The experience I had in Jim's lab at Eckerd inspired me to pursue a doctorate in neuroscience. I was fortunate to do my doctorate training in Don Stein's lab at Clark University where I learned that the damaged nervous system can be further manipulated to enhance natural recovery mechanisms. The experience I received in Don's lab at Clark shaped my life-long passion for research in the area of recovery of function. As indicated above, the experiences I had at Eckerd and Clark profoundly influenced my scholarly career. Michael Kent in Psychology and Jim Gillingham in Biology were both outstanding teachers and mentors who inspired me to pursue an academic career.
Scientists approach a problem by asking questions.
There are two important questions that I pose to myself and to my students before starting a new project. Often, it is not easy for students to appreciate the academic or theoretical significance of what they are doing. This is a more pragmatic question, and, depending on the particular problem, is usually easier for the students to ascertain. I believe that even the most basic research can be, at least indirectly, related to practical and applied areas. Every student has the capability to learn, but the extent to which they learn is often directly related to the degree to which they are inspired to do so.