Year in program: 2019
Current Institution: UCLA
During the two-week summer program at UCLA Neurocamp, I was introduced to concepts of neuroscience and basic lab techniques in Molecular Neurobiology and Neurophysiology. In high school, I never got to work in a lab setting and learn about all the tools that can be used which is why I applied to Neurocamp because it is a great program to show high school students who are interested in doing research one day about labs. One of my biggest accomplishments during this program was getting to master how to use a pipette in an experiment with mice ears to figure out which one of the ears was contaminated with a disease. We also got to experiment with crickets who were injected with caffeine to see the differences in their reactivity. However, one of my favorite parts about the program was meeting new people who I still to this day keep in touch with through social media. The mystery about all the diseases in neurology is what inspires me to learn about neuroscience. The brain is a complex organ that contains all our memories, histories, and emotions that has so much to be explored and most of it has not been discovered yet. The field of neuroscience always has a challenge and obstacle ahead of you which keeps your everyday learning interesting.