Profiles

What made you want to get involved with the program?

I became interested in this program due to my overlapping interests in philosophy (ethics) and neuroscience. In undergrad, I had the opportunity to participate in a philosophy lab under the supervision of three philosophy professors who were writing a book about neuroethics: Responsible Brains: Neuroscience, Law, and Human Culpability (MIT Press, 2018). During this course, I and a select group of peers had the opportunity to review chapter drafts for the book and provide feedback, while working closely with the three professors to develop a neuroethics project of our own. This experience sparked my interest in neuroscience and how our brains influence our ethical behaviors. When I was offered the opportunity to continue work within the scope of my interdisciplinary interests by joining the Loyola Program for Neuroscience and Society team, I was excited to not only continue my own education on these subjects, but to foster an interest in neuroethics amongst younger students as well. 

Why do you think students need to know more about neuroscience?

I think at the core of the human condition is a desire to understand both the world around us and also ourselves. Beyond offering students a mere understanding of the function of the human brain and body, a neuroscience education offers us a glimpse into "what makes us tick." In other words, neuroscience helps us to understand not only why we think and act the way that we do, but also how our brain states affect the ways we perceive, make sense of, and orient ourselves toward the world and other people. Students who learn about neuroscience are presented with the opportunity to get to know themselves and others from an entirely new perspective, by learning how to examine actions and behaviors from the starting point of their neurobiological roots. Expanding students' ways of understanding why people act the way that they do and what this means in ethical contexts holds the potential to transform younger generations' relationships to both themselves and others.