Brandon Wu
Mary Gates Leadership Scholar
Winter 2023
Major: Neuroscience, Public Health-Global Health
Mentor: Sam Golden, Neurobiology and Biophysics
Project
Research Project: Expanding the Grey Matters Outreach Initiative
With the help of the leadership in Grey Matters, I led the creation of an outreach team that brings accessible neuroscience education to underrepresented populations in STEM. With sheep brain dissections, neurotechnology demonstrations, and college Q&A panels, we have reached over 2,000 PreK-12th grade students at 20+ events across Seattle.
What I learned
Outside of professional skills in leadership and team management, I’ve simply learned that I love to teach. Whether it be hosting a training for other undergraduates to use our human to human interface or explaining the importance of Phineas Gage to a group of elementary schoolers, sharing the knowledge I have with others is now a non-negotiable component of my future career path.
Advice for future applicants
Pursue what you love! Oftentimes there are ways to incorporate what you are learning into a format that you wouldn’t have originally expected. I never would have guessed that I would be travelling to high schools regularly with a pail of sheep brains, but it has been the most engaging way that I’ve been able to employ my neuroscience degree to make a difference in the community. Find what gives you that same enjoyment, and focus on expanding it as much as you can!
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