Testimonials
The satisfaction of understanding something hard, that's what drives me.
- Previous education
- Bachelor's Physics (Universidad de Zaragoza)
- Nationality
- Spanish
- Programme
- Neurophysics
'During my Bachelor's in Physics in Zaragoza, I first heard about the Neurophysics Master's at Radboud University. I was part of a buddy programme for international students, where I met someone from Nijmegen. She told me about the Master's and how strongly physics and neuroscience are combined here. So when I started looking for Master's programmes, I already knew exactly where I wanted to go.
What I appreciate most about the Neurophysics programme is the balance: the programme takes advantage of our solid base in physics and mathematics, then combines it with neuroscience. I also really like the flexibility. Besides mandatory courses, you can make your own programme based on your interests, for example with more computational work, experimental neuroscience, or more mathematical courses.
The satisfaction of understanding something hard, that's what drives me. When it finally clicks in your mind, it's really rewarding. It's a bit like climbing, which I do now. You keep trying a route you couldn't do before, and then suddenly you make it.
You also have a full year for a research internship. This is great because you really get to focus on that. I'm doing my internship at the Donders Centre for Neuroscience (DCN). I'm training neural networks to model working memory in a biologically plausible way. The atmosphere at the DCN is very welcoming and friendly, I’m really enjoying my time here.
What I like most about living here is how quiet it is, which I sometimes missed in my hometown. When I take a break, I just go to Park Brakkenstein and I can really clear my mind. Also, I love that you can go anywhere in the city in 15 minutes by bike. Everything is nearby, while still having all the advantages of a big city. The vibe in Nijmegen is pretty young and it's very international. I would love to stay after my studies and do a PhD here!'
As a physicist, I'm intrigued by the complexity of the living world, and I believe that the concepts of physics (and math) are essential for a deeper understanding of many biological mechanisms.
- Programme
- Neurophysics
John van Opstal is a professor at Radboud University.
Can you introduce yourself?
I've been teaching courses in the bachelor and master programs of physics/astronomy, molecular sciences and biology since 1991. Although I'm formally retired, I still teach two courses: Mathematics and Physics of Complex Biological Systems (MOL159) in the bachelor phase, which is open to Science students (biophysics profile) and to Physics or Mathematics students, and the master course Neurobiophysics (NM119) of the Neurophysics master specialisation in Physics/Astronomy.
Why did you choose to study/work in this field? What makes this field so interesting?
As a physicist, I'm intrigued by the complexity of the living world, and I believe that the concepts of physics (and math) are essential for a deeper understanding of many biological mechanisms. Neuroscience is a highly challenging research field, also (or maybe especially!) for physicists, and I've been working in this field ever since my master's degree (1981). The current courses that I teach are nice examples of my interests in both (general) biology and neuroscience (in particular, on how the vastly complex signals from the sensory world are transformed into meaningful (motoric) actions of our body).
What are you currently doing your own research on?
In my current research, I work on the human auditory system (hearing), and especially on ways to improve modern brain-technology (cochlear implants) for the hearing impaired. I also work on eye- and head movement control. The latter topic I also explored with colleagues at the robotics institute in Lisbon, where we collaborated on a bio-inspired robotic eye.
What advice do you have for students making their study choice?
Pick the master specialisation that truly interests you, and which will motivate you the most. As physicists, any of the offered master specialisations will prepare you for an excellent future career, almost anywhere in society.
What does your work in practice bring to your academic work, and vice versa?
Apart from intellectual satisfaction when you discover something new, the feeling of doing something with your knowledge that may eventually be of benefit to others (in my case: people with sensory disabilities).
What is the best part of being a lecturer?
Staying in close contact with young, intelligent, and motivated students.
This Master's at RU turned out to offer the perfect combination of Neuroscience and Physics.
- Previous education
- Medische Natuurwetenschappen (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
- Programme
- Neurophysics
- Study start date
- Study end date
Master's student Yentl Buitelaar is studying Neurophysics at Radboud University.
What do you like about the programme/specialisation and why?
After completing my Bachelor's, I was looking for a Master's that combined Neuroscience and Physics. This Master's at RU turned out to offer the perfect combination of the two.
What do you think about the atmosphere in class?
The atmosphere is very pleasant. I had to find my way around for a while because I moved for this Master's, but I soon found myself connecting with fellow students. A tip would be to join the study association! Contact with lecturers is very easy. They are not only knowledgeable and enthusiastic, but also incredibly kind and approachable.
What do you find most challenging in your Master’s (specialisation)? Have you encountered any obstacles?
I myself did not have much programming experience from my Bachelor's degree. This took some getting used to, but if you try your best, it really works out. Sometimes a lot happens at once: lectures, working lectures, assignments and deadlines of several courses. Good planning is essential then!
Are you currently doing an internship? Or what is your thesis about?
I have yet to start my internship, but I have had the first interviews for it. It will probably be an internship at the Donders Institute which is near the Huygens building.
Why do you think it is important that there are people with this degree? What are your plans once you have received your Master's degree?
It is very important to have specialists who have biological knowledge about the brain and neurons as well as physical knowledge. This knowledge, combined with computer models and machine learning, can take us further in research. I hope to contribute to this myself, hopefully in the form of a PhD.
There are many opportunities to get out of my comfort zone and learn things I wouldn't otherwise.
- Nationality
- Portuguese
- Programme
- Neurophysics
- Study start date
- Study end date
Master's student Daniela Santos is studying Neurophysics at Radboud University.
What do you like about the programme/specialisation and why? How has the programme/specialisation challenged you?
It is such an unique programme! I particularly enjoy the freedom we have with choosing the path that best matches our likings. This also means there are many opportunities to get out of my comfort zone and learn things I wouldn't otherwise
What do you think about the atmosphere in class?
Most interactions I have had with students, researchers, teachers,... are horizontal! Teachers are always ready to help and having students as teaching assistants is pivotal.
What do you find most challenging in your Master’s (specialisation)? Have you encountered any obstacles?
Keeping up to date on all the new information. There's a big brain research institute at Radboud that on its own covers such a wide range of topics, it always feels there's something new I haven't heard of.
Are you currently doing an internship? Or what is your thesis about?
Yes! I am working with a Computational Neuroscience topic, studying the role of oscillations in the behaviour of neurons.
Why do you think it is important that there are people with this degree? What are your plans once you have received your Master's degree?
Neurophysics is still quite a niche area. There are a lot of physics methods that can be applied in Neuroscience and AI and we need that multidisciplinary.
To better understand the brain we must combine ideas and methods from multiple disciplines.
- Previous education
- Integrated Science Program at Peking University
- Nationality
- Chinese
- Programme
- Neurophysics
- Country of previous education
- China
- Study start date
- Study end date
Haicang is a Master's student Neurophysics.
What do you like about the programme/specialisation and why?
I like that the lecturers are actual researchers. They give excellent lectures and insightful answers to questions, often being able to providing directions for those who wish to learn more.
I did feel challenged, but not by the courses (see below).
What do you think about the atmosphere in class?
Good. Lecturers are in general approachable and insightful.
What do you find most challenging in your Master’s (specialisation)?
It’s quite challenging to customize your curriculum, especially if you want to gain research experience in the first year. Suddenly professors become rather discouraging, saying your case as “non-typical” or “unusual.” Compared to my previous educational institution, where professors were welcoming to undergraduate students who wished to join their labs and learn at any year - even if they knew the students might not produce much at first, and they have already many PhD students - this difference feels striking. I'm however very grateful to the student advisor respects who my intentions and the professor who are willing to supervise me.
Are you currently doing an internship? Or what is your thesis about?
I'm starting a project studying the relationship between network connectivity and function in nonlinear spiking neural networks. It's not a 'typical' internship and won't be (or not definitely be) a master thesis.
Why do you think it is important that there are people with this degree?
To better understand the brain we must combine ideas and methods from multiple disciplines, physics (and computational sciences) are the most important ones among of them.
I plan to continue in academia, majoring theoretical / computational neuroscience.