NINDS's Building Up the Nerve

Latest Episodes:

S5E8: Establishing Your Professional Identity Jan 03, 2025

Show notes

In the eighth episode of the season, we talk about Establishing Your Professional Identity, focusing on tips for defining who you are in your career, and developing skills and strategies to create and communicate who you are, or what your “brand” is, in your field and in the public.

Featuring Thiago Arzua, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute; Carmen Maldonado-Vlaar, PhD, Professor at University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras Campus; and Erich Jarvis, PhD, Professor at Rockefeller University and Investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Resources

Picture a Scientist: https://www.pictureascientist.com/
Black in Neuro: https://blackinneuro.com/
Ciencia Puerto Rico: https://www.cienciapr.org/
NIH Blueprint and BRAIN Initiative® ENDURE R25 Program: https://neuroscienceblueprint.nih.gov/training/endure-undergraduate-education
- NEURO-ID Program: https://neuroid.uprrp.edu/
NeuroBoricuas at UPR Cayey: https://neuroboricuasuprcayey.wordpress.com/

This episode has been edited since its original publication.

Transcript available at http://ninds.buzzsprout.com/.

S5E7: Engaging with Non-Scientists Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

In the seventh episode of the season, we talk about Engaging with Non-Scientists focusing on interactive strategies to promote public awareness of and participation in science, and spoke to the importance of being able to effectively communicate your work to multiple audiences.

Featuring Jennifer Buckley, PhD, Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Delaware and Co-Founder & President of The Perry Initiative; Sadhana Jackson, MD, Investigator in the Surgical Neurology Branch in the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; and Michael Wells, PhD, Assistant Professor of Human Genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Resources

Watch Dr. Sadhana Jackson on Karen Hunter Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AAo6zxKRxo
The Perry Initiative: https://perryinitiative.org/
Society for Neuroscience Advocacy Network: https://www.sfn.org/advocacy/advocacy-network
MIT Science Policy Initiative: https://mitspi.squarespace.com/

This episode has been edited since its original publication.

Transcript available at http://ninds.buzzsprout.com/.

S5E6: Writing Impactful Publications Dec 06, 2024

Show notes

In the sixth episode of the season, we talk about Writing Impactful Publications, focusing on how to structure and write a paper, choose a journal, and craft engaging and accessible figures.

Featuring Bang Wong, MA, MS, Senior Director at Vertex Pharmaceuticals; Marina Picciotto, PhD, Professor at Yale University; and Tanya Garcia, PhD, Associate Professor at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Resources

Referenced paper by Dr. Amy Arnsten:
- Wang, Min, et al. "α2A-adrenoceptors strengthen working memory networks by inhibiting cAMP-HCN channel signaling in prefrontal cortex." Cell 129.2 (2007): 397-410. https://www.cell.com/fulltext/S0092-8674(07)00344-3?large_figure=true
Referenced Papers by Bang Wong:
- Wong, B. Design of data figures. Nat Methods 7, 665 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth0910-665
- Wong, B. Color coding. Nat Methods 7, 573 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth0810-573
- Wong, B. Points of view: Color blindness. Nat Methods 8, 441 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.1618
- Check out more of Bang’s papers: https://www.nature.com/search?author=Bang%20Wong
Color Contract website:
- Example: https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/
Writing Science: How to Write Papers That Get Cited and Proposals That Get Funded. By Joshua Schimel: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/writing-science-9780199760244
Experimental Design Editorials in the Journal of Neuroscience https://www.jneurosci.org/collection/experimental-design-editorials

This episode has been edited since its original publication.

Transcript available at http://ninds.buzzsprout.com/.

S5E5: Securing Funding for Research Nov 22, 2024

Show notes

In the fifth episode of the season, we talk about Securing Funding for Research focusing on choosing what funding to apply for, “pitching” your science to different funders, and writing effective grant applications.

Featuring Sonya Dumanis, PhD, Executive Vice President of the Coalition for Aligning Science and Deputy Director for Aligning Science Across Parkinson's; Kat M. Steele, PhD, Associate Director of CREATE and Albert Kobayashi Professor in Mechanical Engineering at University of Washington; and Gene Yeo, PhD, MBA, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at University of California, San Diego and Chief Scientific Advisor, Sanford Laboratories for Innovative Medicine.

Resources

NIH Funding Opportunities
- Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants: https://seed.nih.gov/small-business-funding/small-business-program-basics/understanding-sbir-sttr
- NINDS Funding Opportunities: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/find-funding-opportunities
- NINDS Training & Career Development Opportunities: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/training-career-development
NIH Resources
- Early Career Reviewer program: https://public.csr.nih.gov/ForReviewers/BecomeAReviewer/ECR
- NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/
- Early Stage Investigator (ESI) Policies: https://grants.nih.gov/policy-and-compliance/policy-topics/early-stage-investigators
- NINDS Guidelines for incorporating rigor into grant applications: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/funding/preparing-your-application/preparing-research-plan/rigorous-study-design-and-transparent-reporting
- NIH Activity Codes: https://grants.nih.gov/funding/activity-codes
Allen Institute’s Allen Distinguished Investigators: https://alleninstitute.org/division/frontiers-group/distinguished-investigators/
Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H): https://arpa-h.gov/
Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Disease – Collaborative Research Network (CRN): https://parkinsonsroadmap.org/research-network/#
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) grants: https://www.cirm.ca.gov/

This episode has been edited since its original publication.

Transcript available at http://ninds.buzzsprout.com/.

S5E4: Crafting Effective Presentations Nov 08, 2024

Show notes

In the fifth Season of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s Building Up the Nerve podcast, we help you strengthen your science communication skills with tools and advice to use throughout your career. We know that navigating your career can be daunting, but we're here to help—it's our job!
In the fourth episode of the season, we talk about Crafting Effective Presentations, focusing on how presentations are used in traditional science communication and how to effectively present in different forms and venues, with accessibility built in by design.
Featuring Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa, MD, Professor, Endowed Chair, and Dean of Research at Mayo Clinic Florida; Alicia Wooten, PhD, Co-Founder of Atomic Hands, and Associate Professor at Gallaudet University; Huda Zoghbi, MD, Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, Investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Director at Texas Children’s Hospital.
Please note that Dr. Alicia Wooten conducts the interview via ASL with a voice interpreter. To watch this podcast episode with ASL interpretation, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gNut7ou55g.
Resources

Atomic Hands: https://atomichands.com/

This episode has been edited since its original publication.

Transcript available at http://ninds.buzzsprout.com/.

S5E3: Collaborating with Partners in Research Oct 25, 2024

Show notes

In the third episode of the season, we talk about Collaborating with Partners in Research, focusing on how to best learn from and include the perspectives of non-scientists and persons with lived experience in research and science.

Featuring Alice S. Chen-Plotkin, MD, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Director of the MIND Initiative, and Neurologist at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Sonia Vallabh, PhD, Senior Group Leader at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Olajide Williams, MD, Vice Dean of Community Health & Professor at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons.

Resources

Hip Hop Public Health: https://www.hhph.org/
The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell
International Youth Neuroscience Association: https://www.youthneuro.org/
Hybrid Workshop: Advances in Therapeutics Development for Parkinson’s Disease co-chaired by Dr. Alice Chen-Plotkin
CureFFI.org by Dr. Eric Vallabh Minikel
HDBuzz: Huntington’s disease research news
ABRCMS: https://abrcms.org/

This episode has been edited since its original publication.

Transcript available at http://ninds.buzzsprout.com/.

S5E2: Thriving in Team Science Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

In the second episode of the season, we talk about Thriving in Team Science, focusing on how to build professional collaborations and guidelines to ensure success for all parties when working in team, especially across disciplines.

Featuring Bosiljka Tasic, PhD, Director, Molecular Genetics, Allen Institute for Brain Science; Heidi Baumgartner, PhD, Research Scholar, Stanford University and Executive Director, ManyBabies; and Lingfei Wu, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh

Resources

Articles from Dr. Lingfei Wu:
- “Remote collaboration fuses fewer breakthrough ideas” (2023): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38030778/
- “Large teams develop and small teams disrupt science and technology” (2019): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30760923/
Resources from ManyBabies: https://manybabies.org/resources/
- ManyBabies Collaboration Agreement
Contributor Role Taxonomy (CRedIT): https://credit.niso.org/
- Tenzing.club
Protocols.io

This episode has been edited since its original publication.

Transcript available at http://ninds.buzzsprout.com/.

“Building Up the Nerve” to Develop an Effective Career Roadmap - Live at Neuroscience 2024! Sep 30, 2024

Show notes

Are you attending the Society for Neuroscience's Annual Meeting Neuroscience 2024? If you are, join us for our 2nd annual live episode of Building Up the Nerve in the form of a professional development workshop.
"Building Up the Nerve" to Develop an Effective Career Roadmap will take place Monday, October 7, 2024, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM CT at the McCormick Place Convention Center, room S402. All Neuroscience 2024 attendees are welcome.
This workshop will provide deeper insights into helping graduate students, postdocs, junior faculty, and their mentors prepare strong career development plans. The workshop will feature advice and strategies from successful grantees and peer reviewers, with interactive activities and small group discussions facilitated by NIH staff and funders from foundation organizations. This event is organized by the NINDS Office of Programs to Enhance the Neuroscience Workforce (OPEN).
Add this event to your meeting planner and find resources for the event: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/news-events/events/building-nerve-develop-effective-career-roadmap-professional-development-workshop-sfn-2024
Transcript available at http://ninds.buzzsprout.com/.

S5E1: Composing Scientific Narratives Sep 27, 2024

Show notes

In the first episode of the season, we talk about Composing Scientific Narratives which focused on how to compose scientific narratives to communicate our findings and how to tell a scientific story in a way that is compelling, but also transparent and objective.

Featuring Sean Carroll, PhD, Balo-Simon Endowed Chair of Biology, University of Maryland; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Mónica Feliú Mójer, PhD, Director, Public Engagement with Science, Ciencia Puerto Rico; Director, Inclusive Science Communication & Engagement | Science Communication Lab; and Gina Poe, PhD, Director, UCLA Brain Research Institute; Lorre Scholars Faculty Chair; Professor, University of California, Los Angeles.

Resources

Science Communication Lab: https://sciencecommunicationlab.org/
Dr. Mónica Feliú Mójer’s documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNdX_C2jaac

This episode has been edited since its original publication.

Transcript available at http://ninds.buzzsprout.com/.

Season 5 Trailer Sep 13, 2024

Show notes

Welcome to Season 5 of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s Building Up the Nerve podcast, where we help you strengthen your science communication skills with tools and advice to use throughout your career. We know that navigating your career can be daunting, but we're here to help—it's our job!
Transcript available at https://ninds.buzzsprout.com/

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