Kristel Topping, Ph.D.
Ph.D. Physiology 2021
Distinguished Young Scientist Excellent Award
Kristel Yu Tiamco Bayani Topping earned her Ph.D in Applied Physiology with a concentration in neuroscience. Excelling in research, instruction, and community engagement during her Ph.D. program, she investigated cognitive and motor learning, published three first-author papers, and won numerous teaching awards and nominations. Topping is currently a principal researcher at The Home Depot, where she leads research and data-driven strategy and has earned two executive awards since she started in 2021. An active alumna, she frequently speaks at alumni panel events and is an inaugural member of the College of Sciences Young Alumni Board.
How Georgia Tech prepared me for a successful career
“I have been so fortunate to be trained and influenced by amazing research professors while I was at Georgia Tech. Whether it was a research advisor or a fellow instructor I worked with, I am a better scientist, critical thinker and person thanks to the example they set and the mentorship they provided. Georgia Tech helped me develop one of the things that I am most proud of which is translatable in any field I enter—grit. I learned how to push through despite challenges and adversity. I learned how to be creative and think outside the box while also developing mental resilience. And I learned that with passion, perseverance, and a good heart we can be unstoppable.”
