During my sophomore
year, when major courses begin to take over the course load, I began to develop
a passion for neuroscience. When I heard that my professor at the time and
current mentor was beginning a research project concerning the effects of excess
zinc and copper deficiency on a late-onset mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease,
I quickly inquired more and soon was recruited to join her team. Initially, I
had minimal involvement in the research process, with my major responsibility
being handling the mice to decrease stress during te22sting. Over the summer, I
began to assist in behavioral testing and to take more initiative in the
project. After a year of being around the research, I was honored to be offered
a Students as Scholars research position allowing me to hone in on a specific
piece of the project: The effects of excess zinc and copper deficiency on
social behavior in mouse model of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
On a weekly basis I am
either assisting with behavioral testing, handling mice, analyzing recorded
videos of testing, analyzing data, or a combination of these. The six-month
data included analysis of over 300 hours of video after testing was complete,
and results showed no significant difference between the wild-type and ApoE4
mice in social recognition or social preference. These results coincide with
hypotheses that the ApoE4 allele of the APOE gene may be protective early on.
With further research still underway, evidence suggests that the metal
interactions do not cause a significant deficit in social behavior early on in
the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, but could present a larger differential
in the later stages. Age effects will be evaluated by comparing the results of
the same tests performed at 1 year of age which will conclude in early
November. The final results will be presented at the 2016 Society for
Neuroscience meeting held in San Diego in November.
Gaining experience in
research and discovering a passion is extremely crucial to attaining my future
goals. With plans of entering the medical field, the research I am doing in the
neuroscience department has contributed to my recent employment as a clinical
research assistant at a hospital near my hometown. Having the opportunity to
apply what I learn in my neuroscience classes to something practical is
something else that I find beneficial as well. There is a lot of work yet to
go, but I am proud of where the project stands so far.
