Editor’s note: This is the fourth story in a series highlighting the connection between pursuing a career in health sciences and participating in athletics.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Much like success in sports, a career in health care requires discipline, resilience and collaboration. For West Virginia University senior Adien Aggarwal, those qualities have been shaped by both the WVU neuroscience program and WVU’s Club Tennis team.
A Morgantown native, Aggarwal said his passion for science started early.
“I always loved dinosaurs, animals, just anything science,” he said. “That really stemmed from a love for the theoretical. Particularly with dinosaurs, you don’t know exactly what happened, but there’s enough evidence to form your own conclusions. I think that curiosity led me to the brain.”
He chose WVU’s undergraduate neuroscience program, housed in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, after shadowing medical professionals and recognizing the university’s leadership in brain research. He was especially inspired by the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, which is leading discovery in neuroscience and advancing treatments for neurological conditions.
Aggarwal didn’t find tennis until middle school, but it quickly became a valuable part of his college experience. Now a member of WVU’s Club Tennis team, home to more than 90 student-athletes, he said the sport taught him perseverance and positivity.
“In tennis, if you’re down, it doesn’t matter if it’s singles or doubles, you can’t be down on yourself,” Aggarwal said. “You can’t let failure prevent you from winning. That’s also true in health care. If you're feeling discouraged, it can affect your patients, and that can impact their recovery.”
He also said sports have helped him bounce back from challenges, both academically and personally.
“I don’t know if you’ve watched Ted Lasso, but he always says, ‘Be a goldfish,’ because they have the shortest memory span,” he said. “If I miss a shot, I don’t dwell on it. I think, ‘That happened, let’s move on.’ And that’s how I approach academics and my career, too.”
Support from faculty and staff has also played a key role in his success.
“I’ve always felt like I could talk to a professor, a TA, anyone, whether it’s academic or personal,” he said. “That’s made me less intimidated to speak with people who have more experience.”
Aggarwal is also the creator and host of STEM Our State, a podcast that highlights STEM opportunities in West Virginia and features stories from professionals in the field.
“What we want to do is show that there are opportunities here,” he said. “We want to eliminate self-doubt by bringing in STEM speakers who share their lives, their struggles and their stories.”
Now in his final year at WVU, Aggarwal plans to keep building connections and pursue medical school, with the goal of becoming a neuropsychiatrist.
His advice for future students in health care? Be open to new experiences and lean on the WVU community.
“There are people here to help you,” he said. “You can build connections. Getting the grade is just one aspect, the real beauty of college is that there are so many opportunities if you're open to them.”
-WVU-
po/09/26/25
MEDIA CONTACT: Christie Matyola
Senior Communications Specialist
WVU Health Sciences
732-966-2107; christie.matyola@hsc.wvu.edu
