What we do My name is Meera Mistry from Westlake Girls’ High School.
‘Neuroscience is by far the most exciting branch of science because the brain is the most fascinating object in the universe. Every human brain is different - the brain makes each human unique and defines who he or she is.’ Stanley B. Prusiner, American neurologist
As a Year 11 participant in the New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge, I was one of 25 students awarded with an extraordinary opportunity to immerse myself in ‘a day in the life of a neuroscientist,’ made possible by the University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research (CBR) and the gracious support of the Neurological Foundation.
The internship hosted a range of activities, including a viewing of the university’s mock MRI, a lab tour guided by one of the university’s PhD students, discussions with people studying neuroscience at UoA and, perhaps the most anticipated event for us students, the tour of the only brain bank in New Zealand.
My passion for science and mathematics is driven by my joy for solving problems. These subjects transcend mindless memorisation; they push us to apply knowledge in creative and unorthodox ways to overcome challenges. As such, I am fascinated by neuroscience whose interdisciplinary nature challenges us to consult knowledge from across different subjects to formulate an understanding of it. Besides, it is difficult not to be intrigued by how a collection of tiny cells can give way to elaborate thoughts and ultimately shape our unique experience of the world.
The internship was eye-opening for me. During Brain Bee, many of us may have regarded neuroscience as just another academic endeavour. The internship allowed me to see that these facts are not just words in a notebook; they are the key to scientific journeys that could improve the lives of millions of people with neurological diseases. They are the key to allowing us to discover the very essence of our existence.
A valuable takeaway for me was meeting other students with similar interests, passions and goals to mine and talking to people studying at the CBR, people who have dedicated their lives to neuroscience research: to work that may never be completed in their lifetime. The brain is the basis of who we are, yet we know so little about it. United by their quest for knowledge, they will leave behind research at the frontier of neuroscience that will serve as the groundwork for our understanding of the most complex object in the universe.
Meera Mistry, Westlake Girls’ High School
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