BrainWaves: The Neuroscience Graduate Program Newsletter - Brain Waves Posts , Program CornerBrainWaves: The Neuroscience Graduate Program Newsletter - Brain Waves Posts , Program Cornerhttps://www.mindsnews.ca/blogs/program-cornerThu, 11 Dec 2025 06:47:54 -0800http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Recognizing Our Best and Brightest MiNDS with the MiNDS Recognition Awards]]>https://www.mindsnews.ca/blogs/post/Recognizing-Our-Best-and-Brightest-MiNDS-with-the-MiNDS-Recognition-Awards1

AUTHOR: Dr. Ryan Van Lieshout

We are proud to say that our program is comprised of some of the brightest students and most dedicated faculty on the entire campus.

It is not surprising then that we regularly hear of instances where students or faculty go above and beyond the call of duty, doing something a little extra that made someone take notice. We want to recognize these achievements with our monthly MiNDS Recognition Awards.

 

Maybe a student or faculty member published an interesting paper, got a grant, did something special on campus or in the community, or just helped you out in some other way. Nominations are solicited by Sandra at the beginning of the month and anyone can make one. Just send Sandra (smurphy@mcmaster.ca) their name and 1-2 sentences on why you think that they are deserving. It's as simple as that!

 

The deadline for submission is the Monday before our monthly colloquium. Winners receive a certificate at the colloquium and their names will be announced in the corresponding issue of Brain Waves.

 

Our 2015 winners were:

 

Elyse Rosa and Ritesh Daya (September)

Gabriella Mattina and Simon Beshara (October)

Jasmine Turna and Calan Savoy (November)

 

So don't delay, nominate a fellow colleague, student, or faculty member today! 

]]>Sat, 08 Jan 2022 21:01:21 -0500<![CDATA[Tips to Help You Prepare for SfN 2017!]]>https://www.mindsnews.ca/blogs/post/Tips-to-Help-You-Prepare-for-SfN-2017

AUTHOR: Steven Mancini

As I approached the 2.6 million-square-foot San Diego Conference Center, my excitement, curiosity and sympathetic nervous system activity increased with every step. Neuroscience 2016 was my first Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting. Though I heard several anecdotes and obtained vivid descriptions of conference proceedings from my lab team, I was completely taken aback as I experienced the spectacle for myself.

 

Neuroscience 2016’s diversity, grandeur and sheer magnitude were memorizing. Last year, the conference brought together more than 30,000 attendees from over 80 countries to collaborate, exchange ideas and discuss emerging science, technology and innovations in the field of neuroscience. 

 

After controlling my initial bewilderment and gaining an appreciation for the vast breadth of learning opportunities the conference had to offer, I found myself asking, “Where do I start and how do I go about navigating this plethora of events?” 

 

In an effort to help others address this daunting question, I have put together a list of useful tips and bits of information and advice I have learned along the way. I think you will find the following information useful whether you are a first-time attendee, a more experienced SfN-goer, or even just a person interested in attending the annual neuroscience conference in the future. 




Tip #1: Download The SFN Conference Neurosci17 Mobile App 

This mobile app can be downloaded on Apple and Android devices. It contains everything you need to schedule, plan and organize the lectures, symposia, poster sessions, exhibitor booths and other conference events that you want to attend. To briefly summarize, you can build a customized itinerary and search specific events by inputting keywords into the spotlight search or by using the browsing options listed on the app’s homepage. If you do download the app, I highly recommend watching the 8 minute tutorial that explains how to use the app and taking some time to explore the application’s features. 


            


How to Use the Annual Meeting Mobile App Link: 





Tip #2: Cultivate Relationships & Network 


There are several SfN-sponsored, theme-specific socials and professional development workshops aimed at connecting peers with one another. If I can offer one piece of advice to my fellow graduate students, it would be to network and connect with experts in the field and ask questions. Though sometimes intimidating, you have a rare opportunity to learn from, and exchange ideas with, some of the best minds the field of neuroscience has to offer. You may also wish to ask for email addresses, opening the door to ongoing communication. 




Tip #3: Attend the Presidential Lectures

The Presidential Lecture Series is curated by the SfN president and is based on his/her individual area of interest.  It will take place each night at 5:15 pm from Nov. 11th -14th. This year’s lecture-set spans a broad range of topics including super-resolution imaging methods, insights from non-human animals into the evolution of language, the gut microbiota and childhood malnutrition, and the use of experimental approaches to study polygenetic psychiatric disorders.  



Tip #4: Visit the Exhibitors 


If you are interested in learning about the latest products vendors have developed, be sure to walk through the exhibit hall. Nearly 800 exhibits have been sold, which means there is an excellent chance that one of the representatives attending the conference will have an answer to your lab’s specific technological and methodological questions. Visiting the exhibitors will also provide you with an opportunity to collect neuroscience swag. 





Tip #5: Bring Comfortable Shoes & Snacks 


Prepare yourself for a substantial amount of walking. Conference sessions and events will be dispersed throughout the 2.3 million-square-foot convention center. Also, food stands are scarce and can be difficult to locate, therefore it is a good idea bring your own lunch, drinks and/or snacks. 





Tip #6: Explore The City - Discover Washington 


Though I have never been to Washington, I took the liberty of researching the schedules of the active Washington sports franchises. If you are a Capitals or Wizards fan, the evenings have much to offer. At least one Washington home game is taking place between Nov. 9th and 13th. If sports do not peak your interest, please refer to the ‘At the Meeting’ tab on the Neuroscience 2017 webpage and browse the additional resources for events in the city. 





Tip #7: Come Out & Support Your MiNDS Friends! 

The MiNDS program will be well represented at Neuroscience 2017. Below is a list of several MiNDS faculty and students who are presenting their research at the conference. Additional information can be found by searching for the respective author in the ‘Author Index’ search option of the NeuroSci 2017 App. 


Justin Balsor 

Session Type: Poster 
Presentation Title: Binocular vision restores glutamatergic and GABAergic proteins for regulating experience-dependent plasticity mechanisms to normal level 
Session Date and Time: Tuesday, November 14th - 1-5pm (Presenter at Poster 3-4pm) 
Location/Room: Halls A-C, Board no. EE23   

Ashley Bernardo  
Session Type: Nanosymposium 
Presentation Title: Development of potential new drugs targeting brain cyclin dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease 
Session Date and Time: Wednesday, November 15th - 9:00-9:15am 
Location/Room: 147B   

Aya Dudin 
Session Type: Minisymposium 
Presentation Title: Neural Response to infant pictures: Comparing depressed and not depressed mothers and non-mothers 
Session Date and Time: Monday, November 13th - 9:35 - 9:55 AM 
Location/Room: Ballroom B   

C. Francella, J. Ellegood, J. K. Y. Lai, K. C. Rilett, B. Darwin J. P. Lerch, J. A. Foster 
Session Type: Poster 
Presentation Title: An integrated analysis of microbiota composition on brain structure and social behaviour in mice 
Session Date and Time: Sunday, November 12th - 1-5pm (Presenter at Poster 3-4pm) 
Location/Room: Halls A-C, Board no. HH26   

J. A. Foster, J. Lai, K. Rilett, A. Bharwani, J. Ellegood, J. Lerch 
Presentation Title: Host genetics influence on microbiota composition and behaviour 
Session Date and Time: Sunday, November 12th - 1-5pm (Presenter at Poster 3-4pm) 
Location/Room: Halls A-C, Board no. HH27   

R. G. Horne, J. St. Pierre, S. Odeh, J. A. Foster
Session Type: Poster
Presentation Title: Host genetic effect on intestinal barrier function and microbiome 
Session Date and Time: Sunday, November 12th - 1-5pm (Presenter at Poster 2-3pm) 
Location/Room: Halls A-C, Board no. HH25   

M. Kapadia, F. Mian, D. Ma, E. Rosa, B. Michalski, P. Forsythe, B. Sakic, M. Fahnestock  
Session Type: Poster
Presentation Title: Systemic autoimmunity: A sex-specific factor in Alzheimer's-like disease 
Session Date and Time: Saturday, November 11th - 8am-12pm (Presenter at Poster 8-9am) 
Location/Room: Halls A-C, Board no. J12   

Steven Mancini 
Session Type: Nanosymposium 
Presentation Title: Molecular changes induced by environmental enrichment in adult rat somatosensory cortex 
Session Date and Time: Sunday, November 12th - 8:00-8:15am 
Location/Room: 144A   

Melissa McCradden  
Session Type: Poster 
Presentation Title: Concussion and a single season of contact sport participation affect performance on a test of high  memory interference 
Session Date and Time: Monday, November 13th - 1-5pm (Presenter at Poster 2-3pm)   
Location/Room: Halls A-C, Board no. CC32     

Kathryn Reynolds 
Session Type: Poster 
Presentation Title: Alterations in astrocyte thrombospondin-1 expression in Fragile X syndrome 
Session Date and Time: Sunday, November 12th - 8am-12pm (Presenter at Poster 8-9am) 
Location/Room: Halls A-C, Board no. C36   

Caitlin Siu  
Session Type: Poster 
Presentation Title: Development of synaptic mechanisms in human extra-striate cortex 
Session Date and Time: Tuesday, November 14th - 1-5pm (Presenter at Poster 3-4pm) 
Location/Room: Halls A-C, Board no. FF10   

S. L. Thompson, J. Ellegood, K.-A. Mcvey Neufeld, J. A. Foster, J. P. Lerch 
Session Type: Poster 
Presentation Title: Brain volume changes in germ free mice 
Session Date and Time: Sunday, November 12th - 1-5pm (Presenter at Poster 8-9am) 
Location/Room: Halls A-C, Board no. HH19 
]]>Tue, 14 Nov 2017 19:16:00 -0500<![CDATA[Greetings from Dr. Flávio Kapczinski: The New Director of the MiNDS Program]]>https://www.mindsnews.ca/blogs/post/Welcome-Address

AUTHOR: Dr. Flávio Kapczinski

Dear Students,

I would like to welcome you all to the new term! I hope you all enjoyed your vacation time and are looking forward to a very productive year. As many of you already know, I am the new Director of the program and my main goal is to maintain the wonderful atmosphere of productivity and collegial conviviality here in the MiNDS program.Neuroscience is probably one of the most dynamic fields of science and a lot of new developments, techniques and discoveries await you in our labs and Neuro 700 classes. I hope that a lot of good science and new and exciting connections develop in the months to come.

Welcome all and let's have a successful and enjoyable year!

Sincerely,

Flávio Kapczinski

]]>Tue, 12 Sep 2017 19:14:00 -0400<![CDATA[Back to School Teaching Assistant Tips]]>https://www.mindsnews.ca/blogs/post/Back-to-School-Teaching-Assistant-Tips

Author: Shawna Thompson

As a new school year begins, many MiNDS students will begin their role as Teaching Assistants (TAs). For many, this might be their first teaching experience, while others may be assigned to new courses to TA with different instructors and a batch of new students. We’ve put together a few tips that will be useful for new and returning TAs.



1) Keep track of TA hours. While this may seem obvious for some, or like a complete waste of time to others, keeping track of hours throughout the semester can prevent headaches at the end of the term. I find recording hours based on the Hours of Work distribution categories makes filling out these forms much easier in following years.






2) Talk about teaching with other TAs. Discussing tutorial content, marking strategies, and any problems that might come up improves consistency in large classes, saves time, and makes teaching more enjoyable overall. It is always a good idea to have regular meetings with course instructors and interact frequently with students, but good communication with fellow TAs is also important!





3)  Be proactive with office hours. Chris Rowley, who has been a TA for a course outside of his main research interests, recommends having students email you ahead of office hours with what they want help with. This will give you time to prepare so you can be of the most assistance. Don’t be afraid to say you don't know something!





4)  Make use of McMaster’s resources for improving teaching skills. As a leader in developing new pedagogy, McMaster offers many opportunities for professional development in teaching, whether you have a couple of free hours or are interested in taking a course or two.




5)  Check out mygradskills.ca for online modules on the topics of your choosing, or participate in the Teaching and Learning forum or certificates of completion programs through the MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation, and Excellence in Teaching (https://mi.mcmaster.ca/). It’s all offered free to current graduate students.

Get Started Now
]]>Tue, 12 Sep 2017 19:10:00 -0400<![CDATA[Dont Take It for Granted: Crafting a Successful Scholarship Application]]>https://www.mindsnews.ca/blogs/post/Dont-Take-It-for-Granted-Crafting-a-Successful-Scholarship-Application

Author: Kathryn Reynolds

With the start of a new fall semester comes that busy time of year… scholarship season! A key component of any successful scholarship application is to prepare a compelling research proposal. The following tips will help you fine-tune your proposal-writing skills in preparation for CIHR and NSERC application deadlines.


1) Start early! Be aware of your deadlines and plan accordingly. Check the MiNDS program deadlines (Sandra sends these out well in advance) to ensure you’re giving yourself ample time to produce a quality proposal draft for faculty review. Complete administrative tasks as soon as possible – update your Canadian Common CV (https://ccv-cvc.ca/), order your transcripts, and aim to contact your references at least one month in advance. It can be helpful to refresh your references’memories by providing your CV and a brief list of recent and/or noteworthy activities.






2)  Draw inspiration from others. If possible, read several research proposals (the more successful the better) before starting your own. Identify the strengths of these proposals, as well as areas for improvement. Keep these insights in mind as you begin writing.



 


3)  Craft your content. Consider collecting your thoughts and creating an outline before you begin writing. Remember, a good research proposal is comprised of clear objectives supported by sound evidence. Tailor your proposal to emphasize your key points:


a.                        What is your overarching research question or goal?

b.                        Why is this an important question to ask? How will it advance the field of neuroscience? What makes it particularly relevant at this moment in time?

c.                        What background information is essential for the reader to understand your proposal? Identify important gaps to help the reader come to the conclusion that your work needs to be done.

d.                        What are your research objectives? What evidence supports these objectives?

e.                        How will you accomplish these objectives?



4)  Be concise. It’s easy to fall into the trap of explaining your research in excessive detail. Remember that your reviewers will not necessarily be experts in your specific field. Their goal is to assess your ability to clearly and logically communicate an idea, so convey your research plans succinctly without jargon.





5)  Write with clarity and persuasion. Once you’ve nailed down your content, fine-tune your writing style to sell your proposal. Capture the reader’s attention with a compelling first paragraph that highlights the uniqueness/scope/potential impact of your research. You may wish to consult a writing guide to help you create an organized, logical, and persuasive flow of ideas throughout the body of your proposal. A good place to start is William Zinsser’s guide “On Writing Well”.




6)  Revise. Then take a breather… get feedback, and then revise again. Be ruthless in your revisions. Once you’re satisfied, put down your proposal for a few days, and then conduct a final edit to catch minor mistakes.

]]>Tue, 12 Sep 2017 19:03:00 -0400<![CDATA[The 2nd Annual Jack Diamond Memorial Lecture Date: May 25th, 2017 ]]>https://www.mindsnews.ca/blogs/post/Jack-Diamond-Memorial-Lecture-May-2017

SAVE THE DATE!

Commemorating the Scientific Contributions of Dr. Jack Diamond: The 2nd Annual Jack Diamond Memorial Lecture

Date: May 25th, 2017 @ 3 pm in MDCL 1105


AUTHOR: Crystal Mahadeo

This year marks the second annual memorial lecture in honour of Dr. Jack Diamond. Dr. Diamond was a world-renowned neuroscientist who graduated from University College London (UK) with both medical and doctoral (Physiology) degrees. He continued in research, obtaining a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University and then a position in the Physiology Department at University College before joining McMaster in 1970 as the first Chair of the Department of Neuroscience (now the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences). He is remembered for his energetic speaking style, quick wit and enthusiastic love of science. For those who never had the pleasure of meeting him, his colleagues describe him as a larger-than-life presence. He was an outspoken, hard task master who expected a lot from his students but knew how to have fun with them as well. He had the opportunity to work at a dynamic time in science in the fledgling field of neuroscience.                                     

   A leader in his field, he focused on developmental neuroscience and worked to understand the maintenance and development of the nervous system and its degeneration in aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Among his many accomplishments was serving as one of the founders of the Society for Neuroscience and, later, as the Scientific Director for the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada.  He traveled widely as a spokesperson for basic research in Alzheimer’s disease and neuroscience in general, galvanizing the public with his enthusiasm. Whether it was playing squash with his colleagues, working on a research project or trying to get an extension for a grant deadline, Dr. Diamond brought passion and determination to everything that he did.  After Dr. Diamond’s passing in August of 2014, a generous gift from his wife Dusica was matched by his department to support a memorial lecture annually in Dr. Diamond’s honor. This lecture is organized by students from the MiNDS Neuroscience program, with the help of his colleague, Dr. Margaret Fahnestock, to host guest speakers whose work reflects Dr. Diamond’s passion for neuroscience. The lecture is a tribute to Dr. Diamond’s extensive career and body of work, but is also a tribute to a special man from his family- his children, Alison (Jorge) and Gareth (Debbie), grandchildren and his stepchildren Matthew, Michael and Laura Marks.

In May 2016, the inaugural Jack Diamond Memorial lecture was held at McMaster with Dr. Robert Malenka from Stanford University as our first honoured guest speaker. Dr. Malenka is the Pritzker Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences and deputy director of the Stanford Neurosciences Institute. His talk, “Exploring circuits underlying reward and aversion” gave us a wonderful insight into his work and was received enthusiastically by a large audience of researchers and students.


This year we are thrilled to have Dr. Bernardo Sabatini, the Alice and Rodman W. Moorhead III professor of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, as our guest speaker. His research examines the relationship between synapse function and animal behaviour.  Specifically, his lab studies how multi- and single- synaptic circuits develop and function. 

 

Please join us in celebrating a research career that spanned a half-century with visiting lecturer Dr. Bernardo Sabatini’s talk, “Multi-transmitter neurons in the mammalian brain: more than just an oddity”. All are invited to attend.

 

The 2nd Annual Jack Diamond Memorial Lecture will be held May 25th at 3 pm in the Michael G. DeGroote Center for Learning and Discovery (MDCL) Room 1105. More details will be sent out in the following weeks. We hope to see you all there.

 

Get Started Now
]]>Tue, 09 May 2017 22:18:00 -0400<![CDATA[Knowledge Translation: Partnerships between Neuroscience and the broader Community]]>https://www.mindsnews.ca/blogs/post/Knowledge-Translation-Partnerships-between-Neuroscience-and-the-broader-Community

AUTHOR: Fiza Arshad

Hello everyone, my name is Fiza Arshad and I am a master's student in the laboratory of Dr. Iris Balodis. Over the past year, I have been working on a project in collaboration with Alcohol, Drugs & Gambling Services (ADGS) of the city of Hamilton. Our goal is to create five interactive and accessible clinical handouts for individuals with gambling problems, their families, their friends, and the counselors who work with them. These products present evidence-based knowledge in a narrative style, followed by clinical exercises that bridge the gap between the science and personal experience.

In theory, this knowledge translation process sounds like a dream – proof of concept of a happy ending to a dystopian nightmare. The reality though is that this has been a grueling process that requires on-the-ground work, the building of networks, shifting conversations, and working with the community for the community. One of the clinicians at ADGS*, Andrea Strancaric says, “[although] knowledge translation is a process that is vital to bringing research findings to populations of interest, to bring the knowledge to a level that can be understood by the average person and not at a level that is too technical or difficult to comprehend [has been challenging]”. Moving from a technical piece to a well-formed narration involves careful attention to language, understanding the perspective of the target audience, and the overall look of the product.

To make the products engaging, attractive, and something our intended audiences will want to pick up and read, we worked with a team of graphic designers, headed by Lloyd MacKenzie, at the Community Centre for Media Arts in Hamilton. The team works with the content that I, Dr. Iris Balodis, Deirdre Querney and Andrea Strancaric have developed. They create graphics and use their expertise to make the final product visually appealing. As Dr. Balodis concedes, “it’s been amazing to see how adding visual aspects to the handouts highlights the information and enhances the work. The handouts have a completely different look and feel once the designers put everything together.”

All of this does involve a lot of back and forth with the design and how it best represents the content. Lloyd Mackenzie confesses, “the content is pretty challenging, making sure everything is conveyed in clear and consistent way presents challenges from a design and space perspective”. 

Despite the challenges, this project has received positive early feedback. Many have liked our ‘neurocons’ and are excited at the prospect of finally having an evidence-based, clinical tool. For an aspiring researcher who has just started out, it is a reminder of what kind of research needs to be done to help out those who need it. 

Even Dr. Balodis, a seasoned neuroscientist, shares, “This process has really made me think about what we can concretely say about the neurobiological findings in addiction research: What knowledge is usable and helpful to someone? How are the findings of a given study meaningful in the day-to-day experience of an individual suffering with an addictive disorder?”.

This project has been an enlightening and rewarding experience that not only puts into context what implementation and application of neuroscience research means, but also rekindles hope for the future of  research in the community. 


*The other clinician, Deirdre Querney, who has been a part of the team since its conception in 2016, is on maternity leave as of March 2017 to spend time with her newborn Charlotte Rose.

*These were developed by Alessandra Petti, a media and communications students who interned with us last year.

]]>Tue, 09 May 2017 22:12:00 -0400<![CDATA[Survival Tips for Incoming MiNDS Students]]>https://www.mindsnews.ca/blogs/post/Survival-Tips-for-Incoming-MiNDS-Students

Author: John Krzeczkowski & Lisa Dyce

Hey new graduate students!


Congratulations and welcome to MiNDS! We are all very excited to have you in the program and are looking forward to getting to know you in the year ahead. The jump to graduate school is an exciting one, but it can also be challenging, nerve-racking and overwhelming at times. As graduate students who were in your shoes just one year ago, here are a few tips we’d like to share to help you get off to a great start in MiNDS: 

1) Get to know your classmates, upper year students and MiNDS faculty. The students and faculty in the MiNDS program are very supportive and will help you with anything and everything, from providing tips for your scholarship applications to helping you navigate around campus. Come out to the lunches and gatherings before and after the colloquia to meet your peers, and don’t be afraid to learn about their research or tell them about yours.
2) Get involved. The MiNDS program has a number of extracurricular activities that you can become involved in. You can share your passion for neuroscience as a team member with our neuroscience education outreach program, Out of Our MiNDS, plan and attend social gatherings with the Students Of MiNDS Association, (you’ll hear it referred to as “SOMA”), or write an article to be published here in Brainwaves. You can even branch outside of MiNDS and join any of the interesting clubs and organizations within the graduate and McMaster communities.

 


3) Befriend an agenda. Between juggling your research, classes, TAships, volunteer commitments and your social life (yes, you can still have one… please see point 6!) it can be hard to keep track of important dates and deadlines. Have one place where you can keep track of your schedule and plan ahead. 
4) Start early! Scholarship applications, abstract submissions and conference registrations are inevitable and important parts of graduate school. Even if a deadline seems far away initially, it doesn’t take long for your schedule to fill up. Start completing your applications early so that you don’t have to rush. 
5) Block time for reading and writing. As you get started in your research, it is important to say on top of readings. However, we have found that reading articles and practicing scientific writing often get put on the backburner. To prevent this, block off a set amount of time each week to dedicate to reading and writing to aid in your success as a researcher.
6) Take breaks and pace yourself. Graduate student life can be overwhelming at times – there always seems to be more work to do or articles to read! It’s important to take breaks from your work so that you can stay healthy and motivated.
7) Neuro700. This is much more than a graduate introductory neuroscience course! In addition to gaining a solid foundation in neuroscience, you will learn how to write grant proposals, critically analyze scientific articles and refine your presentation skills. It is important to stay on top of the readings, participate in class and embrace the opportunity to learn about material that some of you may be unfamiliar with. One of the most amazing things about the MiNDS program is the diverse background that our incoming students have. Whether you have an undergraduate degree in neuroscience or you have never taken a neuroscience course before, you’ll learn a lot in Neuro700! 

We really hope that you find these tips helpful! Although graduate school can be a tremendous challenge, it is important to remember that you’ve worked hard to get here and that you will have a successful and enjoyable graduate career. We’re all excited to see what you’ll accomplish in your time here in the MiNDS program. 


Good luck!

]]>Tue, 13 Sep 2016 21:32:00 -0400<![CDATA[Don't be afraid to disconnect!]]>https://www.mindsnews.ca/blogs/post/Dont-be-afraid-to-disconnect

AUTHOR: Dr. Kathy Murphy



A few weeks ago we packed up the car including Coco, bikes and beach stuff, and headed out for our annual trek to Florida. Since getting Coco we take lots of road trips. She happily rides in the backseat lounging on her bed with just the mild annoyance of wearing her doggie seatbelt.  It is a relaxing 2 day drive through middle America on our way to the Florida Panhandle beach.  Over the six years we have been taking this trip all of us have come to look forward to the drive.  We make sure the Sirius satellite radio is working well, turn off our phone (well actually just the cellular data), map out the Starbucks to stop at along the way, pack some goodies and head out.

I look forward to the drive so much because it is a time to disconnect and think.  April is a wonderful time of year to drive through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama.  The woods along the interstates are highlighted with lovely pink, red and purple blossoms on a backdrop of new bright green leaves on the trees.  That serene landscape gives me time to let my mind relax.  There are no emails to answer, meetings to attend, or spreadsheets to fill in. Just us on the highway with the radio on.  Dave and I take this road trip as an opportunity to binge listen to the CBC and NPR.  We always hear interesting shows and interviews, ok, sometimes more than once, but they are the kind of shows that make you think and provoke discussion between Dave and I.  Including which station is better -- CBC or NPR?

 

This year the radio show that stuck with me was an episode of Terry O'Reilly's CBC Under the Influence.  He was talking about branding yourself, creating a CV, writing a cover letter, social media, the whole nine yards for how to present yourself in a professional way in 2016 (The Art of Personal Branding). I found it fascinating listening to how to develop a personal brand that captures who you are, it was not about hype or getting out there on social media. Instead the topics and information made me realize how simple choices, like the picture I use on the web, can impact what others think of me. The ideas he covered made me think about my own webpage and CV, including taking advantage of Photofeeler.org to chose the best pics for my websites.

If we had not been in the car on a long drive I probably would not have made the time to listen to Under the Influence.  And I certainly would not have thought about sharing that show with MiNDS students. 

 

So don't be afraid to jump in the car, disconnect, and turn on the CBC.  Who knows what show you'll hear that will make you think differently.
]]>Tue, 10 May 2016 20:44:00 -0400<![CDATA[Having a Two Year Old is Like Having a Blender Without a Top: Marking BrainWaves' 2nd Birthday]]>https://www.mindsnews.ca/blogs/post/BrainWaves-2nd-Birthday

AUTHOR: Ryan VanLieshout


It is hard to believe that this month's issue of BrainWaves marks the two year anniversary of our newsletter. As I look back through our past issues (which are now in the process of being archived), I remain incredibly impressed by the quality of articles written by our students and the graciousness shown by our faculty and alumni in sharing their experiences and tips. For these have not only helped students to survive in graduate school, but to thrive.


It is hard to find the words to express how proud I am of the students who put together our newsletter. They not only generate interesting and stimulating ideas for content, but work efficiently and tirelessly to meet tight deadlines. Simply put, they have done a stellar job of both informing and entertaining the members of the MiNDS community, and in so doing, illustrate why I think we have the best graduate program on campus. So, to be honest, I think that BrainWaves might just be the best behaved two year old I have had the pleasure of meeting. 

Thank you again to everyone who has supported our newsletter over the past two years. We are always open to suggestions, so if you have any requests or ideas for future columns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me (vanlierj@mcmaster.ca) or our editor Justin Balsor (balsorjl@mcmaster.ca).

]]>Tue, 09 Feb 2016 21:52:00 -0500