Angel Toasakul

Research is Better with the Right Mentor—How I Found Mine

Posted on April 2, 2025April 2, 2025 by Angel Toasakul

Glass brain plots from the data analysis of the project I’m working on with my mentor, who spends a couple hours every week going through the fundamentals of coding in neuroscience with me. When I started working with him, I didn’t even know I could make plots like these. Our weekly meetings paid off.

When I first came to Princeton, already interested in neuroscience research, I kept hearing about all the incredible opportunities available to undergraduates. Professors conducting groundbreaking neuroscience studies, cutting-edge labs filled with brilliant minds—it all sounded amazing. But as a first-year student, I had no idea how to actually get involved. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing, while I was stuck wondering: Where do I even start? Will a professor really take time to mentor someone like me? If I cold-email them, will they even read it?

Inside the Neuroscience Lab: How Core Lab is Shaping My Research Journey

Posted on February 14, 2025February 13, 2025 by Angel Toasakul

This picture depicts the setup of crayfish dissection with the microscope positioned on top of the dissection, light source attached to the headstage on the right, and electrode coming in from the left. — *Extracellular recording of crayfish nerve*

For most STEM majors at Princeton, one of the requirements is a course known informally as Core Lab. This class aims to equip students with laboratory skills required to succeed as a scientist in the field. It is usually composed of two 3-hour labs and one lecture per week. As a neuroscience major, I am currently taking NEU 350: Laboratory in Principles of Neuroscience, a class designed to introduce students to modern methods of analyzing neural activity—from the level of single neurons to large-scale networks underlying cognition. The course covers a range of techniques, including intracellular and extracellular recordings, optogenetics, EEG, and fMRI. After weeks of conducting designed experiments, it culminates in an independent research project where students design and conduct their own experiments based on knowledge and skills learned throughout the semester.

Crafting Your Ideal Princeton Summer

Posted on January 31, 2025December 12, 2024 by Angel Toasakul

Yellow/orange fireworks against a black night sky on Princeton's campus in summer 2024. — *Fireworks on the 4th of July, taken at the closest firework show to campus this past summer*

As a Princeton student, the possibilities for summer are exciting but can also feel overwhelming. Between research opportunities, internships, volunteering, and even traveling, it’s easy to feel like everyone around you is planning something impressive. But the key to a fulfilling summer isn’t about packing in as much as possible—it’s about finding what fits your personal goals and needs, whether that’s academic growth or much-needed rest.

Balancing Research and Academics: The Art of Course Planning

Posted on December 11, 2024December 11, 2024 by Angel Toasakul

Screenshot of TigerJunction page with course planning template — *A blank Tiger Junction page ready to be filled with the courses for next semester.*

Planning your courses while doing research can feel like a juggling act—one that involves not just your academic requirements but also your research commitments and, of course, your own well-being. At a place like Princeton, where opportunities in labs and research projects abound, learning how to navigate and integrate everything into your schedule can make a huge difference.

Navigating the Slump: When Even Your Passion Projects Get You Down

Posted on December 2, 2024December 2, 2024 by Angel Toasakul

Empty corner of the Firestone Library with books lining the shelves and a table and lamp in the foreground. — *A quiet corner of a library where you might find a new way to approach your project.*

We all have those moments when we doubt where we’re headed, even when the path we’re on is one we chose with so much excitement. Maybe it’s that feeling of disconnect, where you can’t quite see why you’re doing what you’re doing—even if it’s the thing you used to call your dream. And when it comes to research, that slump can feel even more intense.

Let Your Happy Self Shine: Why Happiness Shouldn’t Be Saved Only for Moments of Victory

Posted on November 8, 2024October 21, 2024 by Angel Toasakul

This is a picture of the Princeton Chapel, taken by myself the summer I first arrived at Princeton. — *Princeton Chapel in the summer*

“What’s your priority this semester?” my friend asked after our first meal together post-summer break. My instinct was to say classes, internships, research—after all, we’re at school, preparing for life after college. The pressure to secure a job or get accepted into graduate school looms large. What could be more important than staying focused on the future? But none of those answers felt right. I paused for a moment before saying, “being happy.”

Exploring Memory: My First-Year Research Experience

Posted on October 18, 2024October 18, 2024 by Angel Toasakul

The picture shows Dr. Augustin Hennings and I in the MRI control room on the C Level of Princeton Neuroscience Institute. We were monitoring the screens in one of the pilot scans. — *Dr. Augustin Hennings and I in the MRI control room, C Level, PNI*

It felt a little odd to begin an email with, “I wrote about your lab in my application to Princeton!” but it was the truth. Since high school, I had been fascinated by memory and its profound effects on shaping our lives, which motivated me to pursue a degree in neuroscience. Professor Kenneth Norman’s work in the Princeton Computational Memory Lab captured my attention while I was exploring Princeton’s resources for my application essays. I wrote about how I wanted to be a part of the lab and study human memory, specifically focusing on how the brain and mind can overcome the emotional consequences of trauma-based memories. After arriving at Princeton, I had been eagerly awaiting the right time to reach out to Professor Norman about getting involved in his research.

Author: Angel Toasakul

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