04/28/2026
⭐Student Spotlight- HCIR Edition
Lauren Liening is a sophomore majoring in Psychology and minoring in Neuroscience.
“For my poster, I examined which brain regions are uniquely associated with depression symptoms in children with and without ADHD. Though this topic was challenging to cover, it was also incredibly interesting, as I was able to learn how to analyze and interpret data relating to ADHD and brain structure. I'm really excited to learn more about this topic and hope to present more posters at future conferences.
As an undergraduate who struggles with public speaking, HCIR was a great way to gain experience presenting a research poster without the pressures of attending a larger conference. Everyone at the event was incredibly supportive and willing to engage with many of the projects on display. I was able to talk with students and faculty from other colleges in Illinois, though my favorite part was getting to meet other students who were also interested in ADHD, psychology, or neuroscience.
Attending the symposium with other SIU students was a lot of fun. Elizabeth, Marlee, and Kyla all had really interesting and unique projects that I really enjoyed learning about. Betsy and Dr. Ruffner were amazing and wholeheartedly supported all four of us. Any undergraduate students interested in presenting or discussing a research project should absolutely apply to HCIR. 10 out of 10, would recommend.”
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