In short

Megan G. Massa is a new Assistant Teaching Professor at Emory University. They were previously a Visiting Assistant Professor at Haverford College for the 2022-2023 academic year, where they taught Feminist Neuroscience (Psych 357) both semesters, Behavioral Neuroscience (Psych 217) in the Fall, and Research Methods and Statistics (Psych 200) in the Spring. Megan earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience (with a focus in neuroendocrinology) at UCLA in the lab of Dr. Stephanie Correa studying how sex variables affect feeding behavior. Their work also encompasses a philosophical interrogation into our understanding of sex variables, often engaging in feminist and queer theories to deepen and strengthen her scientific understanding. Megan is dedicated to inclusive, equitable, and critical pedagogy, science, and mentorship. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award from UCLA’s Academic Senate, the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, AAC&U Cross Future Leaders Award, and the Collegium of University Teaching Fellowship.

Background

During their time at Bowdoin College (B.A. Neuroscience, English minor), Megan worked in the lab of Richmond Thompson, Ph.D. investigating the rapid, non-genomic effects of testosterone on mating behaviors in response to pheromonal cues in male goldfish. Following her graduation in May 2014, Megan received a German Fulbright research grant to work in the lab of Prof. Dr. Ralf Gold under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Aiden Haghikia at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum. While abroad, they refined a methodology to derive neurons from the renal cells of MS patients via an iPSC procedure. And after being hired for a second year under contract from the St. Josef-Hospital Klinikum, she researched the differential effects of androgen treatment on the inflammatory and neurodegenerative phases of MS in female mice. Megan completed laboratory rotations in the labs of Dr. Stephanie Correa, Dr. Paul Micevych, and Dr. Barney Schlinger at UCLA prior to joining the Correa lab.