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Natasha Kristie
English 1 09.30 AM Class
The Men and the Women Unraveling Mysteries of the Mind
I. Introduction
A. Lead In:
The hardware does not matter as the software keeps on
running!1. For centuries, the notion that the brain could not be
explored as a fully functioning organ limited the access and
acceptance for young scientists to pursue the science of the brain,
or in a more precise scientific terminology, Neuroscience. The
limited funding and support from the public and the government
however, did not undermine these brave and determined frontiers
in brain science.
Neuroscientists, a relatively new breed of scientists specifically
investigating the conundrum of brain and behavior are now making
their way to an open door of careful observation and painstaking
illustration of the big ol noggin.
B. Thesis: Since its genesis in the 1960s, there has been an
increase of support from public notions and the government
allowing Neuroscience to provide bright future for emerging women
and men scientists.
C. Categories:
1. Cultural Expectation
2. Educational Opportunities
3. Employment Opportunities
4. Publication of Research
5. Laws and Regulations
6. Specialized Clubs and Organizations
7. Achievements

II. The Past (1960-1970)

The postwar expansion of science, application and practice of
psychology continued through the decades of the 1950s and 1960s
1 Patricia Churchlands (Neurophilosopher) Introductory message at
her homepage at the University of California, San Diego (first retrieved
2008), accessed Nov 2014.

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was joined by a new interest in new public policy issues. The science of
behavior was focused more on social issues. (Noteworthy Events in
American psychology pg 225)
A. Cultural Expectation:
B. Educational Opportunities Science had tremendous growth
and prosperity in American educational institutions during this
time. First full time. Neuroscience was first recognized as its
own department in early 1960s, apart from biology and
psychology. Women studying neuroscience was accepted
further back in Europe in the early 1920s, but in America it
started around late 1950s. (The Outer Circle, Women Scientists
in America book)
C. Employment Opportunities Most U.S universities would not
hire women as faculty until Passage of Civil Act rights (1964)
prohibited discrimination in education and employment based
on sex. (Scientific Pioneers book)
D. Publication of Research - The lack of support and resources to
pursue scientific research in neuroscience results in early
departure or blocked mobility for both men and women.
E. Laws and Regulations - There are multiple proof from
microfilms of The New York Times Newspapers referring to
Neuroscience as brain studies and brain sciences. Startlingly,
the effort of scientists and teachers introducing Neuroscience
was poorly supported by the public and the government. In a
staggering 1969 New York Times article, it was stated that
There is a growing fad among high school students to perform
heart transplants, brain surgery and other radical experiments
on animals. Among youngsters interested in science, this desire
to imitate the more spectacular work being done by mature
professionals on the far frontiers of science is understandable.
Following the previous factual information, Times added But it
is a desire that must be brought under control.2
F.

Specialized Organizations In 1969, Women In Neuroscience

is formed under the division of Society for Neuroscience

2 New York Times. Published May 10, 1969. Microfilm.

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Natasha Kristie
English 1 09.30 AM Class
organization and had limited members and power. (WIN: The
First Twenty Years Journal).
In the greater Los Angeles Area, The Brain Research Institute
(BRI) became an Organized Research Unit (ORU) in 1959. In
1960, Professor John French became its first Director, and the
BRI moved into its home in the new Center for Health Sciences
at UCLA . The great contributions of the first generation of
leaders (Drs. French, Horace Magoun, Donald Lindsley and
Charles Sawyer) were their promotion of neuroscience as a
distinctive research endeavor and their recognition that brain
research is inherently interdisciplinary.
G. Achievements Rita Levi Montalcini, first female neuroscientist
to win the Nobel Prize, started her research in early 1960s with
her colleagues. (Women Winners of the Nobel Prizes Book)

III. The Present (My interview with the source had answers to all of the
categories below)
Interview Source is Prof. Sandra Hutchinson, Santa Monica College
Anatomy and Biology Professor. A Graduate of Pennsylvania State
Dept. of Psychobiology and conference member of Society for
Neuroscience since the 1990s.3
Interviewer: How do you first develop interest in Psychobiology?
Prof. Sandra: I was really lucky to get a scholarship for research in
psychology and I was always interested in Biology, and they were able
to find a lab that suits my interest. Its neat to look at the behavioral
aspect but how did that happen from the anatomical aspect? Being
able to hook up behavior with structures of the brain just sounded
really neat. So, I was able to get research experience in the area where
we look at biological markers such as hormones. For example, cortisol,
which its secretion is triggered by the brain and how the levels of this
hormone differed in different populations, for example we look at
people, both children and adults that are clinically depressed.
I: What was your research for your graduate program?
3 Hutchinson, Sandra. Interviewed 20 November 2014. Personal
Interview.

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PS: In my graduate program, I looked at alcohol in two different strains
of mice and these mice were genetically bred. One strain was mice
that loved alcohol, enjoyed taking it intensively, if they could drink it,
they would do it until they passed out. The other one, we nicknamed
them as DBA mice, that refer to Death Before Alcohol because they
refuse to take any (alcohol). So, we had to inject these mice, we also
had to sacrifice these mice to different levels of alcohol exposure. The
goal was to see what would happen to specific immune responses
(between alcoholic and non-alcoholic samples). Our model was the
Herpes Simplex virus and there are specific immune cells that fight off
this virus called T-cells. So we were looking at these T-cells and how
effectively they were to respond to the Herpes virus in these two
strains of mice. In simpler terms, my research was Alcohol Effects on
HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus) Mediated T-Cell Immunity.
I: How was the view towards women in Psychobiology at your time?
PS: To be honest, it was rather difficult at that time. I had the benefit of
being Asian. So being a woman did not make too much of a difference,
I think if I were Caucasian, it wouldve been much more difficult.
I: That is interesting! Why is that?
PS: Having the positive stereotype of someone who is very studious, I
dont feel that overall I was treated any differently than males. The one
time that I see a difference was in comparison to Asian males. I felt
that I had to really proof myself (as a pscyhobiologist-to be) at that
time.
I: And where did you graduate?
PS: UCLA for Undergraduate and Penn State for PhD.
I: Have you encountered any difficulty as a woman in Psychobiology?
Could you tell a specific story on your experience?
PS:I did a special program where we were able to research in a lab for
6 months. Its not that I was treated poorly but I guess the ideas that I
originally come up with in a collaborative process, always got
attributed to male lab students rather than to myself. The male lab
students never corrected that nor change the Professors opinions on
that. When I talked to my Professor, I was told Oh, thats okay,
whatever you say with a slightly condescending attitude.
Nevertheless, the Professor was a kind man but there is a little bit of
prejudice underlying the assumption that women, especially with a

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youthful appearance [I had told her that she looks younger than I had
expected for a Professor], cant come up with good ideas.
I: Did this happen in during your Graduate dissertation?
PS: No, it was in my early Undergrad period. Once I hit Graduate
school, I feel like I didnt have any discrimination for being a female. I
was lucky! [laughs] It (discrimination) certainly exists, but it didnt
occur to me. Oh, this was in the early 90s, to be more specific.
I: How did you finally overcome these obstacles?
PS: Its your perspective! Its not an obstacle unless you make it an
obstacle. So, it was just another situation and you still can complete
your studies. A lot of sciences are based on collaboration and the end
result is what matters. You are trying to advance in knowledge and the
ultimate goal doesnt matter unless its for a recommendation or
something you need to show to someone else other than you. For me,
it was the thrill to solve something, so obstacles didnt set me back at
all. It was a small insignificant thing; it was only a small incident. It
certainly didnt discourage me pursuing Graduate school.
I: In the end, does the love you have for science overcomes all the
difficulties?
PS: Absolutely! In fact, from K-12 until college, my forte was English.
Writing was my strength point. However I love science more, it would
take me longer to study for science subjects and to better in them. It
took much more effort to excel in science, but because you like it so
much that its worth it! Thats what I want to really convey to
everybody. Go what youre really interested in, not necessarily what
youre good at. Because eventually, youll become good at what youre
really interested in!
I: Eventually, what made you decide to teach life sciences in SMC?
PS:I actually was almost forced into a teaching situation because when
I finished Graduate school, most people after obtaining PhD cant just
stop at that point. Thats not enough training to become a Professor,
you have to complete another program called Post-Doctoral Studies.
Some people spent from two-ten years focusing in specialization. The
funding from the government that aided me during the program came
with a stipulation, which is for the time being funded, I had to give
science service payback. I had to do a year and a half of either
research or teaching. Well, I wanted to try something different and

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everybody around me encouraged to give teaching a try. Research also
takes a lot of your time and I decided to start teaching. For the first
time, I was teaching at Ohio, I was planning to teach for that short
amount of time but I fell in love with teaching.
Santa Monica College is very special to me because I grew up here. So
my husband was able to get a job here and we moved back. This is the
only job that I had to wait for five years to open up and I was very
lucky that I got it.
I: Wow, Congratulations!
PS: I wouldnt want to work anywhere else!
I: Do you have any plans to go back to the world of research when
youve finished teaching?
PS: No, because for me the teaching never ends. Its so nice to see that
each and every student is different. For that reason you can never be
done (teaching). I really enjoy the research, I do miss it. But, I feel like
Im creating a bigger impact here. It also allows me to have time with
my children. Research, especially during the time I had my first child, I
worked sixteen hours per day when I was nine months pregnant. The
day that I delivered, I worked full eight hours. Research doesnt stop for
anything, including your family. So if you want to be a researcher, you
have to sacrifice your life.
I: Is balancing family and work at that time tough for you?
PS: During the research years, absolutely. There wasnt much time that
I could spend with my first child, so it was a deciding factor for me to
take on the career of teaching.
I: Throughout your education and career, how important was female
role models and mentors in guiding you?
PS: I think for teaching aspect itself, all of my mentors have been
female. They have been important to me personally because its nice
to see what people can accomplish and how they can reach that level
of success. However having male mentors is equally as important
because they are still the majority filling up the top positions as we
speak. You do need to know how they think, how they work, and how to
communicate with them. I actually learned one of the most valuable
concepts that I still keep until now from my male mentors, who is
establishing active and effective communication skills and also the

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English 1 09.30 AM Class
power of negotiation. Its been regarded as a male mentality to
negotiate for a more preferable salary that you feel is equal to the
work you have contributed for. I do known women scientists, including
myself that didnt have the courage to demand equal pay and felt
underappreciated as a scientist in the long run.
I: Do you think the number of women scientists in Psychobiology
increased or decreased by now?
PS: It has increased for sure.
I: What do you think are the factors contributing to the change?
PS: Nowadays, there has been big push in having a STEM (Science
Technology Engineering Mathematics) system in an early age. There is
one study thats about the difference of treatments from the teachers
towards female and male students in math and science classes. With
that awareness, teachers in K-12 education can become more mindful
to treat their students equally and it has impacted the future
generations. Now you can see many more women in science and many
more women especially in the health care field, in positions like
physicians and also PhDs. The fields where women are rarely invested
into, I would say are computer science and engineering.
I: If there were any difficulties that a neuroscientist today can face,
what would be the difficulties?
PS: Funding definitely. I think because neuroscience is a very
intellectual field, it doesnt directly cure diseases. Its where most of
the funding goes to the back burners. It can be a personal bias that the
brain is the absolute most important organ and its system controls the
entire human body. However, people want problems solved. There is
deadly diseases out there that needs to be cured and theyre the one
getting more publicity and thats ultimately where the funding goes to
in the end.
I: Is there any law regulating researches and publications in
neuroscience?
PS: No there is not, we are grouped with every other science
departments. When you are doing a research, there is no specific law
or regulation to be met. But, you are evaluated by fellow scientists in
the same field as you are. They are the ones looking at your research
method, appropriate use of controls or model, and they are the ones
that decide. For you to get grants for researching, again thats peer

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English 1 09.30 AM Class
review-based. If the experts in your field give you a thumbs up, thats
when you can finally get funded before the governments verdict. This
level is super, super, super small. Only 1% of the applicants actually
are accepted. So if youre lucky, youll get funded.
There is a lot of control before you can even see the research. You have
to have funding first for your research to start, then another fund to
publish the research. Once its published, theres peer reviewing that
determines if your study is worth a while. This goes as a cycle, because
when you dont have any publications that are approved, the
government would not even consider you as an option. That is why it is
very important to start your research in a well-funded lab in Graduate
level, or even in the Undergraduate.
You have to network! Research funding isnt necessarily the basis to a
good research because everyone else is also doing a great job. It all
comes to who will give you the upper leg on researching is finding and
knowing the right people, the people who have the extra money and is
willing to give a helping hand. There is no other way to do it.
I: I did not know that at all!
PS: Nobody knew that! I wish I had a way to tell people that because I
didnt knew anything about that when I was still a student. There is
always some political component that you need to be aware of.
I: Also paying attention to the current trend of the research right? In
the sense of what the people want and what the people need.
PS: Absolutely true. The one destructive mindset that has been going
in students in any scientific field is the believe that Oh, I dont have to
talk to anyone about my work. Not only does networking keeps your
research going, you definitely will need to get specific materials that
defines what your research is about, like maybe certain cells or certain
mouse strain that they may be willing to cooperate with you. But how
could you meet your needs if they have no idea of who you are.
Thats why you have to go to conferences, introduce yourself to
different people, expanding your network all the time. A lot of people
go and think to themselves Im just going to sit here and not
participate because Im just a researcher. I dont need to deal with
people, I would just have to produce good scientific information. That

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Natasha Kristie
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is probably the biggest mistake that any students in the scientific field
live with.
I: What do you think is the biggest advice for scientists for networking?
PS: Join organizations that provide support, solidarity and benefits for
your scientific careers. There is a good amount of organizations that is
solely focusing on women scientists such as the Associations of Women
in Science (AWIS) for the Undergrad and Graduate level, Graduate
Women in Science (GWIS) for the Graduate Level and also Women in
Science and Engineering or WISE.
I: How about organizations specifically for female neuroscience?
PS: I think in a field where the number of female and male experts are
equilibrated, there is no need for a specific division for any genders.
I: Finally, do you have any advice to women pursuing Neuroscience?
PS: Pursue whatever you want but I dont think its good for you to
categorize yourself as a woman in Neuroscience, or in any sciences.
You could just say youre a student of Neuroscience, or a researcher of
Neuroscience! Creating boxes, boundaries and limitations for yourself
is not a good thing. It shows that youre separating yourself from rest
of the team and youre different. Often times it can be a positive thing,
but it can also lead to a negative self-image. I think that it isnt a
necessary distinction that should be made as a scientist. Going in
knowing that you re just as good as a man or anyone else and if you
are a student who is discipline, conscientious and hardworking, you
can accomplish anything you want. Really, natural or biological
intelligence doesnt matter, it is all the time and effort you are willing
to spend in to accomplishing that goal.
A. Cultural Expectation
(Women Numbers Game Journal, WIN First Twenty Years Journal
page 7-10, recent sexual harassment issue in 2010 Society for
Neuroscience Symposium
B. Educational Opportunities
I dont see that schools are applying the best knowledge of
how minds work. Schools should be the best place for applied
neuroscience, taking the latest advances in cognitive research
and applying it to the job of educating minds.4
4 Dr. Arthur Lavin, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Case
Western School of Medicine. Speech.

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C. Employment Opportunities
D. Publication of Research
E. 2004-2008: number of neuroscience articles increased by 18%.
Figures of related research fields are even higher: clinical
neurology by 23%, psychiatry 25%, psychology 39% and
behavioural sciences 48%. Brain research is a growing industry
(pg 8 brain supremacy)
F. Law and Regulations
G. Specialized Organizations
H. Achievements
IV. The
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.

Future (The Future of The Mind-Michio Kaku, Inferences are IWP)

Cultural Expectation
Educational Opportunities
Employment Opportunities
Publication of Research
Law and Regulations
Specialized Organizations
Achievements

V. Conclusion
A. Revisit Lead in (inferences) Neuroscience paved way for both
men and women scientists explore the wonders of the mind and
behavior. Looking at the rise in the trend of Neuroscience in both
mainstream media and scientific publications, it is highly
undoubted that more research, publication and occupation
opportunities will be opened for both men and women
neuroscientists in the near future.
B. Rework Thesis: Abundance of funding and laws regulating
scientific studies and research in 1960s created a novel pathway
for emerging Neuroscience scientists and scholars, both men and
women. Moreover, this movement affects greatly on the face of
women in science.