From Tufts Pathway Programs to Neuroscientist

By Joseph Bello Suazo

Najah Walton, GSB23, a postdoctoral scholar in neuroscience, has spent the last six years working in the Maguire Lab at Tufts University School of Medicine. Growing up in Worcester, MA, as a first-generation student, she never imagined science was a career option. However, Walton’s undergraduate experiences, especially her participation in Tufts pathway programs helped her gain confidence and realize that becoming a scientist was an achievable goal.

When asked how participating in Tufts pathway programs influenced her career trajectory, Walton enthusiastically stated, “For me they were instrumental.” When Walton initially got exposed to the career path of research, she didn’t know how to pursue it at the graduate level. The Pathway to PhD program gave her the foundation to explore research and introduced her to a supportive community. By the time Walton began her studies at Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, she had already built a network of support that continues to help her today.

Reflecting on her experience, Walton encourages anyone considering a pathway program at Tufts to seize the opportunity. “Just do it,” she said.  She emphasized that these programs not only taught her important information, but they also helped her gain connections. In her experience, “a lot of the time I would find out about things because I spoke to another student that was doing something that I thought was interesting.”

One of the highlights of Walton's time in Tufts pathway programs was the exposure to different scientific disciplines. “In the Pathway to PhD program we went through three weeks where we had different topic each week,” she recalled, “At the time I was already very familiar with neuroscience and I was studying nursing, so being able to experience biology or chemistry in a research setting was really interesting. And to be able to work on a project and really think about the subject matter was exciting. Also doing it with other students who were equally as passionate was just amazing.”