When: Saturday, October 25th 2025, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm PDT
Location: Student Services Building (SSB), Room 170, 5200 N Lake Rd, Merced, California 95343, United States of America
Mission:BRAIN UC Merced will host a research career preparation and mentorship seminar designed to connect undergraduate students with UCMerced faculty in neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science. The event will introduce students to the process of becoming experts in global healthand neurological research, including how to identify meaningful questions, design studies, join labs, and contribute to scientific discovery. Faculty willshare their own research journeys and provide insights into how undergraduates can prepare for graduate school and research careers in academia,medicine, and related fields. Through interactive discussions and a Q&A session, students will learn practical steps to get involved in research projects,build strong academic and professional profiles, and seek mentorship that supports their long-term career goals.This seminar is directly tied to careerpreparation. It will equip students with strategies for joining research labs, applying to graduate programs, presenting at conferences, and publishing theirwork. By connecting directly with UC Merced faculty, students gain access to mentorship pipelines and insider knowledge on what it takes to succeed asresearchers in neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science.Speakers will include UC Merced faculty actively conducting research in neuroscience,psychology, and cognitive science, who will share their experiences and offer guidance on how undergraduates can enter and thrive in research. Theywill be joined by graduate and professional trainees offering perspectives on the transition from undergraduate research to advanced training. In addition,one of the founders of the Mission:BRAIN Foundation will deliver a keynote talk on global neurosurgery. This talk will highlight how collaboration amongstudents, researchers, and neurological institutes worldwide is addressing the lack of neurological healthcare infrastructure in under-resourced countries,focusing on the importance of student involvement in advancing global health solutions. Particular emphasis will be placed onsupporting first-generation, underrepresented, and underserved students, aligning with Mission:BRAIN’s mission to expand access to mentorship andcreate pathways into global health and neurological research.This event complies with federal and state non-discrimination laws, is applicable to living our values, and is open to all members of the campus community.