“When you learn the art of distillation, you will gain a lifelong skill that will impact every area of your life. Think of a storyteller who captivates you with every word. Their story is well distilled, with unnecessary details stripped away. Think about the last time you were entranced by a drawing or painting. Its... Continue Reading →
Redefining abstract art
Childhood memories I was 9 years old when we moved from Russia to the U.S. I didn't speak English and found solace in watching Russian movies that my parents rented from a store nearby. It seems like it was ages ago, but many quotes from those classic Soviet movies stuck with me till today. One... Continue Reading →
If things worked on the first try, it wouldn’t be called (re)search
The ups and downs of science As I wrote before, starting in 2017, I spent four and a half years at a job that taught me a new skill set, but felt like it was killing my brain cells. It was draining and unfulfilling and made me feel like a monkey - turning the crank... Continue Reading →
The Shrimp Treadmill Controversy: Why Communicating Science Matters
About 10 years ago, I ran across a hilarious article that illustrates the importance of communicating science to the general public. It was written in response to a storm of criticism of how scientific organizations were spending the taxpayers' money. A particularly hot controversy was triggered by a video that has gone viral - showing... Continue Reading →
Unlocking the Potential of Organoids
We live in a three-dimensional (3D) world, yet so many things we face every day are two-dimensional (2D) representations of 3D objects. From paintings and photographs to maps and architectural blueprints, the majority of human creative processes begin on a flat piece of paper. The same goes for studying biological processes in vitro. For decades,... Continue Reading →
Looking for a new source of optimism? Bring more art into your life!
Art has the power to inspire, uplift, and bring joy to people's lives. It can help individuals to see the world in a more positive light and develop a more optimistic outlook on life. Here are a few ways in which art can help: Art can evoke positive emotions: Whether it's a painting, sculpture, or... Continue Reading →
Standing at the bus stop
Before going to graduate school, I spent a year working at New York University as a lab technician. As a farewell gift, I received a popular book called “At The Bench”. It was supposed to act as my springboard into “real”research. In addition to helpful descriptions of common lab techniques, it also contained some practical... Continue Reading →
Do you fear new challenges? Maybe you shouldn’t!
In spring 2017, I got laid off from my first job and spent the summer looking for a new one. While I knew what I wanted to do, I also realized that I had to be open minded in case my "perfect" job didn't exist in New York City yet. Neuroscience companies were hard to... Continue Reading →
Did you follow the herd and start using Zoom backgrounds? Maybe you shouldn’t!
Now that we are 2 years into working remotely (for the most part anyway), we have become experts in Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, Slack, you name it... At the same time we got sick of demonstrating our (occasionally messy) apartments. In fact, I recently attended a webinar (on Zoom!) talking about remote meeting etiquette. Putting... Continue Reading →
From Wilting Mind to Fragile Memory
In one of my recent posts, I wrote about how I felt at my previous job and why I created "Wilting Mind". Many people say that art often comes from pain. The greater the pain, the greater the art presumably. And that you should actually draw on that pain for inspiration. Over the past four... Continue Reading →