Psychology Week: Meet Elena Tsoy

March 12, 2013

My way to neuroscience research has been enriched by undergraduate training in psychology at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA). Within my undergraduate studies I took part in the research internship in the Social Relations Lab of Columbia University in the City of New York, top school for psychology research in the U.S. Paired with doctoral and post-doctoral students, I was introduced to the field of social cognitive neuroscience and worked chiefly on neural bases of emotion regulation and cognitive processing, as well as on psychological assessment of patients with various PDs. Internship at Columbia boosted my interest in brain science and highlighted the significance of neuroscience research for various aspects of human life.

Combining my interest in neurobiology and psychopathology, I went on to graduate studies choosing MSc Clinical Neuroscience programme at Roehampton University of London, UK. At Roehampton, I worked prevalently with Dr. Jolanta Opacka-Juffry focusing on such topical issues as neuroplasticity, neurodegeneration, and neuroprotection. The major outcomes of my MSc include gaining an advanced insight into the fundamental neurobiological mechanisms involved in regulation of various types of neuronal activity, obtaining sound knowledge and understanding of cutting edge issues in the field of clinical neuroscience, receiving an extensive training in the Clinical Lab and Radiobiology Lab, application of technology and research techniques for neuroscience studies. My dissertation thesis focused on potential inhibition of central oxytocin receptors (core social neuropeptide) by exposure to prenatal stress, which has been marked as a top paper in the graduate class and is published in the British Journal of Pharmacology. The work has also been approved and presented at the neuroscience conference of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies FENS 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.

Upon completion of my Master’s I was offered an academic position at AUCA as a research fellow of AFP (Open Society Foundation). I am currently involved in teaching and working on research projects in collaboration with American and British scholars. My further aspirations include doing a PhD in the field of clinical sciences and/or mental health counseling. Furthermore, I plan to commit my career to the promotion of scientific development and expansion of academic opportunities in post-Soviet states.

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