Jiarui earned her B.S. in Neurobiology and Applied Mathematics followed by an M.S. in Biology from UC San Diego. Her early research in the Komiyama Lab investigated synaptic plasticity in the context of motor learning, while her later work in the Leutgeb Labs explored working memory and temporal coding. These experiences shaped her fascination with how populations of neurons robustly encode, maintain, and retrieve information while reflecting the ever-changing internal states and environments.