NINDS postbaccalaureate (postbac) fellows have been selected to attend more than 18 professional programs in the Fall of 2022. In honor of this year’s postbac achievements, we asked Alexis Brake, Duc Nguyen, and Naiya Osiyemi, postbac fellows who will enter M.D./Ph.D., M.D. and Ph.D. programs, respectively, about their training experiences in NINDS laboratories.
Alexis Brake, postbac fellow in the laboratory of Daniel Reich, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Investigator in the Translational Neuroradiology Section, is entering a M.D./Ph.D. program at the University of Miami.
How would you describe your experience as a postbac at NINDS?
"My experience as a postbac at NINDS gave me a taste of being a physician-scientist and helped develop the skills needed to reach that goal. Beyond the new research techniques that I learned, this experience also afforded me access to incredible mentors who invested in me as a researcher and supported me through the M.D./Ph.D. program application process."
How has your time at NINDS impacted your education and career goals?
"Coming to the NIH, I was hoping to gain first-hand experience in a more clinically oriented research environment to see exactly how clinical knowledge and research can unite to advance medicine. Spending the last two years working in NIH’s clinical and translational research environments helped solidify my confidence in my chosen career path as a physician-scientist and left me feeling ready to take the next step in my training."
What is the best training advice you ever received?
"The best training advice I received was that I don’t need to wait until I’ve finished eight years of school, residency, and a fellowship to start my career; my career started the second I decided my goal and started chasing it. Knowing that I get to love my job starting now, and not only after I have completed my training, completely changed my approach to my postbac and the rest of my training that lies ahead."
What would you tell prospective NINDS postbacs?
"This experience can be anything you make it! So be bold, ask questions, try something new, and take advantage of the countless resources at your fingertips. Take time to get to know your peers and keep in touch—the friends you make here may end up being your colleagues one day!"
Duc Nguyen, postbac fellow in the laboratory of Yi Gu, Ph.D., Investigator in the Spatial Navigation and Memory Unit, will attend New York University to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience.
How would you describe your experience as a postbac at NINDS?
"My experience has been very positive. I learned a lot about science and had opportunities to try out the most recent techniques used in the field, both of which helped me better prepare for a research career."
How has your time at NINDS impacted your education and career goals?
"I came to this program with two questions in mind: Do I actually like doing research, and can I pursue a career in research? I was able to experience real world research with supportive mentoring from everyone in the lab, and this helped me to know that, yes, I would like to pursue a research career."
What is the best training advice you ever received?
"The most important thing about research is thinking about how to approach a problem, not learning all the techniques being used to solve the problem."
What would you tell prospective NINDS postbacs?
"It's challenging, but it's worth it."
Naiya Osiyemi, postbac fellow in the laboratory of Eric Wasserman, M.D., investigator in the Behavioral Neurology Unit, will join the M.D. program at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
How would you describe your experience as a postbac at NINDS?
"My time at the NINDS has invigorated my interest in clinical research and compelled me to further explore this field during my medical education this fall. This experience exposed me to incredible techniques that I may one day use with patients, and I have realized that I want to be a part of the innovation that builds upon current medical techniques to improve the lives of many."
How has your time at NINDS impacted your education and career goals?
I would describe my NINDS postbaccalaureate experience as one of extreme growth and academic enrichment. From day one, I was given the opportunity to share my interests and ideas with my lab and allowed to participate in all aspects of our lab’s project. More importantly, I was provided with a support system of colleagues who were always willing to assist in my training process."
What is the best training advice you ever received?
"Remain inquisitive and recognize that published research is not always quality research. During undergraduate training, I was provided with resources that were assumed to be reputable and unflawed, so it was refreshing to be given the opportunity to challenge these assumptions once I joined NINDS."
What would you tell prospective NINDS postbacs?
"Take full advantage of every amazing opportunity NINDS has to offer—poster presentation days, social gatherings, shadowing, volunteering opportunities, and the exceptional professional advising resources. Explore all of it. I am so incredibly grateful for the time I spent at NINDS, and if given the opportunity, I would do it all over again."
Check out where some of our NINDS postbacs will head this coming school year:
| M.D./Ph.D. Programs | M.D. Programs | Ph.D. Programs | D.M.V. Programs |
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Contributed by Shana R. Spindler, PhD