PSY Research Spotlight with Keeley Stankus

July 22, 2025 - Shelly DeJong

As a first-year psychology student, Keeley Stankus was awarded a Provost’s Undergraduate Research Initiative (PURI) Award to help fund her research in Dr. Alexandra Castillo-Ruiz's lab where they are looking at the impact of Cesarean births on brain development. Here Keeley shares about her research journey, what she's currently doing in the lab, and what advice she has for other students.

 

How did you get started working in the Castillo-Ruiz Lab? 

I went to the psychology tailgate for incoming students at the start of the fall semester, and someone mentioned that the best way to get involved in research is to just reach out. I was interested in neuropsychology, so I went back to my dorm and started emailing different professors about opportunities. Dr. Alex Castillo-Ruiz was just opening her lab and needed student researchers, so we set up an interview! I feel very lucky to have this research opportunity as a first-year student. 

 

What appeals to you about behavioral neuroscience? 

I find it fascinating how we have a plethora of sensations and behaviors that all tie back to our brains. Everything related to human emotions, thoughts, and actions can be explained by our inner neural connections. In fact, the complexity of humans actually becomes quite simple when looking at what programs us. I also find it interesting how malleable-or plastic-our brain is. Everything from the way our parents raised us to the individual microbes that colonized us during birth plays a crucial role in creating our unique personalities. I just think it's so fascinating. I love the brain, everything about it.  

  

What are you doing in the lab? 

I started off in the lab sitting at a computer, watching video recordings of mice and analyzing their social behavior. I then progressed to doing more hands-on activities in the lab including working a 13-hour night shift assisting Dr. Castillo-Ruiz with the birthing process of the mice! I helped with both C-sections and vaginal births, setting up the experiments for my PURI Award project. More recently, I got to analyze social behavior by conducting a three-chamber test with both novelty and sociability phases. Experiencing the arena in person and witnessing the test take place was really rewarding for me as a psychologist. Being involved in the research has been an amazing experience.  

 

What research are you doing with your PURI Award? 

My PURI award project is on birth mode and its impact on mouse social behavior. We are conducting experiments with both vaginal and C-section born adult mice, then scanning areas of the brain that relate to social behavior and examining any differences that might arise from the different birth modes. Our research is vital to better understand how deviations from a natural birthing experience can impact brain development. It is especially important due to the high rates of C-sections present in our modern world, which epidemiological studies hint that humans born via C-section are at greater risk to be diagnosed with conditions with strong social deficits, like autism. 

 

Have you had any favorite classes so far? 

My favorite class so far was my Brain and Behavior class that I took in the fall semester. That was what really got me interested in the neuroscience side of psychology. There is so much happening in the brain and it's just so cool.  

  

Do you have any tips for new students at MSU? 

I would say to reach out to professors. For me, I reached out and got the most amazing opportunity. It’s such a big campus and there are so many groups and so many opportunities. If you see something that you want to learn more about, don’t be afraid to reach out.