In a recent Life Design Lab blog, the importance of scientific communication and mentoring in shaping the next generation of scientists was highlighted through a workshop designed for undergraduates. This aligns perfectly with the work of Dr. Jason Trageser, the Director of Undergraduate Studies for Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University. With over 12 years of dedication to the department, Dr. Trageser has not only played a pivotal role in shaping the academic journeys of countless students but has also integrated life design principles into the curriculum. His roles have included lecturer, senior lecturer, Provost Fellow for Assessment, and Associate Teaching Professor. He earned his BS and BA in Biology and Philosophy from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Trageser’s career also includes postdoctoral research at both the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
In this Q&A session, Ashley Schantz, Senior Director of Undergraduate Education for the Life Design Lab at Johns Hopkins University, sits down with Dr. Trageser to explore his journey in neuroscience, his approach to teaching, and his insights on undergraduate education.
Where did your passion for neuroscience originate?
As an undergraduate, I was a biology and philosophy major and my passion and interest in neuroscience really developed as a result of my desire to understand how the concepts of mind and consciousness relate to our understanding of how the brain functions. After I took my first neuroscience course in college, I knew I wanted to do neuroscience research so that I could truly understand how to study the brain firsthand. Ultimately, these goals drove me to pursue a PhD in neuroscience.
How does your neuroscience background inform your work as an instructor?
Neuroscience forces you to think in a very interdisciplinary way and you must be able to synthesize information from many viewpoints and sources. I am very fortunate to have a job where I get to read, think about, and constantly learn neuroscience all the time. At the end of the day, my job is to take the information that I learn and experiment with ways in which to effectively communicate this information to students so that it captures their curiosity and imagination ultimately creating a lasting learning experience.
How does this passion for neuroscience inform your work as the Director of Undergraduate Studies?
I love neuroscience and being the DUS of the neuroscience program means that I get to work to create a dynamic academic experience for our neuroscience majors. The dynamic nature of the field means that neuroscience can be studied from many different levels and angles, for example the cellular and molecular aspects of neurological disease to the transmission of information through neural circuits involved in decision-making. Because neuroscience is an ever-changing and evolving field of study, I work to ensure that we are providing our majors with the opportunity to explore as much of it as possible during their time at JHU.
How does the Neuroscience department hope to support students with their professional aspirations?
The neuroscience program supports student’s professional aspirations by providing them with not only a solid foundation in neuroscience but also the ability to pursue their individual interests in unique aspects of the field through a diverse selection of advanced courses. On top of that, our students have the opportunity to conduct research in many of the world’s best neuroscience research labs. Combined, these academic and research opportunities will develop the skills our students need to be successful in a wide range of professions.
What value have you seen in partnership with the Life Design Lab in support of this goal?
Life Design has become an invaluable partner. In particular, having someone from Life Design who can focus on the specific goals of brain science majors has made for significantly more meaningful and targeted interactions.
Our students have diverse professional goals that range from becoming physicians, to running their own research labs to working in the private sector. Life Design provides not only the resources to help our students find internships and make connections with potential employers but if students take advantage of it, Life Design helps students think critically about why they want the future that they think they want. Grappling with this question is sometimes very difficult without support and Life Design aims to provide that support.
A specific example of how the Neuroscience program and Life Design have partnered would be the inclusion of a one-day workshop embedded in our Scientific Communication and Mentoring course. This partnership ensures that all our majors have an opportunity to learn about Life Design and how to foster mentorship relationships during their time as undergraduates and beyond.
What words of advice do you most want to offer the students majoring in brain sciences as they pursue their own life aspirations?
I would want to encourage brain science students to think broadly about the skills they are acquiring in their major. The brain sciences not only teach students about the brain but how to think deeply and critically about complex systems. The problem-solving and reasoning skills developed in the brain science majors are highly transferable to many disciplines in and out of academia.
What opportunities, if any, do you see for further curricular and life design integration across higher education?
I think students really benefit from a big picture perspective of life after college. In particular, perspectives that emphasize how the undergraduate experience definitely shapes you but does not completely define you. I’m not sure but I think some students believe that if they don’t get some specific academic experience as an undergraduate this means they will not be successful down the road. I think this can cause a great deal of anxiety which might be avoidable if they are able to see that learning never stops and one of the most crucial skills gained as an undergraduate is a deep appreciation for how to learn.
