ASTI Student Founds Neuro Notebook

Partially peer-reviewed journal encourages curiosity and empowers student research

I have always been quite interested in neuroscience. From an early age, I was fascinated with the idea that something physical, like chemicals in our brain, could generate imaginary images and thought.

However, in Alameda, there seemed to be very few opportunities to engage in meaningful discussions regarding this field I was so keen on. I quickly realized this lack of opportunity extended past the general Bay Area, and into most of the student world. I wanted a space for students to discuss science, while sharing their research with the world.

So, armed with an eagerness to share what made me curious, I started Neuro Notebook in early 2023. Being in my early years of high school at the time, I really only knew how to create a blog, and that’s what I did. I posted some general papers about the effect music and frequencies have on our moods — a subject that particularly appealed to me.

However, Neuro Notebook (NN) didn’t become what it was until a few months later, when I was inspired to create a social media account. I wanted a way to attract students to share studies that interested them, and in the process, inspire others to learn. I wasn’t entirely sure what my mission was though, and it would evolve much in the upcoming months.

Just a few days after creating an Instagram account and an email address, I began getting inquiries from students all over the world who were interested in writing, editing, and volunteering for NN. It was intense, but also an amazing feeling to see that something that made me so passionate also appealed to others enough for them to reach out. I remember there were some students my age interested in social media content creation in particular. They had some good ideas regarding posts, so I accepted them in.

A few weeks after getting the Instagram account going, everything just exploded and the account grew to 1,000 followers, then 10,000, and then more than 20,000 in the span of a few months. It was quite overwhelming, as I was managing everything and had very few formal processes in place. I realized at that point that I wanted to publish student research papers and review articles, but they were all getting submitted via email. I had a few editors at that point, but I was managing everything on my own. From editing papers and checking citations, to holding meetings to develop new systems for making this more efficient, I grew to understand my role in Neuro Notebook, and in turn, the role NN had in the student sphere.

It has become somewhat of a cycle. Students research and publish papers that others read. In turn, readers’ curiosity is sparked and they become authors.

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We have published almost 40 papers since we started, written by students all over the world, on topics ranging from medicine to global warming. It brings an enormous amount of fulfillment to me to see students from Greece to Kazakhstan, all interested in contributing. We now have a new editor-in-chief, Dr. Glen MacPherson, who has allowed us to set a new standard for our papers.

In the future, I see Neuro Notebook combatting the “publish or perish” culture that surrounds higher academia. I hope that it can inspire scientists, both young and old, to see that research — and science more broadly — was always meant to be pursued with curiosity.

If you or someone you know may be interested in joining our community, feel free to visit our website or our Instagram @neuro.notebook.

Nejra Hojic is a junior at the Alameda Science and Technology Institute and the founder of Neuro Notebook.