Daphne Toglia is a third-year neuroscience PhD student at Boston University. She earned her
bachelor’s degree in neurobiology from the New College of Florida. Previously, she founded the
first Latine group at the Allen Institute, a non-profit bioscience research institute in Seattle,
Washington, that conducts large-scale basic science research on the brain, cells, and immune
system to accelerate scientific discovery and disease research. Currently, she works in the Stepp
Lab, a sensorimotor rehabilitation engineering lab, where she studies how speech motor control
declines over time in people with Parkinson’s disease. Her dissertation focuses on the
longitudinal impact of Parkinson’s on the subsystems of speech—the brain, larynx (voice box),
respiratory, and articulatory (mouth).
What advice do you have for someone who wants to learn Neuroscience, where and how should they start?
Many accessible, non-fiction books provide an excellent foundation for understanding neuroscience, such as The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons by Sam Kean and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks. I also recommend exploring PubMed to start reading and familiarizing yourself with scientific articles, even if they feel dense at first. Big Think’s (bigthink.com) neuroscience section (specifically “Neuropsych”) features articles on current breakthroughs that are written in an accessible way for the general public, making it a great resource for staying up to date with the field.
Is there any advice you would give young girls about going into your line of work?
Don’t be afraid to take up space. Ask questions. Network. Go above the status quo. Build connections with professors and people in your field. Most importantly, be yourself and believe in yourself.
How did you know you wanted to go into your line of work?
It began with my grandfather’s Parkinson’s diagnosis. As a child, I didn’t fully understand the disease, but I wanted to. This curiosity deepened during an undergraduate research experience at the University of Washington—Neurological Surgery Summer Student Program, where I observed neurological surgeries, attended grand rounds, and rotated in a lab. I worked on a translational research project investigating the genetic underpinnings of fusiform aneurysms (uncommon, large, and surgically challenging aneurysms). Seeing how identifying a single genetic mutation could influence treatment for a condition with poor surgical outcomes solidified my passion for translational research.
What other jobs can you have with your degree?
Consulting, project management, data analysis, research science, or even founding a biotech start-up.
What are possible next steps in your career?
After my PhD, I may pursue a postdoctoral fellowship and eventually run my own lab as a professor. I’m also open to transitioning outside academia into data analysis or consulting. I’m entering my third year of PhD, so I still have time to explore.
If you could do it all over again, would you still go into this field?
Yes. Some days are harder than others—PhD training requires juggling many responsibilities—but my love for mentoring has always been a driving force. Mentoring students for over five years before starting my PhD is one of the best parts of my journey, and it continues to motivate me.
Would you say your career path into this field was traditional? If not, why?
Not exactly. I took three gap years before going to graduate school (to get my PhD) to work in different scientific environments. While gap years are becoming more common, I didn’t stay in any one position for more than a year. Those experiences—at start-ups and at a non-profit like the Allen Institute—helped me understand the variety of career paths a PhD can lead to.
What inspired you to pursue a degree in Neuroscience?
My grandfather’s Parkinson’s diagnosis. Witnessing the effects of the disease over time made me want to understand it better and help others living with neurodegenerative conditions.
Who was your role model growing up?
Fictionally, Cristina Yang from Grey’s Anatomy. In real life, I greatly admire Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, for her resilience, intellect, and trailblazing impact. Today, my role model is my PI, Dr. Cara Stepp—like Sotomayor and Yang, she is bold, brilliant, unapologetically herself, and a disruptive thinker.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daphne-toglia/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daphnesalim/
bachelor’s degree in neurobiology from the New College of Florida. Previously, she founded the
first Latine group at the Allen Institute, a non-profit bioscience research institute in Seattle,
Washington, that conducts large-scale basic science research on the brain, cells, and immune
system to accelerate scientific discovery and disease research. Currently, she works in the Stepp
Lab, a sensorimotor rehabilitation engineering lab, where she studies how speech motor control
declines over time in people with Parkinson’s disease. Her dissertation focuses on the
longitudinal impact of Parkinson’s on the subsystems of speech—the brain, larynx (voice box),
respiratory, and articulatory (mouth).
What advice do you have for someone who wants to learn Neuroscience, where and how should they start?
Many accessible, non-fiction books provide an excellent foundation for understanding neuroscience, such as The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons by Sam Kean and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks. I also recommend exploring PubMed to start reading and familiarizing yourself with scientific articles, even if they feel dense at first. Big Think’s (bigthink.com) neuroscience section (specifically “Neuropsych”) features articles on current breakthroughs that are written in an accessible way for the general public, making it a great resource for staying up to date with the field.
Is there any advice you would give young girls about going into your line of work?
Don’t be afraid to take up space. Ask questions. Network. Go above the status quo. Build connections with professors and people in your field. Most importantly, be yourself and believe in yourself.
How did you know you wanted to go into your line of work?
It began with my grandfather’s Parkinson’s diagnosis. As a child, I didn’t fully understand the disease, but I wanted to. This curiosity deepened during an undergraduate research experience at the University of Washington—Neurological Surgery Summer Student Program, where I observed neurological surgeries, attended grand rounds, and rotated in a lab. I worked on a translational research project investigating the genetic underpinnings of fusiform aneurysms (uncommon, large, and surgically challenging aneurysms). Seeing how identifying a single genetic mutation could influence treatment for a condition with poor surgical outcomes solidified my passion for translational research.
What other jobs can you have with your degree?
Consulting, project management, data analysis, research science, or even founding a biotech start-up.
What are possible next steps in your career?
After my PhD, I may pursue a postdoctoral fellowship and eventually run my own lab as a professor. I’m also open to transitioning outside academia into data analysis or consulting. I’m entering my third year of PhD, so I still have time to explore.
If you could do it all over again, would you still go into this field?
Yes. Some days are harder than others—PhD training requires juggling many responsibilities—but my love for mentoring has always been a driving force. Mentoring students for over five years before starting my PhD is one of the best parts of my journey, and it continues to motivate me.
Would you say your career path into this field was traditional? If not, why?
Not exactly. I took three gap years before going to graduate school (to get my PhD) to work in different scientific environments. While gap years are becoming more common, I didn’t stay in any one position for more than a year. Those experiences—at start-ups and at a non-profit like the Allen Institute—helped me understand the variety of career paths a PhD can lead to.
What inspired you to pursue a degree in Neuroscience?
My grandfather’s Parkinson’s diagnosis. Witnessing the effects of the disease over time made me want to understand it better and help others living with neurodegenerative conditions.
Who was your role model growing up?
Fictionally, Cristina Yang from Grey’s Anatomy. In real life, I greatly admire Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, for her resilience, intellect, and trailblazing impact. Today, my role model is my PI, Dr. Cara Stepp—like Sotomayor and Yang, she is bold, brilliant, unapologetically herself, and a disruptive thinker.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daphne-toglia/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daphnesalim/
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