Margarita Kapustina
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
My decision to pursue a graduate degree in neuroscience was shaped by a combination of curiosity and inspiration. During my undergraduate degree, I quickly became fascinated by the principles of neuroscience, and this interest grew as I pursued more neurobiology coursework. I always felt that I wanted to learn more about various experiments, mechanisms or processes. Two exceptional UBC professors further inspired me to pursue a graduate degree by sharing their passion for neurobiology and encouraging me to ask simple, yet thoughtful, research questions. Their mentorship played a meaningful role in shaping my commitment to neuroscience.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
I decided to pursue my graduate degree at UBC after completing my undergraduate thesis in Dr. Mark Cembrowski’s lab. I quickly became passionate about the techniques I was learning, and the lab environment felt like an exceptional fit for me. I was drawn to the supportive mentorship, dynamic and engaging atmosphere, and the opportunity to work with cutting-edge techniques. I’m grateful to be under his supervision, as his support has allowed me to thrive and pursue the biological questions that interest me most.
What is it specifically, that your program offers, that attracted you?
I was drawn to UBC’s Graduate Program in Neuroscience by the opportunity to work with and learn from exceptional faculty members, engage in a strong interdisciplinary and collaborative environment, and access specialized core facilities such as the NeuroImaging and NeuroComputation Core (NINC).
What was the best surprise about UBC or life in Vancouver?
What surprised me most at UBC was the strong sense of camaraderie across departments and faculties. As a student in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience, I noticed that everyone has their own area of expertise based on their unique research projects. Despite this, everyone comes together to learn and collaborate in a supportive interdisciplinary environment unified by a shared passion for neuroscience.
What aspects of your life or career before now have best prepared you for your UBC graduate program?
I believe that working with my supervisor and the lab early on allowed me to hit the ground running when I began my graduate coursework and research. I was very fortunate to complete multiple undergraduate research opportunities in Mark’s lab, such as the NSERC USRA and an undergraduate directed studies, before starting graduate school. I believe that getting hands-on research experience is one of the best ways to prepare for most graduate programs.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
As a researcher, pursue the questions that genuinely stand out to you and try to think of creative approaches to solve complex problems. Identify gaps in existing work and consider how you can leverage the tools and techniques already available in your lab to explore them. As a student and trainee, remember that graduate school is a winding road. It's a path of perseverance, discovery and collaboration. You may not have all the answers at the outset, but that’s part of the process. Remind yourself that life also exists beyond the exciting new ideas of your project and experiment with troubleshooting. Find your support system as early as you can and lean on them when you need to.
Learn more about Margarita's research
The neocortex of the brain is responsible for critical functions like attention, processing sensory information and decision-making. Spatially deep within the neocortex lies a thin group of neurons, which represent the deepest and rarest neocortical cell type. Remarkably, these neurons, termed “Layer 6b," remain poorly characterized relative to other neocortical cell types. To understand the molecular landscape of these cells, I used a combination of complementary transcriptomics techniques. I first analyzed gene expression properties of L6b cells using scRNA-sequencing data to assess their unique transcriptome. To understand the spatial organization of L6b cells, I then mapped their gene expression properties in space with cutting-edge high-throughput histological techniques. With this unique molecular-spatial approach, I identified four unique subtypes of L6b neurons, one of which expresses a receptor that helps mediate wakefulness in the brain. This receptor plays a key role in the dysfunction observed in humans who suffer from narcolepsy, as well as in animal models of the disease. The next step of my project is to pharmacologically manipulate this molecular subtype through targeted drug delivery while recording neuronal activity using 3-photon microscopy, to better understand how these specific cells could regulate wakefulness in the mouse brain.
