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Headlines 9 The life cycle of a researcher and neurological research Research is the lifelong pursuit of an answer scientists and clinicians may never get. It could lead to the next ground-breaking treatment, therapy or even cure for some of the world’s diseases and conditions. But it all starts with a person asking a very important question – what if? Asking this simple question can lead to a world of possibilities that narrows down to one single idea that becomes the basis for a research project. What happens after that initial idea is formed? How do scientists and clinicians pursue becoming a researcher, with just a simple idea in mind? The answers to these questions are important in understanding the larger picture of why research is so important, and why it is crucial funding is available for research to continue. Like any career path, you must start with a passion. One of our funded researchers, Dr Amy McCaughey- Chapman from the University of Auckland, started with a passion for mathematics. Science wasn’t her number one passion, but as she flipped through the course selection pamphlet, she came across the Faculty of Science brochure and read about how she could apply her love of maths with science in pharmacology. Now, seven years later, she is using her passion for maths by applying it to innovative research on Huntington’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Not all career paths are the same. For those who set out to be neuroscientists, they will first do a three-year degree, then an Honours or Masters degree, then a PhD. Other students may develop an interest in neuroscience while studying medicine or engineering. One of our First Fellows, Dr Brad Raos, has a PhD in engineering. He is using his experience with modelling and design to create a cell model of spinal cord injury. Additionally, clinicians may get involved in research after they are established in their medical careers, as their clinical work often raises questions or theories about additional things that could help their patients. Another common path to neuroscience starts with personal experience of a neurological disorder. For those who pursue a university career as a neuroscientist, once they have their PhD they become a postdoctoral research fellow. At this stage of their career, they rely on research funding. They may be Research starts with an idea. It’s simple, it’s unique, and it’s the start of something much bigger than any of us could ever imagine. An idea that could change someone’s life.