Zeel Patel was going back and forth about spending a semester abroad. She could have graduated a semester early, but studying abroad has always been on her bucket list.

“This was my opportunity to get out there and see what’s outside of the United States,” Patel said.

Patel, who is majoring in psychology and minoring in neuroscience, spent the fall 2021 semester on the Learning Abroad Center’s Psychology and Research in Madrid program. She interned at the Cajal Institute, a research center in neurobiology named for the father of modern neuroscience.

Patel worked in the neurogenesis lab, examining how different protein expressions affect multiple sclerosis in mouse models. 

“I really enjoyed doing my research abroad,” Patel said. “It was a completely different experience, especially being at the institute of one of the most famous neuroscientists to date.”

Patel hopes to work in the medical field in the future. Not only did her lab work give her necessary research skills, it also helped her develop her communication skills and cultural awareness.

Her lab coworkers primarily spoke Spanish, unless they were speaking directly to her. She learned how to work with a team even with a language barrier. She also said she’s now more open to other people’s experiences.

“When I made friends that were Spaniards, I knew that their way of life was a lot different,” she said. 

Patel herself has a different cultural background, as she was born in India but moved to the United States before she was even in school. She said that her experience abroad helped her find a better understanding of herself.

“I have been able to reflect a lot about different perspectives between the Spanish, American, and Indian cultures to find my own personal identity,” she said. “I’ve learned that culture doesn’t just lie in the traditions of a certain region but also the way we behave and act because of it. It impacts our cognition, learning, emotions, beliefs, the activities we take part in and much more, which all play an integrative role in how and why we go about our lives the way we do.”