The chemical pathways connecting physical and chemical stimuli to behavior (emotions or integrated response) are of particular interest to me. I am interested in pursuing my thesis research in the field of neuropharmacology, and as an extension, psychopharmacology. Neuropharmacology , broadly, studies the action of chemical stimuli upon neuronal cell structure and function. Under the hypothesis that such cellular changes (such as plasticity) effect higher cognitive behavior, studies in neuropharmacology are an interesting first approach to the question of mind/ brain barrier. I was introduced to the medical relevancy of neuropharmacology while shadowing rounds in a hospital with a psychiatrist at the Long island College Hospital. This volunteer experience provided the opportunity for me to expand my knowledge of the mind/brain question as it pertained to biomedicine, particularly in the field of psychopharmacology. With numerous scientific questions surrounding the treatment of depression, schizophrenia, and drug addiction, psychiatry impressed me as an excellent field to pursue biomedicine, especially in light of the enormous knowledge expansion in basic neuroscience.
