Matthew MacDougall

You know, it was sort of an evolution of thought. I wanted to study the brain. I started studying the brain in undergrad in this neuroimmunology lab. From there... realized at some point that I didn't want to just generate knowledge. I wanted to effect real changes in the actual world, in actual people's lives.

You know, it was sort of an evolution of thought. I wanted to study the brain. I started studying the brain in undergrad in this neuroimmunology lab. From there... realized at some point that I didn't want to just generate knowledge. I wanted to effect real changes in the actual world, in actual people's lives.

You know, it was sort of an evolution of thought. I wanted to study the brain. I started studying the brain in undergrad in this neuroimmunology lab. From there... realized at some point that I didn't want to just generate knowledge. I wanted to effect real changes in the actual world, in actual people's lives.

And so after having not really thought about going into medical school, I was on a track to go into a PhD program. I said, I'd like that option. I'd like to actually potentially help tangible people in front of me. And doing a little digging found that there exists these MD-PhD programs where you can choose not to choose between them and do both.

And so after having not really thought about going into medical school, I was on a track to go into a PhD program. I said, I'd like that option. I'd like to actually potentially help tangible people in front of me. And doing a little digging found that there exists these MD-PhD programs where you can choose not to choose between them and do both.

And so after having not really thought about going into medical school, I was on a track to go into a PhD program. I said, I'd like that option. I'd like to actually potentially help tangible people in front of me. And doing a little digging found that there exists these MD-PhD programs where you can choose not to choose between them and do both.

And so I went to USC for medical school and had a joint PhD program with Caltech, where I actually chose that program particularly because of a researcher at Caltech named Richard Anderson, who's one of the godfathers of primate neuroscience.

And so I went to USC for medical school and had a joint PhD program with Caltech, where I actually chose that program particularly because of a researcher at Caltech named Richard Anderson, who's one of the godfathers of primate neuroscience.

And so I went to USC for medical school and had a joint PhD program with Caltech, where I actually chose that program particularly because of a researcher at Caltech named Richard Anderson, who's one of the godfathers of primate neuroscience.

It has a macaque lab where Utah rays and other electrodes were being inserted into the brains of monkeys to try to understand how intentions were being encoded in the brain. So I ended up there with the idea that maybe I would be a neurologist and study the brain on the side and then discovered that neurology, again, I'm going to

It has a macaque lab where Utah rays and other electrodes were being inserted into the brains of monkeys to try to understand how intentions were being encoded in the brain. So I ended up there with the idea that maybe I would be a neurologist and study the brain on the side and then discovered that neurology, again, I'm going to

It has a macaque lab where Utah rays and other electrodes were being inserted into the brains of monkeys to try to understand how intentions were being encoded in the brain. So I ended up there with the idea that maybe I would be a neurologist and study the brain on the side and then discovered that neurology, again, I'm going to

make enemies by saying this, but neurology predominantly and distressingly to me is the practice of diagnosing a thing and then saying, good luck with that when there's not much we can do.

make enemies by saying this, but neurology predominantly and distressingly to me is the practice of diagnosing a thing and then saying, good luck with that when there's not much we can do.

make enemies by saying this, but neurology predominantly and distressingly to me is the practice of diagnosing a thing and then saying, good luck with that when there's not much we can do.

And neurosurgery, very differently, it's a powerful lever on taking people that are headed in a bad direction and changing their course in the sense of brain tumors that are potentially treatable or curable with surgery. You know, even aneurysms in the brain, blood vessels that are going to rupture, you can save lives really is at the end of the day what mattered to me. And so...

And neurosurgery, very differently, it's a powerful lever on taking people that are headed in a bad direction and changing their course in the sense of brain tumors that are potentially treatable or curable with surgery. You know, even aneurysms in the brain, blood vessels that are going to rupture, you can save lives really is at the end of the day what mattered to me. And so...

And neurosurgery, very differently, it's a powerful lever on taking people that are headed in a bad direction and changing their course in the sense of brain tumors that are potentially treatable or curable with surgery. You know, even aneurysms in the brain, blood vessels that are going to rupture, you can save lives really is at the end of the day what mattered to me. And so...

I was at USC, as I mentioned. That happens to be one of the great neurosurgery programs. And so I met these truly epic neurosurgeons, Alex Kalesi and Micah Puzo and Steve Gianotta and Marty Weiss, these sort of epic people that were just human beings in front of me. And so it kind of changed my thinking from neurosurgeons are

I was at USC, as I mentioned. That happens to be one of the great neurosurgery programs. And so I met these truly epic neurosurgeons, Alex Kalesi and Micah Puzo and Steve Gianotta and Marty Weiss, these sort of epic people that were just human beings in front of me. And so it kind of changed my thinking from neurosurgeons are