1. What are you most excited about as you start your Laidlaw research summer?
I am most excited to learn various lab techniques and apply that understanding to my research focused on a specific region of the hippocampus and its role in social memory. Although I have worked in this lab throughout the semester, this summer experience provides a new opportunity to gain deep and sustained exposure to a laboratory environment. I am eager to lead and craft each step of the research process, while also gaining the expertise that will enable me to effectively communicate the significance of my results and findings. I also have enjoyed reading existing papers as I create my literature review as I am able to see how my research fits into and furthers the existing scholarly conversation regarding social memory and the hippocampus.
2. This week, the discussions we held about research cut across the disciplines. How does the interdisciplinary nature of this program, the fact that students are focusing on such a diverse range of projects, help you think about your project and/or your academic interests more broadly?
The interdisciplinary nature of this program as truly broadened the way I think about my research project. Listening to the projects my fellow scholars are undertaking in math, public health, humanities, and social sciences has highlighted how complex topics often require perspectives from various disciplines in order to create a complete picture of an issue. These discussions have encouraged me to think beyond simply the biological mechanisms of the brain and to consider how my research findings can connect to and inform various social, ethical, and clinical issues. Regarding my research on the CA1 region of the hippocampus, social memory is influenced by factors studied across disciplines including psychology, public health, and medicine. Additionally, hearing about the various research methods that my peers are utilizing has reminded me of the importance of conducting research at various levels, such as studying molecular mechanisms, individual's behaviors, and widespread real-world outcomes. These new understandings have greatly helped me in crafting my literature review as I clearly convey and emphasize the connections to human health and behavior.
3. As you begin your individual research projects this week, do you anticipate any challenges in getting started? If so, what are they?
As I have started collecting sources and creating an outline for my literature review, I find myself getting overwhelmed with the sheer number of studies that have been done on my topic. Additionally, the studies rely heavily on technical jargon that I am not always familiar with. I feel as though I am spending a lot of my time reading to gain a grasp of the existing research rather than actively writing my literature review. Although this causes me to worry about time, I believe the readings I have been doing are crucial to my overall understanding despite the fact that I may not include these studies in my literature review. Moving further along in the process of writing the literature review may pose another challenge as I will have to identify the studies that are key to the readers understanding of my own research project. I anticipate that creating this narrow and purposeful focus will be difficult. I am looking forward to talking to my graduate student mentor and fellow scholars to discuss this challenge, so I can learn and brainstorm possible solutions or approaches to tackling these obstacles.
4. Optional! This week you moved into a new dorm room and met new friends, mentors, and research collaborators. Take a photograph of something (or someone) new and post!
This week I was able to try Mama's TOO pizza for the first time with a couple of other Laidlaw scholars. It was delicious! I will definitely be going back.