Neuroscientist | Mentor | Educator | Advocate  

Víctor Manuel, known by many as Víkko, is a 5th year Ph.D. candidate in the neuroscience program at Brandeis University. Under the mentorship of Dr. Stephen Van Hooser, Víkko's thesis work centers around understanding the relationship between spatiotemporal changes and direction selectivity. Additionally, he aims to elucidate whether speed tuning, a function thought to be reserved for higher orders of visual processing in cortex, is able to be encoded in the primary visual cortex (V1).

His interests lie within the areas of biomedical research with a focus on understanding the mechanisms that underpin neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Outside of the lab, Víkko has served on a variety of committees for the university including the Task Force on Undergraduate Curriculum and Joint Biology and Neuroscience DEI Committee; he aims to improve the University climate to sustain a diverse student body and provide an equitable access to quality education regardless of race, creed, or gender.

Víkko aspires to give back to the scientific community and mentor fellow marginalized minorities like himself to pursue careers in the STEM field. To that end, he is an active mentor participating in organizations and efforts such as the Posse Foundation and the Galaxy program. Additionally, he incorporates equitable teaching pedagogy in the courses he teaches, winning the 2021 Pulin Sampat Memorial Award for the Division of Science. 

Achievements

Strengths

Technical Skills

Soft Skills

Goals