When Athena Stein was a young child in Brisbane, Australia, you could often find her capturing bugs with an entomology book tucked under her arm. She lived right across from Tarradarrapin Creek Wetlands, a swampy area rife with bugs to study. Upon returning home from her nature explorations, Stein barraged her mother with questions.
As is the case with curious children, answers often bring about more questions. Athena would follow up her mother's answers with a "Why?" again and again, as if she was participating in a Socratic seminar. This marked the beginning of her scientific career.
During elementary and middle school, her curiosity about the human brain, how it creates thoughts, and why humans are so different, grew stronger. Seeing people close to her affected by psychiatric disorders only grew her interest and drive to better understand the brain.
By age 10, Stein was so enthralled with how the brain works that her mother predicted that she would pursue a career in research. Many years later, she attended the University of Queensland to pursue a bachelor's in biomedical science with a concentration in neuroscience. She then decided to stay and work towards a Master of Public Health, followed by a PhD in clinical neuroscience in the Acquired Brain Injury in Children research group.
As a graduate student, she investigated the use of non-invasive neurostimulation to improve attention in children with mild to severe brain injury. She also became involved in industry collaborations, and developed a neurostimulation headband that could be used at-home to assist children with limited access to medical care.
Athena's Journey to Chapel Hill
Stein working in the UQ Kid Stim lab in Brisbane, Australia.
With a PhD in hand, Stein had to make a pivotal decision. She looked into furthering her academic career in Europe, moving towards industry, or pursuing psychiatric research in the United States. She chose the latter.
"I wanted to continue this theme of personalizing brain stimulation," said Stein. "I looked all over the world, but this team here, at the Frohlich Lab and the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, is at the cutting edge of neuroscience research. It was clearly the best option."
Flavio Frohlich, PhD, is a professor of psychiatry with joint appointments in the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology and the Joint UNC-NCSU Department of Biomedical Engineering. His lab applies neurobiology, engineering, and medicine to study how the brain, body, and behavior change in response to non-invasive neurostimulation, a neurological technique that applies targeted electric currents to the brain.
Frohlich, who is also a member of the UNC Neuroscience Center, is the founding director of the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation within the UNC Department of Psychiatry, which offers clinical trials of non-invasive brain stimulation for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric illnesses.
Revolutionary Research at the Frohlich Lab
All of our thoughts, behaviors, and perceptions can be traced back to electrical and chemical signals between our brain cells, or neurons. Because of this, scientists since the 18th century have been interested in the inner workings of the brain and how it contributes to disease. Modern researchers have noted that certain physical changes in the brain, such as in brain waves, can be indicators of neuropsychiatric disorders. Studies, for example, have found that some people with depression have increased alpha waves in the left frontal cortex of the brain.
Flavio Frohlich, PhD
Pulvinar Neuro, a company that Frohlich founded, has created a patented, non-invasive neurostimulation device that alters electric activity in the brain via very weak electrical currents. Three electrodes are placed on the head to record brain activity. The person's specific brain activity is then fed into device, which automatically adjusts stimulation according to the person's brain activity. Weak electrical currents are emitted from the electrodes on the head, and pass through the scalp, skull, and into the brain tissue, causing little to no sensation.
Unfortunately, traditional treatment options for psychiatric disorders can be limited. Although medications are the gold standard treatment, many patients do not experience full relief from these medications. For some other patients, medications can cause side effects that make them not want to continue treatment.
Non-invasive brain stimulation could be a more personalized alternative with fewer side effects for those people who do not respond well to traditional treatment options.
"There are a lot of psychiatric disorders that are seen as very difficult to treat," said Stein. "And there are also patients who don't respond well to medication. They have very few, if any, other options at the moment. But, here in the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, we have a potential treatment that could one day be another option for people."
Finding Family in the Lab
Stein came to the States in July 2024. However, her arrival was quickly followed by challenges.
Within her first month of living in the United States, Stein had a minor accident and was admitted to the hospital for 11 hours. It was immediately clear that healthcare in the United States was handled differently than in Australia. In addition, simple tasks like purchasing a car or getting insurances proved to be more challenging than she anticipated.
However, on just her second day of work, Stein was invited to join some members of the lab for dinner, marking the beginning of finding an international family. She discovered that a large portion of the lab was made up of scientists from Switzerland, Germany, various countries in Asia, and many other countries - and that few were actually born and raised in the United States. Being half-German herself, Stein quickly felt at home and welcomed by members of the lab.
Athena Stein, PhD, (front right), Flavio Frohlich, PhD, (back right), and other members of the Frohlich lab.
"It was a difficult time in the beginning," said Stein. "But the helpfulness and the support from people, not just in my team but from everybody here in Chapel Hill, played a big role in helping me overcome these challenges."
Stein hopes to one day lead her own independent research team. But for now, she will continue her neurostimulation research in the Frohlich Lab for a few more years.
In the meantime, Stein remains inspired by other US-born and international researchers in the Frohlich Lab and the variety of experiences they bring to the table. Together, they are inspired by the fact that they are making a huge difference in the lives of individuals around them and in North Carolina who are struggling with mental illness.
"It's a fact that UNC attracts amazing talent and scientists and trainees from across the world," said Stein. "What we share is that understanding that this country and this university really create an amazing environment for people from all kinds of backgrounds across the globe to come and do science together. It makes you feel a bit more at home."
