Robert Desimone ’74, PhD

Robert Desimone ’74, PhD
Director of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT
Professor of Neuroscience, MIT

A broad background in the physical, biological, and information sciences is necessary for anyone pursuing research in science today because the cutting edge of science has become so multidisciplinary. More than that, I find that my own field of neuroscience is enriched by contributions from so many other fields, including history, political science, languages, and even the arts. I often feel that my colleagues without a broad liberal arts background have missed out.

My teachers and my classroom experiences at Macalester emphasized independence of thought and action, and I later found that this is the only way to be truly successful in science. At Macalester, I also learned how to learn, which is essential for a career that will span decades in a rapidly changing world.

In my experience, graduate schools are looking not only for strong academic preparation, including good grades and test scores, but also evidence that you took the most challenging courses, even if your grades in those courses were not necessarily the best. Undergraduate research experience is also a good sign in a graduate student candidate. The research doesn’t have to lead to a breakthrough discovery. Just having the experience shows that you are motivated enough to pursue research in spite of the inevitable frustrations and setbacks we all encounter.

A last bit of advice is to use your time at Macalester to discover what you truly love to do. I entered Macalester thinking that I wanted to be a psychotherapist. My experiences in the classroom as well as a volunteer and employee in the mental health field convinced me that I would be happier in research, and that I would have the opportunity to help people through my research.