Every one of you carries around a big, wrinkly blob in your head that controls everything you do. This big, amazing blob weighs the same as a little penguin and is known as your brain! I am a neuroscientist which means I use my brain to study the brain.
Did you know that your brain generates enough electricity to power a lightbulb? This energy comes from over 100 billion messengers in your brain called neurons! Whenever you dream, think, or run, these messengers pass tiny electrical signals all over your brain. For example, when you ride a bike, your brain sends ‘bike riding’ messages along these neuron pathways – like a big Mexican wave! These ‘bike riding’ messages can even change the structure of your brain, so the next time you ride a bike, it gets easier and easier.
As a neuroscientist I work to answer the question: why? Why do we have dreams? Why do we feel hungry? Why do we run, skip, and jump? At school, I always loved studying biology because it helped me understand why things happen. Along with my interest in biology, my love of sport led me to explore movement and exercise science. Combining these passions led me to neuroscience, a field that helps us understand why our bodies do what they do!
