Clémence GIERE

Here’s our deputy treasurer’s interview, Clémence Giéré!

• Name: Clémence Giéré
• Your position in Doctoneuro: deputy treasurer
• Your academic path: 

To be original, I started by failing the first year of medical studies PACES twice (always go all in, until the end…except studying the PACES), then I hesitated  between psychology and biology, but the attraction to « hard sciences » took over and I integrated the first year of the Life Sciences undergraduate degree.  After a first year without really figuring out what I wanted to do (I didn’t know what I didn’t like), it’s a neuroscience class during the second year that made me see the light. After I got my degree, I signed up in the neuroscience master’s.

• What are you currently doing?

I’m currently doing my M2 internship at the INCI, where I’m recording neuronal activity in the spinal cord in response to painful stimuli in an animal model of prematurity.  It sounds really cool, but in reality, it’s staying 8 hours in a room, listening to static noise. But when it works, it’s awesome!

• What brought you here, in biology and more specifically neuroscience?

Once I got my scientific baccalaureate, with a somewhat undefined idea for my orientation apart from big schools ou medical studies, I wasn’t really aware of all the possiblities for my post-bac. So I started with medical studies, and quickly realized that I wasn’t built to absorb information until I imploded, all of that to simply mechanically spill it out at a multiple choice exam.  I followed the flow a second time and signed up in biology, and found out I really liked this field, especially how the way of working and thinking. After the first neuro classes in the 2nd year, I started to truly get interested , because I find it fascinating that everything we are, feel and think results from electrical influx in a few cells in some soft tissue contained in a bone box. I also appreciate the fact that we are trying to understand, with our brain, how our brain work.

• What do you want to do later and why?

I barely know what I’ll be eating tomorrow, si I can’t even imagine in 5 years. To be honest, I have a few ideas but I think we shouldn’t try to close any doors, and continue to look for opportunities but also let them come.  I would like to try my hand at teaching, to pass on what I’ve learned and share what I love to the next generations.  Also, if I have the opportunity to live abroad, scientific research being an international field of work, I’ll gladly take it. I keep this plan tucked in my hippocampus, between a few granular and pyramidal cells.

• What brought you to invest yourself in Doctoneuro?

Since my first year in biology, I’ve always been part of an association and to be honest, I don’t know what I would do with my spare time if I weren’t.  I’ve always loved the idea of participating in student life, offering different services to help people feel good on their campus and in their chosen studies.  Joining Doctoneuro was a no-brainer!” 

• What are your projects and goals as a board member?

For me, the goal of our association is to create a solid relationship between students, who represent the future of neuroscience, and researchers but also to share our knowledge and our passion, with different scientific animation projects.  This means that we need to communicate to the public, with scientific vulgarisation.  It’s very ambitious and we need our great team, a good atmosphere and a lot of crappy jokes. 

• Any last words or advice you would like to give Master students joining the community, or other PhD students?

I don’t think I’m in a position to give any advice, it would feel a bit pretentious since I haven’t even finished my master’s.  Like every academic and non-academic path, there are some hard, formative and wonderful moments and all are to be experienced, so stay open and enjoy the ride.