-
Asked by 758hemb28 to Jonathan, Kellie, Kevin, Melissa, Stephanie on 25 Apr 2016. This question was also asked by ELLIE, 673hemb28, its_courtney, Allison:), Salim, Jimmy, Anti dab, Desmond.
Question: what inspired you to work in the field you work in.
- Keywords:
-
Jonathan Jackson answered on 25 Apr 2016:
Hi,
I work in the field of Alzheimer’s disease. Many people who do research in my field have a loved one who suffers from Alzheimer’s. I do as well, but that’s not what inspired me. It was the picture at this link:
When I saw that picture for the first time 11 years ago, of a normal brain compared to a brain with Alzheimer’s disease, I had a lightning-bolt moment. As soon as I saw it, I wanted nothing more than to conquer that disease. To me, it’s about justice. It seems so wrong that someone can live to 75 or 80, survive everything that this world has thrown at them, and then be robbed of the one thing that’s more precious to them than anything else – their memories, the identities of their loved ones, their sense of self. Nothing seems more unfair to me, and it’s on the basis of bringing justice to older adults that I’ve pursued research in this field every day since then.
-
Stephanie Moon answered on 25 Apr 2016:
When you look around and see all of the amazing inventions and technology that we use everyday, it makes you think about how surprising (and sad) it is that we don’t have cures, treatments or vaccines for so many diseases that make people’s lives really difficult. I was inspired to be in the field of molecular biology and pathology because I want to try to figure out how we get sick, so that eventually we might figure out a way to cure diseases.
-
Kevin Baker answered on 25 Apr 2016:
The unknown was what drew me in. I knew nothing about the field of blood clotting before I joined my current lab. I knew no one in the field either. I like stepping out of my comfort zone, so that inspired me to choose something completely different.
-
Melissa Wilson Sayres answered on 26 Apr 2016:
Sex differences, and that there is a spectrum of sex differences, not just a binary, is fascinating to me. That we can start to understand “why” using DNA analysis is what motivates me.
-
Kellie Jaremko answered on 27 Apr 2016:
Hi 758hemb28,
I was inspired to become a doctor to help a family member in pain. I learned in high school that neuroscience studied the brain and nerves that are involved in pain so I looked for a college where I could major in that. Ohio Wesleyan was one of the best liberal arts colleges that offered this major (& they’re still pioneering neuroscience education: https://www.owu.edu/news-media/details/ohio-wesleyan-expands-neuroscience-program/) I had great mentors there and they helped me find translational research (science research that could be directly related to medical problems) for the Summers. I enjoyed research so much that by the time I was applying for medical school I applied to combined MD/PhD programs so that I could do both. Neuroscience is such an amazing field that is still blossoming and I have never regretted this choice.
Comments