Zion Abebe

Hi! My name is Zion and I am a senior studying Cognitive Science and Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences. My introduction to research at Penn was through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program, where I spent a summer working on a project under Dr. Harald Schmidt. The project focused on the uses and applications of the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a tool that measures socioeconomic disadvantage and can be used to inform health and policy interventions. Since then, I have worked on research in cognitive neuroscience and international development, as well as an independent project focused on reproductive science.

Research at Penn has allowed me to explore my diverse academic interests, contribute to impactful projects, and gain clarity on the fields I want to pursue long-term. If you are looking to get involved in research at Penn, considering an independent project, or have interests similar to mine, I would be very happy to help! 

• Undergraduate Researcher, Penn Computational Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (June 2025 – Present)
• Summer Research Fellow, PDRI-DevLab (June – August 2025)
• Research Assistant, Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy (May 2023 – July 2024)
• Penn Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program (2023)
• Poster Presentation at CURF Fall Research Expo (2023)