The Science of Becoming - Poster

Student - Marielle Batungbacal

Supervisor - Benedikt Berninger

This poster explores the process of neural reprogramming likened to the journey of a student entering a career in academia. The Berninger lab seeks to develop the preclinical science to optimize the method of converting an astrocyte into an induced neuron through viral gene delivery and its subsequent validation and integration into the neural network. The lab works to generate a novel treatment method for neurodegenerative diseases. Research such as this is often overlooked with a perceived complexity barrier that inhibits audiences from actively engaging with it. I believe this problem is comparable to those intimidated by academia. At the ages of 16-18 years old, students face a critical question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  

“The Science of Becoming” poster, targeted at A-level biology students, introduces its audience to the cutting-edge research of the lab. The product maps the different phases in the lab’s methodology of reprogramming and mirrors each stage to the career pathway towards becoming a PhD scientist. Upon drawing this analogy, this poster aims to educate and inspire the next generation of neuroscientists by unraveling complex science and breaking down barriers.