Zoé Christenson Wick, assistant professor in the Knight Campus Department of Bioengineering, is featured in the October edition of Liftoff, a recurring series from The Transmitter that introduces early-career neuroscientists launching their own labs.
In the Q&A, Christenson Wick described her lab’s research into why the precise timing of neural activity matters for healthy brain function, and how those insights can inform more naturalistic neuromodulation strategies for treating epilepsy and preventing age-related cognitive decline. She also talked about the lab culture she hopes to build, drawing on her training in the labs of Tristan Shuman and Esther Krook-Magnuson, with an emphasis on open-source tool development, quality over quantity and plenty of celebration (pumpkin-carving parties and lab hikes included). And she shared the best advice she got before opening her lab: “Don’t try to be anyone but yourself.”