Thomas Harrison
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I was exposed to research during my undergraduate degree, and instantly knew that I wanted to continue on to graduate studies. I love the variety, challenge, and intellectual freedom of research, as well as the camaraderie of working in a lab.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
UBC has arguably the strongest neuroscience faculty in Canada, and my supervisor is a leader in his field. The Brain Research Centre regularly hosts lectures by prominent neuroscientists from around the world, and I am surrounded by interesting people and ideas.
What was the best surprise about UBC or life in Vancouver?
With focus and organization, it's possible to make progress in graduate school without having to give up the important things in life.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
Make sure to get out the lab and take advantage of what Vancouver has to offer. Where else in the world can you go skiing and sailing on the same day?
Learn more about Thomas 's research
Although the physical damage caused by stroke is irreversible, the brain has an impressive capacity for spontaneous functional recovery. After a stroke surviving brain cells will assume roles previously performed by stroke-affected cells. This plasticity appears to be necessary for recovery of function after severe injuries, but it may not be entirely beneficial. When surviving brain regions are forced to compensate for a loss of neural circuitry, this new duty could impair their ability to carry out their original function. Stroke recovery is a slow process, and is best studied in longitudinal experiments. In the motor cortex, the brain region responsible for voluntary movement, such experiments have been constrained by the limitations of electrical brain stimulation. My colleagues and I recently developed a novel technique that makes such experiments possible for the first time. By repeatedly mapping the motor cortex of mice before and after a targeted stroke, we are able to study the brain’s response to injury on an unprecedented time scale.