neuronerd17

Hey, I'm looking to apply to Ph.D. programs in neuroscience and was wondering if anyone would want to read and critique my first draft (posted below). I don't really know what I am doing, I researched some websites and tried to hit every point and keep it under 500 words. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Waking up on the floor with surrounded by 150 strangers no recollection of what happened was not how I envisioned my first “Fundamentals of Neuroscience” lecture. I have blood-injury-injection phobia and facing a trigger may lead to a temporary loss of consciousness. This day, a video demonstrating blood flow within the body taunted my every nerve until my fears finally subsided and darkness took over. I was embarrassed and discouraged. Could I be a successful neuroscientist if I faint whenever I see blood? No, I could not and my grades reflected it. That summer, as my Alzheimer’s disease inflicted grandmother’s health declined, I became increasingly interested in the mechanisms of memory and neurodegeneration. I quickly enrolled in “Neurobiology of Disease” and “Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience” for the fall semester. In these courses, I found myself captivated by the enthusiasm in my professors as they lectured. Their passion was undeniable and I knew I must overcome my phobia. In working for the [name of lab] research laboratory under Dr. X, I challenged my phobia through performing dissections and perfusions, while satisfying my curiosity by investigating the effects of chronic stress on spatial memory and motor learning. In examining the effects, I could not help but wonder what was the chronic stress specifically effecting in the hippocampus causing this memory and learning deficit? To answer my cellular and molecular inquiry, I joined the [name of lab] laboratory under Dr. Y. I soon began to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms in learning altered by nicotine use, specifically JNK1 activation. In addition to research, teaching has been a major part of my undergraduate career. I began tutoring peers in neuroscience, psychology, and biology courses and recently became peer teacher for “Fundamentals of Neuroscience” under Dr. Z and the [name of] Scholarship. Under the scholarship, I clarify misunderstanding of course material and concepts, as well as, help spark interest within the field. Upon entering the Ph.D. program at University of ABC, I would concentrate on neurobiology of disease, specifically mitochondrial function. Under the guidance of Dr. A, I would be able to successfully investigate the mechanisms of mitochondria dysfunction and threshold in which neurodegeneration begins. Understanding the disruption in mitochondrial function within neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, could be the key to successful treatment and prevention. The multi-disciplinary interactions of both research and teaching, along with courses in contemporary interests, and a diversely specialized faculty within the neuroscience program at the University of ABC provide an ideal learning environment. With admissions to the University of ABC neuroscience program, I can receive the proper training to achieve my ultimate goal of becoming a faculty member at a university, or an institution, where I could perform research, as well as, teach future scientists.