Explore the wealth of career options out there for neuroscience grads with host Rana Ghafouri, a former neuroscience Master's student at McGill University.
Latest episode
Thank you to all of our guest neuroscience alumni who shared their diverse experiences with us during the first season of Neural Pathways! Although every journey was different, each story shared a common sentiment: it’s normal to be unsure of what lies ahead and it’s okay to change your mind. Our guests urged trainees to not be discouraged if things don’t work out the first time, to not let fear of failure stop them from pursuing their interests and to trust in their abilities to find their way to their future.
Thanks for joining us for the first season of Neural Pathways: Where Your Neuroscience Degree Can Take You!
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Previous episodes
Our final interview for Season 1 of Neural Pathways is with Dr. Emily Coffey, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Concordia University. Emily describes the unique journey (including working with astronauts) that led her to discover her passion for studying human behaviour and gives helpful guidance to trainees interested in being a professor.
This week's guest is Dr. David Mendes da Silva, who produces and , alongside his career as a medical translator. Similarly to Neural Pathways, PapaPhD is aimed at showcasing the stories and careers of individuals who have completed graduate school. Listen as he describes his own journey transitioning from his PhD to his career, explains what inspired him to start a podcast, and shares valuable advice that he has learned from the guests on his show.
This week on Neural Pathways, we are joined by Dr. Marouane Ouhnana, who is the first of his role as a Research Analyst & Scientific Liaison at Moment Factory. Marouane describes what it's like integrating science and multimedia, talks about the importance of understanding different viewpoints when working with others, and gives valuable advice on how to approach a job-search.
On Episode 7 of Neural Pathways, we're joined by Dr. Halleh Ghaderi, a Senior System Software Engineer – Integration Lead at . Halleh describes her experience completing an internship during her PhD, how it led to her transition from academia to industry, and outlines the importance of noticing changing industry trends for the evolution of your career.
This week on Neural Pathways, we had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Samantha Yammine () to tell us about what inspired her to begin sharing her research on social media during her PhD and move on to establish Science Sam Media, becoming a renowned science content creator. Samantha expresses the importance of science communication, explains how she built her social media platforms, and gives advice on how to network in graduate school.
(Photo: Al Quintero)
S1E5: Pathway to Management Consulting
In this week's episode of Neural Pathways, Matthew Satterthwaite describes how his background in neuroscience is beneficial to his role as an associate at PwC Canada, a management consulting firm. Matthew provides excellent advice for science students interested in pursuing a business career, explains the most important skills he developed as a trainee, and emphasizes the value in taking everything as a learning opportunity.
Read more about Matthew Satterthwaite
In Episode 4 of Neural Pathways, Emily Anne Opala speaks of her transition from finishing her Master's to her career as a Substance Use Counsellor and Case Manager at The Jean Tweed Centre. She explains what inspired her to leave academia and pursue this course, and expresses the importance of extracurriculars and volunteer work.
Episode 3 of Neural Pathways features Dr. Benjamin De Leener and the route he took to become an Assistant Professor of Computer and Software Engineering, and co-found his company, Chrysalabs. Benjamin describes his experiences as a graduate student at Polytechnique Montreal and his time doing his post-doc at McGill University, explains how he discovered that he loves research, and suggests that everyone should "ventilate" their brain every once in a while.
This week's episode of Neural Pathways features Xu Fei, who tells us about what led him to his position as an Outreach Scientist at Code Ocean. Xu speaks about his experiences learning to code as a graduate student, the benefits of working at a start-up, and gives helpful tips for current students building their skills.
S1E1: Pathway to Senior Manuscript Editor: Dr. Jean Mary Zarate
In Episode 1 of the Neural Pathways podcast, we talk to Dr. Jean Mary Zarate, Senior Editor at Nature Neuroscience, about the path she took to her current position. Jean tells us about her transition from her master's degree to her PhD and beyond, advises on how to build connections, and encourages trainees to trust in their skills and make the most of their experiences.
Read more about Dr. Zarate
About host Rana Ghafouri
Rana is a former M.Sc. student in the Integrated Program in Neuroscience at McGill University. Her research focuses on neonatal brain injury and potential treatment to repair such damages. She was involved with HBHL throughout her Master’s and acted as Lead Communications Officer on the HBHL Trainee Committee. Like many graduate students, Rana struggled to find a path to pursue post-graduation, and constantly explored career options — particularly ones that would allow her to continue to engage with her passion for neuroscience. Realizing she would benefit from a resource to learn about these possibilities, Rana was excited to team with HBHL to create this series and help other trainees find their path.
