You probably know that your immune system keeps you healthy, but did you know it can change how you learn? I study how our bodies immune system changes the way we learn and adapt as well how the brain changes in dementia.

Growing up, I never thought science was for me. I’d always been interested in it, but it never felt like something I could do. One day when I was bored at work, I decided to try a semester of study at university. One of the assignments was to look through a microscope and draw the cells we saw. It was the most incredible thing I’d ever seen, and I was instantly hooked. Seven years later, I’m still looking through microscopes and loving every second of it.

My research focusses on the brain’s ability to adapt and change. Using a laser microscope, I’m able to watch how the brain changes over time and how learning affects these changes. I can then compare this to the brain of someone with dementia and hopefully find new ways to treat it.

It’s an incredible feeling walking into the lab every day, knowing that your research is helping people, but sometimes I need a break. When I’m not in the lab playing with brains and lasers, I spend most of my time surfing, drawing, and playing videogames.

 

For more information about studying neuroscience: www.menzies.utas.edu.au