April 2026 | Celebrating Camila for an Incredible Year of Achievements
We’re excited to share another big round of accomplishments for Camila Gutierrez—because she keeps setting the bar higher every year!
Last year, Camila received the MU Honors College Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award (2025). This year, she followed it up with an even more impressive set of honors.
A Season of Distinctions
Camila received the Award for Academic Distinction, a university-wide honor recognizing students who go beyond the classroom—pursuing knowledge deeply, sharing it broadly, and contributing meaningfully to campus intellectual life.
She also received the Outstanding Senior Research Award in the Division of Biological Sciences, awarded to the top graduating researcher in a highly competitive pool.
At Show Me Research Week 2026, where 433 students presented their work and only a small fraction across all disciplines received recognition, she won a Life Sciences Award! Read more about the highlights here.
Adding to these accolades, Camila will be recognized at the Honors Capstone in Psychological Sciences ceremony. She is graduating with departmental honors—the highest academic distinction available within the department.
Uncovering the Biological Roots of Risk Drinking Behavior
Working under the mentorship of Dr. Roberto Cofresi, Camila has been diveing deep into the world of neuroimaging. Her research focuses on using MRI analysis to better understand how alcohol sensitivity and risky drinking behaviors are reflected in the physical structure of the brain. She has specifically looked at how alcohol use relates to changes in gray matter volume, mastering complex tools like CAT12 to map these neuroanatomical differences in young adults. Her research was supported by MizzouForward Undergraduate Research Training Grant for this academic year.
We’re incredibly proud of her and excited to see where she goes next. Camila is absolutely an emerging star in science.
Congratulations, Camila!