Embracing the transformative power of the unconventional | Shannon Shibata-Germanos | TEDxAthens
Shannon Shibata-Germanos |
TEDxAthens
• June 2018
In this talk, Neuroscientist & Cell Biologist Shannon Shibata-Germanos shares incredible life story, a lesson for all of us that teaches the power of never giving up on who you are, even if it means you aren’t always immediately understood by society. A story where innovation is born from our differences and highlights all of our inherent capacity to change and start a new life.
Shannon Shibata-Germanos is half Japanese, half American, and has over a decade of experience in political policy analysis, conflict management, and institutional development. She has worked as an international consultant for foundations and multinational companies, building private-public partnerships and sustainability strategies as well as facilitating cross border business deals in developing markets. Shannon made a big unexpected move, mid-career, to pursue her curiosity in science, changing fields completely to the study neuroscience. She finished her first degree in her thirties, going on to get a master's degree in neuroscience, then enrolled as a PhD candidate in the Rihel lab in the department of Cellular and Developmental Biology at UCL in London. She now investigates the impact of sleep on neuroimmunology and neurodegeneration. Shannon wants her life purpose to be about encouraging others to embrace life-altering change at any stage of life, and to recognize the inherent capacity each human possesses to adapt and learn new things when challenged. Innovation requires those who take a leap, but it also requires those established in the traditional structures of any society or field to recognize a unique spark in another, giving those who challenge paradigms the “bungee cord” to jump. She now lives between Geneva and London with her incredible, Swiss husband Camille, who has given her the wings to fly.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx