University: Brown University
Hometown: Coralville, IA
NIH Research Project:
Childhood Obesity
Mentor: Daniel Pine, M.D.
Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program
National Institute of Mental Health
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What could be more intriguing than the human brain? For me, the answer is nothing.
I am a senior at Brown University, majoring in neuroscience. Last summer I trained in the Laboratory of Cerebral Metabolism at the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) where they are studying fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited mental retardation. We used a mouse model of the disorder to investigate the effect of fragile X on the rat brain and to compare it to the human disorder.
At Brown University my lab uses rats to study the basis of learning and memory in the hippocampus, a region in the center of the brain. We use laboratory techniques to destroy neurons important for memory, and to record the effect on a rat's ability to learn and remember a task.
This summer I am exploring the clinical aspect of research with Dr. Alan Zametkin in the Anxiety and Mood Disorder Section of the NIMH. Dr. Zametkin and I are assisting with a study on brain imaging of Prozac treatment in children who have an anxiety disorder. We are also working on a new protocol to study the neurobiology and psychology of childhood obesity.
My ultimate career goal is to conduct clinical research in pediatric neurology. I plan on pursuing a combined M.D./Ph.D. I want to focus my Ph.D. studies on learning disabilities and mood and anxiety disorders in children. I plan to complete my residency and internship in pediatric neurology. |
