Fear the Ageing Brain

By John Nnamchi,
Canadian student at McGill University, graduating class of 2017

An important time in a student’s university year is the arrival of the summer holidays and subsequent search for a summer job or internship. Lucky for me, I was given the amazing opportunity to go back to Singapore for a summer intership at Senescence Life Sciences (Senescence), a bio-technology firm founded by Dr. Shawn Watson, PhD, a fellow member of the Canadian community in Singapore.

Senescence’s research specializes in age elated cognitive decline: the natural degeneration of brain function with age and often a predecessor to the onset of dementia (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s etc.) in later years. For Dr. Watson, his journey started at the University of Calgary during his doctoral studies when he discovered a novel mechanism found to be responsible for brain aging. Seven years of dedicated research later, he developed enough understanding of how human brains age and he then moved to Singapore to found Senescence. Aside from offering scientifically proven products for your aging brain, they also publish important information regarding aging, its effect on your brain, and how one’s lifestyle can influence the rate of cognitive decline. For example, did you know the human brain starts to age as early as 20 years old, or that brain aging is a universal reality that no individual can avoid? Once I began working at Senescence, it became clear why aging and cognitive decline were among the top concerns of adults today.

Interning at Senescence allowed me to work within my field of study Bio-chemistry) while equipping me with invaluable administrative, entrepreneurial and commercial skills. It was the first time I was able to appreciate the real life applications and contextual value of what I was learning in class. In retrospect this is exactly what a student should get out of a summer job in order to generate the awareness and perspective needed to map out the right career path. On a final note, Dr. Watson showed how one could seamlessly bridge academia and industry in a mutually profitable way (profits from Senescence go back towards research in brain aging), and is the ideal example of an ambitious Canadian taking control of a tremendous opportunity. Returning back to McGill with a new approach and perception towards my academic studies, I raise my glass to Canadians all around the world who remind me that we as a country never cease to do amazing things.