This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Dr. Peixoto is: an engineer, a mentor for many students from high school to graduate school, but above all else - she is Brazilian. This has left her with a passion for her career in engineering and a history of dating dos and don'ts. Dr. Peixoto explains how these, seemingly distinct, disciplines are actually very similar, in this energetic talk.

Nathalia Peixoto is an associate professor of Bioengineering, with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of George Mason University (Fairfax, VA). Before deciding on the academic career, Dr. Peixoto worked at the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study, focusing on epilepsy control with low frequency electric fields. She has also developed microfabricated oxygen sensors to profile metabolic activity in cardiac cells while at Stanford University. During her PhD at USP (Brazil) she designed microelectrode arrays and investigated snail neuronal cultures. As part of Dr. Peixoto PhD project, she spent almost two years in Germany (in Bonn) as a researcher with the German retina implant project. During her Masters (at Unicamp, Brazil) she looked at the spreading depression phenomenon in the chicken retina, which is an experimental model for migraines.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)