What Is the Research Proposal?

The week begins with a question that sets the tone for everything ahead. Dr. Wurzman walks interns through the logic of scientific inquiry, and what starts as an unfamiliar challenge quickly becomes a genuine thrill. Interns have begun to get acquainted with their team, and ideas are starting to form. A promising week lies ahead. 

The Neuroracer session catches everyone off guard — what looks like a video game turns out to be a sophisticated window into how the brain handles attention and multitasking. By wearing a headband-like device, interns can control a car's speed with concentration alone. Interns laugh, compete, and find themselves asking real scientific questions without even realizing it. 

The afternoon's Lived Experience Panel, featuring Dr. Wurzman, Dr. Okun, and Rick Schena, captivates the interns. Hearing personal stories connected to neurological conditions shifts something. Seeing firsthand the benefits of modern-day medicine opens the possibilities of research topics. The brain stops feeling like an abstract concept and starts feeling deeply human. 

The evening splits between brain dissections with Tattyana and an ethics consultation with Dr. Shook. In the dissections, the structures of the brain can be viewed in the palms of their hands. Dr. Shook enables teams to collaborate and solve ethical dilemmas together. Both experiences leave interns with hope for the week ahead.