Interviews
Name: Jennifer Zitser
2017 Atlantic Fellow
Neurology
Home Country: Venezuela
What does equity in brain health means to you?
Equity is just another word for fairness, so equity in brain health means just that – giving everyone the chance to prevent, cure and treat brain disease no matter the background, trying to give everyone a fair chance of keeping their brain healthy and disease free. This concept sounds pretty simple, but to me it’s revolutionary, because until now I never heard anyone putting those two words together. The idea that some populations had more resources than others to keep their brain healthy is something quite new and beautiful and it makes me so proud to be an Atlantic Fellow and to be part of GBHI, be part of an organization that is constantly striving to provide tools for young professionals to make this world a better and fairer place. Since I was a little girl inequality hurt me deeply and frustrated me, and until GBHI I never had the courage to do something about it. But now I feel inspired to work towards better healthcare for the elderly, I want the whole world to learn how to be empathetic and understand that we are all heading in that direction, so better get there with a healthy brain.
What do you hope to achieve during your scholarship?
My main goal is to prevent dementia and change the way society views people with mental disorders. My hope is that through proper treatment and guidance, I can help integrate patients into society and improve the quality of their lives. So, the idea is to bring the knowledge I acquire at GBHI back to Israel so I can impact the way the Israeli medical system treats patients with neurodegenerative disorders and change the strategies to tackle this ever-growing problem.
What do you enjoy most about the fellowship?
I love the fact that we actually represent the world, there are people from four different continents, different cultures, different believes and styles, but everyone has come together with the same goal in mind – this unites us and makes every day so much more interesting. At the same time, the fact that everyone has such a different perspective gives us the opportunity to come with fresh and innovative ideas on how to tackle the different issues that we come across. I also particularly enjoy the Tuesday didactics. The faculty members that give them are incredibly talented, every week they manage to surprise us with a complete different subject, which goes from clinical skills, to leadership and ethics. The latter is one of my favourites, it’s mind-opening to see how different we are and seeing things through other perspectives has helped me grow not only professionally but also personally.
What is most surprising about life in San Francisco?
Two things, both of which I have heard before but they are more extreme than expected. One is the society here, it is the most inclusive and open-minded society that I have ever encountered, here they welcome and enjoy diversity, it’s exciting and refreshing. Second, on a less serious note, the “microclimates”, it’s so confusing! You need a suitcase just to go out of the house, because you might be wearing flip flops and shorts right now and need high boots and a jacket three minutes later.
Anything else that we should know about you?
Every time they ask me where I am from, my answer is Venezuela/Israel. I was born in Venezuela, my mother tongue is Spanish, and even though I haven’t been there in over eight years, a big part of my heart is still there, especially now that we are going through such a difficult time, my eyes water when I read about it and I feel so powerless. Then, there’s Israel, my home for the last ten years, the place where I got married and gave birth to three beautiful daughters, the place I’m going back to once this amazing experience ends. Both these places represent who I am today, but the thing with moving countries is that somehow no matter where you are you’re never completely there, there’s always a part of you in your “other” home.