"I never expected to hold the brain of an elephant. Or a gorilla. Or a spider monkey. I didn’t expect to visit a cadaver lab, observe human brain surgery, forge international collaborations, make art with microscopy images, or partner with a professor to design and teach a course for undergraduates and adult continuing education.
I was immensely excited when I joined UChicago’s CON program, but in those and many other ways, my graduate journey far exceeded what I had imagined. This was all possible because CON is structured to allow students to explore and spearhead new projects, and because it is embedded among top scientists and resources devoted to collaboration and trainee development.
Members of the neuroscience community are serious and intense academics who are also exceedingly kind, open, and fun-loving. The people and the environment were incredibly impactful on my growth as a scientist. I was given the freedom to pursue an entirely new line of inquiry in my thesis lab. In taking the lead on something new, I learned how to manage complex scientific projects and honed my own style and vision as a scientist.
This all paid off; I made exciting discoveries, published multiple publications, and have presented this work at several conferences and external seminars. My experience at UChicago was invaluable as I continue in my academic journey."
Dr. Busch was a CON graduate student in the Hansel lab. He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Vanessa Ruta’s lab at Rockefeller University.