Cornell's Accomplishments

This summary is based on a video series, found on YouTube, depicting the findings of neurologist, Dr. V.S. Ramachandran. Ramachandran is noted for his use of experimental methods that rely relatively little on complex technologies such as neuroimaging. According to Ramachandran, "too much of the Victorian sense of adventure [in science] has been lost."

From that point onwards, I pursued time outside of school to hone my skills in scientific research, focusing on topics that related to the brain. In the future, I would like to advance my studies in neuroscience. I relished the time I spent in the cell bio-imaging labs at Arizona State University and the time I currently spend at Barrow’s Neurological Center in Phoenix, but I am always curious

Working in a research lab for 2.5 years, the behavioural and microsurgical techniques I mastered also developed my dexterity, teamwork, and time management skills. In fact, I assisted with our research grant submission, where our lab was ranked 11th nationally and was awarded $860,534. Within my own department, I was actively engaged with a number of leadership and public-speaking activities including being the Chair of the Neuroscience Journal Club, Executive of the Graduate Association, and have presented my work at conferences internationally. With a love for lifelong, self-directed learning, the problem-solving skills I acquired from my rigorous graduate training will enhance my diagnostic

After that discovery, the brain became a bit of an obsession. I've always been fascinated by how people think, and wondered what the underlying structures of cognition and memory are. I think my obsession started after reading, "How We Learn" by Benedict Carey. I was so intrigued by the counterintuitive methods of learning he proposed. Since then, I’ve read extensively in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. One book that was particularly influential for me was Norman Doidge’s “The Brain’s Way of Healing;” which introduced me to neuroplasticity. His book made me realize the incredible potential for research in neuroscience. How everyone can benefit from it, especially the 1 in 6 of the world’s population that suffer from neurological

Tell us what you'd like to major in at Cornell, and why or how your past academic or work experience influenced your decision, and how transferring to Cornell would further your academic interests. (650 words.)

All throughout earthly time, scientists and researchers have been curious about neuroscience, and how the brain affects cognitive functions. Neuroscience, the study of the nervous systems function and structure is a complicated, and intense research for scientists. Learning about the thousands of different neurons, and all different aspects of the brain can be quite confusing. The comprehension of how exactly the brain works has yet to be figured out, but definitely research has progressed.

The article I choose to investigate was one found in the magazine National Geographic. The article was entitled, “Secrets of the Brain”. This has personal meaning to me because I am planning on going into the field of psychology. The author, Carl Zimmer, wrote this article because he was interested in what he called “one of the great scientific revolutions of our times” which is the increased focus the scientific would has put on the research of the brain. Zimmer met with and aided in the research as a test subject at Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging where scientists are working to scan and then research brains. The scientists here took interest in this because they wanted to more fully understand disorders of the brain, including schizophrenia,

In 2012, Carl Zimmer went to Van Wedeen as a volunteer for tests on his brain. When looking at results by using diffusion spectrum imaging, Wedeen found many right angles in the circuitry of Carl Zimmer’s brain. At the time, many scientists were skeptical at the patterns Van Wedeen found, but he knew that it was part of something important, and would continue his research. When looking at the past of our knowledge of the brain, “it’s easy to forget that for much of history we had no idea at all how it worked or even what it was” (Carl Zimmer). There have been many outstanding discoveries in neuroscience in recent history and they come from people like Van Wedeen, who continue pursuing ideas even when other may not. Jeff Lichtman

During my first and second years, I excelled in anatomy and neurology, to the point when as a third year, I was selected as one of 8 neuroanatomy teaching assistants to teach second year students neuroanatomy and physiology. Neurology was the perfect field in which I was able to use my strengths in hands-on learning and identifying how the structure tied so explicitly with function. I could see more easily the connection between the complex and beautiful architecture that is the nervous system with its intricate function that carries out how our bodies move, feel, and process

In an attempt to help solve the greatest mystery biologist have, which is how the brain works, Carl Zimmer volunteered to be a neurtoscientific guinea pig for Van Wedeen and his colleagues at the Marinos Center for Biomedical Imaging located on the Boston Harbor. Wedeen’s focus was on the brain’s wiring and was able to show Zimmer some of the circuitry important to language, also including other kinds of thoughts when Zimmer inquired about his brain imaging. I have to admit it made me wonder about my own wiring, along with my intellectually handicapped daughter’s and in awe of this technology.

From a very young age I’ve been profoundly captivated by the realm of Neuroscience and how it’s tied into the profession of medicine. I couldn’t understand how all these neurological disorders have gone untreated for so long. Why do we have cures for countless conditions affecting other parts of the body but not for the brain and the nervous system? I couldn’t quite grasp the intricacy of our brain. So delicate and fragile, we’re limited to the very periphery of it. It’s precisely the unknown that intrigues me. It challenges me to indulge and discover. To one day catalyze cures and to provide hope for those once hopeless. Neuroscience at Rice will set me on that path that I so desire. It’ll show me the foundation of the sophisticated webs

As a child, I spent almost all of my days off school in my mother’s neuroscience research lab at Colorado State University. There was nothing special about it. It was small, tucked away into a dingy corner of an aging building on the outskirts of campus. But I loved that lab - loved the mysterious bottles of chemicals crowded on the shelves, the neat racks of test tubes, and the background hum of complicated machines. I still remember how proud I felt when my mother put a micropipette in my hand and asked me to help finish an experiment. Those experiences with my mother were formative in how I imagined my future. Other kids wanted to be firefighters or astronauts. I saw myself in a white lab coat, making earth-shaking discoveries.

I am naturally curious. In Pakistan due to limited resources and lack of foreign-trained professionals, the government hospitals affiliated with my medical school have no separate Neurology departments. Instead of this being a hindrance, I considered it a mixed blessing. My curiosity was kindled and I studied neuroanatomy and neurology with more vigor than most.

Neuroscience has long been a subject of my curiosity and I have worked hard in hopes that I

My name is Matthew Xin, and I am currently a member of the Class of 2016 at the Wellington School in Upper Arlington. Although I haven’t yet decided on a college major, I’ve narrowed the options down to something involving the natural sciences or engineering. I also have developed a list of top choices for college, which in its current incarnation is wide-ranging, consisting of schools from Ohio State University to Stanford University. I first decided to research a disease involving the brain because of the recent trend towards research and attention towards neurological illnesses and the processes of the brain in general. With President Bush’s Decade of the Brain initiative ending in 2000, and the beginning of the new Century of the