Alyssa Aguason is a current third-year Neuroscience student who was working with Dr. Lynn Raymond as a part of the SBME Synergy Undergraduate Summer Research Program. We caught up with Alyssa to learn more about her experience in the program.
Why did you apply to the Synergy program?
Dr. Raymond introduced me to the program, and when I saw the website, I knew it was a great opportunity. There aren’t many research awards that host multiple workshop-like events and allow you to get to know the other participants in the program.
What is your research project?
My project was directly related to previous publications from the Raymond lab, which focuses on Huntington’s disease (HD): a neurodegenerative disorder that manifests in motor, mood, and cognitive dysfunction. Our previous publications have found that in the HD mice model zQ175, the excitatory-inhibitory balance of neurons is increased in the layer ⅔ sensory cortex. This imbalance has been shown ex vivo in individual cells and in vivo, so to bridge the gap I looked at widefield GCaMP imaging that is active when the neurons are sending signals in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons separately to find where the E-I imbalance is generated in HD mice, at 10 months old (manifest age). In addition to looking at evoked responses in regular artificial-cerebrospinal fluid, we looked at the effect that a low magnesium (Mg) solution would have on these excitatory events. Mg typically blocks ion channels in NMDA receptors, which will stop the over-activation of a neuron, thus, stripping away Mg should make the neurons fire more often. Then as my little side quest, I also looked at the visual cortex as well, and found that the WT and HD differences were even more pronounced in this area!
What are some of the skills that you are learning/taking part in while in the lab?
The main skill I picked up was how to insert the stimulating electrode into the slice since I was working with an evoked response. The learning curve was pretty steep, and I definitely broke a lot of stimulating electrodes along the way, but eventually, I got the hang of it and was able to insert the electrodes where I wanted them to be. Of course, the other half was doing the imaging, but the camera did most of the work for me. Then there are the more menial tasks like making the solutions and pulling the electrodes, but honestly, everything was so novel to me that I really enjoyed it all.
On the flip side of conducting the experiments was doing all the analysis, which mostly consisted of having to alter the original videos to change them into the change in fluorescence over the base fluorescence; as a result, I got very good at using ImageJ. Afterwards, I mostly had to run the files through code (that I was lucky enough to have my RA Marja write for me) and then make tons and tons of graphs in Prism. So it was nice to learn how to use all this new software, and to be able to visualize the results of my experiments right away.
What are some accomplishments during your time in the program?
My biggest accomplishment was definitely creating the poster for the Synergy research symposium. There’s so much thought and work that goes into that process, from choosing the best example graphs, deciding which results to show, and being able to describe it all to an audience that doesn’t have the same background in neuroscience. It was a challenge to condense everything I had done over the summer into one poster, but it also made me realize just how much work I had actually done in the lab. Then when the actual presentation day came, I found myself so excited to share about my project and it was so fun answering everyone’s questions. After completing the poster and the symposium day, I remember telling my lab-mates “Wow, I understood what I was doing, but now I REALLY understand everything I’ve been doing” so the poster presentation was a great experience.
How has this experience changed your outlook on science or research?
This experience has definitely opened my mind to all the different types of research and experiments there really are; from different techniques to finding new drugs and viruses, there’s just so much you can do! I like the idea that there’s always more to discover. In the future, I want to continue doing research in neurodegenerative diseases, which means I’m looking to go to grad school and would love to get a PhD.
What sparked your interest in neuroscience?
I actually became interested in neuroscience at a pretty young age. I had always loved science because of the empiric aspect of it, and for me, there was nothing less empirical than people, so naturally I became interested in the study of the brain since it seemed like the way to break down humans into the cellular/molecular level. I remember doing a project on depression way back in grade 8, and I loved the research so much that my alleged 10-minute presentation was closer to 30 minutes. From then on, I was certain that I wanted to go into neuroscience, and more specifically on dysfunction of the brain.
What was the most memorable moment for you in this program?
A memorable moment in this program was getting to do the lab tours. The Raymond lab is the first lab experience I’ve ever had, so it was cool to see what other lab environments are like. It was such a great opportunity to learn about techniques that I’ll probably never do in neuroscience, and also learn about techniques that I’m interested in doing in the future. With the lab tours, I also got to chat with other people working in the labs and hear about their experiences, and it opened my mind to aspects of research that I didn’t have to deal with in my lab. Plus, it was nice to tour people around my lab and get a chance to nerd out about everything I had been doing.
