As a researcher at US Berkeley I used to go into the brains of small, little animals and study the way that brains were connected and how little did I know that one day that was going to be my future - exploring the universe of the brain and hold it in between my hands and look at cells migrating.

The same skills that I used as a welder, as a migrant farm worker, are similar skills that I'm using as a brain surgeon.

As a researcher at US Berkeley I used to go into the brains of small, little animals and study the way that brains were connected and how little did I know that one day that was going to be my future - exploring the universe of the brain and hold it in between my hands and look at cells migrating.

I'm not a genius. I just worked really, really hard, and I want our generation, our children and our future generations to realize that they can fulfill the same dreams.

I'm just a regular guy. I want people to realize that I embody the true American dream. I work hard. I went to school.

I continue to do my job as a brain surgeon, as a researcher, and I try to make it better and better every day, not only for my patients but for their families, for my family and for the future generations of our country.

You know how in sports baseball players, they hit home runs. Football players, they throw and they score touchdowns. I get to do something that very few people get to do - I get to touch the human brain, and every day I get to hit home runs, I get to score touchdowns.