Professional Development

Graduate Admissions in the Time of COVID-19

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT

This webinar is exclusive for SfN members. Please log in or join or renew your membership below for access.

As a new school year approaches, graduate neuroscience training programs are having to consider how COVID is changing not just their current trainees but also how they recruit and evaluate this year’;s applications for admissions. In this discussion panel, four speakers involved in graduate admission at their universities will share the conversations they are having about changes to the upcoming admission cycle, as well as the known and unknown factors complicating these decisions. Attendees are encouraged to bring their questions and experiences to share with the panelists and the rest of the neuroscience training community.

The Power of Networks

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Within the fast-paced world of research, being well-connected often plays a crucial role when building and developing a career.

The definition of a "professional network" may depend on whom you ask. They can be informal or formal and come in many shapes and forms. Some networks are linked to institutions, and others are associated with scientific disciplines. In addition, networks can span regional, national, and international levels.

This webinar will show you the broad landscape of European neuroscience networks. Following an introduction to networks and their role in neuroscience, you’;ll hear presentations focusing on specific types of networks, with concrete examples. You’;ll listen to testimonials from scientists at different career stages on how they’;ve benefited from being part of a network. You’;ll also have the chance to ask panelists your questions during a live Q&A.

Getting the Most Out of the Annual Meeting

Tue, 11 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Whether you are an annual meeting veteran, or you are attending for the first time, proper planning is key to a successful experience. From lectures and poster sessions to professional development workshops and the NeuroJobs Career Center, this webinar will showcase the different types of learning and networking opportunities at the meeting. ;

This webinar will discuss tips on:

Understanding different types of events
Taking advantage of professional development and networking opportunities ;
Planning your schedule in advance ;

Demystifying the Academic Chalk Talk

Mon, 12 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Even though academic chalk talks are often a core component of the interview process for faculty positions in academia, they can be one of the most mysterious steps of the process.

In this webinar, get advice from faculty members at a variety of career stages on how to give and assess academic chalk talks, which require you to summarize your short-term specific aims, long-term research plans, and funding sources, as well as demonstrate your speaking and teaching abilities.

You will hear about:

Approaches to thoughtful preparation.
General do’;s and don’;ts.
Ways the chalk talk experience differs when you’;re the one assessing it rather than giving it.

Whether you’;re a postdoc or graduate student preparing to go on the job market or a faculty member sitting on a hiring committee, this webinar is relevant for you.

Demystifying the Funding Process for Fellowship and Career Development Awards

Mon, 08 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Watch this webinar to hear an overview of the funding process for fellowship and career development awards at NIH.

From a panel of experts, get tips on how to identify the right grant mechanism for your career stage and who to contact for help, and understand how your application will be reviewed and how NIH Institutes finalize funding decisions. You will also hear helpful suggestions to maximize your chances for writing a successful application.

After this webinar, you will be able to:

Understand at a high-level NIH grant process from submission through award stages, including:
- How to identify NIH funding opportunities based on career stage and eligibility criteria.
- How to identify and connect with individuals at funding agencies to discuss your application and optimize your likelihood for success.
- How NIH reviews training applications.
- How NIH makes funding decisions.
Identify critical variables in review and determine how to avoid common mistakes in application components, including:
- Fellowship applicant/candidate.
- Sponsors/mentors.
- Career development plan.
- Research training plan.
- Institutional training and development.
- Non-scored review criteria.
- Introduction to the resubmission.

Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and new faculty who are eligible for NIH awards are encouraged to attend.

How to Get That Job

Fri, 03 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Six seconds. That’;s all it takes for a reviewer to put your resume or CV in the “keep” or “discard” pile. So to be a successful candidate, you need to make a strong impression.

Watch this webinar to learn the strategies that will best showcase your value on a CV or resume and earn you that coveted position.

Creating Individual Development Plans: A How-To Guide

Wed, 17 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

If you’;re looking at career options, or wondering where to start, an Individual Development Plan (IDP) can help. The IDP is a tool to help you critically assess your skills and values, which will help you address your career goals in an achievable way. Get a step-by-step guide for the AAAS myIDP tool by one of the creators and hear from two postdocs about their experiences using the IDP.

In First Person: Tips to Survive and Excel as a Woman in Neuroscience

Wed, 20 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Female neuroscientists may face many unique hurdles during the course of their careers including implicit gender bias, recruitment in academia, climate, and promotion and tenure impact.

Join Susan Amara, PhD, and Sheena Josselyn, PhD, for the Women in Neuroscience subcommittee webinar and hear about the challenges they have faced and the advice they have for others who are in similar situations. At the end of the webinar, you will have new perspective to help you overcome similar challenges.

Building Bridges to Careers Outside Academia

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Networking is easier than you think with these practical tips from scientists successfully working outside of academia. Hear their personal stories, advice, and insider secrets about networking you can use to help advance your career.

Navigating the Neuroscience Job Market During COVID-19 and Beyond

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT

This webinar is exclusive for SfN members. Please log in or join or renew your membership below for access.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges worldwide and has affected neuroscientists at all career stages. Neuroscientists who are actively looking for a postdoctoral fellowship or faculty position are facing hiring freezes and uncertainty. During this webinar, panelists based in academia and industry will highlight the challenges the pandemic has created for neuroscience employers and job seekers and provide job seekers with strategies for finding and applying for jobs at this time. Recent graduates, postdoctoral fellows, and early- and mid-career neuroscientists who are looking for a position in academia or industry are encouraged to attend.

Breaking the Stigma: Neuroscientists Prioritizing Our Own Mental Health as a Community

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Poor mental health among academics and researchers has long been a problematic and pervasive issue but, until recently, it has largely been ignored or even denied. Recent research (Evans 2018, Woolston 2019) and the increased pressure of the COVID19 pandemic, however, have rendered mental health in academia an urgent topic. Dragonfly Mental Health, a nonprofit dedicated to cultivating excellent mental health among academics worldwide, will lead a webinar that aims to destigmatize mental health struggles among SfN members, discuss the prevalence and manifestation of various mental illnesses among neuroscientists, and start the conversation about how we as a community can better support ourselves and each other.

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. ;Visit today ;to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

How to Write an Accurate Concise and Meaningful Significance Statement

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT

This webinar will provide scientists with information about how to develop precise and effective significance statements to accompany their work. These statements are increasingly being used by agencies reviewing science for funding opportunities, editorial reviewers for publication in scientific journals, and the media.

The goal of this webinar is to inform the neuroscience community about the benefits of creating a significance statement in a way that peaks the interest of others in the field, as well as laypersons, which can lead to opportunities for published research and/or funding.

Securing NIH Intramural Fellowships in Neuroscience

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT

In this webcast, you will learn about the diverse training experiences facilitated by NIH Intramural Research Programs, including how to apply for various fellowship opportunities.

You will also hear an overview of how NIH is structured and advice on how to secure a fellowship opportunity at NIH. In addition, speakers will highlight the National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program to demonstrate the neuroscience research being conducted and training portfolio for students at all levels (high school, undergraduate, and graduate).

2024 Neuronline Wrapped

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 09:41:00 GMT

Explore the most popular resources in 2024 from Neuronline, SfN’s home for learning and discussion, in this interactive video.

Neuroinformatics in the Age of Big Data: Working with the Right Tools

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 11:24:00 GMT

We are at a unique time in history, when global large-scale projects are generating an unprecedented amount of data. Although much of this data is "open" and available—;with analysis tools developed by a new generation of neuroinformaticians—;some is still just beyond the reach of many neuroscientists.

Call for Contributors!

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 16:14:00 GMT

We want to hear from you! Neuronline is seeking contributors to share how they’ve applied their neuroscience training in real-world careers and collaborations.

The Need for Rigorous Science

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 11:23:00 GMT

What does it mean to conduct rigorous science? This video explores the key elements: replicability, experimental design and bias, data analysis protocols, and data management and reporting. Watch to learn why these topics are important and how to incorporate best practices into your everyday research.

Resources to Help You Look at Scientific Rigor From Many Angles

Thu, 25 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Literature focused on scientific rigor is ever-growing. In addition to the resources found in the ;Promoting Awareness and Knowledge to Enhance Scientific Rigor in Neuroscience ;collection, the articles below can help you explore various issues, solutions, and approaches to implement high standards of scientific rigor in your research.

Research Practices to Enhance Scientific Rigor

Wed, 22 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Watch this video to learn about SfN’;s positions on scientific rigor. Neuroscientists discuss best practices in experimental design, data analysis, and transparency in reporting and publishing methodology and data, and share how these efforts will strengthen the scientific foundation and ensure public confidence in the research being conducted. ;

"Think Alike?" Episode 1: Mutual Respect

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 09:05:00 GMT

In this inaugural episode, mentor Karina Alviña, PhD, and mentee Farhana Afroz, PhD, reflect on the importance of a combination of personal understanding and respect for one another's scientific ideas to developing a successful mentoring relationship.

NSP Next Gen 2023: Leadership Beyond Your Institution

For three days, Scholars and Alumni of SfN’;s Neuroscience Scholars Program (NSP), led by co-directors Gina Poe and Eduardo Rosa-Molinar, discussed identity and leadership, changing culture, grant writing, and more, while creating additional opportunities for professional development, networking, and community building.

NSP Next Gen 2023: Large Data Project Consortium Efforts

NSP Next Gen 2023: Funding Opportunities and Strategies

NSP Next Gen 2023: Compliance and Standards in the Context of Leadership

NSP Next Gen 2023: Changing Culture in an Institution

NSP Next Gen 2023: Leading a Department or University

NSP Next Gen 2023: Grant Writing

NSP Next Gen 2023: Incorporating Culture and Identity into Leadership Goals and Leadership Styles

Understanding the SfN Awards Nomination Process

Mon, 01 May 2023 15:47:00 GMT

If you’;ve never nominated someone for an award, the process can be daunting. At SfN, there are multiple categories meant for different achievement types, and each award’;s requirements are different. This can make it confusing when you’;re trying figure out if someone is eligible and if you can put together a nomination in time.

How Presenting Your Research Can Help You Maintain a Questioning Spirit

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 10:44:00 GMT

Attending and presenting my research on fear behavior in rodents at Neuroscience 2022 was a significant experience that challenged prevailing beliefs in the field.

How to Build a Lab Culture That Promotes Scientific Rigor

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 13:26:00 GMT

Navigating the World of Virtual Poster Presentations in Neuroscience

Sat, 31 Dec 2022 16:32:00 GMT

The transition to virtual conferences and poster presentations poses its own set of challenges, especially for those new to this format. Having recently participated in Neuroscience 2022, which was my first virtual presentation, I'm eager to share some insights and practical advice.

Career Skills Toolkit: Transitioning Out of Your Postdoc

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. ;Visit today ;to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

To help you decide what’;s next after you’;ve completed your postdoc, SfN has created a toolkit guiding you through career options available to you. Learn about various opportunities within and outside of academia and how to evaluate each based on your skills, interests, and values.

Explore the toolkit’;s ready-to-use presentation to learn:

Questions to consider as you prepare to take the next step in your career.
Differences among types of faculty positions.
What to share in an application and what to expect during the academic interview process.
Where to find out more about nonacademic careers.
Ways to build your network.
How to assess and develop relevant skills and highlight transferable ones on a resume or CV.

Read this toolkit now and refer to it as you advance in your career. You can also share the toolkit with an audience at your institution or at your local SfN chapter meeting.

What Can Neuroscience Tell Us About Ethics?

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT

What can neuroscience tell us about ethics? Some say nothing – ethics is a normative discipline that concerns the way the world should be, while neuroscience is normatively insignificant: it is a descriptive science which tells us about the way the world is. This seems in line with what is sometimes called “Hume’;s Law”, the claim that one cannot derive an ought from an is. This claim is contentious and its scope unclear, but it certainly does seem true of demonstrative arguments, at the least. Neuroethics, by its name, however, seems to suggest that neuroscience is relevant for ethical thought, and indeed some have taken it to be a fact that neuroscience has delivered ethical consequences. It seems to me that there is some confusion about this issue, and so here I’;d like to clarify the ways in which I think neuroscience can be relevant to ethics.

Building a Supportive Global Network

Wed, 01 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Developing strategic research and personal connections —; a global network —; can help you navigate career transitions and challenges and be successful in your career.

In this workshop from Neuroscience 2018, a panel of researchers with experience living and working away from their home countries offered advice for building these culturally based support systems, centered around the four themes below.

Five Ways I Navigated Grad School as a Minority

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

During Fall 2011, I moved from Puerto Rico, where I was born and raised, to New York City, for grad school. It was the first time I lived so far from my family and the world I knew. My undergraduate experience at the University of Puerto Rico was relatively homogenous. However, that quickly changed when I started graduate school, as I was often the only underrepresented minority in the room.

All of these changes hit at once, and I struggled to manage the stress of graduate school and the feeling of being an imposter. As I look back on that time, here’;s what helped me connect with my peers and find success academically.

Building Community Through Service: Bianca Jones Marlin on Volunteer Leadership

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 09:03:00 GMT

In this episode of History of SfN: 50^th ;Anniversary, Jones Marlin, a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute and the chair of SfN’s ;Trainee Advisory Committee, talks about how she’s found community within the Society and her involvement with the Trainee Advisory Committee.

Questions to Answer Before You Choose a Grad Program

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 09:37:00 GMT

Take a moment to congratulate yourself. Being admitted to graduate school is a major accomplishment! If you’;re deciding between multiple programs, there are important professional and personal considerations you should evaluate.

Professional:

Are faculty members taking students in the areas of research of interest to you?

Identifying a good research fit is critical. Find out if the program covers the areas of research you might want to pursue. If there are only one or two labs doing the type of work you’;re interested in, you may have limited options, especially given that labs often undergo changes in space and funding.

Before You Start a Lab: What to Consider

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

There’s no one right way to set up a lab. From building a culture to purchasing supplies, determine what works best for you — and then run with it.

Tim Mosca, an assistant professor at Thomas Jefferson University, shares what he’s learned and observed from setting up and running his own lab, including one of the most important elements to success: Talk to people.

“Though it can feel like an isolating experience, as a new PI you’re not alone. There are people at your institution who have done it before you or who were hired at the same time as you,” he advises. “Listen to everything going on at your university to learn with whom you should talk.”

Read on for his lab setup checklist, which includes hiring and motivating staff, purchasing supplies, growing as a manager, and more.

Face-to-Face Networking: Building and Maintaining Professional Relationships

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Networking is more than just approaching someone whose career you admire and exchanging business cards. Establishing your network should start with your peers, or even trainees. They can serve as a support system as you navigate similar career stages, and they may even end up in an institution or company of interest to you in the future.

Rae Nishi, the chair of SfN’;s Professional Development Committee, shares that overall the key to success is being nice and following up.

“The relationships that you form right now should be at the level of making friends with people, being nice, and being able to sustain those relationships.”

Watch this interactive panel from SfN’;s annual meeting to learn more approaches to building professional relationships.

Six Ways to Move Forward After a Setback

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

When something at school or work doesn’t unfold as you hoped it would, it can be challenging to let go and move on.

Use this advice from six neuroscientists to help you process situations, move forward, and ultimately build your resilience.

How to Be a Competitive Applicant for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Graduate research fellowships can be great funding alternatives to teaching and research assistantships. They provide an opportunity to show future PIs that you’re capable of getting funding, and they also give you more freedom with the scope of your project.

The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP) is a competitive, prestigious fellowship for graduate students that you apply for as an undergraduate or during your first or second year in graduate school.

To ensure your application is competitive, first thoroughly review the GRFP website and understand the mission of the NSF: to conduct research with both intellectual merit and broader impacts.

The application requires a personal statement detailing previous research and academic experiences and achievements, outreach and leadership experiences, and future career goals. Additionally, students propose an innovative research project and detail how it will be completed.

I’ve benefitted from the excellent funding, professional network, and research flexibility afforded by the NSF GRFP and highly recommend people apply.

Consider these tips as you prepare your application.

The Benefits of Forging Interdisciplinary Connections

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

As neuroscientists, there’s a lot to gain from taking a step outside our comfort zones.

Early on in my role as a Science and Technology Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), I learned sometimes expertise is relative. Scientists from many disciplines can learn from one another.

I am hosted at the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Department of Justice's research and evaluation agency, which funds research of interest to the criminal justice system.

Along with the other AAAS Fellows, I am one of only a handful of trained neuroscientists at NIJ. We are called upon to provide insight from neuroscience and cognitive science on topics of interest to the criminal justice system, such as:

Eyewitness identification, considering factors of memory, perception, and attention.
Effects of trauma and chronic stress on officers, victims, and offenders.
Addiction, especially in context of the opioid epidemic.
Development and aging, as applied to juvenile offenders, aging prisoners, and victims.

Seven Tips for Writing a Strong Sponsor Statement

Tue, 05 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

There are five major components of an NIH training grant, which are almost equally weighted in the review process —; that includes the sponsor statement.

It’;s important to know that the sponsor statement has to be as strong as the rest of the application.

Even an outstanding training grant applicant can get hung up because of a moderate concern with this section.

Write an effective sponsor statement by addressing the following areas.

Recognizing and Addressing Power Dynamics in Science and Academia

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

As science becomes more global and collaborative, understanding power dynamics and how they shape professional interactions is key for promoting healthy and productive learning spaces and workplaces.

In this Short Course from Neuroscience 2018, panelists give short lectures and lead case study discussions on power dynamics in science and academia. You’;ll come away with a better understanding of the nature of power dynamics and how intersectionality affects the way relative differences in power are experienced by different people. You’;ll also learn how to develop skills to manage power dynamics at work and in the classroom.

An Undergraduate's Guide to the Annual Meeting

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

As an undergraduate and first-time annual meeting attendee at Neuroscience 2018, my biggest goal was to learn new aspects of neuroscience, especially outside the bounds of my research project. I also wanted to develop my professional and presentation skills and to become more comfortable navigating a national conference. The meeting was more than I hoped for. I came away with knowledge that enlightened aspects of my research, and I had the opportunity to grow as both a scientist and a presenter. The best advice I could give undergrad attendees is to plan ahead, explore all of the sessions listed on SfN.org and in the Neuroscience Meeting Planner, and download the meeting app for your phone, which has helpful maps of the convention center. If you’re giving any sort of presentation, I cannot overstate the importance of practice. You can’t be too prepared. In this guide to the annual meeting for undergraduate students and other first-time attendees, I outline what to do to prepare, share how I chose sessions to attend, recount surprises and what I learned from them, and offer advice for how to have a successful SfN annual meeting.

Data Sharing Principles to Promote Open Science

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The ;FAIR ;principles, developed by the neuroscience community with the objective of promoting open science, are outlined by the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility as ensuring data is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable.

These principles aim to enhance the ability of machines to find and use data, allowing individual researchers to cite data sets to inform more advanced studies —; in short, how machines can solve the problem of having too much data to sort, in no single format.

Representing tool development initiatives, publishing, and data science, speakers from academia and industry across the globe come together in this workshop to present solutions for sharing, publishing, and collaborating in neuroscience.

They’;ll cover the principles in detail, data standards and repositories, ethical and legal issues such as General Data Protection Regulation in the European Union, and Brain Imaging Data Structure, a way of organizing neuroimaging and behavioral data. From the publishing perspective, they’;ll also propose questions to consider when publishing a paper, such as how to share your data and what information to make available.

To learn more about the best practices for data sharing, watch workshops on ;FAIR in neurotrauma ;and ;improving reproducibility ;in neuroscience.

Insights From an Editor: Choosing a Journal and Publishing Your Paper

Thu, 07 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. ;Visit today ;to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

In his 12 years on the editorial board of JNeurosci, David Perkel — a senior editor for the journal and a professor at the University of Washington — has acquired numerous insights into science publishing.

Here he answers commonly asked questions about the publishing process and shares advice applicable to neuroscientists at any career stage, whether you’re preparing to publish your first paper or looking to keep up with best practices.

Cultivating Leadership in Multidisciplinary Research

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Collaboration in science highlights the need for developing leadership in multidisciplinary research, bridging gaps across campuses, countries, and continents.

This workshop highlights common barriers that may arise in large-scale collaborations and offers ways to shift from a traditional hierarchical model, based on power and control, to a team-centric model that promotes a culture of information-sharing and can lead to more new ideas.

According to moderator Sadye Paez, multidisciplinary research provides an opportunity for ;people from different disciplines to work together by making contributions that draw on their disciplinary knowledge. From there, scientists can engage in interdisciplinary and, eventually, transdisciplinary research, or establishing a unity of intellectual frameworks that go beyond the disciplinary perspectives.

The Global (and Personal) Impacts of Teaching Abroad

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Each year, the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) partners with the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa (SONA) to host summer neuroscience schools in Africa for graduate students and junior faculty from across the continent. Instructors from Africa and elsewhere collaborate to lead lectures, labs, and one-on-one student coaching.

Peter Kalivas, neuroscience professor and chair at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), has been an instructor twice and plans to continue in the years to come. Here, he shares his experience from July 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya and his hopes for the global scientific community.

Can you give a snapshot of the goal and structure of the summer school?

The broad goal of the IBRO-Africa summer schools is to promote neuroscience research and education in Africa. This year’s school in Nairobi, Kenya centered around addiction. Attendees were PhD students from across Sub-Saharan Africa, including Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda, and faculty were from Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, and the United States.

Faculty from Africa and North America partnered to lead the course, breaking up lectures by topic area. So, someone from North America gave a talk about addiction through the lens of epidemiology. Then, a faculty member from Africa gave a talk focused on addiction issues specific for Africa. From there, all the instructors go into the neurobiology of addiction.

How and Why to Find Research Collaborators as a Student

Wed, 22 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The Mazer Lab is a member of the NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)-funded Attention Consortium, a team of researchers at four universities collaborating to develop a model for the neural basis of attention.

In this interview, James Mazer, an associate professor at Montana State University studying visual perception and cognition, explains how collaborations can be formative for your career and shares advice for acquiring skills that will help you contribute to any team.

How do your lab and Montana State University work with other programs in the EPSCoR-funded Attention Consortium?

Our EPSCoR grant is specifically intended to encourage and facilitate collaboration between labs and universities. The grant brings together people from different labs at different institutions, using different tools and approaches, who share the common goal of understanding the neural bases of attentional modulation. Members of the consortium are using a variety of physiological and psychophysical techniques, ranging from optical imaging in rodents to human ECoG and deep brain stimulation, to elaborate the neural circuits responsible for attention.

At schools like Montana State, which is relatively small, scientific interactions can be difficult to come by — departments are smaller, there aren’t as many neuroscience faculty on campus compared to larger schools, and the neuroscience grad student population is smaller. Programs like EPSCoR can play a critical role in giving students additional opportunities for training and collaboration that might be otherwise hard to find or organize. In our case, the EPSCoR gives our students extensive opportunities to interact and collaborate with students, postdocs, and PIs at other institutions.

The Advice I’d Give Myself Early in My Career

Wed, 02 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Eight neuroscientists offer their perspective on gaining experience, handling stress, asking for what they need, and more.

What would you tell your former self?

“Get involved in more than one lab. Although it's possible to get many lab skills and experiences in one lab, it’d be better to get experience in different areas to figure out what you’re interested in.”

–Zack Sluzala, Baldwin Wallace University

Six Foundations of Successful Mentoring Relationships

Wed, 18 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Mentorship is critical to a scientist’;s career, whether you’;re a mentor, a mentee, or both. By investing in the personal and professional development of their mentees, mentors can serve as guides to early career scientists, shaping their careers and research fields. In turn, mentees can play a significant role in the progress of lab work by conducting research, making intellectual contributions to papers and grants, and mentoring other students in the lab.

The key to ensuring a successful mentoring relationship at any career stage is setting expectations that both sides agree to and which are flexible enough to evolve over the course of the relationship. Follow the advice below to help you set expectations and establish a healthy ;power dynamic ;for your own mentor-mentee relationship.

Set Intentions for 2020 With Help From This Year’s Top Resources

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT

As 2019 comes to a close, taking time to reflect on how you’;ve grown professionally can help you set intentions and go farther in your career.

What follows is some of Neuronline’;s most popular content from the year. Use these resources to help you accomplish your goals in the year ahead.

A PhD Student Reflects on the Impact of His Experiences Abroad

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Giovanne Baroni Diniz, a PhD candidate at the University of São Paulo, has proactively sought opportunities to conduct science abroad. He’;s visited labs and attended conferences in the United States and Canada, completed a fellowship with SfN’;s Latin American Training Program (LATP), spent three months researching in France, and visited other countries for professional growth. Here, he reflects on how those experiences have impacted his outlook on the field and inspired him to contribute to an inclusive culture.

Why did you want to gain experience abroad?

We get so used to how science is done in our home countries. When you go abroad, you realize some of what you assumed was standard was actually just part of the local scientific culture and not happening everywhere.

It can be challenging to adapt to a new culture, but eventually you learn from the differences and gain a new perspective. Diversity is really important in the workplace. Especially because we are trying to solve problems, getting fresh perspectives and looking at questions from different angles is so important for science.

It Wasn't Me, It Was FTD

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 00:00:00 GMT

A 62-year-old woman named Mary was found to have poisoned her husband who was terminally ill with cancer. The defendant displays a PET scan of her brain showing hyper-metabolic lesions in the temporal and frontal lobes of the brain. This could mean she suffers from ;frontotemporal dementia ;(FTD), a disorder that includes the following symptoms: socially inappropriate behavior, lack of sympathy/empathy, apathy, stereotypical/repetitive movement, and executive dysfunction. Imagine you are on a jury for Mary’;s trial. Are the neuroimages enough evidence to show that Mary should be less responsible for her crime? ;

Why Trainees Should Gain Exposure to Broad Techniques and Global Perspectives

Tue, 18 May 2021 12:13:00 GMT

McLean Bolton is a research group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Neuroscience, a research institute with over 80 campuses in Germany and one in the United States. They emphasize training and partner with universities around the world to give graduate students access to cutting-edge labs.

Based on her experience, Bolton believes it’s most important for trainees to build expertise in wide-ranging techniques and gain exposure to how science is conducted internationally. Read the interview below to learn why and how.

Why is it important for trainees to learn new techniques?

To be a successful scientist, you have to understand a particular problem. To understand a particular research question, you have to use multiple techniques. You can't say, "I'm an electrophysiologist, so I'm going to think of a question to be able to use my technique.”

Part of our approach at Max Planck is to give students exposure to multiple techniques that could address a scientific question.

An Injection of RNA May Transfer Memories?

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Imagine a future in which you could tell your spouse about your day by simply transferring the memory to them, or one in which you could pass your memories on even after your death. These scenarios may seem far ahead in the future, but steps are definitely being taken towards this development. To combat our natural memory inaccuracy and decline due to old age or Alzheimer’;s disease, which has been found in 1 out of every 10 people over 65 years old, scientists are beginning to investigate the biology of memory and the ways in which the process of making memories can be improved. A recent and controversial article published by Science News reported that RNA may be used to transfer memories from one sea slug to another.

How a Journal Handles Your Paper

Wed, 08 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The most important skill a scientist needs, after the skills needed to execute a study, is the ability to report his or her scientific endeavors in writing.

The editors-in-chief of four international neuroscience journals —; ;Brain and Behavior, the ;European Journal of Neuroscience, the ;Journal of Neuroscience Research, andNeuroscience, the journal of the International Brain Research Organization —; come together in this workshop to offer insight into what editors look for, what their roles are, and what you can to do to make your paper stand out.

A Guide to Finding, Applying for, and Landing a Faculty Position

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Arianna Maffei is an associate professor at Stony Brook University, where she has led an independent research program since 2008. In this interview, she answers some of postdocs’ most common questions at the start of their careers, on topics including finding mentors, applying and interviewing for jobs, and starting a lab.

Strategies for Moving Past Impostor Syndrome

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 08:21:00 GMT

As you’ve faced career growth — such as defending your thesis or starting a new position — have you grappled with feeling like a fraud, despite your accomplishments? What did you do to move forward?

You’re not alone. Professionals from all backgrounds and across career stages and disciplines, both inside and outside of science, experience this phenomenon, called impostor syndrome. But by talking about it and sharing actionable strategies for accepting and working through it, people can help each other recognize their own value and trust in their abilities.

“The important thing to remember is that most all of us, including the most famous neuroscientist you can think of, have experienced impostor syndrome sometime during our career,” says Wendy Suzuki, a professor of neural science and psychology at New York University.

Part Three: Practical Advice for Managing Conflict in Academia

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT

What happens when you’re involved in a conflict that is escalating or has reached a point where no mutually agreeable resolution seems possible?

David Rasch, the Ombuds at Stanford University, sees and helps mitigate conflict every day. In his role, he serves as a confidential and neutral resource to help resolve disputes, conflicts, questions, and problems that arise within his institution.

Part One: An Introduction to Conflict Management in Academia

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

In the course of your academic training and career, you are likely to experience conflict. However, you may find that it is sometimes difficult or confusing to pinpoint why issues are arising and decide if an intervention is necessary or beneficial.

Tips for Graduate School Interviews

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 00:00:00 GMT

After submitting your graduate school applications, the next step is the interview, which may happen in-person, by phone, or via video conference. The interview process enables both the graduate program to assess prospective candidates and candidates to learn more about prospective research communities.

Shrewder Speculation: The Challenge of Doing Anticipatory Ethics Well

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 00:00:00 GMT

This post is part of a series on The Neuroethics Blog that recaps and offers perspectives on the conversations and debates that took place at the recent 2015 International Neuroethics Society meeting.

In its Gray Matters report, the United States Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues underscored the importance of integrating ethics and neuroscience early and throughout the research endeavor.

In particular, the commission declared, "As we anticipate personal and societal implications of using such technologies, ethical considerations must be further deliberated. Executed well, ethics integration is an iterative and reflective process that enhances both scientific and ethical rigor."

What is required to execute ethics integration well? How can philosophers make sure that their work has a constructive role to play in shaping research and policymaking?

Finding the Confidence to Network at the Annual Meeting

Tue, 11 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT

SfN’;s annual meeting is a great time to establish lasting connections, but when it comes time to make that first introduction, confidence can be hard to find. As you prepare for the meeting, consider this first-hand networking advice from experienced attendees.

Everything You Need to Know About Tailoring Your CV

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMT

CVs are not one size fits all — you should frame your experiences to fit each position you apply for. Use these tips for CV tailoring to demonstrate you’re a strong match for a variety of jobs in and out of academia.

The Field Is Advancing. What's Most Exciting to You?

Thu, 27 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Whether it’s improving quality of life or embracing the latest technology, the promise of an advancing field is motivation for many neuroscientists to pursue and support meaningful research. Here, six neuroscientists share what inspires them about the field. What is most exciting to you? Share your answer in the comments to join the conversation.

How Do I Fund My Science?

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Funding is an essential element of research, and the mechanisms vary as much as the types of research. This workshop addresses what you can do to have a successful application.

In Their Words: Keys to a Successful Postdoc

Tue, 02 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Many factors can contribute to your success as a postdoc. These three neuroscientists highlight what most positively impacted their postdoc experiences and long-term success. See what you can learn from them, and share your own “postdoc essentials” in the comments.

5 Factors to Consider (Besides Research) When Applying to Graduate Programs

Thu, 27 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT

As I outlined in a previous article, the first step in applying to graduate school is finding programs that match your research interests. The next step is weighing other important factors that could impact your experience.

Here are five important topics to think about, and the questions to ask yourself and others, to guide your decision.

“Believe the Children”? Childhood Memory, Amnesia, and Its Implications for Law

Tue, 08 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMT

How reliable are childhood memories? Are small children capable of serving as reliable witnesses in the courtroom? Are memories that adults recall from preschool years accurate? These questions are not only important to basic brain science and to understanding our own autobiographies, but also have important implications for the legal system.

At the final Neuroscience, Ethics, and the News journal club of the 2014 fall semester, Emory psychologist Robyn Fivush led a discussion on memory development, childhood amnesia, and the implications of neuroscience and psychology research for how children form and recall memories.

Five Ways Mentors Can Support Grad Students

Mon, 22 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT

The mentor’;s responsibilities extend well beyond helping students learn what the research and writing components of graduate school entail. First and foremost, mentors introduce students to the culture of the discipline, clarifying and reinforcing —; principally by example —; what’;s expected of a professional scholar.

These are the basic responsibilities for mentors to support graduate students who seek their guidance.

Tricks of the Trade: Modelling Papers Resources

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Before watching the Tricks of the Trade: How to Review Modelling Papers webinar, complete your own review of a real manuscript using the eNeuro review form, and compare yourself to the experts using the reviewer synthesis.

Insights Into Tool Creation and Career Transitions

Tue, 19 Apr 2016 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Joshua Levitz has developed new approaches to study G protein-coupled receptors, a type of receptor found in cell membranes. He created a method to manipulate the activity of these receptors with synthetic chemical photo-switches. Levitz's work will affect the study of brain circuitry, including circuits involved in depression, and our understanding of the molecular basis of G protein-coupled receptor signaling. For these accomplishments, Levitz received the Nemko Prize in Cellular or Molecular Neuroscience in 2015. Here, he discusses his research and other topics.

Three Reasons to Do an International Postdoc

Thu, 14 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT

What is the benefit of doing a postdoc in another country? Why not just stay where you are?

From my experience talking to many students and faculty and having international experience myself, I can tell you that doing a postdoc abroad can set you up for professional success.

Here are three reasons why.

Scientific Rigor and the Quest for Truth

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Scientific rigor means implementing the highest standards and best practices of the scientific method and applying those to one’s research. It is all about discovering the truth.

Scientific rigor involves minimizing bias in subject selection and data analysis. It is about determining the appropriate sample size for your study so that you have sufficient statistical power to be more confident about whether you are generating false positives or missing out on false negatives. It’s about conducting research that has a good chance of being replicated in your own lab and other laboratories.

How One Scientist Studies Bats to Explore Difficult Questions

Tue, 10 May 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Nachum Ulanovsky was the first to record neural activity in a freely moving bat. By doing so, he was able to investigate how cells in the hippocampus encode a spatial representation of the three-dimensional environment. For these accomplishments, Ulanovsky received the Young Investigator Award in 2015. Here, he discusses his research.

When It Comes to Issues of Identity and Authenticity in DBS, Let Patients Have a Voice

Tue, 27 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an extraordinarily popular topic in neuroethics.

Among the most widely discussed neuroethical issues in the DBS arena are concerns over the effects on patient identity and authenticity. But one perspective that has not been fully represented in the academic literature is that of the patients for whom this is actually their last hope to find a way out of a profound, debilitating and often years-long episode of depression.

Exploring New Communication Channels: Science Blogging

Thu, 11 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Starting a blog can help you distinguish your scientific approach, engage with fascinating individuals, give back to the public, enjoy creative challenges, and more.

As this panel demonstrates, there is no one path you need to follow to begin writing online.

Q&A With a Computational and Theoretical Neuroscience Pioneer

Tue, 12 Apr 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Terrence Sejnowski of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies is a pioneer of computational and theoretical neuroscience. He developed artificial neural network models and learning models for birdsong and neuroeconomics. He also helped develop the algorithm for independent component analysis. For these and other accomplishments, Sejnowski received the Swartz Prize for Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience in 2015. Here he reflects on his career and where the field is headed.

What discoveries made in your lab have most excited you and why?

Recently my lab has focused on high-resolution EM reconstructions, which we call nanoconectomics, and particle models of molecular interactions at synapses. We recently showed that cortical synapses have more than 26 distinguishable sizes corresponding to five bits of information storage, an order of magnitude greater than previous estimates. Why is the precision so high when on a given input, synaptic release is so unreliable? In the process of studying dysfunction in cortical circuits, we collaborated with Joe Ecker to sequence the pattern of DNA methylation in neurons and discovered a unique form of methylation in neurons during brain development. This is an exciting new direction to look for the cause of developmental diseases in the brain.

On Leading Undergraduates to Discovery Through Mentorship

Tue, 03 May 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Mentoring advances the field of neuroscience by ensuring that trainees begin their careers with the necessary skills, scientific understanding, and other support to achieve success. Julio Ramirez, professor and chair of the psychology department at Davidson College, is leading efforts to improve mentoring for undergraduates studying neuroscience. He received the Bernice Grafstein Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Mentoring in 2015 for his contributions. Here, Ramirez discusses his mentoring approach.

When you first became a mentor, what concerns or challenges did you have, and how did you work through them?

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, undergraduate students were not widely involved in original research projects across the life sciences. Funding sources to support undergraduate research were very limited, and undergraduate research was a foreign concept at many institutions. Laboratories at predominantly undergraduate institutions (PUIs) were not well outfitted with research-level equipment and technology. Many PUIs did not have curricular mechanisms that would enable undergraduates to get involved in research or reward mechanisms for supporting faculty efforts to involve students in original research.

Fortunately, several events occurred during that period that dramatically improved the outlook for undergraduate research at PUIs across the country. First, the Council on Undergraduate Research was established in 1978 and began advocating for original undergraduate research at PUIs. In the mid-1980s, both the NSF and the NIH implemented research and/or education grant programs for faculty and students at PUIs.

Many of my efforts during those years focused on contributing to the national efforts to create an infrastructure that would support undergraduate research at PUIs. In 1991, colleagues and I founded Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience to provide the neuroscience community with a voice representing the interests of faculty invested in using research to mentor their undergraduate students.

A Guide to Creating Your CV

Tue, 17 May 2016 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Use this reference sheet as you update or create your first CV.

Looking at Scientific Rigor Opportunities and Challenges

Tue, 27 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

If we don’;t have good scientific rigor, it could lead to results that lead us down the wrong path —; potentially to dead ends. This outcome is very costly in terms of dollars and time for investigators and funders. We all want to make sure that our science is accurate.

Neuronline Community Leaders Program Overview

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Are you an SfN member looking to be part of growing a dedicated and engaged community that facilitates networking opportunities, professional development, collaboration, and discussion of the latest scientific research? Consider applying to become a Neuronline Community Leader.

Making the Most of Your International Experience

Tue, 10 May 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Hear how you can best use your international experience as a graduate student, postdoctoral trainee, or your sabbatical to move your career forward. Speakers talk from personal experience and pay careful attention to individuals from developing countries who spend time in a developed country.

Neuroscientists Share: Advice to Make Your Career Transition Successful

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Whether you are considering career paths for your first job or a different path for your third role, it is important to figure out your needs and have a strategy for accomplishing your goals. To help you in this process, four neuroscientists, who have transitioned between academia, industry, and government roles each divulge the one aspect most critical to making their moves smooth and fulfilling.

Three Steps to Successful Networking

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 09:12:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Networking is about exploring career options and trajectories and, most importantly, about building relationships. Before you can see the tangible benefits of networking, you need to lay the groundwork. Here are three steps to get you started.

Staying Resilient in the Face of Challenges

Tue, 13 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Setbacks are inevitable. While they may feel catastrophic in the moment, with the right outlook, challenges can be the key to learning, improving, and moving forward.

Here, peers and colleagues share ways they adapt in the face of missteps large and small.

Consider how their experiences can help reshape your perspective and navigate your own path onward, even when the bigger picture seems out of reach.

What are your tactics for staying resilient in a demanding, rigorous field? Don’t give failure the last word — join the conversation below.

FAQ: Neuronline Community Leaders Program

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 00:00:00 GMT

What is the Neuronline community and why has SfN launched the Neuronline Community Leaders program?

Neuronline is SfN’s members-only online community for learning and discussion, where SfN members at all stages can network, seek career advice, and discuss the latest science research and current events in the field.

Neuronline Community Leaders will be key players in sparking and guiding different conversations in the community by sharing their knowledge, expertise, and insights with others in the field of neuroscience.

IDP Tips for New Grad Students

Tue, 02 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Many new graduate students aren’t sure what they want to do in the future. How can first year graduate students and their mentors use an IDP?

Tackling Challenges in Scientific Rigor: The (Sometimes) Messy Reality of Science

Tue, 26 Apr 2016 00:00:00 GMT

This workshop explores practical examples of the challenges and solutions in conducting rigorous science from the real-life examples of neuroscientists at various career stages. ;

Instilling Scientific Rigor in the Lab

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Science is about discovery. We do it because we love to learn... But one of our natural tendencies is to look for confirmation once we are excited about an idea. We tend to ignore what doesn’;t confirm our own idea because we are trying to figure out whether it seems to have general applicability. ;

Eight Neuroscientists Have Career Advice for You

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Are you looking for inspiration to stay motivated or advice for your next career step? These eight neuroscientists have been where you are and share their personal experiences.

NSP Webinars 2023-2024

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:18:00 GMT

The Neuroscience Scholars Program is a two-year training program open to underrepresented graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Building on 40 years of historic engagement, the program supports annual travel awards, mentoring, and the professional development of NSP Fellows and Associates.

All materials available in this archive are provided open access to the field and are supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The contents of this series are solely the responsibility of the Society for Neuroscience and do not necessarily reflect the official views of NINDS.

Learn more about the Neuroscience Scholars Program.

Program Year 2023–2024

NSP Webinars 2020-2021

The Neuroscience Scholars Program is a two-year training program open to underrepresented graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Building on over 30 years of historic engagement, the program supports annual travel awards, mentoring, and the professional development of up to 18 candidates known as NSP Fellows.

Learn more about the Neuroscience Scholars Program.

Enhancing Neuroscientific Discovery Through Diverse Communities

Welcome to the “Enhancing Neuroscientific Discovery Through Diverse Communities 2021” virtual event, developed by the Neuroscience Scholars Program (NSP). As a part of a multifaceted approach to increase connectivity during these difficult times, SfN is hosting this virtual conference for NSP Scholars, NSP Alumni, and members of other NSP partner programs including BRAINS, D-SPAN, MINDS, and SPINES.

NSP Webinars 2022-2023

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 12:16:00 GMT

Learn more about the Neuroscience Scholars Program.

Program Year 2022–2023

NSP Webinars 2021-2022

Mon, 03 Aug 2015 17:36:00 GMT

Learn more about the Neuroscience Scholars Program.

Program Year 2021–2022

NSP Webinars 2024-2025

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 11:38:00 GMT

Learn more about the Neuroscience Scholars Program.

Program Year 2024–2025

Recognizing Team Science Contributions in Academic Hiring, Promotion, and Tenure

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 17:13:00 GMT

The following is an excerpt from a commentary in the Journal of Neuroscience, Recognizing Team Science Contributions in Academic Hiring, Promotion, and Tenure, that originated from two Neuroscience 2019 Professional Development workshops (watch them here ;and here). Read the full commentary here.

The vision of a scientist as a lone investigator reaching an epiphany is a widely cherished narrative. Consistent with this ideal, single author papers were frequent 50 years ago, when the Society for Neuroscience started. ; However, the basic and translational questions and the public health challenges being addressed in current neuroscience research are increasingly interdisciplinary and multidimensional, and so the vast majority of significant studies require a team of investigators, working together collaboratively. This trend is evident in the increased number of authors per citation and the rapid expansion of collaborative grants. Unfortunately, academic culture has not yet caught up with the direction of the science. Hiring, promotions, and peer review tend to credit the first and last authors, with little consideration that the work required an entire team. At the 2019 SfN annual meeting, there were two workshops addressing team science. One workshop highlighted the challenges in team science for trainees, while the other focused on ways in which academic leaders could change our procedures to address the disconnect between overly narrow attention to individual first and last authorship in hiring, promotion, and tenure versus the collaborative nature of current research. This Commentary distills the ideas and recommendations brought forth by these workshops, to advocate for changes in academic recognition.

How to Create an Inclusive Lab Environment Where Individuals Feel Valued

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

A lab environment where individual members feel heard can help you to run a successful lab in diverse settings. An important part of creating this kind of inclusive environment is in fact what happens outside the day-to-day work of the lab —; asking lab members about their research interests, for example, or encouraging reflection.

At the 2019 Meet-the-Experts session “Twenty Years of Fear Research and Mentoring in Puerto Rico,” Gregory Quirk, PI of the Laboratory of Fear Learning at the University of Puerto Rico, shared that Puerto Rico has been building its presence in science, and that hard work has been bringing results for science across the island—;in part due to attention to the lab environment.

How to Create a Job Post That Attracts Candidates You Want to Hire

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 08:27:00 GMT

Writing a job post that attracts applicants who fit the role can be a challenge.

It's true job seekers look at position titles, but they're also interested in who your company, organization, or university is. They want to know what your culture and values are, the impact they'll have on both the workplace and society, and what to expect from the role they're applying for.

If communicating all of that in a job post sounds too time-consuming, the good news is it can be broken down into just a few elements. Here is an outline to help you craft the perfect job post from beginning to end.

Five Women Reflect on Overcoming Professional Challenges

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

In this part of the How to Thrive as Women in Neuroscience panel at Neuroscience 2019, women share ways to set themselves up for success in their neuroscience careers.

Learn about obstacles that can especially undermine the success of women in the field, including implicit and explicit bias, marginalization within organizations, impostor syndrome, balancing work and family, and more. Watch Part One of this workshop to learn how mentors can help you in your neuroscience career.

How Mentors Can Promote Women in Science

Tue, 12 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT

In this part of the How to Thrive as Women in Neuroscience panel at Neuroscience 2019, speakers focus on how having a mentor can help women to pursue successful neuroscience careers.

In this video, learn how mentors can help you achieve your career goals, from conquering impostor syndrome to creating a positive work-life balance.

Predicting Future Diagnosis from Brain Data Alone

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Imagine you are the parent of two children. Your oldest, a boy, was diagnosed with autism last year and just celebrated his fourth birthday. Your youngest, a girl, is six months old. You’;ve heard that autism runs in families; you know this means that your daughter is at higher risk than most children. But you’;ve also heard that boys tend to get autism at a higher rate than girls. Your daughter, like her brother, is a poor sleeper, and sometimes you wonder whether she is more interested in looking at the ceiling fan than at you…but other times she smiles at you or her brother and seems very engaged. You find yourself making comparisons between your two children frequently, and wondering…will she have autism too?

A friend tells you that just last year, researchers were able to scan the brains of babies when they were six to twelve months old and predict, for the first time, who would develop autism by age two. Your friend then poses the inevitable question: would you want this test for your daughter?

Discovering Your Questions as a Scientist by Listening

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama’;s personal growth in science interweaves perfectly with lessons on how scientists use songbirds to study language development.

As she shared at the 2019 Meet-the-Experts session “Lessons for Songbirds and Scientists: Learning to Communicate More Effectively by Listening to Others,” her story began at Sophia University, in Tokyo, where she studied quail with Kiyoshi Acki.

Acki encouraged his students to pursue independent ideas and projects, advising his students “to work on what you can be interested in.” Taking this advice to heart, Yazaki-Sugiyama read studies of white-crowned sparrows in different locations that “spoke” different dialects. She became fascinated by the fact that when baby birds of the same species were collected from each location and raised together, they sang in the same way.

Neuroethics Meets Artificial Intelligence

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 10:48:00 GMT

The history of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is inextricably intertwined with the history of neuroscience. Since the early days of AI, scientists turned to the human brain as a source of guidance for the development of intelligent machines. Unsurprisingly, many pioneers of AI such as Warren McCulloch were trained in the sciences of the brain. Modern AI borrowed most of its vocabulary from neurology and psychology. For instance, computational models consisting of networks of interconnected units —one of the most common approaches to AI— are called Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Each unit is called an “artificial neuron.” Several areas of research in AI are labelled through neuropsychological categories such as computer vision, machine learning, natural language processing etc. It’s not just a matter of terminology. ANNs, for example, are actually inspired by and based on the functioning of biological neural networks that constitute animal nervous systems.

Pursue Goals at Home with Help from These Neuronline Resources

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT

As the year ends but uncertainty continues, take time to reflect on your career and where you are headed in 2021.

Whether you are looking for career advice or have some time during an academic break, Neuronline has resources to help accomplish your goals no matter your work environment.

Confronting Impostor Syndrome

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Impostor syndrome, often described as the fear of being exposed as a fraud, may slow or stall optimal career advancement. In this video, you’;ll hear other neuroscientists’; experiences and come away with strategies for leaning into and reframing self-doubt to confront the “impostor” in yourself or your trainees.

Postdocs Share: Moving From Europe to the United States

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Exciting scientific opportunities are available practically anywhere in the world, but many PhD students consider the United States or countries in Europe as primary destinations for a postdoc.

Deciding between the two can be a challenge, as they have similar demands on research quality, quantity, and impact.

As with any work environment, however, science is highly influenced by local culture. If you’;re deciding between Europe and the United States, focus your efforts on learning about the culture of the places you’;re considering.

In this article, we’;ll share cultural themes that arose among our personal experiences moving from Europe to the United States. Our intent is to empower you to make a more informed choice about where to take this next step in your career.

How to Hire and Promote Faculty to Facilitate Team Science

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Institutions have a role to play in creating the right environment for team science. As more scientists participate in interdisciplinary teamwork and global collaboration, academic recruitment and promotion processes need to account for this.

In this workshop, faculty, administrators, and other institutional leaders will learn how to recognize and evaluate team science when it comes to faculty hiring and advancement, as well as how to adapt their hiring and tenure practices to reflect the growing team science approach to research.

Four Lessons to Take Your Work Environment From Competitive to Collaborative

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Ontario Brain Institute (OBI) was created to change how brain research was done, and the challenge was palpable: getting world-class clinicians and researchers who are used to competing with each other to work together. More than just working together, though, we had to figure out how to get researchers to truly collaborate, by standardizing assessments and sharing data.

As part of the team that established the Ontario Brain Institute, these are the lessons we learned along the way. Although drawn from the real-world experience of building a “world-class” research institution, these same ideas can be applied by graduate students, postdocs, young investigators, lab managers, and other managers of science to improve your work and working environment.

Navigating Collaborating Across Disciplines with Team Science

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

As neuroscience becomes more interdisciplinary, it also requires expertise from more subdisciplines, leading to collaborations within and outside of academia. In this workshop, you’;ll learn about different types of "team science” projects to help you have more productive collaborations across disciplines. ; ;

Watch to hear how the featured projects were conceived and managed and to learn the pros and cons of working with scientists from different backgrounds toward a common goal. ;

How to Find Mentors and Be a Mentor as a Postdoc

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT

As a postdoc, you’ve likely had several mentors you can point to who have shaped your career path. You may be at a point where you’re also starting to become a mentor.

Through networking, Shawn Bates, a postdoc in Seema Bhatnagar’s lab at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), has met mentors who have introduced him to opportunities and from whom he’s taken inspiration for mentoring others. He has also received a Postdoctoral Fellowship for Academic Diversity at CHOP, which aims to increase the diversity of the community of scholars devoted to academic research there and at the University of Pennsylvania.

In this interview, he reflects on how mentors have helped him in his career so far and takes a forward look at applying those lessons to mentoring others.

Ways to Improve Scientific Rigor While Working Remotely

Fri, 08 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

The closure of the majority of neuroscience research laboratories at universities across the world has had a major impact on all aspects of the academic research mission. Many of you likely (and understandably) are anxious about the career development of trainees and junior faculty at your institution and progress on projects, to name only a few concerns.

We, too, have concerns about the impact of the shutdown —; or what may be better termed a “slow-down” —; but we also foresee positive opportunities to shift the way we conduct science to focus more on rigor. In light of the anxiety that changes to our work environment have caused, it is particularly important to identify and highlight some of these advantages.

The Role of Relationships and Communication in Project Management

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Two often forgotten but important parts of project management are relationship management and communication. This article will cover how to effectively manage relationships among collaborators and communicate the progress and results of the project to other scientists and the public.

Eleven Tips for Being a Good Mentor

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The qualities of a good mentor include effective communication, trust, flexibility, kindness, patience, tolerance, and transparency.

On the Ethics of Machine Learning Applications in Clinical Neuroscience

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Machine learning refers to software that can learn from experience and is thus particularly good at extracting knowledge from data and for generating predictions.

Recently, one powerful variant, deep learning, has become the staple of recent progress and hype in applied machine learning. Deep learning uses biologically inspired artificial neural networks with many processing stages. These deep networks, together with the ever-growing computing power and larger datasets for learning, now deliver groundbreaking performances.

Notable Careers: Series Introduction

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

These are the stories of five retired neuroscientists who built a life’;s work through scientific discovery and personal connection.

In this interview series, Connie Atwell, Marie-Françoise Chesselet, Michael Oberdorfer, Osvaldo Uchitel, and James Townsel reflect on how they found their place in and helped grow a developing neuroscience field, what influenced them throughout their career, and what advice they have for neuroscientists at all stages.

Participatory Neuroscience: Something to Strive For?

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT

In the last few decades, there has been an increasing push towards making science more participatory by engaging those who are part of or invested in the community that will be impacted by the research in the actual research process, from determining the questions that are worth asking, to contributing to experimental design, to communicating findings to the public.

The Benefits of Seeking Leadership Opportunities as a Postdoc

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Elisa Floriddia, postdoc at the Kalorinska Institute (KI) in Sweden and member of SfN's Professional Development Committee (PDC), reflects on ways extracurricular leadership opportunities have enriched her career. As chair of her institution's postdoc association, she rallied peers together to bring awareness to common issues postdocs face and gained professional confidence. Read about her experience and learn from her advice to other postdocs.

Can you walk through your career path so far?

I'm from Italy, where I did my undergraduate and graduate training. During my Master's program, I had a fantastic mentor who advised trainees to go after the science we wanted to do. My mentor also emphasized how valuable it is to change countries, which gave me the courage to seek PhD training opportunities elsewhere in Europe.

I ended up moving to Germany which were fantastic years, science-wise. Along the way, I had questions about how to get to the next step in my career path. My PhD adviser suggested I become a member of SfN and then I could access the online content, which I found very useful.

I decided I wanted to continue in an academic path after I graduated, so I pursued postdoctoral training and am now in my second postdoc appointment at the Karolinska Institute (KI) in Sweden.

Tried and True Tactics for a Productive SfN Meeting

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The SfN annual meeting has excellent opportunities to make meaningful connections and seek real-time information. Here are a few ways you can personalize your experience.

Find a meeting mentor from your network to help you navigate the meeting and ;develop an itinerary ;that meets your needs and interests.
Serve as a meeting mentor to help new attendees find their way.
Visit the ;Neurojobs Career Center ;before the meeting to set up interviews and seek career advice from employers at the onsite career center in Hall A. Employers can also purchase a ;job posting package ;to schedule interviews with potential candidates at the meeting.
Talk to representatives from numerous organizations and companies at the ;Exhibit Hall.
Network at the ;poster ;sessions. If you are interested in working at a particular company or lab, seek them out. You may find your next boss.

How Meaningful Service Can Grow Your Career

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 08:21:00 GMT

Over the course of my career, I’ve probably said “yes” to service opportunities more often than I’ve said “no.” In fact, service has been a key element of my professional development and is likely one of the reasons I moved from the bench into academic administration. I am now president of Trinity College.

I enjoyed the opportunities collegewide and external service afforded me. I met interesting people and was constantly stimulated to learn something new and broaden my horizon.

For example, during my second year as an assistant professor at Wellesley College, I was invited to serve on the presidential search committee because of my previous volunteer work. This wasn’t a burden but rather a unique opportunity to see academic leadership in action.

How to Build Productive Collaborations

Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT

James Geddes, vice dean for research at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, says, “Some of the most rewarding studies I've been involved with have been collaborative projects — either ones where I've approached others to collaborate, or where I've been approached to contribute. Collaborations help you think about new areas of research, expand your horizons, and have fun.” In this interview, Geddes shares the basics of collaborations, from why and how you should set one up to what to do if issues arise.

How to Select and Plan for a Postdoc

Tue, 10 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

According to Donna Korol, an associate professor at Syracuse University, there isn’;t a standard practice for finding and securing a postdoc. But there are considerations to keep in mind to help you decide what type of postdoc is right for you and how to be a competitive candidate.

To help you navigate this process, Korol answered commonly asked questions.

FAIR Data, Metadata, and Data Sharing in Neurotrauma

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other funding bodies have recently focused on increasing sharing, publication, and citation of research data and metadata to improve scholarly communication, reproducibility, and translation. Major journals are responding by demanding that data and metadata underlying publications be made available in public repositories for reuse to fuel novel discoveries from pooled information. This Neuroscience 2017 committee shares the progress toward achieving these goals using traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury as illustrating examples.

The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in Peer Review

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Peer review is a critical process for upholding the scientific integrity in publishing. Each year, Peer Review Week spotlights key issues and engages scientists, communicators, and the public worldwide. This year’;s theme is diversity and inclusion.

SfN is joining the global conversation and welcomes you to participate.

The public can join a Q&A in SfN’;s Neuronline community with the Editors-in-Chief (EiC) of eNeuro (Christophe Bernard) and JNeurosci (Marina Picciotto). Post your questions or thoughts anytime between September 3-14, and the EiCs will respond after September 14.

Here, read insights on the importance of diversity and inclusion from four neuroscientists who participated in an SfN pilot reviewer mentor match.

Eight Ways to Work Through Challenges

Thu, 31 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Negative reviews, long hours, misunderstandings. At some point, work or school will feel difficult. Whether it’s a momentary frustration or a bigger obstacle, the right mindset and support system can help you move forward.

Use this advice to help you get back on track.

“I read once that every result is a temporary truth. I try to remember this when I face setbacks. If my results are negative, there is still some truth in what I find that advances the field in some small way, even if it may not be immediately apparent.”

–Sruit Rayaprolu, University of Florida

“I always remind myself of the big picture. Progress is infrequently linear, so even one step back is all right if the big picture is seven steps forward.”

–Emily Johnson, Baldwin Wallace University

Global Neuroethics and Cultural Diversity: Some Challenges to Consider

Tue, 18 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

By Karen Herrera-Ferrá, MD, Arleen Salles, PhD, and Laura Cabrera, PhD

The impact of scientific brain research and the effects of neurotechnology on human beings as biological and moral beings is increasingly felt in medicine and the humanities around the world. Neuroethics attempts to offer a collective response to the ethical issues raised by rapidly developing science and to find new answers to age-old philosophical questions. A growing number of publications show that the field has disseminated to many countries, including developing countries. Mindful that ethical issues are typically shaped by the interplay of science and society, there has been a recent emphasis on the need for a more culturally and socially sensitive field and a call for a wider and more inclusive neuroethics: a “cross cultural,” “global,” or “international” neuroethics. While the sentiment is good, what exactly a more inclusive neuroethics entails is not necessarily clear. Does it entail just recognizing the need for the field to be more aware of existing disparities in brain and mental health issues and their treatment in different regions? Does it entail recognizing the global scope of neuroethical problems? Or possibly working towards a common, unified approach to neuroethical issues that incorporates different viewpoints and methods?

How to Choose a Grad School (and Decide When to Start)

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

As you near the end of your undergraduate career, you may ask yourself, “What comes next?”

Amy Jo Stavnezer, an undergraduate professor at the College of Wooster, suggests thinking about your end goals, including what you want to be doing in five or ten years and what paths can lead you there.

If graduate school is part of your plan, deciding when to start and which program can be complicated. To help you navigate the process, Stavnezer answers commonly asked questions from undergraduate students.

How to Prepare for and Land an Academic Position

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. ;Visit today ;to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Linda Porrino, a department chair at Wake Forest School of Medicine, reflects on what she looks for when hiring new faculty. If you’re considering an academic career now or in the future, read her advice on how to gain experience as a student, make a good impression in the interview, negotiate for what you need, and more.

Career Skills Toolkit: Designing Effective Science Presentations

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

The goal of any scientific presentation is to connect with your audience. What should you do before and during your talk to ensure that happens and you feel comfortable and enjoy the process? Following common guiding principles, such as knowing your audience and rehearsing ahead of time, will help you craft and deliver engaging messages.

To help you design an impactful talk, SfN has created a ;toolkit ;on the three overarching elements of successful science presentations: structure/narrative, visual aids, and delivery.

Learn How to Be Successful in an Academic Career

Wed, 06 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Navigating a successful career in academia requires multiple levels of planning, training, and reaching key milestones. Get advice from this panel of experts, who share their experiences and best practices for obtaining extramural funding at all stages of training and career, publishing in high profile publications, receiving mentoring, and negotiating.

A PI on Her Leadership Style in the Lab

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 10:29:00 GMT

In this video, Elba Serrano, Regents Professor of biology at New Mexico State University (NMSU), shares her experience as a leader in her lab.

Serrano stresses the importance of facilitating inspiration because the lab is a place of innovation, where risks and possible failure can be frequent. Focusing on connecting people’s interests and curiosity to the bigger picture of the scientific research questions the lab is facing is for her a key component of leadership.

Serrano takes her leadership one step further and applies those same principles of inspiration and innovation beyond the bench.

Advice for Your Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

Mon, 26 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT

In this video, get advice on how to figure out if a summer undergraduate research program may be right for you. Catherine Ubri, a senior at Hunter College, also discusses how to approach your applications and time throughout the program and shares her own experience over the summer at the Center for Neural Science at New York University.

Addressing Issues Facing Women in the Early Stages of their Scientific Career

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The Professional Women’;s Nexus (PWN) addresses several topics relevant to women in the early stages of their scientific career. Hear from a journal editor, an industry associate director of global medical strategic operations, department chair, professor, and two assistant professors. This panel addresses topics such as key components for a successful career path, managing stress, work/life balance, scientific insight, and accurate (self) valuation.

Solitary Confinement: Isolating the Neuroethical Dilemma

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

In 1842, Charles Dickens visited the Eastern Penitentiary in Philadelphia to examine what was being called a revolutionary form of rehabilitation. After his visit, he summarized his observations into an essay in which he stated, “I am only the more convinced that there is a depth of terrible endurance in it which none but the sufferers themselves can fathom, and which no man has a right to inflict upon his fellow-creature. I hold this slow and daily tampering with the mysteries of the brain, to be immeasurably worse than any torture of the body.” Dickens’; words describe solitary confinement. While there is no one standard for solitary confinement conditions, it usually involves an individual being placed in complete sensory and social isolation for 23 hours a day. What Dickens observed in 1842 is not unlike current solitary confinement conditions.

At its start, the justice system was meant to be rehabilitative, a place for individuals to learn from their mistakes and return to the community as productive members of society. This was an ideal model but was not executed as well as described. In the 1970s it appeared that the current techniques were not working (rising crime rate and disenchantment with current state) and the system took a turn toward more punitive goals. Still, some scholars argue that the ideas behind rehabilitative treatment are embedded and possibly still growing within our current justice system.

How to Make Yourself a Competitive Grad School Candidate

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

If you plan to pursue a graduate degree, consider the ways you can differentiate yourself, as suggested by neuroscience program faculty.

News You Can Use in Writing Grant Applications: Updates From NIH

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Understanding current NIH policy and priorities is advantageous to grant applicants. Much has changed at NIH, including an emphasis on rigor and transparency influencing scores in review, new policies on clinical trial, evolving scientific priorities at NIH institutes; and new funding opportunities. Hear from senior representatives at the Center for Scientific Review, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute on Aging, National Institute on Drug Abuse, and National Institute of Mental Health about the implications of these changes for neuroscience grant applications.

How to Build the Foundation for Strong International Collaborations

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Join Brian MacVicar, co-director of the Djavad Mowafaghian Center for Brain Health at the University of British Columbia, and Clare Howarth, Vice-Chancellor's Advanced Fellow, for a conversation on their long-standing research collaboration.

Through their story, you’ll gain a greater understanding of how collaborations can:

Begin and then evolve over time.
Need flexibility and adaptability as research findings surface.
Benefit from effective and proactive communication and relationship-building.
Lead to personal growth and lasting professional connections.

What started as a collaboration when Howarth was a Sir Henry Wellcome postdoctoral research fellow in MacVicar’s lab in Canada, eventually turned into an international and multi-dimensional research effort when Howarth left for additional fellowships, and her own lab in England.

Building on their initial work, labs from five countries (Canada, England, Denmark, Australia, and New York) joined them. Their research resulted in a paper published in JNeurosci in March 2017, A Critical Role for Astrocytes in Hypercapnic Vasodilation in Brain.

The Benefits of Taking a Gap Year Before Grad School

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Deciding to apply to graduate school is a big decision. The admission timeline for most PhD programs in the United States begins one year before enrollment. Meaning, if you want to go straight to grad school from undergrad, you’ll have to apply during your senior year. While a seamless transition may be appealing, it’s important to consider the strength of your application with respect to your target programs and schools.

In my experience, a gap year, an increasingly popular option for many prospective graduate students, offers a chance to gain the financial capital to apply, brush up on skills and experiences, reflect on what you want out of grad school, and further develop as an aspiring scientist.

The Lasting Impacts of Postdocs Abroad

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 00:00:00 GMT

What you learn during your postdoc could continue to shape your career even years later. Fatuel Tecuapetla, tenured researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), still incorporates valuable career and life lessons he discovered through his two postdocs abroad. Here, he reflects on how he made the decision to do a second postdoc, ways he grew as a scientist, and advice for young researchers.

How did you approach your postdoctoral training?

During my PhD at UNAM, I asked my advisers, "What do I need to do to have a position here one day?”

To be competitive, they said I’d need good quality publications and the ability to bring something different to Mexico — a technique nobody else was doing, for example.

I made a plan and focused on it. There were certain techniques I wanted to learn, so I tried to find labs that would help me.

I then did two postdocs. One was at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, and the other was at the Champalimaud Neuroscience Program in Lisbon, Portugal.

The postdoc in Portugal had the biggest impact on my career. I ended up moving there for four years and learned techniques while collaborating with incredible people. By the time I was finishing my postdoc in Portugal, I was waiting for an open position at UNAM.

The Story Behind This Former NIH Program Director's Career

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

No two careers are identical. Yet, all neuroscientists will likely share certain commonalities: the first sparks of scientific curiosity, difficult challenges, resilience to press on, accomplishments large and small, hard-earned wisdom, and support from professional and personal communities.

In this series, ;Notable Careers: Reflections on Science, Leadership, and Community, five neuroscientists reflect on their life’;s work and share their hope for the future of the field.

Here, Michael Oberdorfer, whose last position was program director of NIH’;s National Eye Institute (NEI) extramural research program, shares his initial childhood curiosity with science and nature, highlights from his training years, what it was like to attend SfN’;s first annual meeting, and more.

How This Postdoc Found a Position Right for Her

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Elizabeth Glover, a postdoctoral fellow at the Medical University of South Carolina and member of SfN’s Trainee Advisory Committee, is in her last year of being a postdoc and looking to make the transition to independent faculty. Here, she reflects on how she approached searching for a postdoc position that would help her achieve what she was looking for in terms of her research growth, mentorship, and support network.

How I Communicate the Importance of Animals in Research With Any Audience

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Through work with rhesus monkeys, Kati Gothard’s lab seeks to understand the neural basis of emotion and social behavior. She has experience communicating about her work with animals to a variety of audiences and also served on SfN’s Committee on Animals in Research. In a recent Neuronline article, she shares two stories where honest and open communication with the public paid off. Here, she gets into the approaches for communicating your work in a way that connects, and how to press on when you face harsh criticism.

How to Build Your Schedule and Connect With Others at SfN’s Annual Meeting

Wed, 24 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Colin Franz, assistant professor at Northwestern University, shares his tips to end each day of SfN’s annual meeting with a feeling of accomplishment and make important career connections.

What’s your key to a successful meeting?

My advice for a first-time attendee would be, decide the one thing you want to accomplish for each half-day before you walk into the convention center.

An Award-Winning Educator on How to Keep Students Engaged

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Throughout his career, Randy Nelson has worked to improve neuroscience education beyond his regular teaching obligations. He’;s developed undergraduate programs at Johns Hopkins University and The Ohio State University and published more than 400 peer-reviewed articles and 11 books, including one textbook widely used in North America and Europe. In addition, he makes time to mentor, run a collaborative lab, and serve on the advisory board for several training grants. For his contributions to neuroscience education, he won the Award for Education in Neuroscience in 2017.

What led you to become so involved in other activities beyond teaching in the classroom?

I love the energy of teaching undergrads, both in the classroom and in the lab.

My interest in mentoring came from being allowed to work with grad students and postdocs as an undergraduate student and from my own experiences of having excellent mentors in graduate school. Irv Zucker, my graduate mentor at Berkeley, was excellent at motivating his trainees to succeed, and he also did an outstanding job teaching us how to ask scientific questions and design clean experiments.

I’;ve also been fortunate to have other mentors during my career, including David Crews at The University of Texas, and, especially Sol Snyder, my chair at Hopkins.

Don't Ignore These Four Ways to Have a Successful Career

Thu, 22 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

It’s not enough to know what you want out of a career in neuroscience. You also need to know how to get there. Follow this advice to set yourself up for a gratifying, challenging, and productive career:

How to Stay Productive

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 09:55:00 GMT

It can be a challenge to avoid distractions and accomplish what needs to get done. Eight students and professors share what helps them manage their time and stay on top of daily tasks.

Some of their suggestions include finding someone to hold you accountable, color-coding your calendars, and breaking projects into chunks.

Read on for more tips.

Inside a Career Built on Perseverance, Curiosity, and Seeking Opportunity

Tue, 26 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. ;Visit today ;to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

In this series, ;Notable Careers: Reflections on Science, Leadership, and Community, five neuroscientists reflect on their life’;s work and share their hope for the future of the field.

Here, Osvaldo Uchitel, whose last position was senior researcher at the University of Buenos Aires, focuses on what it was like to conduct high quality science and rebuild a community of neuroscientists in Argentina despite a volatile political climate and scarce funding and scientific support.

Funding Opportunities to Build Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Research for the Future

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

As the field of neuroscience evolves, NSF is focusing its training and research support towards team-based interdisciplinary strategies to understand how healthy brains and neural circuits function.

This Neuroscience 2017 event is designed to inform educational and research leaders at all career stages about national and international funding opportunities that emphasize interdisciplinary neuroscience training and research.

Global Approaches for Collaboration and Networking

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

In this Neuroscience 2017 event, Women in World Neuroscience (WWN), an independent mentoring and networking organization that provides opportunities for neuroscientists across the world, highlights the potential of developing strategic collaborations, identifies funding sources, and provides strategies for establishing successful research networks.

How to Publish for a Successful Academic Career

Sun, 01 Apr 2018 12:36:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. ;Visit today ;to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Being a researcher is exciting and incredibly fulfilling. It can also be challenging, especially as funding, jobs in academia, and tenure are harder to secure.

One of the ways to build a successful career despite these challenges is to be proactive and intentional about publishing.

That’;s because publishing research and disseminating the results of your hard work are just as important as doing the actual experiments. What you publish, how often you publish, and where you publish are essential considerations.

Career Skills Toolkit: Leadership, Management, and Team Building

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 12:37:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

In addition to subject-matter expertise, skills such as leadership, management, and team building are crucial for navigating increasingly complex jobs and research collaboration opportunities in neuroscience.

To help you develop these critical capabilities, SfN has created a toolkit that can be shared with an audience or used to improve your own leadership, management, and team building skills.

2018’s Top Scientific and Career Planning Resources

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

As you reflect on your accomplishments this year and think about the year ahead, take time to explore the most popular interviews, articles, and toolkits published on Neuronline in 2018. They may help you stay on top of scientific findings or inspire your next career move.

Criminal Law and Neuroscience: Hope or Hype?

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The discovery of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 1991, which permits non-invasive imaging of brain function, and the wide availability of scanners for research starting in about 2000 fueled claims that what we would learn about the brain and behavior would transform and perhaps revolutionize criminal law.

Most commonly, many thought traditional notions of criminal responsibility would be undermined for various reasons, such as demonstrating people really cannot control themselves as well as we believe, or as indicating more action was automatic, thoughtless, and non-rational than we think.

Most radically, the neuroexuberants argued that neuroscience shows no one is really responsible because we are not agents —; rather, we are victims of neuronal circumstances that mechanistically produce our epiphenomenal thoughts and our bodily movements.

Similar claims were made when the genome was cracked. The age of cognitive, affective, and social neuroscience (behavioral neuroscience) —; the neurosciences most relevant to law —; is almost two decades old. What have we learned that is legally relevant and how has it transformed criminal law doctrine and practice?

Despite the astonishing advances in neuroscience, most of what we know is not legally relevant, has not transformed doctrine in the slightest, and has had scant influence on practice except in death penalty proceedings.

The reasons are conceptual, scientific, and practical.

A Former NINDS Director Reflects on Her Career

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Story Landis, former director of the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke (NINDS), has had an impact on neuroscience through her research on developmental neurotransmitter phenotype switching and leadership in academia and at NIH. Landis has championed critical science and public policy issues, diversity, and mentorship throughout her career. For her contributions to advancing the field, Landis received the Ralph W. Gerard Prize in Neuroscience in 2015. Here she reflects on the highlights of leading initiatives and critical conversations about funding, mentoring, and more.

Career Skills Toolkit: From PhD to Postdoc

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 10:33:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

The right postdoc can help you gain key skills for the next step in your career, and it takes an intentional plan to select the right one.

To help you identify and secure a postdoc that best fits your goals, SfN has created a toolkit to help you strategically explore career options, develop relevant transferable skills, network with potential mentors, and negotiate the position right for you.

Explore the toolkit’;s ready-to-use presentation to learn how to:

Explore career options and decide on your next steps.
Build the skills and network you need for career advancement.
Highlight your value on a CV or resume.
Identify and secure a postdoc position.
Plan your postdoc to help you achieve future career advancement.

;This toolkit can be shared with an audience or studied independently to learn.

Navigating Cultures and Collaborations for a Dynamic Career

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

In this series, ;Notable Careers: Reflections on Science, Leadership, and Community, five neuroscientists reflect on their life’;s work and share their hope for the future of the field.

Here, Marie-Françoise Chesselet, professor emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles, focuses on what it was like moving from France (her home country), to pursue science and a life in the United States, why leading large collaborative groups was so valuable to her, and more.

Life Balance in Academic Medicine: Confessions of a Physician-Scientist

Wed, 02 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This a text-only summary from Neuroscience 2017.

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. ;Visit today ;to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Emery Brown, professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, discusses his career trajectory as a physician-scientist and his work-life balance. He delivered this talk during SfN’;s Meet-the-Expert Series at Neuroscience 2017. The text below has been condensed and lightly edited and offer highlights from his talk. Listen to the audio recording above for the full remarks.

Transitioning From Romance Languages to Circadian Rhythms

I started out as an undergraduate at Harvard, majoring in romance languages. I knew I was going to go to medical school. I figured I would work for the World Health Organization, traveling around the world and stamping out diseases.

However, in my sophomore year, my roommates concentrated in economics, and they talked like they understood the world. I then switched into economics, and in my junior year, I switched my major to applied mathematics.

I also did an undergraduate thesis, and I wrote about studying outcomes from high-risk surgery. It was funded by the anesthesiology department at Massachusetts General Hospital. I didn't solve an earth-shattering problem, but it taught me how to formulate a problem, research it, and write it up.

Learn From Mexico's Scientific Culture of Interaction and Sharing

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 12:00:00 GMT

I see neuroscience starting to thrive in Mexico.

Here’;s some history to show what’;s contributed to that. Mexican neuroscience started in the 1940s and was led by two neuroscientists: Arturo Rosenblueth and Raúl Hernández Peón.

Rosenblueth worked at Harvard University but eventually returned to Mexico and started the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (Cinvestav). It’;s similar to Princeton’;s Institute for Advanced Study and centered mainly around neuroscience, mathematics, and physics. He was a big promoter of basic science and had high academic standards, which led his group to make significant strides for the field.

Hernández Peón had a similar background. He began working at the University of California, Los Angeles, but returned to the National University of Mexico, where he formed a successful research team.

These two researchers formed large groups that are still alive in Mexican neuroscience today.

Improving Your Science: Sample-Size Planning, Pre-Registration, and Reproducible Data Analysis

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This workshop introduces three emerging best practices to improve the rigor and reproducibility of neuroscience research:

Sample-size planning.
Pre-registration.
The Teaching Integrity in Empirical Research (TIER) Protocol for conducting reproducible data analysis.

Each discussion provides a 30-minute overview of the topic and include resources and tips for advancing towards mastery.

How to Prepare for Your Grad School Interview Weekend

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Being offered an interview is often the rate-limiting step of the admissions process, and the wait can be nerve-racking. As you wait to hear back from your top choice schools and programs, here are the important considerations to weigh.

Before You Accept an Interview:

Prioritize your level of interest in each program. There could be conflicting interview dates, with some programs offering no alternates. It’;s important to consider how likely you are to accept an offer from a program if an offer is made before you commit to interviewing for the program.

Neuroethics and Public Engagement: Why, How, and Best Practices

Wed, 16 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Public education and engagement are crucial in the process of assessing and applying societal values to the risks and benefits of neuroscience and the ethical dimensions involved. Explore what neuroethics is, why public engagement is key, and develop ideas on how to engage with the public regarding research in this Short Course 3 from Neuroscience 2017.

Research Mentor Training for Neuroscience Faculty

Tue, 08 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This Neuroscience 2017 event, based on the ;Entering Mentoring series, is designed for mentors of diverse trainees. Through an evidence-based approach, you will learn effective strategies to gain an understanding of best practices in mentoring. This event is led by master facilitators from the NIH National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN), whose mission is to provide all trainees across the biomedical sciences with evidence-based mentorship and professional development programming.

Your Chalk Talk Questions Answered

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT

What goes into a successful chalk talk? Qiaojie Xiong, an assistant professor at Stony Brook University, answers based on her own experience going through the process.

In this video, she delivers a snapshot of her research plan to give you an idea of the structure, pacing, and tone.

Additionally, below, she answers common questions, such as how to structure your talk and ways to get feedback.

For more insights from faculty on how to prepare for and deliver an effective chalk talk, watch the related webinar, Demystifying the Academic Chalk Talk.

Ways to Advocate for Yourself and Others

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Lisa Monteggia, incoming Barlow Family Director of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, believes advocacy means “putting yourself out there” and “pushing someone forward,” ultimately “providing a base of support to really encourage someone to reach the goals they want to reach.”

For Monteggia, advocacy is also about helping to train the next generation of neuroscientists.

In this video, find out from her how to:

Leverage opportunities to advocate for yourself, such as awards, grants, and meetings.
Encourage and endorse others in simple yet meaningful ways.
Build your connections with mentors and peers to strengthen your network of support.

Speaking Openly About Using Animals in My Research

Mon, 19 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT

I believe the key to an effective discussion about animal research is authenticity.

I learned this firsthand during a lecture I gave at the University of California at Irvine’s Distinctive Voices Series organized by the National Academy of Sciences.

Disrupting Diagnosis: Speech Patterns, AI, and Ethical Issues of Digital Phenotyping

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Diagnosing schizophrenia can be complex, time-consuming, and expensive. The April seminar on The Future Now: (NEEDs) Neuroscience and Emerging Ethical Dilemmas at Emory focused on one innovative effort to improve this process in the flourishing field of digital phenotyping. Presenter and NeuroLex founder and CEO Jim Schwoebel had witnessed his brother struggle for several years with frequent headaches and anxiety, and saw him accrue nearly $15,000 in medical expenses before his first psychotic break. From there it took many more years and additional psychotic episodes before Jim’;s brother began responding to medication and his condition stabilized. Unfortunately, this experience is not uncommon; a recent study found that the median period from the onset of psychotic symptoms until treatment is 74 weeks.

Before You Publish, Know This

Fri, 15 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Whether you’re preparing your first article or looking for a refresher, use this guide to help you answer the basics on authorship, editorial handling, and peer review.

The 10 Constants Throughout a Changing Career

Fri, 08 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Ups and downs, achievements and challenges: your career will be full of them. Through these changes, there will be some constants. Knowing these will help you successfully advance your career.

Contemplate these 10 ever-true affirmations to keep you grounded and true to your character and interests as your career transforms.

First Time Reviewers, Read This

Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Reviewers are valuable members of the journal community. Before you accept the responsibility to review, consider the basics of the process and your role in it.

Embracing Change: How One Neuroscientist Took Charge of His Career Path

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Kenneth Maynard is a global program leader, central nervous system, at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. In a recent interview, he discussed a variety of topics, including his own career path and how others can work in the pharmaceutical industry.

Getting the Most Out of Your Mentoring Relationship

Fri, 01 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

The qualities of a good protégé include effective communication, trust, flexibility, patience, openness, optimism, and persistence. Make sure to embody these qualities as well as follow these tips.

Four Reasons To Take Time Off Before Graduate School

Wed, 26 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT

As my time at NIH comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on my two years as a postbaccalaureate fellow, and I can’t help but feel that taking two years off before going back to school was the best decision I could have made.

Here are four reasons — based on my experience — why undergraduates should also consider taking time off before going to graduate school.

"Good Advice Usually Comes for Free" and Other Insights To Help You Excel

Wed, 05 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to a Neuroscience Career, published in Neuron in May 2015, Marian Joëls and the other authors applaud the worldwide excitement around neuroscience and the number of people entering the field.

To help neuroscientists advance in the face of increased competition, the authors present the “critical success indicators for a career in academic neuroscience,” including mobility, networking, building a CV and seeking advice, and outreach. Here, Marian Joëls further explores these topics.

2015 in Review: Top 10 Articles on Neuronline

Mon, 21 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT

From career advice to scientific research, these articles, videos, and podcasts offer guidance and insights to help you excel. Prepare for the new year now by catching up on these learning opportunities.

Get to Know NIH

Fri, 15 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Are you just starting your career? Set yourself up for success in NIH’s grant application process by understanding NIH’s mission, nature, structure, and key personnel.

“It Was Clear I Had to Make the Change”: My Career Transition

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Wendy Suzuki began her neuroscience career studying the hippocampus — specifically how patterns of electrical activity in the hippocampus allow us to form new long-term memories. Twenty years into her career, Suzuki switched her research focus to examine how exercise affects brain function, and how much and what kinds of exercise people need. Read this interview to learn about Suzuki’s journey and how your personal passions and curiosities factor into your career.

How to Find a Mentor as a Graduate Student

Wed, 20 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

At large research universities, it is your responsibility as a student to seek out and engage faculty members. It is unrealistic to expect a professor will come along, recognize your need for a mentor, and generously provide that personal and professional relationship.

Degree programs offer graduate students a number of difference academic advising opportunities. Academic advising usually covers program requirements, obligations, milestones, deadlines, and other helpful hints to ensure students stay on track. Students are typically assigned a faculty member with common research interests. Sometimes this adviser may also become a mentor. But remember: Your adviser, even your committee chair, may never be committed to your success like a mentor.

Many graduate students are hesitant to contact a faculty member, especially in the early stages of training. Start this process by undertaking a critical self-appraisal. Understand what you need to thrive as a graduate student before you decide on a mentor who might meet those needs.

Peer Review: Is Your Feedback Clear?

Wed, 02 Sep 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Now that you’re done peer reviewing a manuscript, how can you best communicate your assessment?

Follow these guidelines to give concise, constructive feedback to the editors and authors you’re working with.

Insights from a Global Program Leader in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 11:59:00 GMT

In a recent interview, Kenneth Maynard discussed a variety of topics, including tips for transitioning into the pharmaceutical industry and how to get the most out of your mentoring relationships.

Master the Process for Preparing NIH Grant Applications

Fri, 26 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Are you applying for an NIH grant? Follow these steps to help you prepare your application.

8 Tips to Become a Better Peer Reviewer

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Conducting quality peer reviews are important — for the authors, journals, and scientific research. Here’s what you should know about how to approach your peer review responsibilities.

A Beginner's Guide to Networking

Tue, 08 Sep 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Everywhere you go, you continuously build your personal and professional network. In fact, one conversation today could become a career connection down the road.

Build trusting, intentional relationships in your day-to-day interactions in order to advance your career now and in the future.

Lessons From My Postdoc Abroad

Mon, 19 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT

All postdoctoral experiences are unique. Still, I hope that my personal account of doing a postdoctoral position in the United States has some useful takeaways for others. Here’s what I think you should know.

Tips for Planning Your Postdoc Abroad

Fri, 15 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Studying internationally is one thing, and navigating the complex process from when you accept to when you arrive is another.

Manage Your NIH Award With This Checklist

Wed, 26 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Read these common questions and answers to know the important details and processes necessary to manage your NIH award.

A Personal Perspective: Why Increasing the Advancement of Women in Neuroscience Matters

Fri, 29 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Mara Dierssen is a senior scientist at the Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases and the president of the Spanish Society for Neuroscience. She shares her insight about the challenges women face in neuroscience from her experience working and advancing in the field, and she offers advice to other women pursuing a career in neuroscience.

Writing for Lay Readers: Let Your Reader Be Your Compass

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Your science affects society. So how can you get the public to understand and interact with the most important parts of your research? Through lay writing, or writing for a science-interested public, which makes the research you care about accessible.

Resume and CV Design: Tips for Graduate Students

Wed, 08 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Building an effective resume or CV is crucial in landing your ideal job. Knowing what to include and how to include it is the first step to a successful job hunt.

Strategies to Address Issues With Your Mentor

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT

If you clearly establish the terms of a mentoring relationship at the outset of your graduate program, there will hopefully be few problems between you and your mentor. However, sometimes situations arise that hinder the timely completion of degree work, such as the birth of a child or a family crisis.

In these instances, take the initiative and contact your mentors. Discuss your situation and provide them the information you feel they need to know. As soon as possible, get back to them with a new timeline for completing your degree. Be sure the revised plan is realistic and that you can meet the new deadlines.

How to Make a Smart Midcareer Move

Fri, 29 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Career transitions are bound to happen as your professional and personal needs and interests evolve. Personally, I’ve made four moves, switching cities and states, titles, and responsibilities each time.

Tips for Submitting Your NIH Grant Application

Wed, 15 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Correctly submitting your NIH grant application is just as important as writing it. Follow these practical steps to make sure your application successfully travels through the submission process.

How to Be Your Best at Networking

Fri, 01 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Networking is crucial to establishing and growing in your career. Whether you plan to work in academia your entire career or switch paths and work beyond the bench, your network is vital. Check out these tips for building the best network.

Where Do I Find NIH Funding Opportunities?

Fri, 29 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Did you know that NIH’s Office of Extramural Research (OER) has a dedicated portal of resources to help you understand the ins and outs of NIH funding opportunity announcements (FOAs)?

From Preparing to Negotiating: Ways to Land a Senior Academic Position

Wed, 17 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Set yourself up for success in securing a senior academic position by knowing how to promote your work, seek out opportunities, interview, and negotiate. These tips will get you started.

Why Be a Mentor?

Fri, 29 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Far from being an extra or time-permitting task, mentoring is as essential to a faculty member’;s success as teaching, research, and publication. And, for the same reasons, mentoring benefits students and mentors, advances the discipline, and ensures the quality and commitment of the next generation of scholars.

What Makes a Good NIH Grant Application

Fri, 08 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Writing good NIH grant applications can be tricky. To help new and established applicants submit better applications, NIH’s Center for Scientific Review (CSR) has shared insights of six former study section chairs explaining common elements of impactful applications they’ve seen.

How to Find a Graduate Program That Matches Your Research Interests

Thu, 04 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT

So, you want to study neuroscience in graduate school. Acknowledging that you are ready to further your education is the first big step.

Here's How to Effectively Mentor Diverse Students

Mon, 17 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Graduate education is continually evolving. Content and practices have changed over the decades, and so have the students. The combination of women, students from historically underrepresented groups, international students, LGBT students, students with disabilities, and students with children constitutes the majority of graduate students in the United States. The diversity of individuals in graduate education means what is worth preserving and transmitting and what is rooted in assumptions about homogeneity and should be adapted or discarded needs to be examined.

Research on the role that social identity plays in an individual’;s ability to succeed in graduate school indicates that there are issues that call for attention and thoughtfulness on the part of mentors.

Consider how the following might play into how you mentor current and future students.

Getting Published From Start to Finish

Tue, 26 Jan 2021 10:10:00 GMT

This playlist walks through the entire process of deciding when to write, how to write, and where to publish your manuscript. Verity Brown, editor-in-chief of Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, discusses many helpful tips and tricks that these videos can help any neuroscientist learn new things about getting published.

Time Management Tricks You Need to Know

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 10:38:00 GMT

You will only get busier as you advance in your career, but that doesn’t mean your life has to feel unmanageable.

Use these tips to manage your time, self, and overall goals.

Peer Review: Are You Asking the Right Questions?

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT

As you review a manuscript, focusing on the quality of the work and the presentation of the paper will help you conduct a thorough and fair assessment.

How to Spot an Inclusive Work Environment

Fri, 08 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Do you ever enter a lab, meeting, or lunchroom feeling like you need to hide your personality to fit in? That you can’t offer a great new idea, share honest feedback, or admit to leaving early for family reasons?

Learn to Say Yes and No Without Guilt and Regret

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

You’;re finally at your desk after an endless day in the lab. You’;re editing a grant proposal due soon before heading out to a seminar and reception. And then: a knock at your door.

Someone proposes a new project, or asks you to serve on a committee, or wants you to mentor a new lab member. On top of everything on your to-do list. You pause —; and panic —; because you don’;t know what to say.

NIH Grant Application: What Your Cover Letter Should Say

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Once you’ve finished writing and editing your NIH grant application, there’s still a vital piece left to prepare: the cover letter.

Cover letters help NIH best refer and review your application. They will be used internally by referral staff and Scientific Review Officers (SROs) but will not be shared with reviewers and other NIH staff.

Don’t miss out on the chance to support your application with additional valuable information, making sure that the right people review your application. Follow these tips from NIH for a comprehensive cover letter.

eNeuro Editor-in-Chief Answers Questions on Reviewing

Mon, 23 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT

eNeuro's editor-in-chief Christophe Bernard answered questions on what you should know about being a reviewer and why it’s important for your career.

New to Mentoring? Have a New Mentor? Don't Miss These Tips

Tue, 25 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

So you’ve been paired with your mentor or protégé. Now what?

How to Find the Right Mentors and Ask for Career Advice

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Receiving sound career advice and mentorship is all about bridging connections, communicating well, and knowing what you want. Watch experts share how to approach people for career guidance and form successful formal or informal mentoring relationships.

Mentoring: Why The Field Depends on It

Fri, 01 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

What do you do as a mentor, and why do you take the time to mentor? No matter the reason, it’s clear that mentoring is fundamental to the success of individuals and the development of the neuroscience field. Get inspired by these experts, who share what mentoring means to them.

Opportunity for Impact: Mentoring Undergrads

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Mentoring undergraduate students gives you the opportunity to inspire your students at important times in their lives. But there are also unique challenges during this formative time. Julio Ramirez outlines what you need to consider as a mentor, and how to get started in this video series.

Overwhelmed With NIH Grant Options? Here's Some Clarity

Fri, 01 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

From the different kinds of NIH grants to advice on how to more easily navigate the review process, Roger Sorenson offers in-depth insights. Watch this video as you consider your options.

Tips for Mentoring the Next Generation

Fri, 08 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

How can mentors best adapt their advice to a changing field and prepare the next generation of neuroscientists?

Experts in this video share how to:

Tailor advice for people at different stages of a neuroscience career
Offer advice to students pursuing careers beyond the bench
Balance mentor requests, like recommendation letters, with other obligations
Experience the rewards of mentorship

Why You Want to Do an International Postdoc

Fri, 01 May 2015 00:00:00 GMT

There are many reasons to do a postdoc position after graduating and in this video Michael Zigmond, professor at University of Pittsburgh, discusses how to best choose a postdoc lab and why it can be so beneficial to do your postdoc internationally.

You've Completed Your IDP. Now What?

Tue, 25 Aug 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Let your Individual Development Plan (IDP) be a road map to the future you envision.

Coping With Failure as a Grad Student and Beyond

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 10:59:00 GMT

Four years ago, in my second year of graduate school, I wrote about coping with failure as a graduate student. I was frustrated I couldn’;t answer scientific questions because I was spending all of my time trying to get basic techniques to work. Since then, I continued to experience disappointment, both in and out of the lab. I’;ve recently been reflecting on what I would now tell my younger self, and I’;m sharing those thoughts in the hope that they might help someone else.

Let yourself grieve.

When we experience disappointment, there’;s a sharp emotional response. That response has to pass before we can evaluate what happened and decide what to do next. The first few times we’;re disappointed, it takes a long time to process and dispel our negative feelings. Eventually, we begin to heal from disappointment faster.

We can’;t force rational processes onto emotion – emotions happen in their own time, through a system older and deeper than our executive functioning. But we can understand how our own feelings work and create space for them to happen and to minimize the damage they inflict on our lives. That can mean taking an afternoon or day to sulk after a frustrating experiment or “not discussed” grant application. The pain will eventually subside, and then you can think. And each time, with each disappointment, the cycle will get shorter.

Graduate Students: Are You Taking These Steps With Mentors to Advance Your Career?

Wed, 10 Jun 2015 00:00:00 GMT

After you have established a mentoring team, it is important to maintain your mentoring relationships in a professional manner. Through your attitude and actions, you can show that you are responsible, and through your work as a graduate student, you can develop and demonstrate your abilities as an independent scholar and researcher.

Remember, the mentors on your team will have different perspectives and interests. For example, some mentors may feel that their role is to assist with revising articles for publication and to prepare you for conferences, but not to sympathize with your personal crises. Other mentors may be available to listen to your private concerns but not to spend hours on data analysis. Be realistic about what each mentor can do for you and be sensitive to each person’;s view of your mentoring relationship.

Neuroscience: Out of Pandora's Box and Into the Boardroom

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 12:46:00 GMT

Neuroscience has escaped the confines of the laboratory and is now popping up in business settings. More specifically, neuroscience is now playing a visible role in supporting the development of new business leaders. Neuroleadership is the intersection of neuroscience (the study of how the brain works) and leadership development (the rapid professional development of people in management positions). In short, now that we have a better idea of how the brain works, businesses will have an easier job of molding employees to become better managers.

The dilemma that neuroleadership, a field of professional education that is based on neuroscience, faces is how to systematically handle the hard job of translating the technical products of a rigorous scientific field into public interest concepts useful to non-scientists.

Ten Tips for Graduate School Virtual Interviews

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 11:52:00 GMT

Virtual interview weekends were a necessity brought on by COVID-19. Now, with virtual work persisting across multiple industries, remote interviews may stick around post-pandemic. Use these 10 tips to prepare for your virtual interview weekend.

Advice to Underrepresented Trainees on Building Better Mentor/Mentee Relationships

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 14:15:00 GMT

Attending graduate school as an underrepresented trainee can present a number of challenges. From unique backgrounds to culture shock, to literally not speaking the same language, a number of barriers can come into play when trying to build relationships. A strong mentor/mentee relationship is particularly important for trainees, but underrepresented trainees may have difficulty because of those barriers. I was able to find mentors and build these relationships, but I needed to understand a few things first in order to make that possible. ;

In my experience, underrepresented trainees who are hoping to build better relationships with their mentors should:

Be willing to communicate your unique needs. ;
Build your mentor village.
Understand the boundaries of each mentor/mentee relationship while accepting the lack of a “perfect mentor.”

Learning to Cope With Failure as a Grad Student

Tue, 23 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Halfway through my second year in a neuroscience graduate program this winter, I encountered a new challenge in the lab. Unlike last year, when I endured the pressure of exams, the monotony of daily classes, and a feeling of not belonging, this year I experienced something else: failure.

It is frequently said that to be a scientist is to fail. That’s easy to say and understand in theory — until you go through it yourself.

A Personal Experience with the Tenure Process

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

James Geddes is the vice dean for research at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Here, he shares what his transition from pre-tenure to post-tenure was like, including responsibility and institutional culture shifts.

A Perspective from Mexico: the Impact of Global Collaborations and In-Country Initiatives

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Teresa Morales is an associate professor at the Institute for Neurobiology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She is also a member of the SfN Neuroscience Training Committee. Here, Morales discusses global collaborations, training abroad, and the neuroscience field in Mexico.

How Smart Collaboration Can Move the Field and Society Forward

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 12:07:00 GMT

As Charles Yokoyama shared in an article detailing his career path journey, he was a bench scientist and senior editor at Neuron before taking on his current roles in global communication, collaboration, and research development for the RIKEN Brain Science Institute. Yokoyama also serves as a member of SfN’s Global Membership Committee and the BrainFacts.org Editorial Board. Drawing from his diverse, global experience, he explains why collaboration in neuroscience is so important to move society forward.

An Undergraduate Research Story: Part One

Wed, 11 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

The prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate sophomores and juniors planning on research careers in natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering. SfN is proud some of its members are Goldwater Scholarship Award Winners. This series, features three SfN members who are 2017 winners to showcase their accomplishments and offer other undergraduate members interested in conducting research a chance to learn from their experiences. Here, Kimberly Bress of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville shares her insights.

How to Be Upfront About Our Work With Animals

Thu, 13 May 2021 10:51:00 GMT

It's important to communicate with lay audiences about animal research, but what's an effective approach? Mar Sanchez, a member of SfN's Committee on Animal Research, advises being transparent and proactive to confront the pervasiveness of misleading messages from animal rights groups. Here, she offers advice on facilitating conversations, engaging institutions and activists, protecting yourself against attacks, and more.

How I Approached My Lab Move

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 11:57:00 GMT

Every neuroscientist makes transitions for different reasons. In my case, when I was recruited from Howard University in Washington, DC to the University of Michigan in 2016, I wasn't actively seeking to leave. In fact, I was really happy at Howard.

But this opportunity came along, and the timing was right. My research projects had just started to pick up enough traction that the work was ready to grow and expand.

Though it was tough, a major part of my conscience decision was to become less of a teacher and more of a researcher.

How to Choose Your Thesis Lab

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Choosing the laboratory in which you will do your thesis research is one of the most important and difficult decisions you will make in graduate school. I’ve previously discussed five questions to help you choose a rotation lab. Now, here are five additional questions to reflect on when choosing your thesis lab.

A Postdoc Reflects Back on the Ups and Downs of Her Thesis Research

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 10:06:00 GMT

Using molecular, anatomical, and electrophysiological approaches, Sebnem Tuncdemir found that two types of interneurons form transient connections while integrating into their proper positions within the developing brain and that these ephemeral circuits are necessary for the correct assembly of the cerebral cortex. For her outstanding PhD thesis, Tuncdemir won the Nemko Prize in Cellular or Molecular Neuroscience in 2016. Here, she shares more about her research and offers advice for grad students.

Balancing Science Policy Interests with Lab Work: Is it Possible?

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

During SfN’s Careers in Science Policy webinar, neuroscientists who work in policy roles for the government and a consulting firm explained how they made time for exploring science policy interests during training. Specifically, they offer ways you can balance science policy writing with heavy lab demands, based on what worked for them.

How to Present Science Using Visual Tools

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Making your science visually appealing can better engage your audiences and help them understand important research topics. Fortunately, different tools exist to help you present your science in compelling and creative ways. Speakers with experience developing science videos, animations, graphics, and other presentations explain the benefits of sharing your work in visual ways and tips on how make the most of available resources in this video.

The Four Purposes of Peer Review

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

What is the job of a journal reviewer? Whether you’re looking to become a reviewer, just starting out, or want a refresher, here are the four major areas of responsibility of all peer reviewers.

Erasing Memories

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Neuroscientists can measure changes in the brain associated with different types of memory. Recent experiments on rodents have shown that memories can be manipulated.

In one experiment, researchers implanted a false fear memory in a mouse brain, causing it to elicit a fear response to a stimulus to which it was not actually exposed. In a different experiment, researchers electrically stimulated place cells in a mouse hippocampus as well as cells in the reward system during sleep, which induced learned behavior where mice linked a specific location to a reward.

Is Grad School Right for You? Looking at Labs Can Help You Decide

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

As an undergraduate, the best way you can decide if you want to go to grad school is to sample some of the laboratory environments (for a couple of months, not years) that you think might be interesting.

For Women, By Women: Tips for Success in Science

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

While rates have improved in recent years, women are still underrepresented in the highest levels of scientific fields. In this list, successful women in science talk about what helped them succeed.

Is Football Safe for Brains?

Thu, 02 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

At the 2015 International Neuroethics Society annual meeting in Chicago, Nita Farahany and a panel from the Football Players Health Study (FPHS) at Harvard University headlined the public talk, “Is professional football safe? Can it be made safer?” The panel declined to provide direct answers to these important questions, but the short answers are “No,” and “Not by much,” respectively.

Qualities of a Successful Grad Student

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Five neuroscience program faculty share the traits that they think can help graduate students excel in their training. Here’s what to keep in mind.

Part Two: Communicating Your Way Through Conflict in Academia

Tue, 18 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Sensitivity, awareness, and acknowledgement of your institutional environment are critical to managing conflict. What you say — and how you say it — also plays a major role in diffusing or perpetuating situations.

5 Tips for Becoming a Better Science Communicator

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

When scientists communicate effectively about their research, science thrives.

Making our science digestible to nonscientists helps people understand the wider relevance of science in society. Given the current stark funding realities, making our science accessible can also promote more informed decision-making, especially with policymakers, government agencies, and other types of funders.

Answers to 6 Sensitive Peer Review Questions

Tue, 23 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Do you have questions about how to thoughtfully respond to reviews you may not agree with, making recommendations to editors as a reviewer, and other topics related to the peer review process?

Get answers in the Q&A below with Margaret McCarthy, eNeuro advisory board member and professor of pharmacology and chair of the department of pharmacology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Also be sure to listen to SfN’s podcast, The Perils of Publishing.

My Advice for Finding Mentors

Wed, 30 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT

It's important to have mentors who are similar to us and who have had common experiences —; people with whom we'll feel comfortable. However, women and minorities (but really anyone) should also reach out to and establish mentoring relationships with men and other ethnic groups.

It's also important for everyone to have mentors who are in the positions that you aspire to, no matter their race or gender, because they give you inside information about how to get there and share a perspective about what it's like. It can also be helpful to get a reality check —; to hear, "This is what everybody goes through. Your experience is common." ;

As a mentee, I have learned not to judge someone’;s background when considering whether they may or may not be an impactful mentor.

The Freedom to Become an Addict

Tue, 24 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

The introduction of “addiction vaccines” has brought with it a belief that we have the potential to cure addicts before they have ever tried a drug. Proponents of addiction vaccines hold that they will: prevent children from becoming addicted to drugs in the future, allow addicts to easily and safely stop using drugs, and potentially lower the social and economic costs of addiction for society at large.

However, it is critical to be aware of the limitations and risks — ethical and physical — of introducing these vaccines into mainstream medical care.

4 Surprising Facts About Publishing a Paper

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Published papers are the currency of success in neuroscience, yet the process of publishing a paper can be mysterious, especially to trainees. Here are four of the most surprising things I learned about the publishing process as a first-time author.

5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing a Rotation Lab

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

One of the most important decisions you’ll make in graduate school is choosing the lab where you’ll do your thesis research. Most neuroscience graduate programs have a rotation system where first year students go through 8-12 week lab rotations to find the right fit. Selecting rotations can be stressful, especially when you’re just starting a program and are unfamiliar with an institution.

Here are five questions to help guide your decision.

Podcast Series: The Perils of Publishing

Wed, 22 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

SfN's first-ever podcast series, The Perils of Publishing, explores the excitement, opportunities, and challenges of publishing. It is available to SfN members and non-members on Neuronline and iTunes (search for The Perils of Publishing and subscribe while you're there).

Listen to hear the journey of two neuroscientists at the University of Pittsburgh — Bita Moghaddam, PI, and Junchol Park, trainee. They share the story of how their JNeurosci paper on anxiety went from conception to publication, and what happened after when they attracted plenty of press pickup.

Throughout each episode, Neuron, Cell, and JNeurosci editors (Katja Brose, Mirna Kvajo, and Jim Knierim, respectively) provide commentary and offer valuable tips to understand journal processes, be successful authors, and navigate sensitive issues.

Optimizing Experimental Design for High-Quality Science

Wed, 17 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

You may have heard terms such reproducibility, rigor, reliability, and robustness being increasingly used by SfN, the scientific community at large, journalists, and policymakers.

These Short Course lectures explain this scientific rigor terminology to help you understand the meaning, context, and causes, and importantly, how these practices directly relate to your research in the lab. You will also learn experimental and analytical design elements to interpret research results, and existing policies on data deposition and presentation.

Watch now to unpack the issues, learn from case studies, and get answers to commonly asked questions.

Setting Up Your First Laboratory

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Starting and managing a lab requires a very different skill set than working in a lab as a student or postdoc. You have to prioritize and balance funding, staff, and equipment, while still producing novel data. Wayne Bowen, a professor at Brown University, and Kathryn Reissner, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, offer tips to scientists looking to start their first lab, and share their personal experiences in launching their labs.

Optimizing Your Mentor-Trainee Relationship

Mon, 23 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Ensuring a productive and professional relationship between a mentor and mentee is not always easy, especially when differences in training goals arise. This workshop explores both of their perspectives and suggests best practices to foster productive relationships and address challenges. Watch now to learn strategies to:

Communicate effectively
Initiate difficult conversations
Handle situations when the mentor and trainee have diverging interests and approaches

Why Volunteerism Is an Important Part of My Life

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 11:59:00 GMT

Sometimes, we forget that science is not just an individual quest. It is much more. It involves a whole community of people.

That’;s why volunteering, which can include mentoring, serving on committees in organizations and in professional societies, and conducting advocacy and outreach, for example, has been such an important part of my life.

The SfN Call for Nominations is now open through February 11, 2022. Serving on an SfN committee can help scientists at all career levels gain leadership experience and network with influential members of the neuroscience community. Nominate yourself or a fellow colleague today.

What You Should Avoid as a Journal Reviewer

Tue, 25 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT

As I shared in The 4 Purposes of Peer Review, reviewers are responsible for looking at specific criteria focused on scientific rigor, breadth of details, inconsistencies, and presentation. Here, I try to help you understand what you’re not supposed to do as a reviewer.

Mentor-Mentee Interaction: How to Have a Difficult Conversation

Thu, 02 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Do you shy away from having difficult conversations with your mentor or mentee? Develop and learn to use tools that will help you design and build positive and productive relationships in any circumstance. Samantha Sutton, a life and career coach and founder of ;Samantha Sutton, Ph.D. Life Solutions, shares ways to evaluate and improve communications in this video series.

How Do We Get Neuroscientists Ready for Big Data?

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT

The following case study is adapted from a Theme J abstract presented at Neuroscience 2016. Theme J abstracts cover topics related to history, teaching, public awareness, and societal impacts in neuroscience, allowing departments and organizations to showcase the work they have done in these areas.

Big data offer exciting opportunities to derive insights and make synergistic connections across many levels of inquiry. It has the potential to inform the research community, biomedical practitioners, educators, and even allow avenues for citizen science. However, unlocking the true potential of big data relies on making it usable, which depends on the skill and expertise of scientists collecting, sharing, and analyzing the data.

Why Is Community So Important? This Neuroscientist's Story Illuminates

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 12:23:00 GMT

Throughout his training and beginning of his career, Hakeem Lawal, an assistant professor at Delaware State University (DSU), has transitioned from one country (Nigeria) to another (the United States) — and then across three different U.S. states. Here, he highlights his personal path and the global nature of science, along with the importance of mentoring, community, and service.

VR and PTSD: Healing from Trauma by Confronting Fears in Virtual Reality Environments

Mon, 06 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT

What are the ethical implications of therapeutically re-exposing patients to trauma via virtual reality technologies? Of the 2.7 million American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, at least 20 percent suffer from depression and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other studies peg that percentage even higher.

As a chronic, debilitating mental illness, one PTSD symptom is hyperarousal, in which a person repeatedly re-experiences a trauma in the form of nightmares, panic attacks, and flashbacks.

One of the most long-trusted therapeutic approaches to PTSD is exposure therapy. Now, virtual reality technology is increasingly being used to simulate exposure to traumatic events and to environments related to the traumatic event.

The Do's and Don'ts of Peer Review

Tue, 28 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

As a journal reviewer, your job is to evaluate manuscripts for scientific rigor, details of the work, figures and data, and effective formatting. To help you effectively carry out these responsibilities, I’ve outlined tips on how to approach the process, what to focus on, and how to communicate — including ways to avoid potential pitfalls.

What a Rigorous Experiment Entails

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Scientific rigor broadly means good experimental practice. It means that other people can replicate your work and understand exactly what you did in the course of your experiments.

Get What You Want with Just a Few Questions

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

It’s easy to lose track of what you want when the day-to-day of work and life gets in the way. Adopting a holistic approach can help you remain in touch with the professional and personal outcomes you desire, and mute the distractions bogging you down.

Getting What You Want Through Mentorship, Self-Reflection, and Hobbies

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 10:49:00 GMT

Kay Tye’s pioneering work with projection-specific optogenetics has built a strong foundation for future insights into healthy and addiction-related behaviors. By understanding the neural circuitry that interprets pleasure and pain, she was able to alter the activity of certain connection bundles in mice and change their anxiety levels. For this work, she was awarded the Young Investigator Award in 2016. Here, in part two of her interview, she discusses mentorship and offers advice to trainees.

How to Stay Organized During the Graduate School Application Process

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 10:08:00 GMT

Applying to graduate school can be an organizational challenge. You have to keep track of various program requirements and deadlines, and also coordinate with your undergraduate institution, recommendation letter writers, and the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to make sure you submit all of your application materials on time.

My biggest tip for staying organized during this process is to give yourself enough time. Here’;s what this means for various facets of the application.

How Undergrads Can Prepare for Grad School

Thu, 25 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Are you considering graduate school? Four neuroscience program faculty members explain the type of experience and considerations that may be beneficial before you apply.

Insights From a PI Leading Alzheimer's Research

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 14:41:00 GMT

Last April in Cell , a research team led by Li-Huei Tsai showed that not only 40Hz light, but also exposure to 40Hz sound, can effectively increase gamma power and synchrony across the brain, reduce amyloid and tau buildup, and improve learning and memory in multiple mouse models of Alzheimer’;s disease. One month later in Neuron , the team showed in that longer-term regimens of 40Hz light (three to six weeks versus one week) change gene expression in neurons and microglia, prevent synapse and neuron loss, and improve learning and memory.

The novel yet simple light-based therapy for Alzheimer’;s disease that Tsai’;s lab first developed in 2016 is now in clinical trials at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While many members of the group continue to work to better understand several key mechanistic questions underlying the measured benefits of sensory gamma rhythm stimulation —; including the means by which glial cells as well as neurons change their gene expression and activity as a result —; other members of the team have begun a program of human clinical studies studying safety and efficacy in healthy people and in people with early Alzheimer’;s or cognitive impairment.

For her groundbreaking research and commitment to mentoring women of all backgrounds and career levels, Tsai received the Mika Salpeter Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Here, she talks about creativity in research, as well as diversity and mentoring as hallmarks of a strong lab.

This interview was originally published in 2017.

Predicting Psychosis: Exploring Pre-Clinical Signs for Mental Illness

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT

“This calculator,” a 2016 headline states, “can predict your risk of developing psychotic disorders.”

Psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with psychotic features, are characterized by noticeable deficits in “normal” behavior accompanied by hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, an early onset (the average age of onset is in the late teens or early twenties), and a derailed life course.

Oxytocin: The Hormone of Hype, Hope, and Healing

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Due to his work interrogating the role of certain chemicals in vole behavior at Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Larry Young has come across the problem of his results being portrayed hyperbolically, as the science sometimes goes to fictional lengths.

Yet this work has important implications for mental health. To demonstrate this exaggeration as well as its potential, I am going to address: the buildup of the oxytocin hype, the translation of the research, and the ethical implications in humans.

An Undergraduate Research Story: Part Three

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

The prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate sophomores and juniors planning on research careers in natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering. SfN is proud some of its members are Goldwater Scholarship Award Winners. In this series, we feature three SfN members who are 2017 winners to showcase their accomplishments and offer other undergraduate members interested in conducting research a chance to learn from their experiences. Here, Chenguang Li of Dartmouth College shares her insights.

An Undergraduate Research Story: Part Two

Wed, 18 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

The prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate sophomores and juniors planning on research careers in natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering. SfN is proud some of its members are Goldwater Scholarship Award Winners. In this series, we feature three SfN members who are 2017 winners to showcase their accomplishments and offer other undergraduate members interested in conducting research a chance to learn from their experiences. Here, Duy Phan of Johns Hopkins University shares his insights.

Four Reasons Every Graduate Student Can Benefit From an MBA Class

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 15:16:00 GMT

There is a famous quote that says, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” I have always tried to follow through on this advice.

One such opportunity occurred last summer when I received an invitation to apply for the six-week Micro-MBA Program through the Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). The program is designed to give graduate students and postdocs a unique introduction to business concepts.

Six Tips for Writing Your Grad School Personal Statement

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Don’t be overwhelmed by writing your personal statement. By following these six tips, you can successfully tell your story and explain why you’re an excellent fit for the particular graduate school program.

Record Keeping and Data Management for High-Quality Science

Thu, 19 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Proper record keeping and data management are critical components of scientific rigor and responsibility. This Short Course focuses on what all scientists should know:

Basic principles and best practices
Responsibilities as an investigator, grantee, and author
Ways to manage these responsibilities during collaborations
How funding agencies and journals address these issues when there are challenges around data integrity

Panelists will also explain data and resource sharing as it contributes to open science and field-wide efforts to enhance data reproducibility. ;

Stand Up and Be Heard: Navigating Career Communications

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT

There may be times when you have something to say but lack the confidence or skills to say what you think with clarity and grace. Sharing your opinions, raising an innovative or controversial idea, or challenging the status quo can take a lot of courage. Difficult discussions are par for the course in your career, but good communication and negotiation skills can help you think and speak with clarity and grace. This workshop will provide insight into best practices for interpreting a job offer, asking for what you want, and bringing colleagues around to your way of thinking. The fears that often prevent people, especially women, from speaking up will also be addressed.

Defining Success for Your Research — and Life

Thu, 30 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Kay Tye’s pioneering work with projection-specific optogenetics has built a strong foundation for future insights into healthy and addiction-related behaviors. By understanding the neural circuitry that interprets pleasure and pain, she was able to alter the activity of certain connection bundles in mice and change their anxiety levels. For this work, she was awarded the Young Investigator Award in 2016. Here, in part one of her interview, she reflects on her hopes for her field of research and career, and discusses the importance of advocating for yourself.

Your Science Avengers: How to Assemble Your Mentoring Team

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 11:59:00 GMT

When it comes to growing in your career, building a diverse team of mentors, instead of having just one, can be valuable. Having a mentoring team wasn’;t something that I realized would be beneficial until I began working on my NIH K award application.

As I went through that process, a grant reviewer asked me to seek out people who could counsel me on different parts of the job search: a junior faculty who successfully went through a job search the year before, a more established researcher, and a senior scientist who served on multiple job search committees. ;

Judgment Biases: Where Do They Come From? What Can We Do About Them?

We develop implicit bias as young children. In this session, we will discuss how our stereotypes develop and how they influence how we see ourselves and others. These biases permeate academia, influencing what choices we make, and whom we select as employees and leaders. There will be a discussion of the many ways to minimize the effects of implicit bias on assessment, recruitment, and selection. Best practices will be discussed, including the need to think critically about evaluation criteria and techniques for “widening the pool” of individuals.

Keynote Lecture - Implicit Bias in Neuroscience and Beyond

Sex effects in the brain are important to study and understand, but implicit gender assumptions can have a detrimental effect on research: from the questions asked (and not asked), to the interpretation of findings. This talk will discuss some common pitfalls and review psychological findings regarding belief in categorical, fixed, and deeply biologically-grounded behavioral differences between the sexes.

Keynote Lecture - Implicit Bias in Academia

Neuroscientists study how the brain works, often focusing on one brain in isolation. However, much of our unconscious thinking and feeling unfold in social group contexts, influencing decisions about people’;s worth, goodness, and competence. In this talk, Professor Mahzarin Banaji, author of the bestseller, “Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People,” will address the question of why well-intentioned people behave in ways that deviate from their own values and principles, and how this state of affairs compromises their decisions in a social context.

Creating Opportunities for Everyone

This session will outline the ways in which we can better appreciate different social identities and facilitate their intersection in the laboratory and in the workplace (Crenshaw), and (re)define who gets invited/included as an expert (Niv).

Diversifying the Pipeline

This panel will highlight summer (Paul) and pipeline programs’ (Davies) purposes and successes in enhancing diversity in neuroscience, as well as the best practices in evaluating candidates, ultimately making the search for excellence in neuroscience trainees more inclusive. This session will also identify what we should and should not be including in our metrics of evaluation to avoid bias (Maldonado-Vlaar).

Negotiation

We negotiate throughout our professional and personal lives —; with our superiors, colleagues, trainees, and friends and families. This session will focus on different negotiation styles, which is good in what situation, and how do we negotiate for success while avoiding the pitfalls of implicit biases (Schneider), as well as negotiation from a power differential, especially when you are in a low power position, and tips for making sure one remains true to high ethical standards in negotiation (Kray). Ahead of this session on January 24, participate in the Dynamic Negotiating Approach Diagnostic, a new tool to measure responses to conflict.

Your Roadmap to PhD

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 10:58:00 GMT

Welcome to the PhD Roadmap! Here, you’ll find two types of information: “soft” insights (hard-to-find advice, based on lived experience) and “hard” facts (practical, straightforward information easily found online). Both types of information are equally valuable and deeply interconnected.

Why Supporting Underrepresented Minorities Was a Driving Force for This Neuroscientist

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Here, James Townsel, professor emeritus at Meharry Medical College, focuses on how his time in the military influenced his decision to become a neuroscientist, how he has actively supported and created opportunities for underrepresented minorities, what he’;s most proud of, and more.

“I believe in diversity because it enhances the overall effectiveness of the research,” says James Townsel, a professor emeritus at Meharry Medical College.

A dream of both Townsel and Joe Martinez was to create a perpetual fund to facilitate training diverse scientists. The Scholarships to Enhance and Empower Diversity (SEED) fund, part of the American Psychological Foundation (APF) Fund for Racial and Ethnic Diversity, helps achieve their goal of supporting the training and mentoring of the brightest trainees in neuroscience from diverse backgrounds.

Read this interview to learn how and why Townsel has devoted his career to making educational opportunities available to underrepresented minorities in the biomedical sciences, and how you can help do the same.

What inspired you to become a neuroscientist?

My trajectory to neuroscience was a bit odd. It wasn't something that I'd thought about when growing up in Pennsylvania. I lived in the inner city in Harrisburg and didn’;t know any PhD scientists. In my community, the only people I knew who had science as a component of their career training were one physician and one dentist.

However, I knew I had a love for science, so I decided to go to school to become an MD. I started undergraduate school after a year-long delay because I didn't have much money and needed to borrow some. I entered in a pre-med curriculum as a biology major. I also got involved in advanced Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and made extra money.

When I graduated, I was the ranking student in the sciences, but I still couldn't afford to go to medical school.

So, I decided to begin my career as an officer in the military, with the ultimate goal of becoming a general. My first duty station was in Anchorage, AK. I was in the Medical Service Corps, which ran an infirmary and a pharmacy.

My Story: Having a Family and Embracing the Joy of Being a Neuroscientist

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 09:08:00 GMT

People often ask me, “Can you have it all?”

I don’t know if you can, but I’m certainly having a good time trying. Here’s how.

Expanding Diversity in Biomedical Sciences at Historically Black Colleges

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 10:12:00 GMT

When Melissa Harrington started as an assistant professor at Delaware State University, a Historically Black institution, she had a keen appreciation of the potential for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to enhance diversity in biomedical sciences. In her time at DSU, Dr. Harrington, has led the creation and growth of many programs designed to encourage underrepresented students to participate in research and support their academic success, but more can and should be done to increase opportunities for diverse students to participate in science. In this article, Drs. Melissa Harrington and Christine Charvet explain the challenges of and potential solutions for enhancing diversity in STEM fields.

Why Our Undergraduate Perspectives Matter in Advocacy

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT

As undergraduate students, we are at the earliest stages of our neuroscience careers. Yet as we try to balance our coursework and experiments, it is still important to understand the climate of biomedical research funding and keep track of ongoing public policy conversations. Changes in federal support for neuroscience have a large impact on our work and scientists’; research across the field.

Careers in Science Policy

Fri, 25 Sep 2015 00:00:00 GMT

This resource was featured in the NeuroJobs Career Center. Visit today to search the world’;s largest source of neuroscience opportunities.

Are you interested in a career in science policy and curious about different paths to explore? Discover tips on ways you can pursue a science policy careers and the types of skills you may need.

Discussion: Breaking Neuroscience Silos Toward Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:37:00 GMT

Neuroscience is a vast and rapidly advancing field, but it's often organized into highly specialized silos - molecular, systems, computational, behavioral, cognitive, clinical, and more. While specialization has led to tremendous progress, it may also be limiting our ability to tackle the most complex questions about the brain.

Discussion: Can Meditation and Mindfulness Rewire the Brain?

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 13:46:00 GMT

Recent research suggests that practices like meditation and mindfulness can lead to measurable changes in brain structure and function, promoting neuroplasticity.

Ten Years of Neuronline: SfN's Home for Learning and Discussion

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:43:00 GMT

For the last ten years, Neuronline has been the Society for Neuroscience’;s home for learning and discussion. Neuroscientists of all career stages can share great science, forge collaborations, and grow their career with Neuronline’;s variety of webinars, articles, videos, and podcasts.

To celebrate its ten-year anniversary, check out these ten resources from Neuronline over the years.

Undergraduate to Scientist: How Early Skills and Experiences Shape Your CV

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 11:29:00 GMT

When I started my undergraduate studies, I didn’;t realize that I was already taking the first steps toward becoming an independent researcher. In fact, the habits, skills, and experiences you develop during your undergraduate years can shape the trajectory of your career for years to come.

By intentionally building your academic and scientific CV from the start and approaching your research with dedication, responsibility, and respect for deadlines, you set yourself apart. It’;s not only about achievements on paper, but also about cultivating the mindset and abilities that make you a resilient, adaptable, and trustworthy researcher.

“Think Alike?” Episode 7: Pedagogy and Partnership

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 16:51:00 GMT

In this episode, Kira Bailey, PhD, and her former student, Chandler Carr, reflect on the evolution of their academic relationship and the innovative projects they collaborated on, including neuroaesthetics research and co-teaching a class. This episode is a heartfelt conversation about mentorship, creativity, hard work, and the shared passion for science that connects them even across diverging research interests.

“Think Alike?” Episode 8: Diverging Ideas, Shared Goal

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 14:25:00 GMT

In this episode, Yosif (Joe) Zaki, PhD, and Zach Pennington, PhD, join mentor Denise Cai, PhD, to reflect on the journey of building a neuroscience lab from the ground up.

From Adversity to Purpose: What My Goldwater Journey Taught Me About Science and Perseverance

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 13:26:00 GMT

Growing up in a household shaped by instability and domestic challenges, I never imagined neuroscience, or even science, could be a path for me. With little exposure to STEM, the world of research felt distant and out of reach. Yet over time, mentorship, persistence, and curiosity opened doors I didn’;t even know existed. Those doors eventually led me to becoming a Goldwater Scholar, one of the most prestigious honors for undergraduate researchers.

While that recognition was validating, the real value came from the lessons I learned along the way: how to communicate science clearly, seek out opportunities, and build confidence even when I felt out of place. In this article, I want to share those lessons and offer practical advice for students navigating similar challenges in their journeys.

“Think Alike?” Episode 9: Mentoring Up

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 15:52:00 GMT

In this episode, Hannah Lichtenstein and Mikayla Kendall describe their mentoring relationship, covering how they navigated busy and ever-changing undergraduate schedules and diverse learning styles, as well as the power of “mentoring up” and asking for help.

What is Neuronline?

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 09:59:00 GMT

Neuronline is a member-focused resource site for learning and discussion, where neuroscientists at all career stages can share great science, forge collaborations, and reflect on what's happening in the field of neuroscience.

How to Navigate Neuronline

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 10:03:00 GMT

Watch this video to learn how to access Neuronline's webinars, articles, videos, and other media content developed by SfN committees and member contributions – all unlimited for SfN members.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Planning Your Time at SfN's Annual Meeting

Fri, 14 Sep 2018 22:39:00 GMT

Are you planning on attending Neuroscience 2023? Whether you’;ll be presenting a poster, networking with potential collaborators, or looking for your next job, SfN’;s annual meeting can provide you with an unparalleled opportunity to learn and connect with the neuroscience community.

However, to have a successful meeting, it’;s important to plan your itinerary carefully. Familiarize yourself with the poster themes before you arrive, and know the difference between posters and symposia, minisymposia, and nanosymposia. You can also make a schedule of the events you want to attend and their location in advance of the meeting, using the Neuroscience Meeting Planner (NMP) and in the Neuroscience 2023 Mobile App.

Your Annual Meeting Strategy: Advice From Previous Attendees

Tue, 11 Sep 2018 15:29:00 GMT

With so many posters, talks, symposiums, exhibits, socials, and more, it can seem like there are as many ways to approach the meeting as there are attendees.

Should you stick to your specific area or follow your curiosities to learn about other research paths? Which is more beneficial to attend for where you are in your career: talks, posters, or workshops? How much time should you spend learning new information versus meeting new people? What tools can help you plan?

Experienced attendees weighed in. Consider their advice when planning for your meeting experience.

“Think Alike?” Episode 10: Train the Best to Leave

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 13:38:00 GMT

In this episode, Stefânia Forner, PhD, and former mentee Elizabeth Andrews reflect on their decade-long journey from mentor and mentee to colleagues and friends.

Srikanth Ramaswamy and His Journey Into Neuro-AI

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 10:14:00 GMT

At Neuroscience 2024, Srikanth Ramaswamy, PhD, took part in a professional development workshop (PDW) that addressed the uses (and fears) of artificial intelligence (AI) as well as entryways into AI employment. AI is taking the academic and public imagination by storm and is changing ways of thinking about utilizing its analytic and generative power.

Watch this video to learn more about Ramaswamy’;s journey as a scientist and how he got involved in neuro-AI, as well as what skills you will need to pursue a career in neuro-AI.

What is the Community Discussion Collection?

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 15:12:00 GMT

In this collection, you will find engaging conversations on topics ranging from new Neuronline articles or webinars to discussions of the latest trends in the neuroscience community.

“Think Alike?” Episode 6: Communication and Confidence Building

Fri, 30 May 2025 01:43:00 GMT

In this episode, Jan Naegele, PhD, and her former graduate student, Meghan Van Zandt, PhD, discuss strategies for building confidence and public speaking skills as a scientist, touching on personal experiences from graduate school to current research endeavors. Dive into their stories about mentoring, public speaking, and the importance of collaboration in the lab. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of science and effective communication!

“Think Alike?” Episode 5: Thriving Together

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:50:00 GMT

In this episode, Carmen Maldonado-Vlaar, PhD, and her former students, Dinah Ramos Ortolaza, PhD and Paola Muñoz Rodriguez, discuss the importance of nurturing diverse talent in the field, share their experiences navigating challenges from hurricanes to imposter syndrome, and reflect on how to help mentees thrive in their careers.

“Think Alike?” Episode 4: Trust and Transparency

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 12:32:00 GMT

In this episode, mentor Claire Sexton and former mentee Naiara Demnitz share their neuroscience mentorship story. They reflect on trust and transparency in their relationship, the importance of including mentees in your network, and how they have adjusted to cultural differences when moving institutions. Listen for an engaging discussion that highlights how mentors can have a lasting impact on research and careers.

"Think Alike?" Episode 2: Creating a Safe Space

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 10:46:00 GMT

In this episode, mentor Ramesh Raghupathi, PhD, discusses the dynamics of mentorship styles and creating a supportive environment in the lab with mentees Taylor McCorkle, PhD, and PhD candidate Nishell Savory.

“Think Alike?” Episode 3: Joy and Curiosity

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 11:50:00 GMT

In this episode, mentor Randy Nelson, PhD, and former mentee Staci Bilbo, PhD, reflect on their experiences in academia, sharing insights on the importance of passion in science, navigating the ups and downs of research, and the evolving landscape of academic expectations and careers.

Benedict Kolber on the "File Drawer Problem"

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 12:27:00 GMT

Benedict Kolber, PhD, organized a professional development workshop (PDW) at Neuroscience 2024, “Opening the File Drawer: Solutions to Sharing Unpublished Work Including Null Results and Small Findings” that discussed the root causes and consequences of the “file drawer problem,” when well-designed experiments go unpublished and provided. The workshop provided actionable strategies to ensure that all findings contribute to the advancement of knowledge, including information on micropublications, pre-publication, and using tools to find options for publication.

Watch this video to learn more about Kolber and the file drawer problem.

Ready to start opening the file drawer? Use these resources and explore the slides from the PDW to get started.

What Can Young Neuroscientists Learn from Cancer Biologists? Engage in Multidisciplinary Research

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 17:55:00 GMT

Embarking on neuroscientific research is a thrilling journey. It offers the opportunity to delve into the intricate workings of the brain, its vital roles in the body, and the profound influence of neurons, the brain's fundamental building blocks, on higher-level brain functions. During this journey, one might get fixated on the actual building blocks of the brain, and it would make sense to be cognitively fixated on it since you are studying the brain. However, one should avoid such a state of mind as this can slow down creativity. So, how can a neuroscientist avoid such a fixation?

Mentorship In Conversation: Lessons from "Think Alike?" Season Two

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 10:27:00 GMT

The second season of Think Alike?, Neuronline’;s mentoring podcast, was full of fruitful conversations between mentors and mentees about creativity and collaboration in the lab, open communication, and knowing when it is time to move on to a new position. Listen to some of the best clips from this season and use the summaries below to figure out which episode to listen to first.

To listen to the full first season, explore the collection on Neuronline, or find and subscribe to “Think Alike?” on your favorite podcast player. Stay tuned for the next season coming soon!

Discussion: New Year, New Horizons: Navigating Neuroscience in 2026

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 10:41:00 GMT

As we welcome 2026, the scientific landscape, including the neuroscience field, is evolving faster than ever. Breakthrough discoveries, cutting-edge technologies, and shifting policies are shaping how we work, learn, and advocate for neuroscience. As new opportunities and challenges arise, what advice would you give for staying adaptable in a fast-changing environment? What technology or trend excites you most this year? Where do you see the biggest advocacy opportunities in 2026?

Do Great Minds Think Alike? Lessons in Mentorship from the "Think Alike?" Podcast

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 12:50:00 GMT

Mentorship is essential within the neuroscience community, and helps shape the future of science through collaboration, support, and shared knowledge. The first season of the "Think Alike?" podcast explores the mentorship journey in the neuroscience field and poses the question, do mentors and mentees think alike? Whether you're looking to improve lab dynamics, navigate career transitions, or strengthen mentorship relationships, this podcast offers valuable guidance for everyone in academia across all career stages.

The Cycle of Mentorship: Asking, Learning, and Giving Back

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:22:00 GMT

As a third-year medical student in India, I decided I was going to build a career in neuroscience, and I was going to do it in a whole new country. I did my due diligence, researched everything online, went down the rabbit hole of Reddit threads and medical student forums, and mapped out the steps that I needed to take to achieve this goal. It was also the first time I realized the magic of simply asking for advice.

Society for Neuroscience: 2025 Wrapped

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:00:00 GMT

In 2025, the Society for Neuroscience made a meaningful impact on the field of neuroscience. Together, SfN members, donors, and volunteer leaders exchanged science, advocated for the field, and educated the public.

Explore SfN 2025 Wrapped now!

Neuroscience, Growth, and the Power of Pause

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:36:00 GMT

The field of neuroscience moves quickly.

Every week, new papers push boundaries: AI models that simulate cognitive memory, brain organoids used to uncover mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders, or connectomic maps that reveal unseen neuronal communication. These discoveries are exciting—;and important—;but for those of us still in training, they can also make the pace of our own work feel…slow.