Alumni of the UBC Graduate Program in Neuroscience (GPN) embark on diverse career paths, spanning academia, clinical practice, industry, and beyond. We’ve connected with two of our esteemed Neuroscience program graduates who pursued careers in industry and medicine to learn about their current career destinations and how their experiences in the program paved the way for their success.
Dr. Sohrab Manesh, GPN PhD Graduate 2020
Enterprise Scientific Liaison – BenchSci
Dr. Sohrab Manesh
What is your current job?
As an Enterprise Scientific Liaison, I represent the voice of the customer and communicate feedback and insights internally to drive product growth and customer retention. I regularly engage with scientists at the world’s top pharmaceutical companies, building relationships with them to understand their projects and effectively help them navigate BenchSci to accelerate their research while quantifying its impact.
What is a typical day like for you?
I typically meet with pharmaceutical scientists to listen, teach, and collaborate with them to accelerate their projects using our tool. Bringing their voice back to my company (BenchSci) also shapes the growth of our offering and gives our users a voice.
Why did you choose Neuroscience?
The nervous system is one of the frontiers of research. So many avenues are undiscovered and many people can benefit from this type of research.
What are your goals for the future?
To help even a broader audience of scientists so that life changing research continues to become faster and more affordable for those that need it.
What advice do you have for new graduate students in the program?
Think outside the box. It’s easy to get tunnel vision. Ask yourself, “what can my work do for society and what skills do I need to fit into the field I’m interested in,” then develop a way to communicate that.
Dr. Seth Tigchelaar, GPN PhD Graduate 2019
Neurosurgery Resident – University of Miami
Dr. Seth Tigchelaar
In what ways has your degree in Neuroscience got you to where you are today?
Completing my Neuroscience PhD was just the beginning of my career and paved the way into the opportunities I’ve had since, including working at Neuralink, SpaceX, and becoming a neurosurgeon-scientist.
What is a typical day like for you?
There are very few typical days, but it usually includes a 3am start in the hospital and a 10pm finish, with many emergencies, surgeries, and patients! Our hospital in Miami is one of the biggest in the country.
Why did you choose Neuroscience?
I think neuroscience is one of the final frontiers of biology and an area that has the opportunity to contribute to science that will have major impacts in patient’s lives.
What did you enjoy most about UBC?
The people that I was able to learn from and work with! They continue to inspire me to do better to this day.
What advice do you have for new graduates of the Neuroscience program?
Work your butt off, get involved with companies doing cool things, and have fun!
What are your goals for the future?
My goals are to contribute to the development of a health care system that prioritizes the needs of people with chronic disabilities. I am passionate about brain-computer interface tech, spinal cord injury, and being the first neurosurgeon in space.
