by Gizem Altan
ured I could survive here for another 3-4 years before venturing out into the wide world again .
Whose lab do you work in , and what made you choose to work there ? I ’ m in the workgroup of Jan Born under the direct supervision of Susanne Diekelmann . This is the group and the topic I already worked on for my master thesis . I stayed because I wanted to know more about my topic , because the conditions were great , and because the supervision was close when I needed it and loose when I wanted it . Another important point was that the lab has a history of creating successful scientists . I had the feeling that , when projects were discussed and decisions were made , my professor also kept the career of his PhD students in mind .
Furthermore , a PhD takes some time . After having moved for my bachelors and then for my masters , I didn ’ t want to risk going to a faraway lab and to commit again to a new environment that I could scout only during a short lab visit and some quick talks with potential colleagues .
What is your current research project about ? The brain strengthens and transforms new memories during sleep . I look at how brain areas cooperate to accomplish this in humans .
What was your favourite course at the GTC ? Evolutionary Cognitive Neuroscience by Andreas Nieder .
What ’ s your best discovery in Tübingen ? The protestant student accommodation ( Evangelisches Stift ) has a beautiful garden with vast meadows and apple trees . If you have the chance to spend an afternoon there , maybe for a picnic , go for it !
Renée Hartig is from Long Island , New York , in the USA . She moved to Tübingen for the Master ’ s course , and is now beginning her doctoral studies .
What made you decide to come to Tübingen ? I was studying at Stony Brook University and found my passion for neuroscience there . After specialising in the field , I knew that the next step in my career path was to earn a doctorate . So , in my pursuit of the right place to do this , I came across the notion to combine my love of Europe with my career . Germany was my top pick , purely from my ancestral descendants , and to hone in a little deeper , I followed the route to the Max Planck Institute ( MPI ), a place I already knew had an astonishing international reputation .
Whose lab do you work in , and what made you choose to work there ? Dr . Henry Evrard , an independent group leader at the CIN ( Centre for Integrative Neuroscience ) and guest researcher at the MPI for Biological Cybernetics . I decided to work there after attending the lab visit of the first spring semester at the Graduate School . Henry came to talk to us about the research there and even brought us down to see the animal facilities . What I liked most about the lab was that it housed cellular , anatomical and functional components . I was really seeking a lab with this level of diversity .
by Gizem Altan
What is your current research project about ? Localising taste in the primate cortex . This involves all tastes , and using fMRI in humans and non-human primates to compare functional localization of this sensory input between humans and non-human primates . Additionally we will do electrophysiology alongside fMRI in the non-human primates . Previous work has only looked separately at data from monkey or humans . This research will allow us to look into comparative activity and function , and through this get more insight into how the cortex , namely the insular cortex , is cytoarchitectonically and topographically organized .
What was your favourite course at the GTC ? Neuroregeneration and Tissue Engineering . This is an area of personal interest that one day I hope to incorporate into my work .
What ’ s your best discovery in Tübingen ? Saints and Scholars – I liked it so much I moved behind it . The owner of Saints and Scholars , Peter Wolf , hosted a charity event that I organized , the Fastnet Spendenlauf , an event I hope to be continued by GTC students interested in raising money for neurological diseases . Note that the drinks are affordably priced and come in a variety of flavours and sizes – “ sehr günstig ”. They have good burgers too .
Celia Foster , UK Neural and Behavioural Sciences Master ’ s Program , ‘ 15 Currently a GTC Doctoral student at the MPI for Biological Cybernetics in the Recognition and Categorization Group of Dr . Isabelle Bülthoff
24 | NEUROMAG | July 2016