Sample interview questions: How do you approach designing experiments to study the physiological effects of specific neurological diseases?
Sample answer:
Approaching Experiment Design for Neurological Diseases
1. Patient Selection and Characterization:
* Collaborate with clinicians to identify patients with well-characterized neurological diseases.
* Use clinical and diagnostic criteria to select appropriate participants.
2. Define Physiological Endpoints:
* Identify specific physiological measurements that reflect the disease’s impact on neural function.
* Consider parameters such as brain activity, neurotransmitter levels, and muscle function.
3. Control Group Selection:
* Include healthy control subjects or patients with non-neurological conditions to establish baseline values.
* Match control subjects to patients based on age, gender, and other relevant factors.
4. Experimental Intervention Design:
* Develop specific experimental interventions to manipulate neural function.
* Consider pharmacological interventions, electrical stimulation, or behavioral paradigms.
* Use appropriate dose-response curves or duration of exposure to determine optimal intervention parameters.
5. Data Collection and Analysis:
* Employ standardized protocols for data collection to minimize variability.
* Use advanced analytical techniques to quantify physiological change… Read full answer