Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaya.
Hi Jaya, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am a neuroscientist from India passionate about understanding the brain and how it works. My interest in neuroscience and brain health began very early. Growing up in India, however, the educational resources available to an aspiring scientist were scarce and I struggled to find resources, mentors, and opportunities to explore my curiosity. This has shaped every aspect of my growth as a scientist and communicator. Through my undergraduate degree, Masters, PhD, postdoc, and current position (a scientific program specialist contractor at the NIH), I have worked to simultaneously share my enthusiasm for the marvels of the brain to lay audiences. A few years ago, I was volunteering with Reading Partners and when a 3rd grader I was tutoring asked to read a neuroscience book with him, I was disappointed to realize that there is still a gap to be filled in children’s neuroscience educational books, especially ones that convey the mystery (and to me, magic) of neuroscience research. This sparked the idea for me, so I set about writing and illustrating the kind of book I’d have wanted to read – one that was relatable and real world and yet whimsical and scientifically accurate. This was the birth of Baby Senses: A Sensory Neuroscience Primer for All Ages. This neuroscience-art book for children shows the wonder and beauty of various sensory systems as well as the real-life “superpowers” animals have because of these senses. This book has opened a new avenue of early childhood neuroscience education that is multi-sensory. Since then, I have developed video programming for early childhood education (using puppets), led neuroscience and art salons, engaged with children and curious adults, exhibited neuroart and held workshops. I am fully committed to generating educational resources that inspire curiosity and wonder about the world we live in, focusing on neuroscience.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Writing my book, illustrating it, reading through interesting papers to distill down “fun facts” to include in the glossary – these steps were smooth and looking back, it feels like I zipped through them with enthusiastic fervor. However, the parts that came next – publishing and marketing – were rocky to say the least. Several agents and book publishers essentially informed me that “children don’t read non-fiction” and that there wasn’t really a market for my book. I was also told – quite categorically – that the reference list should be cut, that it has no place in a children’s book. At that point, though, I had a complete book that I believed in. I figured that if I reached at least one interested reader, it was worth going through with it. So, I decided on self-publishing, which had the added bonus of me retaining creative control (and more importantly the ability to retain the reference list and guarantee scientific accuracy). Boy, am I glad that I didn’t listen to these “industry experts”. At book events and conferences where I sell out, I am frequently told by parents how much they appreciate the extra reading. Marketing was – and continues to be – another challenging area. As a scientist, I had zero training on how to create awareness of my book, so I am very grateful for Voyage Baltimore, my family and friends, colleagues and fellow authors who have helped amplify my voice and supported me in my journey. They say it takes a village, and I owe the success of Baby Senses to mine.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I trained as an engineer (biotechnology) and then sensory (visual and auditory) neuroscientist. For my Masters, PhD and postdoctoral fellowship, I investigated the mechanisms by which sensory information gets processed and decoded to inform meaningful behaviors. I investigated how these happen under normal conditions, and how they might get disrupted by context, such as how auditory processing changes with aging. I’ve always been interested in the “big picture” along with the importance of investigating specific hypotheses in controlled experiments, so after my postdoctoral fellowship, I started working as a contractor at the National Institutes of Health, specifically in program development for achieving the research goals of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s disease. I am a highly motivated, detail-oriented, service-motivated scientist and educator with a strong publication record and robust scientific expertise. I think that my commitment to rigorous, reproducible, and open science, enthusiasm for collaborative and team science efforts, as well as deep passion for public service is what sets me apart in my field. I am proud of my book, Baby Senses, and the podcast I started, Know Brainer, to spark the joy of neuroscience in the wider community. I am also proud of all my research projects, my scientific contributions to original research articles as well as narrative reviews. Stay tuned to learn more about my current and upcoming projects which I’m also very excited about!
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I’ve always been very interested in the natural world, tried to learn new things and understand how things work. I remember spending hours and hours in the library reading as a child. I’m grateful to my parents for encouraging me to seek out answers to questions and supporting my insatiable curiosity. I read everything I could get my hands on, fiction, non-fiction, and that’s been the case my whole life. I have also always loved to travel; I wanted to visit every country (I’m currently at 17)! Stories from the past, told through poetry, prose, and art, have been especially fascinating to me, so I make it a point to visit historic sites and learn about the real stories whenever I can. As a nerdy pre-teen/teenager, I faced some bullying, which sparked my interest in neuroscience – questions about why people have vastly different behaviors in response to similar environments and situations. As I started university and beyond, however, I really came into my own, finding and growing my tribe of fellow inquisitive and compassionate folks, and I’m incredibly grateful for it.
Pricing:
- Baby Senses Hardcover: Retail $37.95 – ISBN: 9781665737166
- Baby Senses Softcover: Retail $31.95 – ISBN: 9781665737159
- Baby Senses Ebook: Retail $9.99 – ISBN: 9781665737142
- Neuro art prints, commissions, unique individually designed original neuroart: Pricing variable, upon request.
- Know Brainer Podcast: Free
Contact Info:
- Website: https://babysensesbook.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaya_viswanathan/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaya.viswanathan
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaya-viswanathan-phd-80575127/
- Twitter: https://x.com/jayaneuro
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JayaViswanathan-Neuroscientist
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/3VkRhC2s8lvFdOWXat1Hql?si=a75975635f384aa3
