Think of it as the way neuroscience impacts and influences society, and vice versa. Many different careers and fields look to solve questions about why humans behave in certain ways, and many of the answers lie in neuroscience research. The latter category is broadly called “society” because there are so many different careers and academic areas that benefit from including neuroscience in their work and evolution. You can view examples of some of these intersections at neuroxcareers.org. 

Neuroxcareers.org is a great place to start. There you can find descriptions of popular neuroX fields, as well as potential career paths within each field and organizations involved in work along that intersection. We also have a newsletter that can keep you up to date with neuroX events and opportunities where you can learn more and branch out to other resources. 

Seek out a resource on campus that can help mentor you and prepare you for a neuroX career. If that is too specific for your school, you can always start by doing your own research to try to decide whether you want to focus more on neuroscience or your intersecting discipline of choice, and then look for advising resources from that department specifically. Since neuroX careers generally require specialization in either neuroscience OR another discipline, this is a good path to start on. 

Attending events and conferences can be a great way to meet individuals who are discussing your topics of interest, and potentially even connect you to people who share similar career goals. The Dana Career Network Newsletter is a great resource to monitor for upcoming neuroX events. Likewise, neuroxcareers.org can point you to current organizations, companies, researchers and academics involved in the specific interdisciplinary field you’re interested in, so you can explore the work that’s currently being done and get involved!

: Yes, specialization is often necessary in NeuroX careers. While it’s beneficial to have knowledge in both neuroscience and another discipline, typically one becomes the primary focus of your career. This could mean being a marketer who employs their knowledge of neuroscience, or a neuroscientist focusing on marketing-related research. The choice ultimately depends on your interests and career goals. 

Starting a career in a neuroX field can be challenging without proper mentorship, however it is advisable to begin by gaining general experience in psychology, neuroscience, or your societal field of interest. If possible, seek out and attend relevant conferences, join student organizations, and engage with online resources and communities. Many skills are transferable, so general research experience can be beneficial. Additionally, one could make their own neuroX major and seek out advisors who are open to innovative research ideas.

This completely depends on whether you decide to focus mainly on neuroscience or mainly on an intersecting discipline! One of the important things to note in pursuing a neuroX career is that most professionals engaging with these fields are specialized in one field and reach into interdisciplinary work as needed, rather than specializing in both fields simultaneously.. This gives you a lot of flexibility around the neuro/X balance of your work; if you prefer neuroscience, become a neuroscientist and involve yourself in some neuroX field as well! But specializing in other intersecting fields (sociology, economics, anthropology, etc) will also allow you to engage mostly with your field of choice and delve into neuroscience on interdisciplinary projects.

Due to neuroX fields being fairly new, it can be difficult to simply search for jobs as a “neuromusician” or others that do not yet have a strong foundation. However, many professionals in a variety of fields engage regularly with NeuroX work from their own disciplines (lawyer, sociology researcher, artist, anthropologist, etc). Similarly, you can work as a neuroscientist and incorporate interdisciplinary work into your research. It is extremely helpful to decide which half of your neuroX field you are most interested in, because from there you can focus on an existing profession in neuroscience or the field you want to intersect it with, and then bring them together yourself.

There are many potential sources for research funding and educational support across neuroscience and the fields that intersect with it! Some of these can be found specifically through the Career Network Newsletter, which is regularly updated with new educational and employment opportunities in neuroX careers. Likewise, resources and organizations associated with each neuroX field can be found at the bottom of their page at neuroXcareers.org!

Another approach, if you are specializing in one academic field, is to seek funding and scholarships in your chosen discipline that may lend themselves towards interdisciplinary work (for example, seeking funding for neuroscience research that you can apply towards its application in law/art/economics, etc).

Many organizations and institutions have associated themselves with neuroX fields! You can find them listed at neuroXcareers.org, both on the home page and specifically within each neuroX career page.

Your career path in neurolaw is dependent on your professional and academic interests! For those considering a JD/PhD/both, the Dana Career Network recently hosted a panel of neurolaw professionals discussing their own career paths and giving advice to students considering this very question. Watch it here. 

Ultimately, because of how niche these fields can get, you should be passionate about your field in order to have the motivation to break new ground and persevere through any learning curves that may arise. Similarly, it is also important to enjoy learning new skills and be willing to reach out to and collaborate with peers and strangers in adjacent professions. This will be necessary to gather insight on your own research since, as mentioned in a previous question, it is pretty difficult to be an expert in more than one field all by yourself!

The Career Network Newsletter is a great option for providing you with a handful of upcoming events. Outside of that, because the intersections of these fields are so new, you may have to start by looking for events and conferences specifically for neuroscience or your preferred field. You are more likely to find larger conventions this way, which could potentially have a speaker or panelist who specializes in your intersection of interest. NeuroXcareers.org also contains a variety of organizations and resources associated with neuroX careers.