Gabriella Dong

Gabriella Dong is a current senior at Princeton High School. They are originally from Chicago, moved to Princeton a few years ago, and will be moving back to Chicago to attend undergraduate school at the University of Chicago.

They have spent the last three years working at the Institute for Health, Policy and Aging Research at Rutgers University. There, they conducted extensive research to understand underpinnings of cognition, cognitive function, life trauma and resilience within the context of a large population-based longitudinal study of Chinese older adults. This work culminated in two first-author published manuscripts and seven published peer-reviewed abstracts, all of which were presented at the 2019, 2020, and 2021 national Gerontological Society of America (GSA) annual scientific meetings. At Rutgers, Gabriella also volunteered extensively in assisting older adults of minority groups by organizing food drives, health fairs, and rallies, as well as providing assistance with translation between languages.

Additionally, they have worked as a Health Equity Intern at Northwestern University where they researched how COVID-19 has impacted women’s health disparities and evaluated a course dedicated to introducing high school students to the realm of scientific research.

Outside of research, Gabriella has a strong passion to learn, understand, and teach others about current news surrounding social injustices among minority groups around the world. Gabriella also enjoys spending their time with their three younger siblings, practicing piano, listening to music, nature walks, sporadic naps, cooking various styles of eggs, and lifting.