Author Archives: Ashley Juavinett

February 27

Choosing a neuroscience graduate program

posted by

TL;DR talk to current students & trust your instincts

»»
November 22

What’s app: an insider’s perspective on how to optimize your application to grad school

posted by

(Originally published 1/17/15) With 2018 grad school application deadlines right around the corner, we thought it would be useful to repost this guide for putting together a killer grad school app. We hope it helps! Best of luck, and happy Thanksgiving! – NeuWriteSD So you’ve decided to apply to graduate school in the sciences. You’ve […]

»»
February 25

They’re Right In Front Of You

posted by

[En español] The story of the neuroscientist that almost wasn’t and the role of advocacy within neuroscience. // South Central Los Angeles in the 1980s was essentially a war zone. The area had become a hub for crack cocaine dealing, which only worsened the violence from street gangs and pushed the area into deeper poverty and […]

»»
October 01

The Final Scientific Endeavor of Mary Putnam Jacobi

posted by

On June 10th, 1906, American physician Mary Putnam Jacobi died of a brain tumor. Her death, similar to her life, was not without careful contemplation. Dr. Jacobi detailed her own demise in an account, titled “Descriptions of the Early Symptoms of the Meningeal Tumor Compressing the Cerebellum. From Which the Writer Died. Written by Herself.” […]

»»
July 16

Truly Blissful Brains

posted by

[En Español] It’s not uncommon for beverage advertisements to make far-fetched claims. Coca Cola “calms jumpy nerves,” Vitamin Water is “nutritious,” and Gatorade will turn you into Michael Jordan. Within the past few years, a new brain-branded league of products has entered the beverages aisle, creating conflict within a neuroscientist like me. While I’m excited […]

»»
April 30

Birds, Brains, and Boats: The Harvey Karten Story

posted by

“So, what can I do for you?” To be honest, it wasn’t how I expected to find Dr. Harvey J. Karten, neuroscience Professor Emeritus and recent inductee to the National Academy of the Sciences. But when I open the door his office on a bright San Diego afternoon, he is sitting in front of three monitors, hard […]

»»
November 27

NeuWrite Thanksgiving Reads

posted by

Need some post-turkey relaxing reading? Here’s some of our Thanksgiving related articles! More Breast Please: Melissa explores the impact of domestication on turkeys. Why We Buy: An Infographic: A fantastic graphic description by Rachel of the conscious and unconscious forces that make us go nuts on Black Friday. Tuckered Out by Turkey’s Tryptophan? Maya delves into […]

»»
October 31

Young Blood

posted by

The modus operandi of a vampire is pretty straightforward: drink blood, live forever. Vampires consume more blood and live longer than everyone else, so surely, these two things are related. But how exactly does blood allow vampires to live forever? In an effort to find the root cause of immortality in vampirism (okay, kidding, they’re […]

»»
October 23

Cerebellar Pruning

posted by

One day you’re chopping down an unwanted palm tree, the next you’re flashing your machete through a dense forest in god knows where. The life of a tree hacker boasted plenty of travel opportunity, but not a lot of stability. Camille swung her weapon through yet another thicket. “We better be getting bonuses for this […]

»»
July 10

Cortical Columns

posted by

“I swear I put it down right here,” he thought to himself, “right next to this column.” He looked up; there were many columns. Towering, Ionic pillars draped with sheer golden cloths loomed over him. They were geometrically ordered in rows of hundreds, perhaps thousands.[1] “Where did – “ he stopped mid-thought to look around. […]

»»