When Sreenidhi (Sree) Surineni learned he had been selected as a recipient of the prestigious Marshall Scholarship, one of the first calls he made was to the mentors who had supported him throughout his journey at the University of California, Riverside.
"It was really cool to share that moment with them and see how far I came," Surineni said. "They saw me from my freshman year to now my senior year."
This fall, the neuroscience major will travel to the United Kingdom to attend Imperial College London, where he will pursue master's degrees in neurotechnology and medical device design. The highly competitive Marshall Scholarship will fully fund two years of postgraduate study, providing Surineni with the opportunity to learn from world-class faculty while advancing his long-term goal of developing technologies to help people living with neurodegenerative diseases.
For Surineni, the opportunity represents the next step in a journey that began when he arrived at UCR as an undergraduate eager to pursue research.
"I applied on a whim," he said. "I came to visit the campus and really fell in love with it."
The university's strong commitment to undergraduate research played a major role in his decision to enroll.
"I got to learn a lot about the research opportunities and how undergraduates were able to get into research really, really early on," he said. "That was super exciting for me."
Surineni wasted little time getting involved.
As a freshman, he joined the laboratory of Dr. Sika Zheng in UCR's biomedical sciences department, where he began researching Alzheimer's disease and RNA splicing. His work focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms that may contribute to the disease, including why women account for nearly two-thirds of Alzheimer's patients.
Over time, Surineni became increasingly involved in the research process, developing skills that would shape both his academic and professional aspirations.
Among his contributions was the development of a machine learning model designed to identify axonal swellings—one of the hallmark pathologies associated with Alzheimer's disease—in microscopic images. The tool dramatically reduced analysis time from several days to just minutes.
"It cut down our analysis time from two to three days down to about five minutes," he said.
Beyond the technical skills he gained, Surineni credits research with teaching him how to think critically and tackle complex problems.
"Being able to read research papers quickly and thoroughly and get the crux out of a paper is something I learned from research," he said. "It also set me up really well for having the right mindset for attacking any problems I face."
Those experiences ultimately inspired his interest in neurotechnology and brain-computer interfaces, an emerging field focused on creating devices that can communicate directly with the brain.
Surineni hopes to help address one of the biggest challenges facing neuroscience today: developing new solutions for patients living with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
"The brain doesn't have a device like that," he said, comparing current treatment options to medical technologies such as pacemakers and dialysis machines. "Right now, we're working on medications, but there's no in-between solution for people going through these debilitating diseases."
His graduate studies at Imperial College London will allow him to further explore these questions while gaining international research experience.
"I've always wanted to go to the UK," he said. "I want to work with world-class faculty and see how they do things on the other side of the pond."
While his research accomplishments have been significant, they represent only part of Surineni's impact during his time at UCR.
At age 16, he founded Enlight Education, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to STEM education for students around the world. Motivated by disparities in educational opportunities across communities and countries, Surineni set out to help bridge the gap.
"I wanted to make sure every single student, if they wanted it, had access to good STEM education," he said.
What began as a small initiative has grown into an international organization with more than 1,000 volunteers. Today, Enlight Education operates in every state across the United States, has secured government contracts in India, and has reached approximately 85,000 students worldwide.
For Surineni, the organization's mission remains deeply personal.
"I keep doing it because seeing the kids have that lightbulb moment is something that keeps pushing me forward," he said.
As he prepares to leave for London, he hopes the UCR chapter of Enlight Education will continue expanding opportunities for future students through STEM fairs, hackathons and outreach programs.
Reflecting on his undergraduate experience, Surineni says the people at UCR made the greatest difference.
"It's been great," he said. "I love the support system you get as a UCR student. All the staff members and faculty are really supportive and the community you get to build with other students is incredible."
That support, he says, helped transform an ambitious freshman into a Marshall Scholar, researcher and nonprofit founder.
"I wouldn't be here without UCR," he said. "UCR nurtured me from freshman year all the way through senior year to pursue research, do well in my classes and achieve what I wanted to do."
Looking ahead, Surineni is still considering whether he will pursue a Ph.D. after completing his master's degrees. Regardless of the path he chooses, his vision remains clear: advancing brain-computer interface technology and developing innovative solutions that improve the lives of people living with neurological disorders.
For now, however, his focus is on the next chapter.
This September, Surineni will board a flight to London, carrying with him the lessons, mentorship and opportunities that defined his time at UC Riverside—and a determination to use science and innovation to make a lasting impact on the world.
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