Taylor Woodward, Neuroscience student
When it came time to choose a graduate school, Taylor Woodward had an easy time deciding to attend Indiana University and pursue a PhD in the Program of Neuroscience.
“I’ll admit that I hadn’t considered looking into IU until my sister, who is studying here and knows my weakness for amazing hole-in-the-wall restaurants, would send me info about her latest food adventures around town. After doing a bit of investigating and reaching out to professors whose research interested me, it became very clear that this was the academic environment for me,” says Taylor about his decision to apply. “During my interview I was impressed by how state of the art the facilities are, how relevant and cutting edge the research is, and how darn collaborative and friendly everyone in the department is. It’s really a special place.”
While Taylor knows a fair amount about the brain and is a self-proclaimed science nerd, there is a side to Taylor you might not expect. Not only does he know his way around a neuroscience lab, he knows his way around a guitar, a piano and a microphone. An extremely creative and musically talented individual, he began playing piano at an early age and began writing original songs in high school.
“I actually learned to play the guitar in eighth grade to impress a girl, and wound up falling in love with the music,“ he laughs.
During his undergrad at BYU, he started playing at open mics at local music venues and was in several different bands, from an acoustic pop duo to a punk rock outfit. He still records and releases music under the musical project name Taylor and the Nerds. At one point, he considered quitting science to pursue a career in music, but ultimately found ways to continue pursuing both passions simultaneously. During his neuroanatomy class, Taylor wrote an original song entitled “Without Your Cerebellum.” A year or two later, he joined forces with an artist friend to create a video for the Society for Neuroscience’s annual Brain Awareness Video Contest, receiving an honorable mention in the international competition. Be sure to check it out by clicking below!
The College of Arts