Dr. Heather Snell is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She didn’t initially love neuroscience in college and instead went to graduate school to study cancer biology. However, after a fascinating rotation in a neuropharmacology lab and her subsequent thesis research studying the role of a GABA-A receptor in diabetic retinopathy, she came to fully love the brain. After meeting her future postdoctoral mentor during a summer research program, she realized that passion and mentorship style mattered more to her than which subfield of neuroscience she was studying. She ultimately pivoted her focus and now studies how genetic changes in cerebellar Purkinje cells contribute to motor disorders such as episodic ataxia. In her discussion with Nancy, Heather also talks about a difficult period during her postdoc when she struggled with uterine fibroids and the importance of having a positive lab environment with members who will support you in tough times. She highlights the importance of showing yourself compassion and putting your health first. Her experiences have given her a refreshing perspective: “The science is will always be there...but you only have one body.”

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