Olive Tambou Nzoutchoum (she/her/hers) is a graduate student in the UCSF Neuroscience Graduate Program, in San Francisco, CA. Olive was previously an intern in SEP’s High School Intern Program (HIP) in 2016 and a graduated from Macalester College in 2021.
What do you do at UCSF? How long have you been there?
I’m currently a graduate student in the neuroscience program, entering my fifth year.
What does your day-to-day look like at your current role?
Currently, I am working on finishing up my PhD research focus on understanding how a stroke impacts brain functioning which involves running experiments with mice and a lot of writing.
What has your professional journey been like? How did you end up where you are?
My first ever research experience was through SEP and it helped shape what I see for my career moving forward. It’s really special to me the fact that the place that my research journey began is currently the place that I’m getting my PhD at.
What are some things you like most about your current role?
I love being able to design my own experiments and presenting it to an audience that isn’t familiar with my research to practice my scientific communication skills.
SEP Program Experience
What interested you in applying and participating in HIP?
I had always enjoyed lab in school and I was really excited for the opportunity to be in a lab for an entire summer!
What was your overall experience like? What did it teach you?
I realized that I really enjoy the research process from thinking of a question to designing an experiment and then presenting the results.
Do you have any fond memories you’d like to share during your time in SEP’s program(s)?
Learning how to use a pipette for the first time.
What person, project, or aspect of the program, if any, influenced you?
I had the absolute best mentors. They took the time to explain everything and also gave me the freedom to explore questions that most interested me and that experience is one of the reasons I wanted to pursue a research career.
What are some skills that have helped you succeed in your career?
Public speaking, critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, time management, communication, and perseverance
What are some life lessons you’d like to share with our high school interns?
Please take advantage of this program! It is truly a unique opportunity that you have access to and I encourage you all to stay open minded. Whether you know exactly what you want to do in the future or not, there is definitely something that you can all take away from this.
How have you grown since your time in SEP’s program?
Since my time in SEP, I’ve continued to stay curious. I’ve gained a strong appreciation for scientists and have grown my confidence in sharing my research.
