Madison Card – graduate profile

With a background in undergraduate psychology, and having developed an interest in neuroscience, Madison (from the USA) was looking to study for a postgraduate master’s in the UK when she found Dundee. 

“I was initially attracted to the course’s emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches to neuroscientific applications, as I was unsure which field within neuroscience I wanted to explore.  I felt that because this course provided an overview of many areas of research and clinical application, that it would be a good fit for someone like me still figuring things out. Another top priority of mine was location; and Dundee seemed like a beautiful city I could really see myself enjoying, and I was right!

“I enjoyed the small class size of the course because it created a sense of community. I became good friends with many of the individuals in my course and we often would study together and have social gatherings. 

“The course was appropriately challenging, but it was a tremendous help to have the support of my peers, as well as the lecturers who were able to devote more time to teaching and supporting us because of the small class size.

“My University of Dundee degree has not only provided me with a strong foundation in neuroscience concepts, but it has also provided me with multiple laboratory and research skills. During my research project, I gained experience in cell culture, molecular assays such as rt-qPCR, and histological quantification using whole-slide image analysis. 

“While I am currently involved in research focused outside the central nervous system, the hands-on techniques I learned through my project prepared me well for laboratory work in an academic setting. Most notably, I have been able to use the same whole-slide image analysis software used in my project to bring a novel method of quantitation to my current lab.

“Since leaving Dundee, I have been employed as a research technician in a virology laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The laboratory focuses on studying disease outcomes of respiratory virus infections in both in vitro and in vivo models. Because I have a masters’ degree, I have now been promoted to a research specialist role where I will gain more responsibilities and eventually train in BSL-3 level facilities.”

Find out more about the MSc Applied Neuroscience course.