UROP Leader Information Submission: Submission #251

First Name: Maria Eduarda
Last Name: Lima Sandim
Full name as you would like it to appear on the website: Maria Lima Sandim
Preferred Pronouns: she/her
Hometown, State, and Country (ex: Tallahassee, FL, USA): São Paulo, Brazil
FSU email : ml23j@fsu.edu
Please check this box if you are willing to be contacted by students interested in UROP: Yes
LinkedIn URL (optional): {Empty}
Major(s): Biological Sciences
Minor(s): {Empty}
Graduation Semester and Year (ex: Fall, 2022): Spring, 2026
What is your current research focus?:
The current research I am a part of centers on improving the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease by evaluating and comparing candidate predictors in a model-based meta-analytic framework. Building on a recent meta-analysis that showed large, reliable deficits in spatial navigation among individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) compared with cognitively healthy older adults, we are now expanding the scope to multiple biomarker domains.

Are there any other research related activities you participate(d) in?:
Another research project I am currently still participating in aims to strengthen the clinical legitimacy of music therapy in Latino communities by providing information about certification pathways for practitioners and collecting data on community-specific needs—efforts that eventually seek to increase the accessibility and integration of evidence-based music therapy into healthcare settings that serve these populations.

Answer one of the following two questions about being a UROP Leader or your UROP background. : How do you hope to impact your students as a UROP Leader?
Please answer the question you selected above in the area provided.:
As a UROP leader, I hope to pay forward the transformative experience UROP gave me by creating a welcoming, approachable space where students feel both supported and inspired. I want students to leave our classroom with the same sense of possibility and confidence I felt through the support of my own past UROP Leaders.

Please list any other hobbies or interests you would like to share:
Outside of UROP, my main involvements are in CGS (Connecting Girls to Stem) and AMWA. Some things I love to do are traveling and learning about new cultures, reading, and going to the beach. 

Headshot: https://cre.fsu.edu/system/files/webform/urop_leaders_information/19501/462337A8-2D7E-4C44-A72C-AAA522599930.JPEG
{Empty}
2025Year2025: 2025
Approved: No
Update URL UROP Leaders: https://cre.fsu.edu/urop-leader-information-submission?element_parents=elements/headshot&ajax_form=1&_wrapper_format=drupal_ajax&token=8tW3dI_djUgn8pyXAqjHWP_t2JjxTr13gSCUHUba2GE
Years as a UROP Leader: 2025-2026