Student Spotlight

Each month we highlight one of our MSTP students. This month's highlight is: 

Esther Jung 

Esther Jung

Area of Study: Neuroscience Graduate Program
Hometown: Irvine, California

Academics

Research interests

  • Stress
  • Motivation
  • Behavior
  • Neuropsychiatric disorders

Awards, honors, publications:

  • Rilling JK, Lee M, Zhou C, Jung E, Arrant E, Davenport-Nicholson A, Zhang X, Ethun K. 2025. Hormonal changes in first-time human fathers in relation to paternal investment. Hormones and Behavior. 171:105740–105740. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105740.
  • Rilling JK, Lee M, Zhou C, Jung E, Arrant E, Wu S, Cooper JA, Davenport‐Nicholson A, Treadway MT. 2025. The transition to human fatherhood involves increased brain activation to infant stimuli in regions involved with reward and motivation. Journal of Neuroendocrinology. 38(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.70127.

Long term goals/ aspirations

  • Run my own lab as a physician-scientist
  • Visit every national park in the U.S.
  • Learn to withstand Midwestern winters

Post MSTP Training dream job

  • Academic physician-scientist in a big city

Fun Facts

What you enjoy outside of school

  • Rock climbing with friends
  • Knitting
  • Watching movies
  • Spending time with my two cats

A talent you have always wanted

Perfect pitch

Favorite book

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Favorite quote

“Well, that's the way it crumbles, cookie-wise!” – C.C. Baxter (The Apartment, 1960)

Can’t live without

Homemade matcha lattes with earl grey syrup 

If you weren’t in MSTP, what would you be doing now?

Living on a wool farm in Europe – raising alpacas and Merino sheep, shearing and spinning their wool into yarn, and hand-knitting garments 

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