Neuroscience is one of those subjects that can get tossed around like astrophysics or aquaculture. It sounds impressive, but what does it mean? And who actually pursues such a career?
Shreya Malhotra admits that the complex topic wasn’t exactly on her mind while she was attending Hoover High School. “I don’t think I even knew what neuroscience was in high school,” said Malhotra with a laugh.
Well, she sure knows about it now, thanks in large part to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Undergraduate Neuroscience Program, an interdisciplinary degree offering between the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Neurobiology in the Heersink School of Medicine.
Malhotra received her degree from the program in 2020, and currently is a Knight-Hennessy Scholar pursuing an M.D./Ph.D. degree at Stanford University. She is interested in a career as a physician-scientist, working with patients who have neurological diseases, then taking that information and using it in lab research toward discovering potential therapies for these diseases.
It is a role Malhotra describes as being more of a passion than a profession to her. And she credits the UAB program for sending her down this career path fully prepared to succeed.
“I can’t emphasize enough how important the experiences I had at UAB through the neuroscience program were in getting me to where I am now,” said Malhotra. “I was set up for so much success because I was given a wide array of opportunities, and able to choose what I wanted to delve into, while receiving incredible support.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better experience in the sense that I was getting a very good education, and also was very well prepared for all the steps that were going to come afterward.”
UAB’s neuroscience program was established in 2009 as an avenue for students who have an overall interest in science, biology, and medicine. It has grown into one of CAS’s most popular degree offerings, approximately 400 students in the program.
“We have so many great students at UAB who have this tremendous scientific aptitude,” said associate professor Cristin Gavin, Ph.D., co-director of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Program along with Robert Sorge, M.A., Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Psychology. “Neuroscience is interdisciplinary at its core for students who have an interest in things like psychology, philosophy, sociology.
“A student can be interested in human behavior and society, and that’s a part of neuroscience. But then they can also be interested in tissue engineering and stem-cell differentiation, and that’s neuroscience, too. We capture a large cross-section of students because the discipline itself is so broad. There’s a spot for everybody.”
Sorge agrees. He points out that the program meets all the requirements for students who are planning to enter medical school, but also provides opportunities for multiple other fields as well.
“There is just such a wide range of things that fall under the general umbrella of neuroscience, so this program is designed as a pre-professional school degree,” said Sorge. “It takes these bright students who are looking to go into any health-related field and prepares them for the future. It gives them all the information they need to move on, and also the flexibility to add other things they might be interested in.”
That flexibility is one of the main attractions of the program for current neuroscience student Karim Mikhail. Even though he plans to enter medical school following graduation, Mikhail says the program is set up in such a way that he can pursue additional interests as well, enabling him to pick up an extra major in philosophy.
“The program gives you the foundations that you need to be successful without overloading you,” said Mikhail, who is entering his senior year at UAB. “And it’s a very accessible program for everyone. No matter what background you’re coming from, this program takes you as you are, and leads you to where you need to go and helps you succeed.”
Both Mikhail and Malhotra were particularly impressed with the program’s emphasis on mentorship and research opportunities. In fact, Malhotra says she still was not exactly sure about her career direction before joining a lab in the Department of Neurobiology run by Jacques Wadiche, Ph.D.
“Working in the lab—run by Jacques Wadiche, Ph.D., with the Department of Neurobiology—was when I realized that I wanted this to be my career,” said Malhotra. “I was given opportunities very early on to access research and lead projects. Doing that was key to getting me in the M.D./Ph.D. program I’m in now. All the lessons that I learned from my mentors while doing research at UAB are lessons that I’m using every day. Not only regarding knowledge and skills, but also in terms of the principles of leadership and teamwork.”
Mikhail heard similar praise about the neuroscience program when he was considering his college options. He says that ended up being a determining factor for him in choosing UAB, and he has not been disappointed with the decision.
“Neuroscience classes are going to be interesting everywhere. But what’s truly exceptional about UAB are the research opportunities and the mentorship you get as a neuroscience student,” said Mikhail. “I’ve been able to work hands-on and take the initiative in my own project, while having people who are willing to help me along in my endeavors and create opportunities for me to build my knowledge about this field.”
Gavin says those are exactly the types of results she and Sorge are seeking from the neuroscience program, especially when it comes to providing students with research opportunities.
“This isn’t some cookbook experience where students go through the motions of a research experiment and present a single result. They’re actually working with individual faculty members, so it’s an extended mentored research experience,” said Gavin. “We offer a lot of faculty mentorship for our students. That’s a particular strength of ours, that we take the time to work with students individually and address their goals. We very much want students to look back at their time at UAB and say, ‘That faculty member mentored me and advanced my career.’
“And it’s not just learning how to do the science. It’s learning how to be a professional and work with a diverse group of people. It’s an environment that takes the students out of the classroom and teaches them a very different skillset. These students deserve our respect, time, and attention, because they are going to be our future colleagues. We get them in their infancy as students when they might not know where they’re going, but we see their potential.”
Mikhail, like Malhotra, says he is interested in pursuing the dual role of physician-scientist, with an emphasis on cognitive disorders. He has spent part of his time at UAB working in a research lab focused on Alzheimer’s disease.
“I saw how my grandparents changed cognitively over the years, and that sparked my interest in figuring out what is going on in the brain,” said Mikhail. “Because it’s this one organ that—unlike the rest of the body—we haven’t really quite cracked the code yet. It’s still kind of a mystery how these electrical connections in the brain translate to all the complex thoughts and feelings and emotions that we have. There is still so much work that needs to be done.”
The Undergraduate Neuroscience Program continues to prepare students to take on that work by expanding its educational options. This includes a study-abroad research opportunity—enabling students to spend a semester conducting research under the direction of a neuroscience faculty member at a European university—and a Summer Research Academy that provides students with a stipend while collecting data in their labs during summer break.
In addition, a neurogenetics course was added that has a service-learning component connecting students with the Civitan International Research Center. Other interdisciplinary expansion is being planned with immunology and cancer research.
“We’re always talking with the students and trying to meet them where they are by making sure we add courses that can make them even more prepared as they move forward,” said Sorge. “The amount of interaction the students get from faculty and our exceptional staff gives a more personal aspect to the program, which we think is important.”
It certainly worked well for Malhotra, who entered the Undergraduate Neuroscience Program with some hesitancy but emerged with the knowledge and enthusiasm to confront some of the most pressing medical issues facing society.
“Neurological diseases are a big problem that are only going to get bigger,” said Malhotra. “For instance, with an aging population, we’re likely going to see increased prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, many of which don’t have treatments yet. It’s a huge field that needs a lot of people working in it. For me, going into neuroscience was kind of an accident at first, but I totally fell in love with it.”
