Erin Purvis Conway, PhD

Erin completed her Bachelor's degree in Biopsychology at the University of California at Santa Barbara and her PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Her PhD research in Dr. D. Kacy Cullen's laboratory focused on developing and characterizing the tissue-engineered rostral migratory stream, which is a regenerative medicine strategy for neuronal redirection and replacement following traumatic brain injury.

As a graduate student, Erin became eager to interact with the community that her research was designed to ultimately benefit. This interest grew into a passion to strengthen the connection between academic researchers and their local communities - a connection that she felt was lacking in her own doctoral training. As a 2022-2024 Provost's Graduate Academic Engagement Fellow at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, she co-created the first formalized academic program for community-engaged scholarship for biomedical PhD students at the University of Pennsylvania, including the Community-Engaged STEM Graduate Certificate Program. After defending her PhD, she joined the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the University of California at Irvine as a Civic Science Fellow supported by the Dana Foundation. At the CNLM, Erin works to strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships and programs between UC Irvine and the local community.