Alumni and Careers

What have you been up to since graduating from Bowdoin?

Following my graduation, I worked as a research technician and lab manager in Eve Marder’s lab at Brandeis University, just outside of Boston. I applied to PhD programs and matriculated in 2024 to the neuroscience graduate program at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I now work in Paul Kramer’s lab studying axonal excitability in the dopaminergic system.

Why neuroscience?

During my first year, I worked as a research assistant in Patsy Dickinson’s lab, helping a senior student with her honors thesis. Using lobsters, we studied the effects of modulatory molecules on the neuronal activity of the circuit controlling the heart. I will never forget how amazing it was to see an electrical recording of neural activity for the first time. Even in “simple” organisms like the lobster, there is so much fundamental knowledge to uncover about how the nervous system works. My time at Bowdoin, both in the research lab and in my courses, made it clear to me that I wanted a career in neuroscience.

Are there any classes, professors, or experiences that had a lasting impact on you?

Patsy Dickinson was one of the first professors I met at Bowdoin during the accepted student weekend in the spring. She coincidentally became my first-year advisor and gave me the opportunity to work in her lab. She encouraged me to think critically, write carefully, and be creative in my approach to scientific problems. She was also the person who opened my eyes to the possibility of a career in neuroscience and the pursuit of a PhD. Thanks to her, I am the scientist I am today. As I progress in my career, I am even more inspired by her dedication to teaching undergraduate students.

I am also very thankful to Dan Powell, who is now the lobster research representative in the neuroscience department. He taught my Neurophysiology course, which was one of the most challenging and fascinating courses I took at Bowdoin. That course helped me better understand fundamental neuroscience principles, which in turn helped me understand my own undergraduate research more deeply.

What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates interested in your field?

The field of neuroscience is constantly evolving. As current students, embrace the fact that we don’t know everything about neuroscience yet. I appreciated that my neuroscience courses always incorporated new findings in the field and highlighted what is unknown and still needs to be researched. These elements of your Bowdoin education will encourage you to be a creative and thoughtful scientist, which will benefit you no matter what career you pursue.

What have you been up to since graduating from Bowdoin?

Since graduating, I’ve been working at the intersection of neuroscience, statistics, and philosophy of science. I’m currently a PhD candidate (all-but-dissertation) in computational neuroscience at Boston University and an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. My research focuses on developing probabilistic and statistical methods for analyzing and modeling neural time series across spatial scales—two-photon excitation microscopy, spike trains, LFP, ECoG, and EEG/MEG—with an emphasis on building models that are interpretable and useful for real biological questions. Currently, I’m using filtered point process models to study biomarkers of propofol anesthesia–induced unconsciousness in humans and macaque monkeys.

In parallel, I’m a research collaborator and adjunct faculty member with NYU’s MindHive, where I serve as a research ethicist and lead mentor for high school students doing community science projects. I also stay involved in science communication and humanities scholarship as board president of Simply Neuroscience, as a board member of the Society for Ricoeur Studies, and as an outreach committee member at the American Brain Coalition.

Finally, in preparation to move on to medical school after my PhD, I help lead the SMART Recovery program in addiction medicine at Boston Medical Center, the largest safety net hospital in New England, and work as a medical assistant in primary and urgent care.

Why neuroscience?

I was drawn to neuroscience because it’s one of the few fields that genuinely forces you to connect levels of explanation—from biology and behavior to theory, data, and measurement. I’ve always been curious about education, psychology, neuroscience, mathematics, and philosophy, and I didn’t want to choose just one lane. Neuroscience—especially computational neuroscience—lets me move between those perspectives while still grounding everything in concrete data and biological mechanisms.

Bowdoin’s program, combined with Digital and Computational Studies, helped shape that path by giving me both breadth and rigor. It trained me to think carefully about evidence, build arguments, and ask questions that connect brain mechanisms to meaningful outcomes. That foundation is a big part of why I do method development now—because good science depends on good measurement and interpretable analysis.

Are there any classes, professors, or experiences that had a lasting impact on you?

One lasting influence was Biomathematics with Professor Mary Lou Zeeman, which really crystallized the “translation” skill I now rely on daily: taking a biological question, building a mathematical/statistical model that matches it, and then translating the results back into the language of biology.

More broadly, Bowdoin’s emphasis on close mentorship and intellectual curiosity—especially in advanced labs and honors thesis work with my mentor Professor Erika Nyhus—set my expectations for what research training should feel like.

What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates interested in your field?

First, stay interdisciplinary on purpose. Take at least one course that makes you uncomfortable (math/stats/coding if you’re wet-lab; neuro/behavior if you’re quantitative). I find my humanities background has allowed me to cut through trendy topics to get to the substance of problems (e.g., “what is a ‘negative BOLD’ signal?” or “what biological information is actually recoverable from a field potential?”).

Second, build a “measurement mindset.” Whether you’re running experiments or building models, ask: What exactly are we measuring? What assumptions make that measurement meaningful? What would change our interpretation? That habit will make your work stronger immediately—and it scales with you as you grow. I find this perspective is valuable even outside of science when trying to make decisions or understanding how a certain data analysis actually impacts someone’s real life.

What have you been up to since graduating from Bowdoin?

Since graduating, I worked as a psychiatry research coordinator at Mount Sinai in the Schiller and Foss-Feig Lab, where I helped run an EEG/MRI study and a clinical trial focused on autism and misophonia. I am now a research coordinator for oncology clinical trials at Mount Sinai. I’m currently applying to medical school and am grateful to already have an acceptance. I’m excited to start next year and hope to continue pursuing psychiatry-related clinical research as a physician.

Why neuroscience?

I’ve been fascinated by the relationship between the brain and behavior since before Bowdoin, but the major truly solidified my interest. The coursework was challenging in the best way, and the faculty were always supportive. My neuroscience classes and honors thesis experience guided me toward clinical research in psychiatry, and they continue to shape my path as I work toward becoming a physician who integrates neuroscience and research throughout my career.

Are there any classes, professors, or experiences that had a lasting impact on you?

My honors project had a lasting impact on me thanks to Professor Jenn Honeycutt’s constant, enthusiastic mentorship and the positive culture she fostered in the lab. While helping set up the Honeycutt lab, I loved learning new techniques alongside my labmates and collaborating on our many projects.

What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates interested in your field?

Embrace learning curves. The neuroscience major at Bowdoin requires you to build a wide range of knowledge. While it can feel overwhelming at times, it gives you a great foundation for the future. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, make mistakes, and learn from them. I’ve learned that a willingness to grow is one of the most valuable habits you can develop.

What have you been up to since graduating from Bowdoin?

My focus actually took a brief pivot immediately after college! I loved Neuroscience but was also curious about Genetics and how the two combined - for this reason I took a position as a Research Technician in the Perrimon Lab at Harvard Medical School. I completely threw myself into the world of Genetics and learned a ton, and got to work directly with CRISPR/Cas9 in Drosophila which was super exciting! After 2 years, I had missed Neuroscience and wanted to continue my education, and I am now in my 2nd year at MIT in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences PhD program. Here, I am in Guoping Feng's lab studying the potential of utilizing CRISPR activation as a gene therapy treatment for the severe developmental disorder known as Phelan-McDermid Syndrome - it's amazing work.

Why neuroscience?

When I was in high school, I had the remarkable opportunity to hold a human brain at the local university's Medical Day. I had always been interested in science, but to actually hold a human brain, this person's entire self, took my breath away. I had wanted to learn everything I could about it since! At Bowdoin, I was fortunate enough to fall under the tutelage of Professor Hadley Horch, where my excitement and passion for Neuroscience research really grew. I've loved doing research ever since, and I am thrilled that I get to apply my skills and knowledge to pursuing neurogenetic therapies!

What have you been up to since graduating from Bowdoin?

After Bowdoin, I pursued a Fulbright fellowship to contribute to genetics and epidemiology research on survivors of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima, Japan. I subsequently moved to Tokyo to teach middle/high school science and work in educational consulting. After five years in Japan, I returned to the US to pursue medical school and am currently enrolled in the postbaccalaureate premedical program at Scripps College.

Why neuroscience?

As a student curious about multiple different fields, I was initially drawn to the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience. I appreciated the opportunities that it offered to explore biological questions from the cellular to the systems level, as well as questions on being, reality, and behavior. What solidified my decision to study neuroscience at Bowdoin, however, was the incredible support I received from the department's professors. In particular, Hadley Horch and Patsy Dickinson went above and beyond to offer mentorship, welcome me into their labs, and teach me to think like a scientist. Their guidance equipped me with the skills to pursue research and to teach science effectively, and I anticipate that many of these same skills will serve me well as I pursue a career in medicine.