News
Benjamin Cocanougher
- Alumni
- United States
- 2016 PhD Zoology
- St Catharine's College
I grew up catching praying mantises and damselflies in rural Kentucky. As an undergraduate at Centre College, I majored in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; I spent my summers taking care of sick children at the Center for Courageous Kids and doing research in organic chemistry and neuroscience. I matriculated directly to the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and completed my first three years of medical school. I then moved to Janelia Research Campus as a HHMI Medical Research Fellow; there I studied the neural and genetic bases of behavior. As a PhD student in Zoology, I will study adaptive behavior. All animals integrate information about past experience into future decisions; this is the basis of learning and memory. I am proposing to write a specific memory and read the memory trace in the brain. I will use the fruit fly as a model organism. By understanding mechanisms of memory storage, we can begin to investigate changes in memory formation in disease; this may allow us to develop rational therapies for disorders of memory formation, including autism and Alzheimer’s disease. After completing my PhD, I will return to finish my last year of medical school and pursue a career as a child neurologist and neuroscientist, using my lab to better understand the patients I see in clinic.
Previous Education
Centre College
- Share
Latest News
Gates scholar appears on leading current affairs programme
Gates scholar Michael Marin appeared on Canada’s leading current affairs programme this week to debate the link between the knowledge economy and rising inequality. Marin [2011] appeared yesterday on The Agenda with Steve Paikin. His research at Cambridge, where he is doing an LLM in Law, is looking at ways to explain why the corporate […]
Adapting to extreme climate change
How do human populations adapt to extreme climate change? It’s an urgent question in the current age where we are warned almost daily of evidence of environmental transition. One answer is to look at ancient civilisations who have undergone similar change. That is what Suzanne Pilaar Birch [2008] is doing and her research on the […]
Investigating wrongful convictions
Why are some people wrongfully convicted of crimes and can the criminal justice system be improved to prevent innocent people being locked away? Gates scholar Bill Schmidt [2009] believes his research could help pinpoint particular risk factors for wrongful convictions and so reduce their number. He says most of the research on wrongful convictions is […]
Gates alumna is woman to watch
Gates alumna Noa Epstein has won a prestigious award celebrating the stars of tomorrow. Noa was named MBA Star of the Year at the Women of the Future Awards 2011 in a gala event in London on 16 November. The awards were created to unearth and recognise the stars of tomorrow across diverse industries, to celebrate high-achieving women aged […]
Understanding the history of emotions
Danelle van Zyl-Hermann [2010] is fascinated by the history of emotion and its links with identity politics. Growing up in South Africa with an unusual family background, she always felt both part of her community and an outsider, which makes her a good observer and interrogator of how certain group identities have been established there. […]
Alumna publishes book on human trafficking
A Gates alumna has published a book on human trafficking which she hopes will bring greater understanding of its human cost. Wendi Adelson‘s book This is Our Story was published last month. Wendi [2002], who studied for an MPhil in International Relations at the University of Cambridge, is a visiting clinical professor at Florida State […]
November webinar for international applicants
Gates alumni and the Gates Cambridge Trust will be holding a webinar in November for US applicants on how to apply for a scholarship. The US Application webinar will be held on 16th November at 20.30 [8.30pm] GMT. Trivi Arun, Co-Chair of the Gates Scholars Alumni Association, Daniel DiCenso, GSAA Director of Communications and Kirsty […]
LinkedIn co-founder meets Gates alumni
Reid Hoffman, co-founder of social networking site LinkedIn, gave a speech to a group of international scholars, including Gate alumni, at a breakfast at the British Consulate in New York last week. Hoffman spoke about the importance of innovation and technology in education in front of an audience of Marshall, Gates, Rhodes and Fulbright alumni […]
Healthcare workshop looks to promote sustainable health systems
A Gates scholar is organising a workshop next Saturday on ways to improve underlying health systems and making them more sustainable and equitable. Eva-Maria Hempe [2007] is leading the workshop, entitled Health Systems Strengthening: A critical examination of the concept and practice of HSS, from 10am-3pm on 19th November at the Pavilion Room, Hughes Hall, […]
African enterprise under the spotlight
A Gates scholar is organising an evening celebrating and discussing entrepreneurship development in Africa and beyond as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week next week. Julia Fan Li [2008] has organised the event, which takes place at Caius College from 7pm on Tuesday night, to promote the work of the African Innovation Prize and Rwanda Entrepreneurship Week which […]
