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Careers in Neuroscience

Careers in Neuroscience. Frank Johnson, Ph.D. Director, Program in Neuroscience Florida State University. What is the Definition of Neuroscience?.

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Careers in Neuroscience

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  1. Careers in Neuroscience Frank Johnson, Ph.D. Director, Program in Neuroscience Florida State University

  2. What is the Definition of Neuroscience? • Interdisciplinary study of relationships between brain structure and function, purpose of conscious and unconscious processes, and the control of behavior. • Combines Psychology with elements of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. • Psychological Functions of The Brain • Integrative Functions of The Brain • Development and Aging of The Brain • Diseases of The Brain

  3. What are the activities in which Neuroscientists engage? • RESEARCH: “Science is a way of thinking. This is central to its success. Science invites us to let the facts in, even when they don’t conform to our preconceptions.” – Carl Sagan • COMMUNICATE: Scientists openly share their experimental methods, results, and interpretations – on page and in person. Essential to communicate findings to peers and the public and to transfer the tradition of Science to the next generation. • PARTICIPATE: Scientific and academic organizations operate in a democratic way. Peer review at many levels – funding, publication, promotion. Administrative service to professional organizations and educational institutions.

  4. What types of organizations or businesses employ Neuroscientists? • Universities (research + teaching) • Colleges (teaching) • Federal/State Agencies (legislation, implement policy, manage review and funding process) • Private Foundations (manage review and funding process, raise funds for research, consulting) • Industry(translating research into products) • Media(translating research for the general public)

  5. How much graduate training is needed to become a Neuroscientist? • Masters Degree Optional • Doctoral Degree (~5 yr) • Become an experimentalist • Learn to Communicate on page • Learn to Communicate in person

  6. Are certifications or additional training needed to become a Neuroscientist? • Post-Doctoral Training (3-5 yr) • Additional training and broadening as an experimentalist (neuroscience is interdisciplinary and data-driven) • Fine-tune communication skills (scientific, instructional, public) • Develop proposals to fund your independent research • Not Necessary for Teaching Careers

  7. How good are employment opportunities forNeuroscientists? • Neuroscience is a young, growing field. • Focus is still on basic research. Most neuroscientists are employed by research universities. • For the most part, the jobs are where the universities are.

  8. What salaries do Neuroscientists earn? • Starting Academic Salary: 68-72K • Advanced Academic Salary: 115-125K • Important to consider benefits as part of total compensation • Important to consider the opportunity one has to apply for funding • Important to consider the level of debt incurred during training (near zero)

  9. How flexible are working conditions for Neuroscientists? • Prepare to “work” 50-60hr per week – however: • Creativity demands a flexible schedule • A good portion of your time is your own • One can often work remotely and flexibly • Wardrobe costs are pretty reasonable

  10. What skills and experiences should Undergrads acquire if they are interested in Neuroscience? • Learn to enjoy working with your hands • 1+ years of undergraduate research experience a must • Most experimental techniques require ‘arts and crafts’ type skills • Learn to be resilient in the face of failure • You’re trying to understand the product of 4 billion years of evolution – it might take a few tries to figure this one out • Make your failures work for you • Develop a broad scientific curiosity • Coursework in Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. • Breadth over specialization • To be considered for graduate training, must have a GPA above 3.2 and score above the 50th percentile on Verbal and Quantitative portions of GRE

  11. What are the most rewarding aspects of being a Neuroscientist? • Exploring the unknown. • The opportunity to be creative in one’s profession. • Neuroscience is interdisciplinary so you’re always learning something new. • The opportunity to contribute to the body of human knowledge about the world.

  12. What are the biggest drawbacks of being a Neuroscientist? • Conscious experience has – thus far – proved to be of little value in understanding the brain. Frustrating. • Science is completely unforgiving of professional dishonesty and plagiarism. Not really a drawback, but should be clearly understood before choosing this career. • Regular people may find you weird.

  13. Website recommendations for students interested in Neuroscience • FSU Program in Neuroscience • Searchable Directory of Neuroscience Training Programs • Median Salary Information

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