When Science Is a Family Tradition

Family efforts are commonplace in many professions. Dedication to suits united the Brooks Brothers, and enthusiasm for books brought Wiley & Sons together. In our family, it’s a passion for understanding the brain. Our parents were drawn to the subject when they realized that their own field, philosophy of mind, was uninformed by developments in neuroscience. To discover what philosophy might gain from neuroscience, they trekked to labs at the University of Manitoba medical school, once even bringing back Tupperware-encased brains to dissect in our kitchen. The brain dissection fascinated us as kids, and even more critical was the accompanying conversation, conveying a conviction that understanding the brain was the great scientific challenge of our time. This inspired us to choose neuroscience for our own careers. Though our professional interests have diverged somewhat, there remain many points of intersection. Our shared passion means that we have a common language for discussing subjects of mutual interest. This common language is the best part of having a sibling who is also a close colleague. We don’t always agree. At family dinners, strong words are exchanged over topics both large—what will be the limits of the human brain in understanding itself—and small—what approach should be used to analyze neural variability. But a colleague who understands your ideas makes possible a dialogue that can help those ideas develop. Our discussions today don’t usually center around the same topics as our parents’ did, but our belief in the importance of neuroscience is the same, as we help each other contribute to that shared enterprise. Scientific Imprinting