Karina Thiessen is a PhD student in Dr. Christian Schütz’s lab. We caught up with Karina to learn more about her research and future plans.
What inspired you to pursue a degree in Neuroscience?
I’ve had a long-standing interest in substance use and mental health disorders. I wanted to explore how the intersections between biological mechanisms and psychological states are involved in these disorders and how we can apply this knowledge to improve treatments. About two years ago, I had the opportunity to work as a research coordinator with my current supervisor, Dr. Christian Schütz. His focus on clinically oriented and translational research on concurrent substance use and mental health disorders was a great fit for my interests, inspiring me to pursue graduate studies in this area. Neuroscience is a truly interdisciplinary field and I love the integration of different methodologies and perspectives to better understand psychiatric disorders.
