Sense Lab - Social Emotional NeuroScience Endocrinology

Fall Semester was a lab rotation with Dr Corbett at the SENSE Lab 

(Social Emotional NeuroScience Endocrinology) 

First day at the lab with my PI, Prof Blythe Corbett

My name on the office door!!

Imagine I get an office!!

with Sense Lab mates. 

https://senselab.vkcsites.org/

 

This time last year

This time last year. 8/25/21: First day of class in final year of undergrad at UC Berkeley

 

Grad School Orientation @ Vanderbilt

 Day 1 of Grad student Orientation

Neuroscience Retreat

 

Existence, Essence and when Hell is other people

Existence Precedes Essence & Bad Faith

"Existence precedes essence" is a fundamental idea in Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialism philosophy. It means that individuals are not defined by any inherent nature or purpose, but rather by the choices we make and the actions we take.

According to Sartre, human beings have complete freedom and responsibility for their own lives and must create their own meaning and values. This is in contrast to traditional philosophical views, which often hold that individuals have an inherent nature or purpose that determines their actions and choices. Essentially, the concept of "existence precedes essence" highlights the importance of individual freedom and responsibility in shaping one's own identity and purpose.

The idea of "existence precedes essence" is closely linked to Sartre's concept of "bad faith," which refers to the denial of one's own freedom and responsibility. When individuals act in bad faith, they try to escape their own freedom and responsibility by blaming external factors or by denying their own choices and actions.

Hell is other People

"Hell is other people" is a phrase from Jean-Paul Sartre's play "No Exit," in which the character Garcin utters the phrase in response to the realization that he is doomed to spend eternity in a room with two other people. The phrase has come to be widely recognized as a reference to the idea that other people can be a source of suffering or torment, either because of their actions or simply because of their presence. Sartre's play is a commentary on the human condition and the ways in which people interact with one another, and the phrase "hell is other people" captures the sense of frustration and despair that can arise in relationships with others.

ADA 32 in DC

Was a honor to be part of group invited to attend formal reception hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris at her residence, Naval Observatory, in DC, to celebrate ADA 32 and get to meet and interact with so many luminaries. 

What can I say. OMG.

Photo 1: Vice President Kamala Harris and Mr Emhoff.

Photo 2: Attorney General Merrick Garland

Photo 3: Senator Tom Harkin (who was chief sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990)

Photo 4: Got to meet my hero in-person, Judy Heumann, the legendary disability civil rights activist. In deepest admiration and awe of the grueling efforts of her generation that helped open the doors of inclusion and opportunity for the current generation of disabled folks like me.

Photo 5: Me just hanging out with the flags, quite wide-eyed at my surroundings and the people I was surrounded by and got to interact with. Was honestly quite stunned to receive a White House event invite.

(Image Descriptions: work in progress....)

 

20K students

 Oh wow, 20K students. When I joined it was 11K students. 

https://news.berkeley.edu/2022/08/10/uc-berkeley-offers-nearly-20000-students-admission-for-2022-23/?fbclid=IwAR3eKsarMFiX3f_NausXiD_jyCxmE_n_uMpaZaGVxRw_qeFPfPB3R2NdwGk

I'm speaking at ITAKOM

 

Top Five Living Disability Activist

Too humbling. Not sure if I am deserving of mention in same space as Judy Human and Alice Wong. 

Eric Garcia: Ask me for my "Top five ____."

Solomon: Disability activists, 4 living, 5 all time

Eric: All Time: Judith Heumann, Brad Lomas, Ed Roberts, Justin Dart, Pat Wright

Living: @SFDireWolf (Alice Wong), @JustStimming (Julia Bascom), @Cal_Montgomery, @HariSri108 (Hari Srinivasan)

Getting Real

Attended my first PhD Dissertation Defense session by a Vandy PhD Student on Enlarged Vascular Spaces. 

Its getting real...., classes start in 2 weeks!!! Excited and also terribly nervous. 

Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation

History of the Industrial Age - Trains, cars (including presidential cars), planes, tools, steam engines, farm equipment, art glass, furniture, clocks and more all under one roof. 

This week a year ago

A lazy summer day of just chilling on the Cal Campus

 

Move to Nashville

 Well I've officially moved to Nashville, Tennessee. First words that comes to mind - Green and wildlife. 

So far seen adult deer with antlers, without antlers, and fawns all in my backyard and front yard. Lots of turkey including baby turkeys, a few birds including cardinals. bluebirds and blackbirds. The baby deer did a happy dance on the lawn after the rains and ran back and forth on the lawn playing. Its  hot (kinda) but also rains quite a bit so everything turns green. Towering tall trees. Going for early morning hikes at Percy Warner Park near by. 

So far.... nice....

Nashville is Hot