disorders and Stroke under Dr. Avi Nath and Dr. Govind Nair,
focusing on identifying distinct biomarkers in aviremic HIV. She also worked at the
National Institute of Mental Health with Dr. Carlos Zarate and Dr. Nadia Hejazi in the
Sleep and Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branches, assessing the
effects of pharmacological interventions on major depressive disorder and sleep states.
Beyond her research, Kanique served as a federal advocate through the MIT Graduate
Student Council (GSC), contributing to Congressional support of the restoration and
expansion of National STEM Bridge Programs. In addition to her research and policy
work, she takes joy in dance, animals, and community-building, bringing these
passions into her role as a Graduate Resident Advisor, mentoring MIT undergraduates
alongside her sweet doggie, Daisie.