Jessica Policastro-2007: Hey! I graduated from "the U" in 2007. The University of Scranton enabled me to grow in many ways and gave me several opportunities in my career path. I am now currently a student at LECOM School of Pharmacy, with one more year left until I graduate. As I keep progressing towards my ultimate career, I never forget my years at Scranton. The neuroscience program was definitely the right choice for me because it opened up so many opportunities, and Dr. Cannon was the Best advisor ever. I could (and still can) go to him for anything, he is great :) If you are interested in learning more about my experiences or are interested in pharmacy and I can help in any way, please email me at PolicastroJ2@yahoo.com
Philip Loscombe-2007: Hello! The University of Scranton opened many doors during my four years. I would not be where I am today were it not for the individual attention I received from the neuroscience faculty at Scranton. I have always been fascinated with the mind's potential to impact physical health, which led me to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience. I was particularly inspired by the neuroscience program director, Dr. Cannon. He knew that the best way to instill an appreciation for science was through active research. Under his guidance, I helped develop a web-based sheep brain dissection guide currently used by high schools and colleges. He also encouraged me to apply for the Cancer Research Training Award, which granted me a ten-week fellowship in the Laboratory of Pathology at the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. During my time at NIH, I investigated a guidance molecule, Robo4, and its role in angiogenesis during zebrafish development.
My experiences at Scranton and NIH confirmed my passion for a career in science. However, it is my recent position at the world’s third largest pharmaceutical company, Sanofi Pasteur, that solidified my decision to obtain my PharmD. I will be attending the pharmacy doctoral program at Wilkes University in the Fall of 2008. Until then, I am enjoying working in the real world as an immunoassay analyst in the immunology department. I primarily perform technical microbiological assays including serum bactericidal, ELISAs, and single radial immunodiffusion assays to support research development and stability testing. Even in my short time with the company, I have been given many independent development projects, including a lead role in developing the patented protocol for use in short-term stability of clinical trials of the H5N1 Avian Flu Vaccine.
If anybody would like to talk about my research, work experience, or opportunities for graduate education, please feel free to email me at Ploscombe@gmail.com.
Brentt Swetter- December 2007: After milling about Scranton generally causing trouble for 4 years, the University community got together and pawned me off to the University of Connecticut. At UConn I am in a Behavioral Neuroscience lab. I am really excited to be there because I have a desk...Its pretty sweet.
Jonathan Walsh-2007: Hello. I graduated from U of S in May '07 as a Neuro/Philosophy major. I was in the SJLA program and an officer for HPO. My time at U of S was wonderful and I hope you're extracting as much joy and knowledge from it as I did in the 4 years I attended. After graduating I began a masters program in Biology with a focus on Neuroscience at Harvard University. I realized then how much the University of Scranton prepared me for moving forward with my academic career as I was asked to re-create many of the same principles I learned in class with Dr. Cannon, Dr. Waldeck, Dr. Gomez, etc. The skills I learned there enabled me to gain me a research assistantship position in the Neurosurgery Lab at the Harvard Medical School in conjunction with Brigham and Women's Hospital (voted 10th for best hospitals in the US by US News and World Report this year). I currently work in the laboratory of Rose Du, M.D., Ph.D., a Harvard Medical school graduate and neurosurgeon, and we now study intrinsic cross-species protective properties in mice using a middle cerebral occlusion model. This will hopefully yield clinically relevant results and forward our knowledge not only of stroke and it's mechanisms, but the role it plays on a genetic level. Stroke is the 2nd leading cause of dementia and the 3rd leading cause of death today, so development of treatment or drug synthesis would prove very fruitful from a clinical aspect. Dr. Freidlander, another Harvard professor, currently heads up the labs right next door dealing mainly with spinal cord injury and neural stem cell research (the kind of things you hear about on the news every week).
I do suggest though, anyone looking to move forward with neuroscience in a laboratory setting, PLEASE take molecular biology. It simply is the future of science in this field and was a set-back for me my incoming year as a graduate student as it inhibited me from gaining a good assistantship without the principles and techniques of molecular biology. This was mainly because a lot of the cutting edge research is driven by tissue culture, cell culture, neuronal culture, radiolabeling, PCR (polymerase chain reaction), protein purification, etc. To those going to medical school, I also suggest you take at least a basic molecular class as many of the first years up here say it definitely helps as a basis of knowledge for a lot of the clinical studies they see coming out in the medical field.
If anybody wants to talk about my current research or graduate school, please feel free to email through UIS, or at jlwalsh@fas.harvard.edu.
Also, if you ever find yourself in Boston/Cambridge and want to stop in and see the research lab, feel free to contact me- I'll be sending some photos to Dr. Cannon shortly. Good Luck!
Colleen Zanis -2007: Hi everyone! After just graduating from Scranton in May, I am still having trouble accepting the fact that I am a Scranton ALUM! My four years at Scranton were the most enjoyable years of my life; and for those of you still there...savor every second of it!
I came to Scranton as I biology/pre-med major. After taking Intro to Psychology, I developed a profound interest in psychological disorders and decided that I wanted to pursue a career in psychiatry. I decided that the Neuroscience major better fit my educational interests, so I switched to Neuroscience in the middle of my freshman year. I believe that the Neuroscience students have an advantage over other majors at our school due to the close faculty student bonds. Our Neuroscience faculty is top notch and was always readily available to help their students. While at Scranton I was also in the Honors Program and did my honor's thesis with Dr. Karpiak on Social Sub-Groups of Autism and Parental Stress.
I'm currently in my first year of medical school at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, in pursuit of my ultimate career goal of becoming a childhood/adolescent psychiatrist. Med-School is challenging, but the Neuroscience program at Scranton definitely prepared me. If you have any questions about the Neuroscience program, the Honors program, or PCOM please feel free to contact me: colleenza@pcom.edu.
Mark P. Fitzgerald - 2002 - Hey y'all! I'm now an MD/PhD student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. I'm nearing the end of the PhD phase of my program, and for the last few years, I've been studying neocortical development in a rat model of a cortical malformation that leads to epilepsy. Many animal models in the epilepsy field are created via experimental manipulation, so it is difficult to know if the observed cellular and molecular changes that occur after the fact are a result of ongoing seizure activity or the cause of the seizures. Our model is unique in that it occurs via a spontaneous genetic mutation (we're still trying to figure out the causative gene!) and requires no experimental manipulation to induce seizures, so we are hoping that the study of these pre-seizure animals will allow us to come up with potential causes for epileptic activity.
While at Scranton, I was in the SJLA program and received degrees in Psychology, Philosophy, and Neuroscience. I was also involved with various organizations, including the Health Professions Organization. In fact, I recently gave a talk to the HPO about applying to MD/PhD programs and how to strengthen your application (I know the process well, because I have been doing admissions interviewing for our program at UVA for the last two years). Dr. Cannon has a copy of my presentation, so feel free to bug him if you'd like a copy of it. If anyone is interested in learning about Neuroscience at the University of Virginia, or about applying to MD/PhD programs, feel free to contact me. I'm always willing to help, and I'd love to see more Scrantonites down here below the Mason-Dixon line!
Cheers,
Mark
Email: mpf3y@virginia.edu
Laura M. Lauer - 2002 - Hello all!! I was a neuroscience major with minors in biochemistry and spanish and a member of the Health Professions Organization. I also co-authored research on the use of Helix aspersa snails in the neuroscience lab with Dr. Cannon as mentor.
Since graduation, I attended PCOM (Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine) on the Navy HPSP scholarship. I graduated in 2007 and was assigned to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (Virginia) for my internship year, which was the fastest yet longest year ever. During internship year, the Navy sends us to San Antonio, Tx for 2 weeks for C4 - Combat Casualty Care Course where we learn ATLS (Advanced Trauma life Support) and train as if we were saving lives in combat.
After internship, I completed a 4-week course in Tropical Medicine, which took place in Bethesda, Md. Then I chose to spend 5 months taking care of Marines at Camp Lejeune. While I was there, I had the opportunity to take the Operational Emergency Medical Skills course which focussed again on combat casualty care with more emphasis on recognizing and treating life threatening injuries in a field setting where resources are very minimal. Later, I snuck away for a 2-week Mountain Medicine course in Bridgeport, Ca where we were trained in casualty evacuation from mountainous terrain and altitude-based medicine. The course also included long hikes in the mountains with 50lb packs on our backs, sleeping on isomats under the stars, a survival night, and a lot of knot tying.
I left the Marines in December 2008 to start the Diving and Undersea Medicine program. It began in Groton, CT with radiation health lectures and intense physical training to prepare for the dive school portion of the course. We spent our "2nd phase" of training in Panama City, FL at the Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center to become Navy divers and learn about hyperbarics and diving medicine. This was the most challenging physical training I have ever been through and I was the only girl in the program, which made it slightly more challenging. I managed to complete this phase where we learned SCUBA, MK-20, and MK-21 diving rigs. What an incredible experience! I am currently in our last phase of training, back in Groton, to finish the radiation health portion of the course. Graduation is in June, and we are currently awaiting assignment to our next duty stations.
It's amazing where life will take you if you let it!!! I never thought I would be where I am...it has been one exciting, scary, frustrating, educational, and fun journey...which will hopefully continue!
Best wishes,
Laura :)
Mary Santarelli Feldman - Hi everyone! I graduated from the University of Scranton with a double major in Neuroscience and Psychology, minor in music in 2000. From there I went on to Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine where I obtained my Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. I completed my internship in internal medicine in 2005 and a 3 year Neurology Residency at Hamot Medical Center and Northshore Clinical Neurology Associates, in Erie, PA in 2008. I currently in fellowship training at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland OH where I'm specializing in Movement Disorders and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). I have accepted a position as a Neurologist and Movement Disorders Specialist in Dubois, PA, for the autumn of 2009. I am happily married to my husband, Dean, and have two children, Alexandra and Sophia. If anyone has questions pertaining to life as a Neurologist, or this career path, let me know! I'd be happy to assist or answer any questions.
Jeff Utz
After growing up in a rural area (Moscow area), I decided that I would never want to live in a big city. As the second ever neuroscience graduate, I went to medical school at Hahnemann University School of Medicine, now known as Drexel University College of Medicine (seems there was a little merger, bankruptcy and finally takeover there) in Philadelphia. From there, I went to residency in Pediatrics at MSU in Lansing, MI. Since then, I have worked as a software engineer at Juno Online Services (now part of United Online) in NYC, an 8th grade science teacher and a high school biology teacher in Brooklyn. I am now teaching 6th graders science in Brooklyn, NY, where I have absolutely no problems with the girls. That's because it is an all boys grades 6-12 school. I also graduated from City College in New York City with a M.A. in secondary science education. So much for never liking big cities.