My STEP Signature Project involved traveling to Chicago from October 5 – October 9 for the annual Society for Neuroscience conference. This conference is often regarded as the largest conference for neuroscience research in the U.S. and is a spectacular way to connect with other large figures in the neuroscience research field. The STEP program offered me the chance to travel to this conference and present the research project I’ve been working on in my lab to provide more visibility to my work. 

During my five days in Chicago, I gained valuable insights into both the field of neuroscience and my perspective on research. I attended a variety of poster presentations and talks that broadened my understanding of neuroscience. Many posters and talks even focused on cutting-edge research in plasticity and perineuronal nets, which are closely related to my project. This experience also helped me recognize that pursuing a solely PhD-driven path through graduate school may not be the right fit for me. While I have a passion for research, I realized that I don’t see it as my primary career focus for the long term. Instead, I aspire to combine research with a career in primary care, allowing me to both conduct scientific work and directly impact people’s lives. Finally, the event underscored the collaborative nature of science. Unlike my current research project, which I manage independently, I saw firsthand how working as part of a team can significantly enhance productivity and lead to more impactful outcomes.

At the conference, I concentrated on deepening my understanding of neuroplasticity and perineuronal nets, the main focus of my research. Using the app provided, I identified relevant sessions and attended as many posters and talks as I could. I encountered some fascinating projects, including studies that used lasers to isolate perineuronal nets, research on how maternal deprivation influences their development, and various models of neuroplasticity. The latter especially captured my interest because, before the conference, I was only familiar with Hebbian plasticity, which involves increased synaptic efficacy from repeated presynaptic stimulation. I was introduced to other models, such as homeostatic plasticity and metaplasticity, which regulate brain function through distinct mechanisms. This expanded perspective gave me a much deeper appreciation for the complexity of neuroplasticity.

The conference also helped me clarify my academic and career goals. Although I had always questioned whether pursuing a PhD was the right path, this experience solidified my decision. Each day, I spoke with recruiters at the graduate school fair and learned more about the demands of graduate programs, which require an intense focus on a single research area. While I’m passionate about neuroplasticity, I realized I don’t want to dedicate my entire career to studying one specific topic. Conversations with current graduate students also provided valuable insights; one student mentioned that they didn’t obtain viable results until two to three years into their program. This highlighted the need for a deep commitment to the research process, along with the patience and resilience to persist through setbacks. I do enjoy research, but I envision a career that integrates it with other interests, rather than one solely devoted to it.

Moreover, a central message at this year’s SFN conference was the importance of collaboration in scientific research. It became clear that uncovering the mysteries of the brain requires the combined efforts of many researchers, as no individual can achieve this alone. Reflecting on my own experience, I recognized how solitary my undergraduate research has been, conducted mostly on my own with occasional guidance from my PI. The conference underscored the contrast between my independent project and the larger, team-based research I saw. While I have a limited set of results, projects with collaborative teams yielded impressive findings that significantly advanced their goals. One striking example was my friend’s poster, which detailed a study utilizing diverse tests and cutting-edge techniques like optogenetics to manipulate neuronal activity. Witnessing the scale and impact of such collaborative research made me realize that after completing my current project, I want to be part of a larger team working on more ambitious endeavors.

The changes I experienced at the conference will have a lasting impact, starting as soon as next semester and continuing for years to come. In the short term, the new concepts in neuroscience I’ve learned will be instrumental in writing my research paper next semester. I’ll need a variety of references, so I plan to explore publications from the labs I connected with that study perineuronal nets. I may even reach out to some of the researchers for guidance on phrasing certain parts of my paper. Looking further ahead, these realizations have solidified my plans to pursue either an MD or MD/PhD after completing my undergraduate studies. I also now know that I want my future research to be part of a larger, collaborative team, allowing me to achieve more impactful results and engage with cutting-edge techniques. Overall, the conference not only deepened my understanding of neuroscience but also provided clarity on my future path and the kind of research environment I aspire to be in.