I love neurons, and it makes my day when someone else can love them too. Throughout graduate school, I was committed to neuroscience outreach. A member of the Neuroscience Outreach Team, I would frequently attend classrooms and science fairs to perform demonstrations about the brain to children of all ages and backgrounds. I loved seeing their faces light up over brain games!
I also served as a primary recruiter for the UW Neuroscience Graduate School, mostly between 2013 to 2016.
In my postdoc days, this effort primarily has been poured into mentoring the next generation of scientists.
One of the major barriers for minorities to succeed in science is lack of sufficient mentoring. I have therefore made a point in my research to create opportunities for BIPOC individuals to gain hands on research experience, and the ability to develop and present their own research projects. During the 2020 COVID pandemic, I figured out how to harness technology so that my student could embark on a research remotely from several states away. I now have a vision of similarly using this technology to offer research experience to any student who wants to gain experience in research, and mentorship on thriving in academia.
Please contact me if you are interested.
Andrea L McQuate 