Neurasmus cohort 2019-2021

I am Aarcha from India, a young dreamer who found her first flight through the NEURASMUS program. Equipped with the essential tools, now I yearn to unravel the mysteries surrounding neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. I found my calling through the 2 years of the NEURASMUS Masters to continue my path in research in this ever mystical field. Besides the education, the mobility also helped me discover new cultures and languages, and meet amazing people along the way. Despite the pandemic that struck mid-way I still found snippets of the NEURASMUS experience and learnt so much more than I could have imagined. It has been a formative and life-changing experience.

As double degree graduate in biomedical sciences and psychology, neuroscience was the ideal overlap of my different interests. Having chosen Track 2 I first went to Bordeaux and then Berlin for the second year, delving further into experimental psychiatry research. My Neurasmus experience has fundamentally shaped my relationship to research and has helped me recognise, define and plan my options and ambitions for my scientific career. A fantastic, highly recommendable program with an inspiring, international and close-knit community!

I am from India and have been in the path of pursuing my studies in Biology for the past 7 years at this point. In the beginning my masters' subject was one of the many I had applied for on fluke with many others but this changed as I arrived in Amsterdam for the Neurogenomics track. The value of this course and the opportunity to pursue it are underrated. I realised so many things about myself and my interests through the Neurasmus experience and for that I will always be grateful. Now I am a recent graduate hunting for PhDs and projects on neural control of metabolism. On a good day, you would probably find me either in the local pool or trying to locate it while being able to name good places and things to eat and drink like the back of my hand.

The human brain is one of the most fascinating organs of the body which has the power to control our every action; from breathing, to thinking and moreover living. It was thus this complexity of the brain and its unmeasurable potential that had me intrigued for the longest time, and so, after completing my Bachelor’s in Biotechnology, I decided to pursue the Neurasmus programme. In my attempt to study the brain and its functioning, I travelled to various places, from the canals of Amsterdam to the streets of Bordeaux and interacted with some of the greatest and inspiring minds in today’s world of neuroscience. Neurasmus for me was all about setting out to find myself and understand my passion for neuroscience amidst the divine cultures and experiences the world has to offer. The journey so far has made me discover the true potential of science and has given me the opportunity to make memories and friendships that will last for a lifetime.

I am from Hyderabad, Pakistan and did an undergraduate in biotechnology. During my studies, I was attracted to the science of neurons. I found the way our brain works so fascinating and amazing. This is when I decided to go for Neuroscience. I had never imagined that this passion to dig into the brain to find out secrets of memory formation, learning, sleeping and vision would take me to Europe. I still remember the day and time when I heard that I got selected, and couldn't believe that this journey of Neursamus has ended. However, the journey of neuroscience will never end. During this time I travelled and met people from a variety of backgrounds. I worked with great scientists and gained a lot of experience. My primary research area is a neurodegenerative disease, specifically Alzheimer's. Besides, I am also interested in understanding the concept of regenerative capabilities of neurons and plasticity.

Neurasmus opened my mind to look at the vast horizon of neuroscience research. I’ve developed tremendously - both personally and professionally - over the course of my time in Göttingen & Bordeaux. As a medical graduate from Sudan, it was a perfect chance to slowly integrate into scientific academic life and cultural life in Europe. I found great quality of science, joy in immersion within two different cultures and languages, and friendships I’m glad to have. I’m more walking towards my passions to understand the neural processing of emotions and their interaction with memory. The overlapping networks within normal or what we call a normal and diseased brain. How cognitive deficits change the path of some diseases like schizophrenia and affect its sufferers. Such passions change with time, and time changes and we change with it. Curiosities follow each other and the questions keep on increasing searching for some answers, and with the opportunity that Neurasmus offered me and helped me through, I can keep on searching and feeding the curiosities of my childish brain”

A psychology enthusiast since high school and a molecular biology major in college, I strongly believed neuroscience was the intersection of both my interests. With the support of my PI from the Philippines, I applied to neuroscience grad school programs with Neurasmus as my #1 choice. To this day, I thank my lucky stars that I chose Neurasmus and Neurasmus chose me. Joining this program has given me so many opportunities and pushed me to grow far beyond my comfort zone. Not only has it grown my CV by exposing me to great science and even greater mentors, but it has also given me many international friendships that I know will transcend time and space. Right now, I'm taking some time to figure out where I want to go next, but I know wherever I go, the things I've learned from my years in Neurasmus will have played a big role in that decision.

I am an Australian student, passionate about curiosity and discovery. I complete my BSc at the University of Melbourne in Human Physiology and Marine Biology where I first came across neuroscience and was deeply intrigued, after all we have the power of mind control. To me, nothing could be more interesting that to investigate our inescapable state of being. The Neurasmus program has been an incredible opportunity connecting me to international communities which I will continue to work with in as I complete my PhD.

In general, I am interested in human behavior, psychology, science, and data science. I would love to pursue a career that combines neurology and computational neuroscience. And I am aspired to answer some of my critical questions, like what it means to be a human being and what exactly is consciousness using the methods of scientific inquiry.

I come from Serbia with a background in molecular biology and physiology, which I obtained at the University of Belgrade. As a Neurasmus student, I was a part of the Neurogenomics track, which involved completing my first year in Amsterdam, and second in Berlin. Currently, I am excited to be starting my PhD also in Berlin and delving into microglial and interneuron electrophysiology.
In my free time I am an incessant reader, a filmophile, as well as a music connoisseur, with a song recommendation for every occasion.
Ever since the day I received my Neurasmus acceptance letter, my life has turned into the wildest journey towards physical and mental places I would never have imagined visiting. That being said, I cannot thank the Neurasmus program and everybody involved enough for making this journey possible in the first place.

With a background in medical biotechnology and 1 year experience working in a lab, I applied to Neurasmus in 2019 with little knowledge about the brain, and was extremely lucky to be admitted and sent to study in France and The Netherlands. Over the course of the programme, I became interested in fundamental neuroscience with a focus on synapse physiology and pathology. During my Neurasmus experience I also fell in love with microscopes and hope to continue discovering imaging during my PhD, which I will be starting very soon. Outside of science, I find joy in biking, meeting my friends and seeing them succeed.

Neurasmus program helped me to grow as a scientist and as a person. During the past two years, I have developed essential skills for being a researcher and collaborated with great scientists in the neuroscience field. I am very grateful to have experienced this and my future career will be deeply influenced by this opportunity.

I'm a science enthusiast who loves the night as much as she enjoys the day. I like to experience new cultures and I love to laugh. I enrolled in the Neurasmus program after my Bachelor's in Biotechnology. My path as a Neuroscience student opened a floodgate to knowledge and scientific breakthroughs where I was given the opportunity to meet inspiring scientists from around the globe. My time in this international environment has taught me that we all need a good balance between trying hard, friendships and enjoyment. Our presents may not go as planned even with well thought of choices. So try not to stress . Overall my journey has been a delight and a challenge and I'm grateful for the experiences I've gained

I'm a Brazilian biologist passionate about music and traveling. As an undergraduate student I was fascinated by the complexity of the brain and developed an interest in neurodegenerative diseases. Neurasmus helped me acquire more knowledge in neuroscience, across all its subfields, and expand my research experience in my main area of interest. The program not only offered me great academic and professional opportunities, but also the possibility to get to know people from all over the world and experience different cultures. As an alumna, I continue to research the molecular mechanisms driving neurodegeneration and dementia and aspire to contribute to the development of better treatments and prevention for these diseases. Long-term, I aim to help bridge the gap in access to high-quality education and research, helping other students from developing countries to achieve their goals in science, as I did mainly through Neurasmus.

Program: Neuroscience. Cultural exchange. Entertaining life experience.
Me: Neuro-major. Travel-lover. Fun-seeker.
Result: Passionate & adventurous neuroscientist

On the non-academic level, I am an enthusiastic beer lover, (mediocre) guitar player and occasional hiker. On the academic level, I enjoy trying to figure out how biology can help artificial intelligence become more solid from an engineering point of view. A bit more specifically: as AI will play a crucial role in our daily lives, building autonomous agents capable of participating in cooperative social interactions with humans is one of the main challenges in AI. Many animals indeed use their conspecifics as vehicles for gathering information that can potentially help avoid harm and maximize rewards, by responding efficiently to challenges in the environment. For this reason, I am convinced that biological life can offer powerful insights on how to pursue the AI challenge. In this sense, the Neurasmus master's has been the perfect choice for me, because it provided me with a broad set of tools to understand the mechanisms of biological life from the perspective of different sub-disciplines. In these two years, I have studied neurogenomics, genetics and cell biology in Amsterdam, behavioural neuroscience, addiction and cognitive neuroscience in Bordeaux, as well as worked on computational neuroscience internships in Boston and Amsterdam. But at the end of the day, a crucial aspect of Neurasmus is that it also provided me with the opportunity to meet amazing people from opposite parts of the world - enhancing my appreciation for diversity of thought. Strongly recommended!

I believe that every choice we make is in pursuit of finding our purpose in life. I have been fascinated with science and the human brain ever since I had my first seizure at the age of 7. The excitement I experienced when I first learnt how nerve cells form finely tuned network that can abruptly lose balance, lit an endless fire in my heart for neuroscience.
After finishing my Doctorate in Pharmacy and working in the field, I knew that my calling in life is to become a neuroscientist which led me to this prestigious, challenging and culturally diverse program. Thus, this life-changing journey of Neurasmus began.Through Neurasmus, not only was I able to work with leading neuroscientists in the field of synapse biology and pathophysiology of memory (which is my core area of interest), but also the personal growth I have experienced by meeting incredible people throughout the globe has been impeccable. Most importantly, through my Neurasmus family, I have found a sense of community and belonging.
After graduation, I plan to start my PhD in Berlin investigating the postsynaptic endolysosomal system and molecular basis of synaptic memory through advance imaging and electrophysiological approaches.
Apart from neuroscience, I am an avid traveller and reader. I enjoy hiking, being lost in the mountains and learning about new cultures."

When I first started looking for a master’s degree in Europe, Neurasmus was on top priority, and getting into the course was the most exciting part. It was a new and beautiful journey with the perfect blending of the course across the continents. I started my first year at Charité – Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, and continued my master’s here. Neurasmus has supported me throughout my strange times and respected all my decision by doing best for me which I amvery grateful to. Being a part of Neurasmus gave me the opportunity to explore the various fields ofneuroscience while providing one of the best networks of alumni across the globe. For my scientific career, Neurasmus played a major role and I am very privileged to be a part of such a community.

The Neurasmus program and Track 1 "Neurogenomics" caught my attention because this was the perfect choice for me — a student with a deep background in genetics, a desire to change my way into neuroscience, and a lack of such programs in Ukrainian universities. Neurasmus gave me more than just practical skills, it gave me the ability to quickly adjust to a new topic and environment. I did two internships in the field of Computational Neurobiology in two countries, where I encountered many unusual tasks for a biologist, and now I’m able to quickly learn and apply any methods, especially if they are related to my areas of interest. I am going to continue my diverse path in Biology, making a PhD at the project at the intersection of Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Neuroscience. In my free time, I like to read novels, go to the gym and play my guitar. Nature is the thing that gives me balance and calmness, so I am a big fan of camping. Choosing Neurasmus program was the best decision in my life, it was a two-year experience that changed me into a completely different person and gave me a chance to fulfill my dream to become a neuroscientist!