My familiarity with the anatomy of the brain is extremely limited as is my knowledge of biology in general. During my first week when I was learning to use the cryostat to take coronal slices of a mouse brain, my mentor Bel was explaining that the ACC region of the brain is widest between when the ventricle and hippocampus become visible. On a napkin Bel drew the hippocampus as it would appear in a coronal section of the brain, and thus began a serious of educational events where a member of the Eroglu lab would explain something on a napkin.
This summer, I hope to take advantage of the positive energetic learning atmosphere of the Eroglu lab recalling and building off of the wealth of information available to me. By the end of the summer, I expect to be able to understand my project clearly so that I can explain it on a poster or even a napkin. Furthermore, I hope to discover how I can contribute to a lab now with very little experience. I hope to figure out in my niche in the lab, so I can contribute as much as possible in two months. From the lab’s PI Dr. Cagla Eroglu to the Postdoctoral researcher Dr. Krissy Sakers who drew a diagram of Sholl’s analysis on a napkin, I hope to establish positive relationships between the brilliant members of the lab, so they trust me to do certain procedures and speak up when I do not know something.
Bsurf has established an incredible community of individuals outside of lab. The opportunities to hear from professors, researchers, and my fellow Bsurfers will communicate different exciting research avenues within the field of biology. In eight weeks, I can glimpse into what life as a researcher is like and become inspired by the passionate researchers working at the forefront of the field.
The hippocampus, Sholl’s analysis, and an astrocyte as shown in a microscope.
Workbench!