When did you leave Chesterton Community College?

My time at Chesterton was cut short as I missed the final GCSE year. I left in 1989.

What is your current job title or field?

I am a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania appointed in the Departments of Neurosurgery, Neuroscience and Bioengineering. My lab does research into how the activity of networks of neurons in our brain gives rise to our behaviour.

I also collaborate with clinicians, engineers and industrial partners to develop technologies for the brain, what we call wearables and implantables. These technologies are used to treat people suffering damage or disorders of the brain and spinal cord, such as spinal cord injury, blindness, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, movement disorders and mental health disorders.

Did you know as a teenager which career you wanted to pursue, or did you realise this later on?

As a teenager, I knew I wanted to be a scientist, but I did not have any idea that I would end up doing what I now do. I found my way in my mid-20s, during my PhD.

How did you start your career?

In my final year of university, I was a bit desperate and had nothing lined up to do that I was excited about. I tried all kinds of directions and, after shaking enough trees, I got a break and found work in a research lab after graduating. I loved it, and the rest became history.

What do you like about your job? What are the high points?

In my job, I feel like I am interacting more or less directly with the mysteries of Nature, who is full of surprises. I also work as a neural engineer and technology is becoming tremendously powerful. The high points come from the joy of discovery and the ambition of youth. Probably the best part of my job is that while I get older every year, the students remain young.

What is the first piece of advice you would give to a student wanting to pursue this career?

Dream big!