From Neuroscientist to Novelist: Following Your Passion Despite Fear and Failure

I am a neuroscientist who became a novelist. After my grandmother's Alzheimer's diagnosis, I realized that fiction could provide a window into the disease's experience. This talk shares how I overcame fear, rejection, and uncertainty to write a novel from the patient's perspective.

■ The question and the leap
- What does it feel like to have Alzheimer's?
- Three questions to ignore fear, judgment, and money
- Writing the novel with no experience

■ Reframing failure and making an impact
- 100% rejection led to self-publishing
- Book became a bestseller and award-winning film
- Mission to humanize neurological diseases

I hope this encourages anyone facing a similar crossroads to pursue their passion and reframe failure as a detour, not a dead-end.