How/Why Research? I got involved in research because it allowed me to be part of neuroscience in a way that advances the field as a whole while also furthering my knowledge of neuroscience. Once I was set on getting involved, I created a collective list of all the neuroscience and/or psychology labs at UNC that were of interest to me. I reached out to all the labs on that list, interviewed, and accepted a spot at the Todd Cohen Lab starting the following semester.
Research Experience: I first got involved in research in high school at the Yale CANDLab, which focused on neural mechanisms underlying the dynamic changes that occur in emotional learning and behavior and the risk for psychiatric illness during childhood/adolescence. I performed ADIS entry, RI entry, WASI-II administration, and REDCap entry coding, and interacted with volunteers in the studies. This gave me a solid background in psychiatric disorders and qualitative research and introduced me to the lab setting within the field of Neuroscience and Psychology. At the UNC Todd Cohen Lab, my research dealt with specific mutations that have been associated with the formation of tau tangles and other indicators of extreme tau pathology in primary neurons and the capabilities to use this pathology as a platform for further testing and investigation. This was a significant step up from my previous lab position in terms of complexity and required developing my wet-lab skills and familiarity with data analysis softwares.
Student Organizations/Clubs: Consulting Club, Climbing Club
Also Happy to Chat about: Finding out what areas you want to do research in and stepping up involvement in research after getting involved within a lab.
Random Fun Fact: I’m a member of the UNC fencing team!