Aug 246 min read

Roadmap to Neuroscience

Introduction

My fascination with neuroscience began early in my educational journey, in the fifth grade, when I opted to conduct a presentation on the brain. After exploring its anatomy, I became captivated by how this complex organ orchestrates vital processes in the body. This interest was furthered through my lifelong involvement in sports, namely hockey, where I witnessed the impacts of traumatic brain injury from minor hockey to varsity athletics. Coupled with observing the impacts of neurodegenerative disease in family members, I became motivated to understand neuroscience from a molecular to an anatomic level.

This early spark led me on a path to studying and researching in the field of neuroscience. During my undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, I studied human biology, psychology, and physiology, taking predominantly neuroscience-based courses that piqued my interest. Currently, I am delving into the intricacies of neuroscience and neuropathology in my master’s degree at U of T, researching glioblastoma, a subtype of brain cancer. I hope to use my journey to emphasize that neuroscience is highly interdisciplinary in nature, welcoming individuals of diverse backgrounds and interests.

I entered university with only an interest in neuroscience, unsure of how I could translate this curiosity into feasible educational, research, and professional opportunities. As the first in my family to graduate from university and a target of the typical “What do you want to do with your science degree?” questions, I understand how daunting it can be to transform personal interest into applicable pathways. However, through this resource, I hope to utilize my experience in the field to make your journey in neuroscience more straightforward.

What is Neuroscience?

Definition: A branch of science that deals with the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, or molecular biology of nerves and nervous tissue and especially their relation to behavior and learning.

Source: Merriam Webster Medical Dictionary (https://c.merriam-webster.com/medlineplus/neuroscienc e)

Foundational Coursework: From High School to Undergraduate

High School Students

If you are currently a high school student interested in the workings of the brain and nervous system, neuroscience is a great prospective area of study in post-secondary school. Depending on the post-secondary institutions you are hoping to attend, requirements to enter into a neuroscience program typically vary. However, there are some general commonalities in the courses you should take over high school, if they are offered.

Core Courses in High School: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Mathematics

On this note, it is never too early to begin extracurricular activities. A broad range of extracurriculars can help to enhance your post-secondary applications, so it is important not to streamline yourself into only neuroscience-based activities. Personally, I participated on a variety of sports teams during high school, worked as a swimming and first-aid instructor, and volunteered in elementary education and athletics. However, if your school has a science-based club, the opportunity to complete co-op in a clinical setting, or even coding and artificial intelligence (AI) clubs, these would be helpful to join. Ultimately, selecting your extracurriculars based on your personal interests and ambitions is the most important step in gaining meaningful experience.

Undergraduate Studies

Studies in neuroscience draw from many fields of science that are included in foundational coursework, which will be broken down below.

Biology

Courses: Cell and Molecular Biology | Biochemistry | Genetics | Anatomy | Physiology

Chemistry

Courses: Organic Chemistry | General Chemistry | Neurochemistry | Neuropharmacology

Mathematics, Statistics, & Computational Courses

While these courses might not seem directly applicable to neuroscience, I have found that they have become increasingly important in my research and understanding of general scientific approach. With the progressive integration of computer science and AI in healthcare and research, a foundational understanding of these concepts would be considered an asset.

Courses: Calculus | Computational Neuroscience | Biostatistics/General Statistics | Coding | Machine Learning & Neural Networks

Psychology

Psychology is broken down into many branches, ranging from more sociological to natural science-based. These courses will likely incorporate a neuroscientific component to some degree, however, ensure to check the specific course descriptions for more details.

Neuroscience-Specific

If you choose to complete a program in neuroscience, you will have the option to take more neuroscience-centric courses. These courses vary depending on school, but will typically fall under the broad categories listed below.

Career Paths in Neuroscience

Conducting your degree in neuroscience opens many doors for career opportunities. An advanced degree is a great way to expand your job prospects, for instance in medicine or graduate programs (research- or course-based). There are many non-research and non-medical fields that you can go into as well, including biotechnology, general industry, healthcare consulting, neural engineering, and more. LinkedIn is a fantastic resource to make connections with people in the field and see the path they took to a career of your interest, as well as finding available jobs.

Gaining Research Experience

The interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience further extends into research, where topics within the field can be seamlessly integrated into many research niches. This fosters opportunities to amalgamate neuroscience with other major research interests and disciplines.

There are a few broad types of research that you can conduct within any field of your interest, including wet-lab, dry-lab, and clinical. Over my undergraduate degree, I found it beneficial to conduct research in all of these areas. This allowed me to narrow down the type of research that I enjoyed while gaining a broad skill set, which opened many doors for me with respect to graduate programs. Don’t worry if you aren’t able to find research opportunities directly in neuroscience; any research opportunity is paramount in obtaining relevant skills that will translate into your eventual field of interest.

Regarding gaining research opportunities within your school and affiliated institutions, here is a general stepwise process that you can take.

Compile a list of principal investigators (PIs) that conduct research in your field of interest. This is typically available on faculty listings, institutional websites, LinkedIn, and similar job sites.
From here, you can either:
1. Apply directly to a listed research job/opportunity postings and programs if you find them.
2. Cold-email your PI’s of interest (see guide below)

A General Format for Cold-Emailing

A brief introduction, including your name, school/program, and year.
Why are you reaching out?
1. Skim a few of their publications and explain how their work aligns with your research interests and career aspirations.
2. Cite specific publications you've read and explain how it resonates with your research interests.
Highlight your past research experience and how it will allow you to be successful in their lab.
1. If you don’t have prior research experience, that is okay! Highlight relevant coursework or extracurricular activities that would allow you to contribute to their lab. Include information that will set you apart from other candidates.
Attach your CV/resume and unofficial transcript to the email.

Additional Tips

The earlier you reach out, the better! Research positions fill up quickly.
- For summer opportunities, reach out as early as December-January.
- For fall/winter opportunities, reach out around April-May, depending on your school.
Don’t get discouraged! PIs receive hundreds of emails. Sometimes, you might have to send over 20 cold emails before receiving a response.
- If you receive no response, I highly suggest following up once with a short email 1-2 weeks after to re-express your interest.
It is never too early to begin reaching out. While positions are typically reserved for upper-year students, with the right connections, you can begin research earlier in your undergraduate degree.
Some labs will have a lab admin with contact information available. You can Cc the lab admin to your cold email or reach out to other listed lab members directly (PhD students, graduate students) as they are more likely to see your email and respond.

When Conducting Research…

The number one thing I would recommend to anyone new to research is to not let yourself get discouraged. Especially as an undergraduate, I often felt like I wasn’t smart nor qualified enough to be in the research positions I was in. At first, it was daunting to try to understand and meaningfully contribute to projects with graduate students and PIs. You are there to learn, so ask questions; there is no such thing as a ‘stupid’ question. Mistakes are common in the research process, so utilize them as learning opportunities. Remember that you always have a perspective to offer, regardless of your experience, and you are there for a reason.

I hope that this resource was helpful if you were considering a path in neuroscience!