Every day for Ludmila Kučíková is a new adventure in the world of computational neuroscience. "Every day is different," she says, outlining her routine's three main components: admin work, analysis, and writing.
First and foremost, there is a lot of admin work and emails," Ludmila shares. "Doing computational neuroscience usually means being part of a bigger project that has multiple other interdisciplinary colleagues, and the communication to move projects further is mostly through emails. "This constant communication ensures that collaborative efforts remain on track, a vital aspect of interdisciplinary research.
The heart of her day lies in analysis. "I am currently leading four main projects, so when it comes to the analysis, this part of my day can be hectic," she explains. "Doing analysis is a broad term that for me involves anything from the data preparation, which usually takes most of my time, through brain images pre-processing and analysis, to data visualization, which is my favorite step".
"This hands-on work is where Ludmila sees the most tangible progress, transforming raw data into meaningful insights.
Writing, the third component of her day, is where Ludmila finds joy. "I really enjoy writing, so you always find me practicing it either by contributing to science articles or by writing abstracts for upcoming conferences or funding applications," she says. This passion for writing allows her to share her discoveries with the broader scientific community and the public.
Ludmila's unique background in psychology provides a distinct edge in her research. "Many computational neuroscientists who do neuroimaging research come from a technical background, which gives them a technical advantage over me. But my psychology background gives me an advantage of understanding why I am doing my research," she notes. This perspective helps her relate brain connectivity observations to the disorders she studies, creating a more comprehensive understanding of her work.
Her research aims to make a real-world impact. "The goal is to make research that is useful in practice, which sounds easier than it is done," Ludmila admits. She hopes to contribute to developing early detection biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. "It would be incredible to see a development of a risk prediction score based on several neuroimaging biomarkers including brain connectivity and other risk factor data and medical history data," she says. This could lead to more effective treatments by targeting less damaged brains.
For aspiring scientists, Ludmila offers two pieces of advice: "The best one would be to just start. That is often the most difficult step to take because people tend to overthink things." Her second piece of advice is to manage expectations, especially on social media. "During my time on Instagram, I witnessed brilliant people who have so informative accounts and they are not reaching as many people as I wished they were," she observes. Understanding the randomness of social media algorithms is crucial for maintaining mental well-being in the digital age.
Looking ahead, Ludmila’s primary goal is to find career aspirations for after her PhD. "I have learnt from other scicommers who were sharing their journeys that during the PhD people's goal is to graduate and after they achieve it, they can feel lost," she shares. Her strategy is to mentally place graduation not at the very top of her career goals but as the second topmost. "I also want to adopt a dog soon, and just live a life without letting the last year of the PhD consume me," she adds with a hopeful smile.
Ludmila Kučíková’s background in psychology, combined with her dedication to neuroscience, allows her to bridge the gap between understanding the brain and its disorders. Her story is a reminder of the importance of starting, persevering, and maintaining a balance between professional and personal aspirations.
Brooke Travis is a PhD candidate in marine biology at Harvard, and her work is taking her to new depths - literally. She's studying the unique relationships between deep-sea organisms and...
Luis Quijano is on an extraordinary journey, blending the worlds of fashion and biotechnology into a cohesive and innovative narrative. As a PhD candidate, Luis is pioneering research that aims to revolutionize how we perceive....
Every day for Ludmila Kučíková is a new adventure in the world of computational neuroscience. "Every day is different," she says, ....
Meet Vittoria, a Tufts PhD student whose path to the world of mathematics is as colorful as a stage performance. What happens when the lights of the theatre dim and the curtain falls? For Vittoria, it was a leap from acting to..