Last month, I attended the Society for Neuroscience conference in Washington, DC and interviewed neuroscientists from across the world about their research. This is the first in a multi-part series called “SfN Shorts” that features these brief (5-10 minute) discussions. I hope that these interviews showcase just how broad a field neuroscience is, and just how many different kinds of research are contained within this field.

Interview 1: Nicholas Cottam, a graduate student at Delaware State University, on how we study the genetic disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Interview 2: Dr. Johnson, a professor at Wits University in South Africa, on how alcohol and diabetes jointly affect the brain.

Interview 3: Allison Reed, an undergraduate student at High Point University, on whether THC can help protect the brain against injuries like strokes.

Interview 4: Tara Barnes and Anna Estremsky, undergraduates at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, on what we can learn from woodpeckers about chronic head injuries.

Interview 5: Dr. Yuryanni Rodriguez, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Miami, on the different ways our taste buds can sense sweet.

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Intro/Outro music credit: Sam Brunwasser (⁠⁠⁠https://soundcloud.com/visualsnowbeats⁠⁠⁠)