More than buzz-words
These days “interdisciplinary” seems to be the word everyone is interested in. The line between a ‘biologist’ and an ‘engineer’ is becoming more and more blurred. One fine example of this trend is the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (NACS) program at the University of Maryland. This program caters to students from a wide range of educational backgrounds. Once here, they work in departments as varied as biology, computer science, psychology, biochemistry, engineering, linguistics, and many more. The university has the infrastructure, faculty expertise and enthusiasm and the student drive that makes this program a success.
Current research projects
When I have issues on any aspect of my research, I have this pool of academic expertise to seek advice from. Not a single person is ‘too busy’ to spend time for anybody’s problems. I joined this program with the intention of working in Dr. Payne’s laboratory. Dr. Payne investigates mechanisms of visual excitation in Limulus ventral photoreceptors. My project involves studying the initial phototransduction events that occur in dim light. I use post-transcriptional gene silencing techniques to manipulate the arrestin and opsin proteins in the ventral photoreceptors. Then I use electrophysiology to determine whether this manipulation has resulted in any functional differences.
My work involves electrophysiology, confocal microscopy, imuunocytochemistry and using complicated analysis software. This is where the ‘interdisciplinary’ nature of NACS really comes in handy. When I have issues on any aspect of my research, I have this pool of academic expertise to seek advice from. The students and faculty are happy to help anyone out. Not a single person is ‘too busy’ to spend time for anybody’s problems. It seems difficult to imagine that this would be feasible in a program that is not interdisciplinary.
The staff in the program is extremely supportive and helpful. As an international student, I have had to be aware of a lot of policy changes. The staff makes sure that I not only receive all the information on time but also act upon it to meet deadlines.
working to keep NACS students connected + food!
I really appreciate the effort to increase student interaction and involvement. This is essential since the students are spread across different departments all over campus. Some students work at NIH on collaboration projects. So unless conscious efforts are made, it’s very easy to lose track of each other. One such platform of interaction is the NACS colloquium. This is a weekly seminar series in which outside speakers are invited to present their work on a wide variety of topics. It’s a great opportunity for the graduate students to get free pizza (I like to mention the important things first?), to interact with each other and of course learn about the latest in different fields. Another avenue is student involvement in hiring new faculty. The students meet with the candidates over lunch and express their opinions afterwards. Coursework is another aspect that gives one the opportunity for interaction. Some of my very close friendships were formed when I took courses with those students. Many of the courses involve group projects which increases student interaction. Then there are the dinners organized at faculty residences where I had the opportunity to know many faculty and students better.
dc metro location + stipends!
Intellectually, the university has the unique advantage of being located so close to NIH, JHU, and USDA. Socially and culturally, its proximity to Washington DC is a great plus. Overall the NACS program is well rounded in its diversity, faculty and staff support, and the quality of research. Intellectually, the university has the unique advantage of being located so close to NIH, JHU, and USDA. Socially and culturally, its proximity to Washington DC is a great plus. The program offers a competitive stipend and gives one a financial advantage too. Seems like a win-win situation to me.
