CELLAS ARI'KA HAYES, PHD

I’m a neuroscientist and Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University, where I’m also a proud Propel Scholar, BWF-Postdoctoral Diversity Enrichment Program Awardee, and a HABS-HD Health Equity Scholars Program Fellow. My research centers on understanding how vascular health impacts neurodegeneration, particularly in underserved populations. Using a multidisciplinary approach that combines neuroimaging outcomes, large-scale databases, and advanced biostatistical methods, I aim to uncover how vascular contributions influence brain aging and the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

As a first-generation college graduate (BA 2019), I’m honored to have become the first Black male to earn a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a focus on Pharmacology at the University of Mississippi. During my doctoral journey, I led my cohort as Class Marshall and made history by securing the prestigious NIH NRSA F31 fellowship—the first in 37 years at my institution and the first awarded to a Black trainee there. My research during that time focused on neuroendocrine modulators like IGF-1 and their role in protecting the brain from ischemic stroke.

My long-term vision is to establish a collaborative, interdisciplinary lab that investigates the intersection of vascular health and neurodegenerative diseases, while fostering an inclusive environment for training the next generation of diverse scientists.