Meet Eman Hassanain, a current Master's degree student at the University of Turku and an UTUambassador 2020-2022!
"I have always been fascinated by the brain and how it works, and I knew since I was studying bachelor’s in psychology that I will start a career in neuroscience. After graduation, I started to search for a master’s degree that teaches the fundamental concepts of neuroscience as well as the clinical and imaging techniques, which I found here at the University of Turku. The curriculum is interesting and covers different topics that combine theory and practicality. I also had the chance to visit some of the facilities, such as the PET center and the Game lab, and meet researchers of several backgrounds. Turku is also an amazing city to enjoy your time. Everything is close and available, and you can do many activities like hiking and exercise in the university’s gym. Students also get several discounts, which is an extra benefit when buying things. I love being here and would encourage you to apply to UTU."
Instagram: @emy.hassanain
Eman's study experience
I have had this passion to understand how the human brain works, especially when it comes to disease. After graduating with my Bachelor's in psychology, I knew that my next step was to specialize in neuroscience to learn more about the complexity of the brain and what happens in neurological diseases. Besides, I wanted to learn more about neuroimaging techniques and their applicability in research, for which UTU is best known.
I have taken many courses that were very interesting and included new information. But, I would say that Measuring Cognitive Functions and Clinical Neurophysiology have been the most interesting courses for me because I had the chance to do the experiments myself or see tests in the clinical setting.
Now, I am focusing on multiple sclerosis research in my Master's thesis using MRI and PET imaging techniques as it is a common disabling neurological disease affecting a huge number of people and its mechanism is still under investigation.
My future career plans so far is to apply for a PhD and continue working on MS research. However, during my studies, I started to have an interest in data analysis, especially when it comes to analyzing big data, like neuroimaging data. This could also be an option to work in the industry.