Graduate student Miranda Chappel-Farley wins competitive award for grant writing.
In addition to our wonderful labmates Sarah Kark and Sandra Gattas winning individual awards just last month, graduate student Miranda Chappel-Farley continues this tradition of excellence as she received the 2020 Grant Writing Workshop Award. We caught up with Miranda to ask her about her interest in where sleep and Alzheimer’s disease intersect, as well as some advice for students looking to apply for awards next season.
Miranda’s interest in memory comes from early experiences with Alzheimer’s disease patients
Blake: What led you to study memory and the brain?
Miranda: I have been interested in human memory ever since I worked with Alzheimer’s disease patients at a nursing home during high school. My interest in the role of sleep in memory function stems from my undergraduate research, wherein we targeted and manipulated sleep-dependent processes to enhance memory function. That line of research is ultimately what forged my interest in how sleep, and other lifestyle factors such as exercise, influence memory and how modifying these lifestyle factors could potentially prevent age and disease-related cognitive decline.
Blake: How does winning the 2020 Grant Writing Workshop Award impact your research?
Miranda: This award provides me with the opportunity to attend the Grant Writing Workshop during the Annual Meeting of the Professional Sleep Societies (SLEEP) this August. Attending this workshop will allow me to network with session speakers who are leaders in my field, receive guidance on writing NIH grants, and receive feedback on my Specific Aims from a sleep research expert. All in all, this workshop will provide insight into the grant writing process that will be invaluable throughout my research career.
Blake: What advice do you have for incoming graduate students who want to apply for the same, or similar awards?
Miranda: It helps to have a clear idea and timeline for your grant application that you can discuss when applying for the award. That way, you can be specific in how the award will help you achieve your goals!
Author:
Blake Alec Miranda is a Research Specialist with the Yassa Lab. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Science from UCI in 2018, and has worked for the university in a variety of academic and professional roles. He specializes in writing scientific blogs and copy that are optimized for online search engines, and his work can be found on Medium, LinkedIn, and other neuroscientists’ blogs.