My interest in this project cannot be accredited
to any single reason. My interest in this project stems from an intrinsic
motivation to better understand and expand upon what we understand as our self
being. The goal of my project is to replicate and simulate the neural firings
of a monkey in a corresponding motor function. This presumably, is comparable
to studying and replicating the neural activity of the human primary motor
cortex. Through this, endless applications are made possible. Integrating
technology with the inner mechanisms of our motor function may result in the
solutions for many neuromuscular diseases, and may even serve to one day
enhance our physical capabilities. I envision my project carrying through with me in my career as I expand my knowledge of the brain and neuronal synaptic activity. I wish for my research in determining a correlation between specific neuronal activity and motor function to help expand the field of computational neuroscience and to make previously impossible applications possible. Once my work is complete, I hope advances in medical imaging techniques will have come about so that my work may be applied in a non-invasive manner.
During my work in the motor control lab, I have encountered many foreseen and unforeseen issues and problems in the development of my neural model. Many of the problems have been resolved through the development of programs to minimize many menial tasks. Still others, require the consultation of parties more knowledgeable of certain subjects than myself. My mentor Dr. Laurence Bray, is one of such parties whom I often go to seeking assistance in understanding the neurology aspect of my project. The work required by my project is extremely varied and requires a wide variety of skills to progress forward.
The most important thing I have learned during this project this week is something more to do with project management than neurology. I’ve come to learn that when requesting assistance or software from other people, it’s often necessary to be a bit pushy. Although one may feel that they are being rude or inconsiderate by doing so, when working on a project with many contributing parts, without reliable input from all of the parts, the project is often halted all together.
