My Neuroscience Journey

When I was 13, reading David Eagleman’s book The Brain: The Story of You ignited my fascination with neuroscience. It led me to ponder profound questions like “What is consciousness?” “Do we have free will?” and “What does it mean to feel something?” Over time, this philosophical curiosity evolved into a keen interest in the biological aspects of the brain. Throughout high school, I pursued this passion by engaging in various neuroscience projects and educational opportunities. I completed neuroscience courses at institutions such as the University of Washington, the University of Michigan, and the University of Rochester, exploring advanced topics in the field. In 2023, I participated in Columbia University’s Pre-College Program on Introduction to Neuroscience: Understanding the Brain. That same year, I conducted research with the Pioneer Research Program and authored an article titled “The Examination of the Classical Domain-Related and the Parameter-Specific Approaches in Hemispheric Specialization.”

I have become the co-leader of the first neuroscience club of our school in 2023. As living in a country where there is no neuroscience undergraduate degree, I’m thrilled to have introduced an organization like this to our my school community. We translated popular neuroscience content from English to Turkish to increase the accessability of neuroscience resources in Turkey. Also, our club organized the Brain Day 2024 to raise awareness about neuroscience at school. In this event, Hisar students engaged with our hands-on neuroscience activites.

In the summer of 2024, I took two college-level, seven-week courses at Harvard. In the Neurobiology course, I deepened my understanding of neurobiology through topics like spinal control of movement, synaptic transmission, and neuroplasticity. In the transdisciplinary Neuroscience of Learning: Mind, Brain, Health, and Education course, my classmates and I engaged in impactful conversations related to a diverse array of neuroscientific topics, such as functional neuroanatomy, the default mode network, and affective neuroscience. As a semester project, everyone wrote a transdisciplinary article. In my article titled “The Effects of Metacognitive Therapy on Traumatized Children in Natural Disaster Settings,” I discussed the possible effectiveness of metacognitive therapy as a therapeutic tool for children traumatized by a natural disaster.