Community Spotlight: Beverly Setzer
February 21, 2025
Postdoc researcher Beverly Setzer describes her research and some of her goals.
Mindy Blodgett | IMES
Beverly Setzer is a post-doctoral researcher in the Lewis Lab. She started this position in August, but joined the lab as a PhD student in 2019, back when Laura Lewis, Athinoula A. Martinos Associate Professor of IMES and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), was based at Boston University. Prior to MIT, Setzer studied computational neuroscience at BU and mathematics at North Carolina State University.
“I have a broad passion for science, and love that it allows me to be curious, creative, and collaborative.,” Beverly says.
In the Lewis Lab, she studies how the brain transitions in and out of sleep. Her first paper in the lab investigated how people awaken from sleep, “as this represents a profound shift in cognition with poorly understood mechanisms.”
“We discovered specific brain dynamics that underly awakening from sleep by leveraging advanced, multi-modal imaging techniques,” Beverly says. “Currently, I’m investigating how fluctuations in arousal state are tied to ongoing, rhythmic brain activity. You are probably familiar with the feeling of drifting in and out of sleep when you're drowsy. That phenomenon is a good example of what I’m studying now!”
As the subject of this Community Spotlight, Beverly tells us more about her background and some of her hopes and dreams.
- What do you enjoy about being at MIT and/or at IMES?
My favorite part about being at MIT is having access to impeccable resources, including people, facilities, and equipment. It’s amazing to see how our fields are constantly being pushed forward through collaborative efforts here. Plus, the free sail boats!
- What are you hoping to accomplish with your career?
In the long term, I hope to move my career towards medical technology. I feel most accomplished when my work directly benefits people. As I wrap up my current project in the Lewis Lab, I am actively looking for career opportunities. If anyone in IMES or HST is also interested in med-tech or neuro-tech, I would be happy to connect!
- IMES has launched the IMES Community Funds program. You have applied with an idea for ongoing events in which people can gather for dinner, drinks and “5-minute Talks.” Can you tell us more about this?
Do you have a zany interest, or have you ever fallen into a random information pit on the internet? Do you have something that you just NEED to rant about? Come to 5-Minute Talks, and tell us about it! At 5-Minute Talks, we invite you to give a five-minute presentation about, well, anything you want. The only requirement is that it’s NOT on your research. Some examples of 5-minute talks of the past are: Battle of the Boys: Drake vs Kendrick; How to Stay Hip; B*tching About Birds: Fowl Language; Why Miller Light is the Best Beer, and many more. The purpose of 5-Minute Talks is to have a laugh with your community and hopefully learn something new in the process. We will have a sign-up sheet before our event so that you can see what everyone else is talking about.
- What do you like to do in your spare time?
My favorite things to do are dancing, laughing, and breathing fresh air with friends. I love listening to music, exploring nature, and learning about other’s cultures. I will try any food I’m offered, and love finding new recipes (luau chicken stew!? So good). I’m up for almost anything creative and enjoy documenting life through photos, writing, and drawing. My hobbies change often, but recently I’ve been really excited about aerial silks!
- What is on your bucket list?
There are so many places I want to see and skills I want to learn. I want to drive down the coast of Portugal, hike through Banff, Canada, and see Brazil through my best friend’s eyes (it’s her home). On the hobby side, I will definitely learn to silver-work one day. My biggest dream, though, is to build a community in the woods of North Carolina with my friends and loved ones.
- Can you tell us more about the area where you grew up, what makes it distinctive?
I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. Raleigh is a small city in the heart of North Carolina filled with oak trees, live music, southern hospitality, and most importantly, the people I love. Raleigh is progressive, acting as a major hub for technology in the region with its Research Triangle Park. Raleigh is perfectly located within driving distance of both the mountains and the beach. To the west, you’ll find the Blue Ridge Mountains, where the hills roll on gently and endlessly. To the east, we have soft, expansive, warm-watered beaches. There’s even a beach in the Outer Banks with wild horses! Also, North Carolina is home to the Great Dismal Swamp, where the Venus fly trap is native. Because of our ecological diversity, there are more native species of trees in North Carolina than in the entirety of Europe. I spent the first 22 years of my life there, and I hope to live there again one day.
- What do you hope to be doing in 10 years?
In 10 years, I hope to be established in my career, using my skills in math and science to advance human health technology. I hope that I will have helped ship out a useful product by that point, so that I can see the effects it has in real time. Outside of science, I dream that in 10 years I will have bought my large, tree-filled plot of land in North Carolina. I’ll be drafting a plan to build my own house, and planting seeds in my friend’s minds that they will join me there soon too.