Pushing and cutting science, all at the same time

I've noticed an underlying dichotomy through my research experience this summer. It's a paradoxical state that is brought up every week during our faculty lecture dinners. Every Monday, we have one of the Einstein faculty give us a short presentation on their work and sometimes their lives in science. The talks have ranged from fascinating to yawn-inducing, but one small issue remains a constant thorn in the back of my mind- there just isn't much money devoted to research anymore.

Maybe I should go into finance instead? One
problem.... I don't really like math for the sake
of math.....

If you have any experience in research, you may have heard the dreaded word 'sequestration' thrown around. The basic facts are that the US government is mandating that NIH (National Institutes of Health) cut all programs by 5%. That may not seem like a lot, but check the impacts that this will make on all research, particularly medical. All around the nation, newly minted PhDs are struggling to find positions of any sort in academia. Well-established labs are cutting back on personnel or sometimes even disbanding altogether. In an age when we have the technology to approach some of the most difficult scientific problems, we simply wont put the money into completing the necessary research. I kid you not, one of our weekly presenters nearly broke down and cried when he started to discuss the tremendous impact the sequestration and other economic changes are having on basic laboratory science.

This is all very depressing and dissuading for people like me and the others at this program, but you may be wondering how this amounts to a paradox. The paradox is that grade schools and undergraduate programs are constantly pushing for students to go into the sciences. There are countless programs driven at getting women, underrepresented minorities, and everyone else into some sort of science career. Scholarships, awards, and specialty programs are all being driven to get the next generation of scientists out there. A next generation that has almost no financial support when they complete their years of rigorous schooling/training.

Fellow SURP students out for dinner in Little Italy in the Bronx.

Why are we pushing science so hard, if there will be no career at the end of all this hard work? Scientists in training spend years learning techniques, reading difficult technical papers, and foregoing many social experiences in order to stay in and study for those requisite top grades. But at the end of this long arduous path is... nothing. Or not much, at least. Because of cut funding, programs have become highly selective and end up not taking many bright, hardworking students simply because they cannot afford it. So much hard work for a rapidly shrinking payoff. IT DRIVES ME NUTS!

I'll just wash away my depression at the current
state of affairs away with delicious independently
brewed beer! ...Just kidding, that's what alcoholics
do. I drink to celebrate!

Ok, all funding cuts to education tend to get me pretty annoyed but this one in particular is affecting my future. A future that is approaching very quickly as I will be graduating next spring. If there's no funding in science, how can we expect my graduating class to actually want to stay in their research fields? I'm still at a loss for how the next few years of my life will progress. I LOVE neuroscience research, but I'm not the top student at my university and I don't know how competitive I'll be for graduate programs.

I'd like to wrap this post up with a hopeful note saying "I'm sure to persevere" but the truth is, I don't know what awaits me.

Neuroscience is a small world

I know, I know. I've fallen behind. Both in terms of keeping this blog up to date and in wishing Oliver Sacks a very happy 80th birthday (it was on July 9th, but better late than never!).

Corny picture but I couldn't care less!

Let's just say that I lost track of time. Heck, maybe I was even in the phone box too long and actually was moved forward in time without realizing it! (Yes, that was a lame attempt at a Doctor Who reference. Deal with it.)

I did spend a good portion of my time a few weekends ago at an absolutely fantastic little bar called the Way Station. In case you can't tell from the image, it's a Doctor Who themed pub with the bathroom exterior designed to look like the Tardis! And yes, it actually was bigger on the inside. Plus, Matt Smith, Karen Gillian, and Steven Moffat all signed a wall there while they were in New York shooting 'Angels Take Manhattan'! Needless to say, I was thrilled to visit.

But right now, I'm even more thrilled to see where my academic career is taking me. I was recently listening to the newest Radiolab podcast which tells the story of how Oliver Sacks began his writing career while reorganizing some data in the lab. I was only mildly paying attention as most of my concentration was focused on the excel sheet in front of me, but when I heard Sacks mention Albert Einstein College of Medicine I stopped everything for a moment.

I had the good fortune to visit a primate lab
where they were recording from inside the
visual cortex. It was stunning!

Oliver Sacks worked on the same campus that I have had the privilege of being a part of. Oliver Sacks was in the neurology department and most likely worked in the same building that my lab is housed in! I know it seems like a little thing, but I just got so excited!

I remember reading The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat in high school and thinking it was the most interesting compilation of neurological stories I'd ever read. It gave me a place to connect the physical systems I'd been learning about in biology and psychology with the actual ramifications of various disorders. Connecting that high school experience of 4 years ago with the work I'm doing now reminded me how far I've come in the field and how excited I am to be a part of it all.

Another fun connection in the podcast was hearing how Oliver Sacks was inspired by the writings of A.R. Luria. When Sacks was at Albert Einstein, he was doing mostly laboratory science with neural cells of earth worms. But reading Luria's humanistic recordings of his patients helped change his direction towards medical writing.

Frankly, some scientific writing makes as
much sense as this painting I saw at the
MoMA...

Now I know a lot of strict scientists are not fans of this prose-style writing and say it's too much fluff to be of any use. And I've heard people argue that his writing is just a glorified way of turning patients into a paycheck. Still, I think we need to keep in mind that Oliver Sacks has helped raise interest in neurology in general and that can only help draw more people to the field. "Pure scientists" should realize that while their work is vital, if it can't be disseminated in some form it is simply useless.

In conclusion, Happy (late) Birthday Oliver Sacks! Haters gonna hate, but I want to say I've loved reading your stories.  And as you were inspired by Luria, I continue to be inspired by Radiolab. (Seriously guys, if you ever need a correspondent in Texas just let me know!) And to all my readers, I'd love to hear about what inspires you! Feel free to comment below!

PS- My laptop recently decided to have a meltdown. It seems that my hard drive is kaput and I only have 1.5 weeks left in New York before I return to the blazing hot state of Texas. So, this may be my last post for a bit.

Oh yeah, and it hasn't all been hard work. I did find the time last weekend to see
Justin Timberlake and Jay Z perform at Yankees Stadium!!!!!!!

Summer: A time for self-reflection

A shot of downtown Manhattan from the World Trade Center (40th floor).

So it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post. Things have been chugging along quite nicely in the lab and I feel like my research experience has helped me to re-evaluate my current career trajectory. As my mom can attest, I spent about the first 2 weeks here freaking out about what exactly I want to do with my life. I've always made the assumption that I would go on to a PhD program, work as a postdoc, and eventually become a research professor. But truth is, life is never so easily mapped out. I've had multiple occasions here at Einstein where I realized that there are a plethora of places I could end up and still be happy.

Our visit to the WTC was thanks to a panel the SURP program took us to, regarding MD/PhD programs.

The trick is knowing what I love to do. I love to learn new things (hence why research excites me so much). I love teaching things I've picked up to others (thus, my preference for gaining some kind of position as an instructor). I love neuroscience (and I plan on never leaving the field!).

During my time in NYC, I've certainly been trying lots of
new, delicious foods! Here is a picture from Max Brenners
(a chocolate restaurant) where I had a S'mores Sunday.

But these three passions can all be met by a variety of jobs and opportunities. That's what this summer is teaching me to see- that I have so many possibilities ahead of me and I should evaluate all of them before making any assumptions about the right path for me.

All this being said, I still am DEFINITELY getting a PhD. I don't think I could be happy without becoming an expert in my field and having all the experiences associated with doing your own research experiment. So, I will continue to peruse graduate school applications during my lunch break and enjoy every opportunity here in the 'Empire State.'

The Manhattan skyline from rooftop...

...before the grand fireworks from the Hudson River.

And let's not forget, I've gotten to see some old friends from ATX!

PS- My old roomie, Kelsey, met the folks from Radiolab to which I must admit I am eternally jealous. If they ever need a correspondent in Texas, I'll gladly work for them for free! Just saying....

And to make my 4th of July weekend complete, a
wonderful trip out to Bear Mountain for lovely hiking!

Scientific Integrity

When friends find out that I'm interested in neuroscience, one of the first reactions I get is a question along the lines of "I saw a news article that said ____, but I thought the news was saying the exact opposite thing a year ago! What gives?" Their reaction is usually due to some short blurb about a new discovery in science or psychology that later is disproven by another study. For the general public, this is a frustrating cycle and seems to prove science as generally unreliable.

While I understand the sentiment, I believe the public doesn't understand the pressure of academia going on behind the scenes. With the national government continuing to cut funding for research, the already competitive field of academia becomes an even harder environment to survive. Researchers are reminded by their department heads that their funding is dependent on releasing newsworthy, dramatic results on a consistent basis. With all the pressure to publish, and publish big, it's hardly surprising that papers from big journals like Science or Nature get retracted. Just look at this listing of big names and big discoveries that were later retracted because of bad science.

And these are just the ones that were caught. Before a paper is published, it is reviewed by a panel of peers. But these reviewers don't get any official reward for playing editor and often do not look closely into the data analyses. And even if they did, the reviewers can't necessarily spot data that has just plain been made-up! And when these faulty papers get published, their repercussions can last for decades. Just look at what this one paper on autism and vaccines did to public health policy in the UK and US.

So, how do we combat scientific fraud? How do we make sure our scientists are publishing their true findings, without massaging the data? There's no simple answer to these tough questions. But I know that as my career in cognitive neuroscience continues, I will remember the damage false findings can create and keep my papers clean of such scientific fraud.

Oh, and yes- I have done more than just ponder the ethical issues facing researchers today. In fact, I've been up to quite a lot! Here's a short photo-list of the past week's high-lights:

The summer program I'm in took me to see Motown on Broadway!

I spent a day by myself in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is a
sculpture of Eros, god of love.

The skyline from atop the Met Art Museum

Just chilling with my homie at the Met

The armor exhibit at the Met

An Asian carving of a lion- can't remember from which region.

Had dinner with my roomie from back home and got
gelato for dessert!

We "SURP-ers" had a grill out on friday with plenty of food and good company.

A trip to Coney Island sunday was perfect!

As you can see, the weather was a bit cool and misty, but that meant no
lines for any of the rides!