06/23/2021
Dear Members,
On June 30th Neuroscience Research Group will be holding an election for the 2012/22 executive team. The election will be open all day, you can cast your vote via the official York webpage, yorku.campuslabs.ca/engage/organization/nrgyorku
To get to know the candidates, we asked them to tell us a bit about themselves and why they want to be an executive. let's hear what they have to say! (see below)
Parmin Rahimpoor-Marnani
Candidate for: President and Vice President
Greetings! My name is Parmin, a 4th year Kinesiology student. I feel super grateful to be applying for an executive position with NRG and sharing the path that has led to this personal statement for the presidency and vice presidency positions. The passion for neuroscience sparked within me since elementary school as I observed a friend’s battle with a concussion. Therefore, I have continually sought neuroscience based opportunities and have been fortunate to join Drs. Henriques and Sergio neuroscience research laboratories as a research assistant.
Throughout my undergraduate career, I have seen NRG’s growth even in the face of a global pandemic through its bold events. I have also worked upon personal and professional skills, namely problem solving, teamwork, effective communication, creativity and organization, through leadership opportunities such as serving as a student senator and an executive member of numerous student organizations including KAHSSO and Unload. Therefore, joining NRG will allow me to utilize these skills towards the flourishing of a student organization whose mandate matches my deepest interests alongside like minded individuals. On top of continuing NRG’s unique talks, if elected as an executive, I hope to work upon the establishment of a mentorship program connecting undergraduate students with researchers, physicians and even students in neuroscience who can guide undergraduate students pursuing their academic and career goals.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know me and my visions through this statement. Looking forward to connecting with you as we discuss the marvelous brain through NRG initiatives
Emre Onomay
Candidate for: Head of Social Media
Hello, my name is Emre and I'm a 3rd year Cognitive Science major at York. I am interested in the head of social media position at Neuroscience Research Group. I don't know anyone in the club or how the voting process works and I doubt I'll get any votes so please consider me for the position if you can't find anyone. I am an experienced graphic designer and I ran various other social media pages before. I like the premise of the club and enjoyed the events I attended so I'd love to help out in the club. You can check out something im currently working on at : .me on instagram. It's a work-in-progress cognitive science journal. It is not in english but it should give you a rough idea. Cheers
Ramsha Mansuri
Candidate for: Vice President
My name is Ramsha and I will be currently entering my fourth year for Biomedical Sciences at York University. My future goals involve me going into medicine and pursuing a career as a doctor. As a pre-med, I have always had basic curiosities towards the brain and why certain things occur. From wondering about how nightmares impact the rest of our day to why certain neurological diseases occur. I want to be able to not only provide myself, but others with this crucial information about the organ that is the center of all attention! Ironically, we know very little of the brain and that is why the Neuroscience Research group at York is so important.
This group shines light on the ongoing research and relays this information in an intriguing and captivating manner to their audience. Ongoing research on areas of the brain and how it affects different subgroups of individuals is very important nowadays. As someone who has been previously part of a research in regenerative medicine club, I understand the significance and urgency of growing research areas. Without neuroscience research we would not know things like: electrical stimulation that helped previously paralyzed patients walk, how short-term and long-term memory work, and the effects of sleep/alcohol/energy drinks on the brain! If granted the opportunity as Vice President, I would love to collaborate with the NRG members, plan exciting events, and bring in speakers to talk about ongoing research. All in all, I would love to contribute to NRG!
Looking forward to hearing from you
Filip Pauzenberger
Candidate for: President, Vice President, Head of Administration
What is the brain? What is the mind? These two questions are some of the most difficult to answer, but at the same time are the ones that drive me the most. As I enter my fourth year of studying Cognitive Science and researching the functioning of the brain and the mind/brain interface, I’ve found that it is simply not enough to go it alone. Cooperation and the free exchange of information are where the true value of Neuroscience Research Group lies. In the past two years I’ve watched this group grow and evolve, and last year as the Head of Administration, the team and I were able to organize many different events. I had the honor of inviting notable figures in the Cognitive Science field to come share their ideas, with the team planned the course of the events, and with their foresight resolved any potential issues before they could arise. This year as president, and in line with the progress obtained last year, I am ready to lead Neuroscience Research Group to the next stage of its development. Together with the team we will expand the scope of our events and with luck be able to invite many more prominent speakers. Additionally, we will expand on the debate format from last year. We will ensure that the group retains its identity and purpose, and that it does so without sacrificing new directions. I am confident that with my vision as president we can achieve all this and more.
Ali Rezaeishahreza
Candidate for: President, Vice President and Head of Social Media
Hey! My name is Ali and I am a fourth-year student majoring in biology. Briefly, I am going to talk about why I am interested in being part of the club as well as the experience and skills that I can bring to the table.
I have been always intrigued by how complicated our brains are, and how little we know about how it works; The combination of these two facts has made me interested in the neuroscience field. As a result, I spend my free time read/watch/research/do something mostly related to the brain. I believe that it is a great opportunity to be part of the NRG team, a place where I can enjoy and contribute.
As for related experience and skills, I put them as a list below for more clarity:
- Over the last three years, I have been part of several different research groups that were working primarily in the field of neuroscience.
- As a result of my work, I made some good connections in and out of the university with some people in this field that might come useful.
- I am a very good video/ photo editor and a digital content creator (Not going into detail but I can edit photos/videos and create any designs).
- I had been a leader of a project for a company where I was working on a design with 4 other people on the team.
I think this pretty much sums up my write-up. Hope you enjoy reading it!
Ludwig Garnica Torres
Candidate for:: Vice President and Head of Administration
Hi everyone! My name is Ludwig, I’m a third year Cognitive Science student from Mexico.
I was given the opportunity to come to Canada and study an undergraduate after many years of personal discovery and work; and after contemplating multiple options like Economy and Computer Science, I found a special niche in the Cognitive Science field as it allowed me to delve deeper into programming and computer science related fields while feeding my everlasting fascination with subjects related to the mind, the brain, human behavior and the pursuit of knowledge and truth.
Neuroscience Research Group has been one of the staples of my experience at York as a whole, and has provided me with a space where I’ve been able to strike up conversation and discussion with like minded individuals as well as bearing witness to the theories and ideas of some of the most relevant and unique researchers I’ve ever had the joy of coming across, exposing me to possibilities that I had already contemplated as mere conjecture in a professional research setting as well as ideas which had never even crossed my mind in the first place.
It is for these reasons as well as the appreciation I’ve found for the people involved with the group that I am looking to become an active part of this club and contribute to its continuous development and growth throughout my stay at York University as a member of the executive team.
Fadi Zidan
Candidate for: Head of Social Media and Financial Officer.
My name is Fadi Zidan, and I am a third year student at York University, majoring in Biomedical Sciences. I am running for the positions of Head of Social Media and Financial Officer.
Over the past year of my studies, neuroscience was a big and interesting part of my courses so when I saw the group’s poster, I was excited to join and be part of this great group. I find myself very passionate about neuroscience and would like to share this passion with the group members. I believe I will be a great addition to the executive board as I have previous experience from other groups as well. I look forward to hopefully working with all of you to push this group forward and learn along the way!
Camille Proszanski
Candidate for: Financial Officer
Hello, my name is Camille Proszanski, and I am running for the position of financial officer. As a fifth-year psychology student, I have had time to determine my interest in vision research. The neuroscience research group helped introduce me to several research areas in my first years as an undergraduate. That is why I have chosen to run to help expose other students to the field of neuroscience and offer guidance to students who are still unsure of their interests.
I have experience maintaining the finances for a student-run cafe in high school in which I had to keep track of costs, sales and pricing of items to maintain a profitable business. I was also in charge of balancing finances for the high school yearbook that allowed them to be sold at the lowest price in 10 years.
Through Calumet College, I completed the Foundational Peer Leadership Training that has prepared me with the skills to be an effective leader and knowledge about the Faculty of Health that would benefit members of the Neuroscience Research Group. My time as a NATS AID class representative has allowed me to gain experience interacting with students through class announcements, promotion of events and study groups that I facilitated every week. I can apply the planning and organizational skills I learned to my position as an executive. I feel that I could bring many unique and exciting ideas to the group this year. Thank you for your consideration.
Yara Iskandar
Candidate for: President, Vice President, Head of Administration, and Director of Events
My name is Yara Iskandar, and I am a third year student at York University. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in the field of Psychology. For the past year, I have been a member of the Neuroscience research group, and I have been taken by all of the informative and interesting events the Research Group has put together. As a member of the executive team I will work hard to engage with likeminded people to expand the group, as well as interact with Doctors and Researchers who can teach us more about their craft, and help us quench our mutual thirst for knowledge. Personally, I am a passionate, hardworking, committed and sociable person. My goal is to become a Neurologist to study how the physiological makeup of the brain relates to various disorders relating to mental health. I believe that the boundaries of knowledge are the boundaries of our world. I hope as an executive member of the team we can work together to make these boundaries limitless.
Ola Fathullah
Candidate for: President, Vice President and Head of Administration
My name Ola Fathullah and I'm going to my second year as a kinesiology and health science student at York University. I'm currently working as a pharmacy assistant, and at the same time, I'm volunteering at the hospital. I'm excited to apply to be an NRG executive as president, vice president and head of administration.
During my previous experience in the daycare as a teacher assistant, I maintained classroom discipline. Identified warning signs of emotional and developmental problems in children and introduced toddlers to multisensory activities such as music, dance, and stories to encourage exploration spark curiosity.
My goal is to apply for medical school and be a doctor since I was a child. Therefore, my experience in the medical field started a year ago; I've been volunteering in the hospital for a year now. I've learned a lot from this experience, and I'm still learning new things every day especially volunteering during the pandemic. I was able to sit with patients in need of companionship and support, helped to provide information, customer service and wayfinding support to patients. Lastly, being a pharmacy assistant helped me deliver quality care to customers and patients through close collaboration with pharmacists. Besides, counting and filling medications and labelling them.
I'm applying to be an NRG executive because I'm interested in learning and engaging with neuroscience research, and I'm interested in studying the brain and how it works. Besides, I want to develop my experience in the medical field and spread awareness. As I grow in this position applying my skills and knowledge to help others, and I believe this role would give me that opportunity.
