College of Charleston Junior Alix Generous wants to change the world – and she’s already well on her way. In just the past nine months, Generous has presented a plan to the United Nations on a strategy to regrow coral reefs, researched neuropathic pain under Art Riegel at MUSC, and worked at Tufts Medical School in Chris Dullas’ neuroscience laboratory on epilepsy. On September 7, 2013, she will present at TEDxABQ and then in November, she’ll serve as a delegate for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (in Warsaw, Poland). Not a bad 12 months.

In her spare time, she advocates on behalf of neuroatypicals by showing the world what she’s been able to accomplish in her life and in science. Generous has Asperger’s Syndrome, a disorder that is characterized by difficulties with social interaction.

“I want to use opportunities like TEDxABQ, to reach as many people as I can to spread a message of acceptance, both of people and their quirks, and even encourage others to embrace them,” Generous explains. “I want to teach people how to use their quirks to help others and make this world a better place, but before we can do that effectively we have to build an environment where mental diversity is accepted.”

The TEDxABQ event, held in Albuquerque, N.M., features nine Ph.D.s, several CEOs, a best-selling author and just one college student – Alix Generous, a Santa Fe native. See Generous speak at the College of Charleston inGenius event.

At the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Generous will be a youth delegate, where she plans to use her science knowledge and travel experiences to contribute to the discussions on global warming. SustainUS offered her the opportunity; it is also the group who sent her to India as a U.N. delegate.

While much of her research to this point has focused on science as it applies to the environment, she believes that scientists should contribute to many areas in the field. Neuropsychopharmacology is the field she’s primarily interested in, but she also wants to learn more about nanotechnology, molecular psychiatry, biotechnology, and drug discovery. So, in other words, she’s not slowing down at all.

“I feel like it’s my moral responsibility to use my strengths to contribute good to this world and climate change happens to be something I know a lot about and am interested in,” Generous explains. “After college I plan to pursue a dual M.D./ Ph.D. degree specializing in research in neuropsychopharmacology. I’d also like to become either a neurologist or a psychiatrist depending on where I get accepted for residency when the time comes. I see myself having one foot in research and the other in clinical care regarding the brain. I want to revolutionize the mental health care system so we can get to a place where we can help people effectively.”

For more information, contact Generous at ragenero@g.cofc.edu.