Post date: Apr 17, 2015 1:46:52 AM
On Wednesday, April 15th, Rutgers University professor Dr. Krekelberg talked to us about how the brain contains different regions with somewhat specialized functions. He spoke a lot about his use of brain imaging (fMRI) to observe the activity of these regions in his research. He also described emerging techniques for electrical stimulation of the brain, which is an area of neuroscience that he focuses on in his lab. He showed us the power of electrical stimulation to helping people with paralysis or Parkinson’s disease-- he also showed us many of today’s marketed products that claim to stimulate the brain but actually have no effect. Dr. Krekelberg also explained what becoming a neuroscientist entails, and why he believes people should aspire to research careers. His points gave us a realistic idea of what research is like, and the many different paths we can take to achieve a position like Dr. Krekelberg’s. Overall, the talk was extremely interesting and informative, and Dr. Krekelberg was very approachable and happy to answer our questions about fMRI, the history of electrical stimulation, and other neuroscience phenomena. Here are some pictures from the event!