Kaustubh Jadhav: Blood Cytokines and Major Depressive Disorder in Adolescents
Depression may often be thought of as a purely emotional or psychological struggle, but what if biological processes also play a crucial role? In recent years, research has pointed to the correlation between inflammation, particularly cytokines, and major depressive disorder (MDD). While many studies have explored this correlation in adults, very few studies are focused […]
Meheli Banerjee: Seizing Control: The Fight Against Post-Traumatic Epilepsy
Let’s think of our brain like it is a city. There’s a bustling downtown of neurons firing signals back and forth, power lines (aka axons) delivering the electricity (aka neurotransmitters) keeping everything up and running. One day in the peaceful town of Brainsville, a meteor hits and traumatizes the city. The lights go out. Roads […]
Andrius Penkauskas: Gratitude in Motion: Untold Stories and Reflections from the Past Year
The dawn of a new year often brings an uproar of predictions about what will happen in various fields, and academia is no exception. Forecasts, projections, and promises of breakthroughs are everywhere. It is part of human nature to get excited about what lies ahead. Yet, as fascinating as these predictions may be, I often […]
Ahmed Mohamed: Funding Fuels Science
Funding is a fundamental aspect of research and as important as research itself. One of them cannot go without the other. Often, researchers struggle to continue their work and apply their ideas due to lack of money. Securing funding for academic research and pursuing a doctorate degree is often one of the most daunting challenges […]
Aidan Mason-Mackay: High Resolution MRI, Where Abstract Maths Meets the Real World
In my last post, we discussed the physics of MRI, and one of two laws of physics that it circumvents. This time, we’ll explore the second of these rules, which allows us to make high-frame-rate videos of the brain. This post highlights the work of four mathematicians, who used abstract mathematics to make a big […]
Melika Azim Zadegan: Teaching Brain Health to Young Minds
In June 2024, as part of our PhD journey in the Neuro-Innovation programme, we doctoral researchers had the unique opportunity to deliver lectures on various brain health topics to a group of bright 10- to 12-year-olds. This experience was part of SnellmanEDU’s Children’s University. This year’s theme, “Brain Health: Exploring the Mind,” was organized and […]
Kaustubh Jadhav: Data Dilemmas: How Statisticians Turn Numbers into a Debate
In the world of data analysis, there’s a famous saying: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” While it may sound harsh, but it touches on an interesting truth in the everyday lives of statisticians and researchers. Despite numbers suggesting precision, statistical analysis can be unexpectedly complex, and there’s rarely a single […]
Andrius Penkauskas: Variance is the key
A few years ago, as I began my PhD journey, I wrote a blog post illustrating the multidisciplinary approach I embrace, starting with a Japanese proverb. Little did I know that this path would eventually bring me to Japan. This extraordinary experience prompts me to revisit and discuss with you the significance of multidisciplinarity once […]
Catherine Kayonga: Benefits of field visits for researchers: Own reflections
Recently, I had a field visit to four institutions, and I must say it was an invaluable experience. As researchers, most of our time is spent doing data analysis, literature review and writing which happens on computer screens in our offices. So, this in person experience at these organisations provided for me a connection to […]
Ahmed Mohamed: The Power of Networking in Science
Networking is incredibly important for the scientific community as a whole and scientists as individuals. It is more than just attending conferences and exchanging contact information. It is about building meaningful connections that could lead to collaborations, access to resources, career growth and a supportive community. Let’s check out some insights on why networking is […]