Julia Papas '17 Speaks with Students about Finding Her Path in Neuroscience

Thanks to MBS graduate Julia Papas ’17, who returned to campus on April 23 to speak with students about “Figuring It Out” — being true to yourself, switching direction when necessary, and finding your passion. Julia, who is currently conducting neuroscience research and pursuing a graduate degree in Applied Behavior Analysis at Rutgers University, shared her own personal journey and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Julia's visit was sponsored by the Career Connections club, which brings MBS students together with high-achieving professionals from a variety of fields each month. 

After graduating from Morristown Beard School, Julia had a last-minute change of heart in her college choice, and switched to Drew University shortly before classes began that September. Although course offerings were limited at that point, she was able to enroll in a Neuroscience class and quickly discovered a passion. “That was my first class at Drew and I was obsessed with it,” she said. “I found something that I loved.”

To further her studies, she opted to transfer at the end of her freshman year and enrolled at Barnard College at Columbia University, where she graduated with a degree in Psychology and a concentration in Neuroscience. In addition, she was involved in several activities, serving as captain of The Columbia University Dance Team and a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. “Extracurriculars in college don’t have to deal with your major,” she told the students. “The leadership that I learned through the dance team was unparalleled.”

After graduating from Barnard, she worked in neuropsychology private practice on clinical trials for Alzheimer’s Disease before working at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in the Neurology Department as a Research Training Specialist.  There, she researched Alzheimer’s Disease and Long COVID/Acute COVID Syndrome, and was a coauthor of “Factors Associated with Attitudes Toward Research MRI in Older Asian Americans” in Alzheimer's Association's journal, Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions.

In addition to pursuing a graduate education, Julia works as a Behavioral Health Technician in the Pediatric Feeding Disorders program at Children’s Specialized Hospital in Mountainside.

Julia emphasized that students should stay true to themselves, be kind to everyone at all times, and realize that they are in charge of their future. 

She closed her presentation by highlighting the tremendous impact of former MBS teacher and coach Eddie Franz, and the power of his belief in her. “He was my favorite person in the entire world and always will be. Whenever I’m doing something I always ask myself, ‘What would Franz do? What would Franz say?’” Whenever I doubt myself I think about him and how he never did,” said Julia, adding that she aspires to make a similar positive impact on those around her. “The only thing that really matters is the impact you have on other people and how you make other people feel.”