Dr. Catherine Mikkelsen is a candidate for a tenure track position in the Neuroscience and Behavior Department. Bridging the gap from basic science to mental health research, this talk will first explore how neurons can represent the salient features of stimuli. Second, it will explore how individual variability in these neural representations predict mental health outcomes in the face of stress. Embedded throughout, it will show how “big data” can be leveraged to promote undergraduate research.