Dr. Shikha
Prashad

By the time I started college, I had lived in 6 countries. Moving so often and learning about different cultures taught me flexibility, curiosity, and an appreciation for diverse perspectives. These values continue to shape how I approach research, collaboration, and mentorship.

I earned my B.A. in Biology and Computer Science from Bryn Mawr College, where I first became captivated by the complexity of the brain. That interest led me to pursue a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, under the mentorship of Dr. Jane Clark. There, I learned about Kinesiology, the science of human movement, and I became really curious about how the brain learn new movements. My dissertation used electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate how brain activity changes as we learn new motor skills, and how these neural patterns differ in older adults and individuals with Parkinson’s disease. These questions remain central to my work today.

Following my Ph.D., I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas at Dallas with Dr. Francesca Filbey, where I expanded my methodological toolkit to include functional MRI (fMRI) and studied how cannabis use affects the brain. I then joined Washington State University as an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology before coming to the University of Texas at Arlington, where I direct the Cognitive Motor Neuroscience Lab.

My journey across countries, disciplines, and institutions has shaped how I approach science: with curiosity, adaptability, and a belief that the best insights emerge when we bring diverse perspectives together.

Outside the lab, I enjoy cooking dishes from around the world, traveling, reading, playing tennis, and fostering rescue dogs. I believe that the best scientists are whole people with full lives, and I try to model that for my students.