- What new ideas, challenges, or other issues have you encountered with regard to your project (this might include data collection, information that contradicts your assumptions or the assertions of others, materials that have enriched your understanding of the topic or led you to change your project, etc.)? How have these ideas or challenges shaped the bigger picture of your research? Has the scope or focus of your topic changed since you began this project? If so, how?
The AI model I was originally using to generate music as a stimulus for the participants turned out to be too outdated. When we finally were able to run it, the generated audio was just noise. My graduate student mentor and I found a potential solution to this issue by searching for newer open source models. This challenge has affected my overall research because it gives me less time to test the AI version of my experimental paradigm with human research participants. On the bright side, I’ve been testing the human music condition and control which are both working great. The scope of the project hasn’t really changed over the summer because I worked with my PI to create a summer plan that would be manageable for the time constraints, and I will be continuing this research by conducting data collection during the academic year. Something that has changed is that my research coordinator and PI decided that the other project I was working on last school year will transition to an fMRI experiment, so I’ve been doing fMRI safety training with my remaining lab time. I’m excited to say that I’ve completed my fMRI Level II safety training, so hopefully I can work with an fMRI technologist to do data collection with human participants in the scanner!
- Where does your research take place--or where is a favorite place to conduct your research? Post a photo!
My research takes place in a dark room in the Schermerhorn basement. This basement features a lovely ghost (AKA automatic doors with a broken sensor) and creepy basement vibes!
This is where the experiment takes place
This is one floor above me
**I didn’t take a picture of the ghost because I’m too scared he/she/they will come after me and consume my soul