Charlotte Ava Rosario
The Nueva School
San Mateo, California
Examining Brain Structure and Mental Health Differences in Pubertal Transgender and Cisgender Youth
Charlotte explored the link between mental health and brain structure.
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Charlotte Ava Rosario, 17, of Hillsborough, studied links between gender, mental health and brain volume for her Regeneron Science Talent Search neuroscience project. Changes during puberty can shape brain areas linked to depression and anxiety. Researchers don’t know why brain structure differs by gender identity or how it affects mental health.
In her project, Charlotte analyzed data from 20 transgender and 23 cisgender teens. They had their brains scanned and filled out surveys. Transgender teens had more signs of anxiety and depression than their peers. They also had differences in volume in certain brain areas linked to mental health. Charlotte also found a link between brain volume and mood. Transgender males with more volume in the right thalamus had greater depression symptoms. She believes her work offers a more nuanced view of teen health and can help tailor mental health care to each person.
Charlotte, the daughter of Nancy Lee, attends The Nueva School, where she leads the varsity soccer team. Spurred by her father’s suicide, Charlotte has devoted herself to improving mental health care. She partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to build and launch SearchMentalHealth, an AI tool that connects people to mental health support.
Beyond the Project
Charlotte founded The Community Photobooth, which takes family photos to support overlooked causes. The program has raised more than $45,000 to support child refugees and others.
