Roads to Research and Overcoming Challenges in Science

In our fifth episode of the mini-series Tools for Looking into the Brain, we were joined by two postdoctoral fellows, Ashlan Reid and Maris Sosa, to discuss their research journeys, from undergraduate to postdoctoral experiences. They discuss the challenges they have faced, and share advice on how to stay motivated and inquisitive in academia in the face of technical or personal hurdles.

Together, Ashlan and Mari share not only the lessons they've learnt through their extensive research experience, but also the variety of tools that they've used in their research, including two-photon calcium imaging and voltage sensitive dyes. This episode is the first of a two-part conversation, so stay tuned to listen to part two soon!

Ashlan Reid (right) is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Tony Zador's lab at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, which focuses on understanding the neural circuits in sensory systems, where she researches the development of cortical connections in the auditory cortex.

Mari Sosa (left) is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Lisa Giacomo's lab at Stanford University, which focuses on untangling the neural circuitry that encodes spatial information, where she studies mechanisms of learning in the hippocampus.

In collaboration with Scientifica, this podcast series is dedicated to creating engaging and informative content exploring various techniques used by researchers in neuroscience. With a focus on electrophysiology, multiphoton imaging, and optogenetics. Throughout this series, we'll have special guest appearances, offering valuable insights and perspectives from experts in the field.