Week one was introductory and exploratory.
To summarise: I learned how to make Neural Probes for optogenetics, observed my first perfusion (surprisingly not as traumatizing as I expected it to be), made PBS and Paraformaldehyde (exciting!) and attended my first Journal Club.
The Denny Lab is focusing on two lines of research, namely the prophylactic effect of Ketamine and the underlying mechanisms of learning and memory in Alzheimer’s disease, specifically the effect of various conditions on dentate gyrus and the CA3 subregions in the hippocampus. I am particularly interested in the latter, since I want to pursue research on the cognitive neurology of Alzheimer’s in the future. Not only is the Denny Lab at the forefront of this area of research, but they also use optogenetics, which is an analytical tool I have always been fascinated by- now I am learning to to conduct research with it!
A “dream come true” and all that aside, I am extremely happy with my position so far. Due to the mounds of paperwork required to obtain authorization to access the behavioural research labs with animals, I have not been able to do much hands on research yet, albeit all that is underway.
On Wednesday, however, I was assigned my very own desk (yay!) and I was taught how to make optic probes for fiber optics, which was a challenge at first because it requires agility in order to get a crisp light projection for analysis- all very exciting stuff nevertheless. I also met Christine Denny (the Principal Investigator) for the first time that day, which was an honour because ever since I applied to Columbia I have wanted to work with her. Christine, along with the rest of the lab, is so friendly and fun to be around. As far as I know, the lab is majority female, and not just any females, but extremely cool, accomplished scientists, who I know I will learn a lot from. Oh, and I also made PBS solution and Paraformaldehyde- a nice throwback to my research internship at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine two summers ago.
On Friday I got to witness my first mice perfusion. I am not authorized to participate in one until after I have all the RASCAL trainings done, but Omid, an senior also working in the Denny lab let me observe his perfusions. In case you do not know what perfusion is, it is the extraction of capillary fluid and in our case, from mice. The mice are anesthetized, laid on their backs, the skin on their chest/stomach is opened up and the diaphragm is cut open using standard scissors. The gauge needle is inserted in the heart, which allows blood flow out of mouse (perfusion). Once the needle is removed from the heart the tissue can be collected and then stored in PBS solution. I was also given the honour of watching the mouse being decapitated and the brain then extracted- do it for science, am I right? Apparently once you have done dozens of these, you are hardly phased by them.
Friday is also our lab’s Journal Club day, which works out perfectly with my schedule. The papers we were discussing that day were on gender bias for the tenure track, as well as the impact your gender has on how you evaluate studies on this gender bias, so very overall very ‘meta’. As our lab is predominantly female, there was only one male present, but lots of cheese, aubergine hummus and crackers. We criticized the papers as well as acknowledges their virtues, and my colleagues provided a lot of insight into the reality of women in STEM. The conversation was especially interesting in light of the recent Nobel Prize nominations in physics and chemistry. While devouring the various cheeses in front of us, we examined the arguments each article made, such as that the reason that there are fewer women on the tenure track is because fewer women apply. Essentially, the circularity of this argument is debatable if one considers the myriad hindrances and dissuasions women face when choosing a career path.
I was both inspired and disappointed to hear about the reality of the situation; I nevertheless actively participated in the discussion by emphasising the importance of female role-models for young girls, as well as an early exposure and access to STEM (see Women in Science article).
Next wednesday I will complete the RASCAL training and I am excited about what full exposure to the Denny Lab’s research will bring. I am already thinking about ideas for an independent research project for further down the line.
My desk.