Michael Alpert received my doctorate in Neuroscience in 2013 from the University of Illinois Chicago in the laboratory of Simon Alford. Michael's research focused on cellular and synaptic principles of spinal motor control during rhythmic movement, resulting in several publications in basic principles of swimming behavior in the Sea Lamprey, Petromyzon Marinus, and a thesis that was nominated for ‘thesis of the year’.

Michael Alpert's T32 experience:

The T32 Training Grant in Mental Health provided me with the financial support to focus on developing my research skills, it also facilitated the pursuit of course development and teaching. Learning how to critically evaluate scientific papers was one of the most valuable skills I learned as graduate student –one I wished I had had as an undergraduate. This not only fosters learning of the material at hand, but also develops critical thinking skills for life. Now, again during my postdoc, I have joined forces with other teaching-inclined postdocs to develop a course designed for postdocs to develop and teach a course to undergraduates in the Neuroscience major at Northwestern. I have also recently completed a course in Advanced Learning through Evidence-based STEM teaching along with a mentorship program where I am paired up with a faculty member to discuss approaches for how to teach undergraduates. Thus, the T32 provided me with a critical opportunity to pursue both research and teaching, making me a more competent scientist and educator.