Frost, Mia

Senior, College of Science and Health

Major: Neuroscience

Minors: Creative Writing, Psychological Research Methods

Thesis Director: Ted Anton, Department of English

Faculty Reader: Dorothy Kozlowszki, Department of Biology / Department of Neuroscience

Bio: Hailing all the way from Evanston, Illinois, Mia Frost’s dual interests in behavioral/cognitive neuroscience and creative writing is what influenced the topic and execution of her thesis project. She has been writing stories since she was old enough to hold a pencil, but she has always had an interest in the human brain. She wonders which will happen first: She publishes her first novel or she finishes a neuroscience PhD? Outside of academics, she enjoys running, making playlists, and watching video essays on vaguely-nostalgic media.

Abstract: For her thesis project, Mia has developed a short story about a teenage girl with DID, in which her DID was explored through creative elements found in comic books. To craft her protagonist, Mia has reviewed case studies, personal stories, and interviews that feature real people with DID in order to portray the condition through an informed and respectful lens. Her two objectives for this thesis are: 1) to demonstrate an accurate and creative depiction of DID that will challenge stigmatization around the disorder, and 2) to analyze the significant role popular media can play in the de-stigmatization of DID.