John Martin Sabandal, Ph.D.
Doctoral Thesis: Dopamine-Based Mechanism For Interfering Stimulus-Triggered Transient Forgetting
Research Focus: Sabandal’s research elucidated a dopamine-based neural circuit mechanism for memory blocks and transient forgetting.
Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas at El Paso
Honors and Awards: Frank J. Dixon Graduate Research Fellow (2021-22); NIH Outstanding Scholar in Neuroscience Award Program (2021); Junior Scientist Workshop on Mechanistic Cognitive Neuroscience, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus (2021); Scripps Research Graduate Student Symposium 2020-21, top oral presentation (2021); NIH-NIMH, Ruth L. Kirschstein-NRSA F31 Fellowship (2020-22); Scripps Research Fest 2019, Best poster presentation: 1st place. (2019)
Noteworthy Publications: Dopamine-based mechanism for transient forgetting, Nature (2021)
Looking Back: "My favorite part of the journey was the freedom to define the magical experience of “science” – for me and my fellow science enthusiasts!"
Next Steps: "I accepted a Science Writer position with Rose Li & Associates in the Washington, D.C. area. I am most excited to experience science from a different lens! In the next few years, I plan to explore other applications of science that include consulting, patent law, and public policy."
Be sure to join us at 10 a.m. PDT on Friday, May 20 for our Commencement Ceremony Livestream! Sabandal's advisor and mentor, Prof. Ron Davis, will deliver a few words about her graduate experience, and viewers can learn about our 47 other 2022 graduates, who are now setting out to build careers that will profoundly impact the future of biomedical research.
