Summary
Aziza Abugaliyeva, a recent graduate of the Biological Sciences program at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, has been honored with the Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research. Her innovative project, which combines neuroscience and computational biology to explore the genetic basis of Alzheimer's disease, was recognized by the Department of Biological Sciences at Carnegie Mellon’s Pittsburgh campus. The project has already resulted in a peer-reviewed publication, a remarkable achievement for an undergraduate student.
Aziza Abugaliyeva, a new Biological Sciences graduate from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, has received the Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research in Experimental or Computational Biology. The award, given by CMU’s Department of Biological Sciences, recognizes a graduating senior who has demonstrated outstanding and sustained achievement in research.
Abugaliyeva earned the distinction for her innovative, interdisciplinary project that combines neuroscience and computational biology to investigate the genetic underpinnings of Alzheimer’s disease. The project, a first of its kind at the CMU-Q campus, merged computational analysis with traditional lab work.
“Aziza has consistently demonstrated the core attributes of a true scientist,” said Nesrine Affara, associate teaching professor of biological sciences and one of Abugaliyeva’s mentors. “She is a resilient and independent researcher who takes initiative. Her project has already resulted in a peer-reviewed article, which is a remarkable achievement for an undergraduate.”
Mentorship is a key component of the research culture at Carnegie Mellon. Abugaliyeva also worked closely with Saad Rasool, a 2018 Biological Sciences graduate who also served as a research mentor.
“One of my main goals as a mentor is to encourage students to become more confident in their abilities by publishing and presenting their work,” Rasool noted. “I am incredibly proud of Aziza for not only publishing her work, but also presenting it at multiple conferences, setting a high bar for other students to follow.”
For Abugaliyeva, the experience has solidified her professional ambitions.
“My career goal is to become a professor,” Abugaliyeva stated. “I want to promote neuroscience education globally and, one day, have my own lab to study the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer’s.”
The award is named for the late Elizabeth W. Jones, a distinguished professor of biological sciences at Carnegie Mellon for more than four decades. Jones was a passionate and influential champion for undergraduate research, and the award celebrates students who embody her spirit of scientific inquiry, creativity, and independence.
