My Summer at Columbia University and Introduction to Neuroscience (Jan 2023)
I developed an interest in medicine and the human body primarily in middle school when I broke my arm in second grade. Though humanity has progressed tremendously in various scientific fields over the course of many centuries, I was fascinated by how little we actually understand about ourselves. There is so much we are yet to discover about how our body functions. The human brain is a perfect example - we know a lot, such as the detailed structure of the brain, the functions of each area, how it interacts with the rest of the body, and can also perform complex surgeries on it, but can’t seem to “measure” thoughts or consciousness. We have learned a lot as anatomy has advanced and through experiments in surgery. However, conducting experiments on the human mind and collecting useful data is a very hard task since no two people are alike. In hopes to answer my many questions, I discovered “Fundamentals of Neuroscience”, a pre-college program for high school students offered at Columbia University. After reading the course description, I knew I needed to apply. It was during my experience there in Summer 2022 that I developed a keen interest in conducting scientific research, and more specifically, neurology.
In this course, we studied the brain mechanisms and processes that underpin physical movement, observing and reacting to our surroundings, human behavior, and how the neuroscience field blends ideas directly from psychology and biology. We also participated in ethical and moral debates seeking to understand the dilemmas of neuroscientific research, such as the possibility that experiments with the brain could impact the subject’s personality or identity.
The focus on scientific methods and research papers was quite new to me, and was both challenging and exciting. Every night throughout the 3 weeks of the course, we were assigned a research paper on a certain topic of the brain to read and then create a short summary with our thoughts. Despite all the struggle and long hours spent trying to make sense of dense research papers, it was overall very rewarding and interesting. Towards the end of the project, I summarized a research paper that discussed the impact of music on brain waves. Presenting such a sophisticated topic before a learned audience was certainly nerve-wracking! Through my research I became familiar with the methods employed to analyze brain waves. I discovered evidence that music has a calming influence on brain activity levels, and even people without formal music training benefit from it. I also studied research showing the increased positive benefits of music training in younger kids.
Apart from the academic rigor, what I’ll remember the most is the beautiful campus of Columbia University during summer time. Looking back, it was a fantastic experience, rich in learning and immersion!
