Alumni Brains

What is your name?

Nan Wu

Where are you from?

Qingdao, China

To which class do you belong?

MRes Experimental Neuroscience 2025

Where and what did you study before joining Imperial College London?

Before coming to Imperial, I studied Clinical Medicine at Shandong University (China). At the same time, I trained in basic medical research under Professor Lining Zhang, focusing on the immune microenvironment in tumours and metabolic diseases. For example, I worked on the mechanisms of how D-mannose could be used to treat obesity and depression

How did you find your Master’s experience at the College?

This year at Imperial was rewarding! It is an experience I will never forget. Imperial has world-class teaching staff and researchers, and our course director, Dr Stefano Sandrone, always reminded me to enjoy every assessment. I really took that advice to heart. Although I’ve now graduated, this is not the end, but the beginning of my journey as a researcher. This programme gave me far more than technical skills: it trained me in critical thinking and communication. Rather than simply becoming a ‘machine for experiments’, the ability to think independently and communicate ideas effectively has been the most valuable takeaway

Which research project did you work on?

The programme is divided into three projects, and all of mine focused on glioblastoma. For project 1, I worked in Dr Nelofer Syed’s group under the supervision of Dr Maria Chatziathanasiadou, I worked on identifying biomarkers of response to arginine deprivation therapy in glioblastoma. I learned how to analyse Visium data and perform immunohistochemistry. I also did my second project in Dr Syed’s lab, this time with Dr Richard Perryman. We discovered that arginine deprivation sensitises radiotherapy in ASS1-negative glioblastoma by epigenetically silencing DNA damage repair genes. For my third rotation, I joined Professor Simone Di Giovanni’s group. Supervised by Dr Marco Milano, I explored the intersection of cancer and neuroscience. We developed a small-fibre neuropathy animal model and found that epidermal neurodegeneration was associated with immune infiltration. We cultured dorsal root ganglia sensory neurons with glioblastoma-conditioned medium to study effects on neurite outgrowth and used proteomics to identify key factors

Where are you now?

I am about to return to China

What are you working on?

Back in China, I will continue collaborating remotely with Dr Syed on a project using Visiopharm to analyse changes in the glioblastoma microenvironment before and after metabolic therapy. Next June, I will begin my PhD at the University of New South Wales, focusing on epigenetic therapies for diffuse midline glioma

What is the most important lesson you learnt as a Master’s student?

The most important lesson is: never lose the ability to think independently. Regardless of how bold or unconventional your ideas may be, discuss them with your supervisor. An invaluable tip I learned from Dr Syed is that when reading a paper, especially the results section, look at the figures first and try to interpret them yourself. Then compare your interpretation with the authors’. This practice helps you maintain your critical thinking

How did the Master’s programme help you get to where you are now?

The three pillars of this MRes —technical skills, critical thinking, and communication —are exactly what prepared me for the next step. Beyond experiments, being a researcher means thinking independently, questioning even high-impact publications, and having confidence in your own discoveries. The MRes transformed me into a junior researcher, and I am ready to continue my journey in the scientific world

Read Nan Wu: ‘Never lose the ability to think independently’ in full

What is your name?

Gamze Kazakoglu

Where are you from?

Istanbul, Turkey

To which class do you belong?

MSc Translational Neuroscience 2024-2025

Where and what did you study before joining Imperial College London?

I got my BSc in Psychology from Yale

How did you find your Master’s experience at the College?

Immersive, fast-paced, and deeply rewarding! I gained exposure to diverse research areas in neuroscience and ultimately chose the project that resonated with me the most

Which research project did you work on?

I completed my project with the Translational Machine Intelligence Lab and the UK Dementia Research Institute under the supervision of Professor Payam Barnaghi. My research focused on developing a machine learning pipeline that integrated clustering and supervised models to predict dementia risk from longitudinal sleep and physiological data

Where are you now? 

Still in London

What are you working on?

Working as a Business Analyst in a healthcare consulting company

What is the most important lesson you learnt as a Master’s student?

For the project, I learned to plan my roadmap wisely and realistically, and to consistently check in with my supervisor—since even one small unnoticed mistake once cost me a great deal of time. As for the modules, I made it a point to take away at least one key insight from each, even when the content didn’t immediately spark my interest. Education is truly priceless, and it passes by more quickly than you realise!

How did the Master’s programme help you get to where you are now?

Apart from this amazing programme, I was also fortunate to be at an institution like Imperial and in a city like London, both of which offer numerous career resources, networking events, and opportunities to meet inspiring people. I did not shy away from taking full advantage of these opportunities and would recommend the same to everyone

Read Gamze Kazakoglu: ‘The MSc was immersive, fast-paced, and deeply rewarding!’ in full

What is your name?

Live Grødem

Where are you from?

Stavanger, Norway

To which class do you belong?

MSc Neuroscience class of 2025

Where and what did you study before joining Imperial College London?

BSc Biomedical Science at Queen Mary University of London

How did you find your Master’s experience at the College?

I had a wonderful time at Imperial. The course was very engaging, challenging and had a very steep learning curve. I had the chance to learn from world-class professors and lecturers, getting a broad understanding of neuroscience while also specialising in my own research interests. I particularly valued the translational aspect of the programme, the staff and the environment, as well as my peers who shared the same passion for science

Which research project did you work on?

I did my project with the Brain and Behavioural lab under the supervision of Dr. Paul Bentley. I investigated the use of wearable devices for motion tracking in stroke patients to improve current stroke assessments and inform rehabilitation strategies.

Where are you now? 

I am currently working in the Thuret lab at King’s College London

What are you working on?

I am investigating the role of platelets in Alzheimer’s disease. We are growing hippocampal progenitor cells and treating them with platelets and platelet-poor plasma to explore whether platelet-derived factors influence cellular processes linked to Alzheimer’s risk

What is the most important lesson you learnt as a Master’s student?

To be adaptable. In science, things rarely run exactly to plan, and I learnt how to manage setbacks and find alternative approaches to keep projects moving forward

How did the Master’s programme help you get to where you are now?

I have grown a lot as a scientist. I have been introduced to the translational side of neuroscience and gained a valuable skill set to take with me into future research. I developed independence, strong collaboration and networking skills, and an interest in combining wet lab research with data-driven approaches such as machine learning and AI. These experiences now guide me as I explore PhD and research opportunities at the intersection between neuroscience and technology

Read Live Grødem: ‘I had a wonderful time at Imperial. The course was very engaging, challenging and had a very steep learning curve’ in full

What is your name?

Xiaoyue (Sydney) Xie

Where are you from?

Nanjing, China

To which class do you belong?

MRes Experimental Neuroscience class of 2025

Where and what did you study before joining Imperial College London?

I did my BSc in Biological Sciences at Imperial College London

How did you find your Master experience at the College?

Challenging yet rewarding. This Master’s helped me to think more independently. By completing three rotations, I was able to explore neuroscience, and more specifically, glial cells from various perspectives. This allowed me to approach scientific questions holistically by drawing connections across disciplines. Throughout my journey, I received considerable support from both my supervisors and the department. This Master’s has helped me to confirm the area of neuroscience I am truly passionate about

Which research project did you work on?

I did three research projects throughout this year. My first project was with Dr Kambiz Alavian. I investigated microglial mitochondrial function in Parkinson’s disease. Using a combination of techniques, such as immunostaining, protein ligation assay and patch clamp electrophysiology, I focused on DJ-1 interaction with the ATP synthase under physiological and diseased conditions. I completed my second project under Dr Raffaella Nativio, investigating DNA-damage induced senescence in astrocytes. We revealed the paracrine effect of senescence in human primary astrocytes. I opted to complete a computational project as my last rotation with Dr Anna Mallach. By analysing the open access AMP PD single-nucleus RNA sequencing dataset, I investigated the underlying drivers of cognitive symptoms in Parkinson’s disease. I focused on astrocytes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and primary motor cortex. We revealed regional divergence of astrocytic states and altered astrocytic communication with neurons.

Where are you now?

I am starting a PhD with Professor Wiliam Wisden at Imperial College London

What are you working on?

I will be investigating the function of different stages of sleep using transcriptomic approaches

What is the most important lesson you learnt as a Master’s student?

Work hard but also work smart. Hard work is irreplaceable for achieving success but learning how to rest in between the busiest times is like the cherry on top of the cake – it boosts your efficiency and mental health to help achieve better results. Instead of being frustrated and defeated, view every setback as an opportunity to learn and improve. Always focus not only on getting the best grade, but on giving your best effort

How did the Master’s programme help you get to where you are now?

The Master’s program helped to understand what it’s like and how to work in a laboratory environment. I have learned to execute, plan, and complete projects efficiently within a short timeframe. By completing a report for each project, I have enhanced my skills in communicating scientific findings. All these skills are helping me grow as a scientist for my future academic journey

Read Xiaoyue (Sydney) Xie: ‘Always focus not only on getting the best grade, but on giving your best effort’ in full

What is your name?

My name is Jiayu Xiang

Where are you from?

I am from Yichang, China

To which class do you belong?

MSc Translational Neuroscience 24/25

Where and what did you study before joining Imperial College London?

I completed my BSc in Biochemistry at Imperial College London before my Master’s degree

How did you find your Master’s experience at the College?

I think it was challenging, but in the best way possible. It pushed me to grow a lot, not just in research, but also in how to balance study and life and stay curious when things got tough. The research project, in particular, was such a rewarding part of the journey. One of the highlights was meeting students from diverse backgrounds, and I learned much from my classmates. Everybody was happy to share and help each other. The course was very interactive and open to feedback. It felt like the programme kept evolving with us, which made the experience even more engaging and supportive

Which research project did you work on?

I worked with Dr Kambiz N. Alavian’s group, investigating how mitochondrial efficiency changes during ageing using C. elegans as the model. I am grateful to have had the chance to explore different techniques and explore my curiosity throughout the project. During my time in the lab, I learned how to perform mitochondrial patch clamp recording and carry out various staining experiments. I also got to set up a machine learning model to track worm behaviour, which was a whole new and exciting area for me. It was a great experience that allowed me to combine my background in molecular and cellular biology with neuroscience, and to understand ageing mechanisms at the cellular level

Where are you now?

I am back home in China to rest for a bit

What are you working on?

My Master’s experience strengthens my passion for scientific research, so I’m now applying for relevant PhD opportunities. I hope to continue building on my postgraduate project if possible. It’s a field that feels both intellectually challenging and deeply meaningful and I’m excited to keep moving forward

What is the most important lesson you learnt as a Master’s student?

Plan ahead, work ahead and stay organised. All the requirements and deadlines of the assessments in each module were released at the start, so it is crucial to balance lectures and assignments, starting early always pays off. Another valuable takeaway was learning how to present my work effectively. Working hard is the foundation, but being able to communicate your ideas clearly and confidently is important in academia and in any future career

How did the Master’s programme help you get to where you are now?

Coming from a biochemistry background, the Master’s programme was a great opportunity for me to learn neuroscience from the ground up, starting with the basic neuroanatomy and core concepts in the first few modules. Those modules helped me understand which areas of neuroscience I was most interested in. As the course went on, learning from experts in different fields helped me refine those interests further. When it came to the research project, it was a great chance to put what I learned into practice and explore my chosen topic in depth. The whole experience, from writing a research proposal to presenting our findings, gave me a real taste of what being a researcher is like. It helped me confirm my passion for this path, understand the challenges behind scientific research, and see what kind of work truly excites me

Read Jiayu Xiang: ‘The whole experience, from writing a research proposal to presenting our findings, gave me a real taste of what being a researcher is like’ in full

What is your name?

Dana Gawlitzek

Where are you from?

San Francisco, USA

To which class do you belong?

MSc Translational Neuroscience 2024/25

Where and what did you study before joining Imperial College London?

I studied neuroscience (BS) at American University in Washington, DC

How did you find your Master’s experience at the College?

I found the Master’s program to be both challenging and highly rewarding. The skills I developed and the research techniques I was exposed to, particularly in neuroimaging and neurostimulation, proved invaluable. The MSc program ultimately shaped me into a more well-rounded and capable scientist

Which research project did you work on?

My project was titled “Investigating the role of anxiety on vestibular control of balance during step initiation” and I was supervised by Dr. Toby J. Ellmers

Where are you now? 

I am now joining the lab of Professor Charlotte Grosse Wiesmann at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany, as a research assistant and will be transitioning to a PhD position after 6 months

What are you working on?

I will be working on a project investigating the theory of mind development in children using fMRI

What is the most important lesson you learnt as a Master’s student?

The most important lesson I learned during my Master’s was the value of adaptability in research. Initially, I felt nervous about the project I was assigned, as it focused on a topic I knew little about and involved techniques with which I had no experience. However, as I engaged with the work, I realised it offered opportunities to develop new skills and perspectives that I hadn’t anticipated. In the end, the project proved to be both highly rewarding and a valuable learning experience, and I emerged with a much broader skill set than I had anticipated. This taught me that being open-minded and flexible can often lead to growth in ways I couldn’t have predicted

How did the Master’s programme help you get to where you are now?

The skills and experience I gained through my independent research project were instrumental in securing my current research position and demonstrating that I had completed a research project from start to finish, from experimental design to data analysis and write-up, which highlighted both my technical abilities and research independence, which proved to be a valuable and compelling aspect of my applications

Read Dana Gawlitzek: ‘The MSc program ultimately shaped me into a more well-rounded and capable scientist’ in full

What is your name?

My name is Lara Kaefer

Where are you from?

I’m originally from Munich, Germany, but I have spent quite a bit of time abroad. I went to boarding school in Canada for three years and then lived in London for four years

To which class do you belong?

I’m part of the MRes Experimental Neuroscience class at Imperial College London

Where and what did you study before joining Imperial College London?

Before Imperial, I did my BSc in Medical Sciences and Engineering at UCL

How did you find your Master’s experience at the College?

I really enjoyed it. What I liked most was the freedom we had to shape our own research. As long as it connected to neuroscience and was supervised at Imperial, we could explore almost anything, from wet-lab work to computational projects to patient studies. The course was very hands-on, so most of the learning happened through real research. I especially valued the chance to rotate through very different projects. It gave me a broad perspective on neuroscience. The environment at Imperial is so collaborative and international, I always felt supported but also challenged to push myself

Which research project did you work on?

I worked on three rotations. The first one was on mitochondrial metabolic efficiency in glioblastoma. I examined how ion leak currents regulate glutamate utilisation and drive cell proliferation in brain tumours. The second one was on sensorimotor gating under postural threat, studying how induced anxiety affects prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex in healthy adults. For the third one, I chose a project on multisensory algorithms and I used computational models and symbolic discovery to understand how agents integrate different sensory channels to navigate. I chose these different projects to figure out what I enjoy most and to get a really well-rounded experience

Where are you now?

I am moving back to Munich

What are you working on?

Currently, I am starting a short-term project at my family’s company in Munich, where I will be working on the digitalisation of property management systems. After that, I am applying for positions in strategy consulting, ideally in teams that work with medical technology and life sciences companies. My goal is to understand the business and strategic side of science and healthcare, and to gain experience in how research and innovation are translated into real-world impact

What is the most important lesson you learnt as a Master’s student?

The most important thing I learnt was how to stay flexible and open. Each project demanded something completely different, from running wet-lab experiments to coding models to working with participants. I often had to pick up skills from scratch, and that taught me not to be intimidated by new methods but just to start and figure it out. I also enjoy the human side of research. During my psychophysiology project, I worked directly with healthy participants and patients, and it showed me how much I value the interaction with people

How did the Master’s programme help you get to where you are now?

The programme pushed me out of my comfort zone in every direction. It gave me practical skills — from coding and data analysis to lab techniques and working with participants — but more importantly, it changed how I approach problems. I’ve become much more independent in my thinking, more confident in exploring unfamiliar areas, and more comfortable adapting to different kinds of challenges

Read Lara Kaefer: ‘What I liked most was the freedom we had to shape our own research’ in full

What is your name?

Ana Sofia Narvaez Paliza

Where are you from?

Mexico

To which class do you belong?

MSc in Translational Neuroscience 2024/25

Where and what did you study before joining Imperial College London?

I did a BSc in Biomedical Sciences at King’s College London

How did you find your Master’s experience at the College?

Stimulating, challenging, and inspiring. I had been excited about pursuing this master’s for a very long time. Now that I have finished it, I can say it was so worth it. I did not find the master’s easy, but for me, that was the whole point: I wanted to be challenged! I learnt so much: a wealth of neuroscience knowledge, numerous skills, increased confidence and I made friends!

Which research project did you work on?

I worked at Jackson’s lab at the UKDRI. I investigated whether Alzheimer’s disease resilient individuals (individuals who show no cognitive impairment despite the presence of pathology) have a distinct pathology profile. Specifically, I examined whether certain types of amyloid beta and tau pathology, in higher or lower proportions, are more closely associated with synaptic preservation or compensatory changes. I used human post-mortem brain tissue and techniques such as immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and AI-powered segmentation

Where are you now? 

London

What are you working on?

I love research, so I am currently working towards securing funding to pursue a PhD and continue my career as a researcher in the field of neurodegeneration

What is the most important lesson you learnt as a Master’s student?

I learnt about resilience. We sometimes assume that if we put 100% of our effort into something, things will work out because we tried our best. However, experiments can fail, applications can be rejected, and setbacks can occur. So, I really learnt to be resilient and to keep working towards my dreams, because if not now, then when?

How did the Master’s programme help you get to where you are now?

Thanks to the master’s, I feel ready to take on any challenge. I believe the master’s program taught me how to learn more effectively in the future. As a researcher, you never stop learning (which is the awesome part of it), so being ready to learn and take on any challenge is essential. This master’s program prepared me to acquire new skills and tackle challenges and gave me the confidence to do so

Read Ana Sofia Narvaez Paliza: ‘I had been excited about pursuing this master’s for a very long time. Now that I have finished it, I can say it was so worth it’ in full

What is your name?

Antigone Fogel

Where are you from?

I was born in California, moved to Toronto when I was 7, and to Vancouver for university

To which class you belong to?

MSc Translational Neuroscience ‘24

Where and what did you study before joining Imperial College London?

I studied Behavioural Neuroscience with a minor in English Literature at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada and spent the subsequent two years managing continuing medical education programs for Canadian physicians with a focus on emerging medical technology

How did you find your Master experience at the College?

Fantastic. It was fast-paced, challenging and immersive. The modules offered exposure to a breadth of topics in neuroscience, and the streams allowed us to tailor our coursework to topics of particular interest to us. I have never learned so much in one year. This course supports its students in developing hugely valuable and marketable skills for both academic and professional routes, and I feel we are all better equipped to take on the next steps in our lives as a result! I entered this course with no coding experience, learned how to code in Python and MATLAB, completed a machine learning dissertation project and ultimately decided to pursue a PhD in machine learning here at Imperial. A year ago, I had no intention of staying in academia, but, because of this Masters, I discovered an area of research that is deeply meaningful to me, a supervisor and lab who are extremely supportive, kind, and collaborative and a type of day-to-day work I absolutely love

Which research project did you work on?

I developed a predictive machine learning model and accompanying digital consultation tool to support the personalisation of prognoses for people living with dementia

Where are you now? 

I have just started a PhD here at Imperial

What are you working on?

Building on my MSc work, my PhD will focus on developing machine learning models and digital consultation tools for dementia risk screening and trajectory mapping using Electronic Health Record data

What is the most important lesson you learnt as a Master student?

I learned that what you get out of experiences is a direct product of how much you put into them, the value of being concise, and always being open to changing your mind!

How did the Master programme help you get to where you are now?

In so many ways! The course introduced me to the world of machine learning applied to healthcare and provided essential foundations in Python programming, computational methods applied to neuroscience and machine learning fundamentals. Without the technical and research skills I gained and the professional relationships I developed over the course of this Masters, I would not be where I am today

Read Antigone Fogel: ‘Without the technical and research skills I gained and the professional relationships I developed over the course of this Masters, I would not be where I am today’ in full

What is your name? 

Aglaia Freccero

Where are you from? 

Turin, Italy

To which class you belong to? 

MSc Translational Neuroscience 2022

Where and what did you study before joining Imperial College London?

BSc Biomedical Sciences at University College London

How did you find your Master experience at the College?

My Master’s experience has been extremely insightful and rewarding. The modules taught me about various aspects of the neuroscience field, and the research project allowed me to apply that knowledge in practice. I appreciated the guidance and support of the academic staff and had the opportunity to learn from and work with world-leading researchers, as well as brilliant peers

Which research project did you work on?

For my MSc research project, I joined Dr Martina Di Simplico’s lab in the Division of Psychiatry. I researched motivational abnormalities in young people with binging and purging behaviour as part of the iMAGine Study. In particular, I investigated the role of attentional biases towards food and body shape cues and their interaction with negative affect in driving eating disorder psychopathology. I am now in the process of publishing the results of my thesis

Where are you now?

I am still in the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial, in the Division of Psychiatry. I am now in the second year of my PhD. Following my MSc, I graduated with a Master’s in Public Health at Imperial to translate my experience in clinical mental health research at a population level

What are you working on?

My PhD project investigates the potential of delivering AI-informed mobile behavioural interventions to support adolescents’ mental health in schools. Due to the ubiquitous use of smartphones among adolescents, mobile mental health apps might constitute a promising scalable tool for mental health prevention and early intervention. My project integrates clinical, social and data science. I am being supervised by Prof Dasha Nicholls, Dr Martina Di Simplicio and Dr Lindsay Dewa

What is the most important lesson you learnt as a Master student?

The biggest lesson I have learnt during the Master’s is to be able to carry out research independently. I believe that my Master’s experience has truly been the start of my journey to mature as a scientist. The MSc taught me how to take ownership of my research, develop appropriate research questions and methodologies and overcome challenges when things do not go as planned

How did the Master programme help you get to where you are now?

The knowledge, skills and network I acquired during my Master’s programme have been fundamental in helping me to get where I am now and being awarded the President’s PhD scholarship. The welcoming environment of the Division of Psychiatry and the solid relationships I built with my supervisors also played a significant role in my decision to stay in the Department of Brain Sciences for my PhD

Read Aglaia Freccero: ‘My Master’s experience has been extremely insightful and rewarding’ in full