“Looking at the same thing in a different perspective could make you have a eureka moment.”
Introduction:
Emma Soopramanierm, a B.Sc. graduate student and a member of BNA talks about neuroscience, BNA, the British Neuroscience Association, career opportunities, and the importance of mental health.
Segment 1: Back to the future:
Just like how a child would look up to the stars with wonder in their eyes, Emma’s curiosity about the brain began with her reading the encyclopedia of the human body. The zeal to study and understand how the brain functions got her enrolled in the neuroscience program at Queen Mary, University of London. Owing to the multidisciplinary nature of neuroscience, Emma explains that a stronghold of biology with basic knowledge of physics, chemistry, and mathematics is a prerequisite. She goes on to describe how scientists decipher the functions of the brain, the neural metabolic⁄signaling pathways using immunohistochemistry on brain sections and or using model organisms.
Segment 2: The game changer
Emma finds herself extremely fortunate for her university to have paid for the BNA membership. She acknowledges BNA for helping her interact with neuroscientists during symposiums and workshops. Being upfront and reaching out to distinguished members is a challenge that she often takes up. As a volunteer at BNA, Emma also shares event details about the annual flagship fest BNA 2021 and is hopeful that the webinars would ignite the younger minds to take up neuroscience.
Segment 3: The way forward
With respect to the job opportunities, Emma shares that most people opt for research, academia, and teaching. However, a few aspire to join industries for the development of medicines, technology, and products that aim to improve the lives of the public and the health of the planet. Framing legislation and administration of scientific policies is another important job domain which she feels is booming internationally.
But for Emma, plans to pursue a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Cognitive neuroscience, she also aims to work on public engagement; as a science communicator to spread the knowledge about the advancements in neuroscience.
For people who find science concepts challenging, Emma suggests that investing an extra bit of effort, and using an alternate mode of learning YouTube videos is a way to better learning. She cites an example of her professor using an animated video to explain the parts of the brain that helped her trigger memory.
Emma concludes by talking about the most important topic: mental health It is important that you take care of your mental health, regardless of what field you are going into”. A balance in work, health, social life, and sleep is the key.