For my STEP Signature Project, I conducted research in the cognitive neuroscience/psychology department on the effects of certain conditions on visual filters and attention. The main components of my project experience consisted of conducting background research on the subject, data collection and analysis, and experimenting with MATLAB. The major findings from the project were synthesized into a research presentation. 

Working on this project has allowed me to open my mindset to different perspectives and areas of research, and transform my understanding of the research process. Prior to this project, my interests in research were primarily restricted to studies that I have learned about from class. However, by engaging in different topics with my project mentor and conducting further background research in the scientific literature, I learned to work with new concepts and ideas that were completely out of my comfort zone. As I became more comfortable with different subjects, I learned the significance behind every research study and their contribution to our scientific knowledge. I was able to grow from the challenges that arose during the research process, especially through this unprecedented time. With limited in-person communication towards the latter portion of the project, it became extremely important for me to learn to adapt to different circumstances while conducting research from home. 

From working on this project, I have learned that a fundamental aspect of research is built on the efforts of collaboration. From discussing my initial ideas with my principal investigator to conducting experiments with my postdoctoral mentor, my interactions with my fellow lab members played a significant role in the way this project was executed. Those who have offered their insight and expertise and guided me along the process have given me a first hand opportunity to learn about conducting research beyond what is taught in class. Being able to freely engage with each other was a significant part of my lab environment, and has allowed me to learn from different perspectives and ideas. With the onset of the pandemic, accessibility to resources and communication with lab members became more challenging, but I continued to receive encouragement in working on the project and practicing my research presentation. Working with people in this lab environment has provided another goal for me to continue working in an environment where I feel encouraged through discussion and collaboration. 

A major portion of the project involved collecting data from human participants. One of my weaknesses is that I often have an overwhelming tendency to be shy around new people. However, as I gained more experience with running subjects, I became more confident in guiding subjects through the experiment and explaining the complex instructions. I also had the opportunity to answer their questions, which allowed me to reflect upon the different ways in which the goal of the experiment was interpreted, as well as ideas for future experiments. When working with subjects, it was very important for me to maintain consistency and improve my presentation skills for all the different subjects. I have become more confident in working with different people and hope to continue to improve my presentation abilities.  

Working with a new programming environment was one of the major challenges I came across. Learning MATLAB and its various collections helped me gain a lot of new knowledge about programming and using models to conduct analysis. Data analysis for this project involved excel and models in memtoolbox (MATLAB), where I compiled and conducted analysis over nine thousand lines of data to create visualizations of patterns in behavior. Some of the results I produced include subjects’ overall performance, guess rate, and standard deviation. My mentor’s expertise had a major role in guiding me on how to determine the significance of data and interpretation. Through my interests in research, I became inspired to pursue a minor in computer science to further develop my computing skills for designing experiments. 

As someone who plans to pursue neuroscience research in graduate school, I will always be able to learn from the experiences I’ve gained from my STEP project throughout the rest of my career. Not only was I given the opportunity to engage in firsthand cognitive science research, I was able to learn from the challenges that I faced along the way and grow as a student. The biggest transformation has been about discovering the direction I wish to pursue and how it allowed me to reflect upon my future career goals. Throughout my undergraduate years, I have always felt a sense of apprehension in determining whether what I hoped to pursue was right for me. However, through this experience, I learned that the true extent of scientific work cannot be merely encompassed in my courses, and became determined to further my interests in research and contribute to the scientific literature in the future. I now have a deeper understanding of the questions I wish to explore in graduate school and beyond, and above all, I will always continue to learn about research through different experiences and perspectives. 

MATLAB programming environment for data analysis (statistical modeling via memtoolbox)

For my STEP project, I spent the semester researching Stoicism, an ancient school of philosophy. Philosophical research is different from most other disciplines. Most of my time was spent reading philosophical works and thinking critically about the arguments presented. The rest of my time was spent in discussion with my research advisor and writing an original essay on Stoicism.

Studying Stoicism has changed some of my views about the world. The Ancient Stoics held beliefs on almost every topic available at the time, so there was a lot for me to learn about. The Stoics are most known for their contributions to ethics. They created an ethical theory that focuses on enduring hardship and becoming content in our daily lives.  Although they formed these ideas thousands of years ago, they are still relevant to how we live our lives today. I definitely resonate with some of these main Stoic values. I think that studying Stoicism has allowed me to appreciate the things that I have more, and desire the things I don’t have less. Studying Stoicism has also given me a different way to think about emotion. The Stoics believed that emotions are voluntary and that through practice we could control them. After testing out some Stoic techniques I think that I am better able to understand and control my emotions. I also think that studying Stoicism and having discussion with my professor has bettered both my critical thinking and my communication skills.

The main thing during this project that led to personal transformation was just reading what these ancient philosophers thought and seeing how they would work today. There was never one specific moment that led me to adopt a Stoic belief for myself. In order to better understand some of these beliefs, I doubted them and tried to figure out why they wouldn’t work. This would happen both mentally but also during my day-to-day life. For instance, whenever I found myself facing hardship I would remember the Stoic’s attempts at accepting what they cannot change and focusing on the things that are in their power.

Constantly thinking about Stoicism and how it might apply to my life has also helped me understand the world around me. That’s because if a certain Stoic stance didn’t seem appropriate for a situation, then I knew that there could be another option. If there was no better option for the situation, then I could conclude that the Stoics were right in this case, or that we just haven’t come up with a solution better than the Stoic’s. This will definitely help shape how I think about ethics in the future.

Discussing some of these ancient views with my research professor also helped me to grasp a better understanding of Stoicism and determine what strategies that they had for living were worthwhile. Professor D’arms has been a philosophy professor for many years, so he was able to help guide me to a better way of thinking about some of the ethical ideas that the Stoics held. He never led me to believe in a certain Stoic idea, often times he would ask questions that challenge the Stoics as an opportunity for me to think about these things and gain a better understanding. But through this understanding, I was able to pick out some Stoic principles that may be useful for the future. Through our discussions I was also able to refine my communication skills so that I could better express my ideas.

I think that all of these transformations will have a positive impact on both my professional and personal life. Being able to think critically and communicate effectively are skills that will come in handy, no matter the situation. I think that studying Stoicism has shown me some useful techniques, and has also shown me some things to avoid. I don’t subscribe to Stoicism as a whole, but studying an ancient guide to life will certainly help me with some of the problems that I will have to face in the future.

My STEP signature project involved me in my most passionate area of study. Exercise physiology and physical activity in children. I have always advocated for increased physical activity in our younger generation because not only does it increase physical literacy, but promotes healthy living and lifestyles. My research project with professor Jacqueline Goodway incorporated both these passions of mine into a study. Children go through “stages” of learning when it comes to movement in object control and locomotor skills such as running, hopping, kicking, batting, etc. In this study, we closely observed the stages in which children were in for different skills and compared them to the expected “age level skill” they should be at to conclude if they were advanced, on track, or delayed in their motor development.

As I grew up inactive and obese my self as a child, I had some preconceived assumptions as to how this research project would go and the effect it would have on me. I believed that I had already knew everything about the physical activity world for children and that growing up no one really had control as to how I developed physically other than myself. However, very quickly professor Goodway taught me that all children develop differently depending on a miriade of reasons. From socioeconomic living conditions, to cultures, to even home life can effect a child’s activity level and skill. I was transformed in my view on physical literacy amongst many cultures and circumstances.

Some interactions during my STEP signature project that led to my transformation were from the children specifically. The child pictured below is named James. James taught me many things about motor development in his life without even knowing it. As I observed James do different object control skills and loco-motor skills, I soon realized that his interactions with the physical world depended highly on his mental state. James is a very happy-go-lucky child with not a worry in the world. As we instructed him to do certain skills he would often not pay much attention and do things his “own way.”

When observed like this, James was considered underdeveloped in his skills to work and move. However, after slowing James down and instructing him to try and do well, James showed to be on track or advanced for his skills. This led me to think that many children have the ability to move correctly with optimal performance for their age, but they lack the instruction and leadership to cultivate them. This was done at the OSU child care center, however, if these programs were implemented in public schools across the nation, children would grow up knowing how to move better, therefore having an appreciation and likeness towards physical activity. It is shown in social studies that children and young kids who believe that they are not good at physical activity are less likely to participate in it. That leads to childhood obesity and a long road of inactivity for the rest of their lives. If we begin to educate the children in our schools and day cares about the importance and joys of physical activity we are able to slow down or even halt the ever growing obesity rate in this country.

These views affected me in a way that not only did it grow my passion to advocate for increased physical activity, but changed my approach. Previously, I would just advocate for increased daily activity levels. That being said, it is easier said than done. What are parents to do for their children? Simply telling them to move more will not solve the issue if they can not move effectively in a way that they intrinsically enjoy. Now, I can tell and teach others the different stages of motor development and how to properly advance their children in activity levels with instructions. This research study and STEP project not only changed my perspective on my passion, but reaffirmed it deeply.

This change is transformational to my life because it is what I plan to do in the future. I am currently a certified personal trainer and have adult clients that I meet with every week. So far in my career this is what I am doing to promote physical activity however I plan to expand and grow into different areas of activity. Now, I am able to talk to my clients and educate them on these stages and the findings from our research study. Some of my clients are parents and would love to share this information and implement it to their parenting. Moving forward, I plan to get a doctorate in physical therapy and use my platform to share and advocate for these transformational findings. In the future, I plan to work with patients and share this news with them as well as study more in the field of childhood obesity prevention.

My STEP signature project entailed a one-year commitment as a research volunteer through Ohio State Wexner Medical Center at Dodd Rehabilitation Hospital. I was able to aid in research involving both traumatic brain injuries as well as spinal cord injuries. As a clinical research volunteer, I had the opportunity to interact with patients via phone or in person and assist with various studies to help truly understand the impact of such injuries.

I originally sought out research opportunities in order to enhance my medical experiences and to aid me in my path to applying to medical schools. During this past year, I have come to learn how important of a role research plays in the delivery of medicine. Additionally, I have learned that the work that I put in to aid in these research fields goes beyond just enhancing my own medical experiences, but truly does make an impact on the understanding of how devasting events can affect an individual, and how we must approach long-term treatment for years beyond the initial injury. With this clinical research position, I was given the hands-on opportunity to work with subjects, whether it be with inpatients, outpatients, or over the phone. Being able to physically see and talk with patients who have sustained life-changing injuries allowed me to realize how intricate medicine truly is, and how much research contributes to healthcare worker’s knowledge on treating a patient. Working in the lab on the second floor with TBI and SCI patients on the third and fourth floors of the hospital, I was able to recognize first-hand how the work we did in the lab influenced the care that we saw upstairs. An understanding I came to about myself is that even being a such a young research volunteer, the work that I took part in truly does impact so many other lives beyond my own.

One of the most impactful facets of my STEP signature project was the opportunity to work with and form relationships with a wide variety of professionals. In my lab, I worked with clinical research assistants who have been conducting research in these fields for years, and even decades. Additionally, I was able to interact with doctors, nurses, speech therapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and more around the hospital. A majority of the patients that these healthcare workers treated are also subjects that the clinical research assistants in my lab have been studying, causing our work to overlap often. Because of this, we were able to consult each other to understand how an injury has affected a patient in various aspects. Being given this research position, I was able to understand how all of these professionals work together to formulate the best treatment plan for one patient, from researchers to nurses to doctors to therapists. I now realize how care goes further than just the doctor’s knowledge but is a culmination of the work of all professionals in the hospital.

An extremely influential experience during my STEP signature project was when I was given the opportunity to shadow an osteopathic physician who oversees all of the rehabilitative care in Dodd Rehabilitation Hospital. Physically seeing the hardships that patients endure after such tragic injuries, whether it be soon after the injury in inpatient care or during long-term treatment in outpatient care, is something that has made an imprint on me that will likely last forever. The doctor then told me that she and the other healthcare workers in the hospital often reference the research from our labs to develop long-term care plans for patients. In this moment, I truly realized the significance of the research that I have the opportunity to help with.

The most significant element that contributed to my transformation throughout the duration of my project is the work I did in the lab. For researching traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, we conduct interviews after the initial injury at various checkpoints, one year, two years, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, and so on. These subjects are recruited from OSUWMC and other hospitals in the regional Ohio area with participants who represent both rural and metropolitan communities. The interview questions remain the same at each checkpoint and consist of a wide variety of questions regarding how they function in their daily life, how their mood has changed, how their drug and alcohol use has been affected, and more. The purpose of these interviews is to provide as much knowledge as possible about long-term effects of moderate and severe TBIs and SCIs in order to improve the lives of those with the injuries, their families, and their communities. With each interview that I assisted with, I realized that our work could change the life of at least one person, and this realization was something I had not experienced before partaking in this STEP signature project.

The experience that my STEP signature project provided me with a transformation that I will value for the rest of my life. This transformation is truly understanding how impactful my work as a research volunteer is in the field of medicine. My entire academic career, I have put pressure on myself that I had to become a doctor to help others. My time as a research volunteer has allowed me to see otherwise. There are so many elements that play into the care of a patient, and they are all equally important. Being a research volunteer has opened my eyes to other professions within healthcare whose work still revolves around improving the lives of others. Whether it be behind the scenes conducting research, or being on the frontlines like doctors, nurses, therapists, practitioners, or physician assistants, each person’s goal ultimately ends up being to help others. I was able to see first-hand how the research that I helped with contributed to the improvement of patient’s lives, and I did not have to be a doctor to do so. This helped me realize that I do not need to pressure myself into pursuing only one career, but that there are so many other opportunities out there that still involve the goals that I want to accomplish, that being helping others. My STEP signature project has taught me many things about myself and the world around me, but when it comes to my professional goals and future plans, I now find myself open to the idea of working in research full time or pursuing other health-related fields. Overall, I have come to appreciate all of the knowledge that goes into improving the lives of patients, and I cannot wait to become a part of that one day, whether I am a doctor or not.

My research project for STEP began with the study of angular momentum loss in binary stars over time.  The main part that STEP helped me achieve is going to the MDM Observatory on Kitt Peak in Arizona to take observational data of these star systems with two other undergraduate researchers.  Slowly this morphed into another research project that is so far unfinished but will continue throughout the summer.

This experience has transformed the way I think about academic astrophysics research completely.  Throughout my career as a student so far, I have been solving problems where all of the information is given to me in some way or another.  Whether that be in a word problem where I mine the information from a text, or I am given the main idea and need to research some main topics to figure out the answer.  This experience totally changed that for me because, along with the help from my advisor, I was the one getting the data and learning how to reduce it and apply it.  Data from the back of a telescope is not clean and straight-forward.  It is a mess that needs to be cleaned up and analyzed and going out to the observatory has shown me all the steps to this.  From thinking up a question to be studied, to figuring out targets to get the information we need, to physically opening up the telescope, to pointing the telescope and taking exposures; all the way to reducing the data, interpreting the data, and figuring out how that interpretation fits in with the original inquiry were all new experiences that has shaped my view of research significantly.

Another way I have changed as a person is that I have been able to make so many connections within the Astronomy Department through this collaboration.  Not only was I working on this project with my advisor, Dr. Terndrup, I was also working with two other undergraduates who just graduated and are going to graduate school next fall!  Through these two extra relationships, I have been able to watch research being worked out by my peers.  I also was able to get an in-depth walk-through of the graduate school application and admission process.  It seems like every department has its own type of graduate schools and processes and I have always been very overwhelmed by what I should know about it and what I did not know about it.  By having the weekly group research meetings with my team, I was able to learn about their research and their journeys into graduate school.  It has helped me solidify my decision to pursue graduate studies and made me feel more confident that I am able to figure it all out.

Not only did I make those two relationships, but I also made acquaintance with many more faculty members in the Astronomy Department.  I used to be nervous to be in the Astronomy Department area because it was very out of the way and I felt like I should not be there.  Now, having been around the department and seeing new faces and introducing myself to people, I feel more at home and comfortable in the department.  This has helped me to obtain an Instructional Assistant job within the department which will hopefully turn into a Teaching Assistant job next semester.  All these connections that I have made have definitely impacted by journey at Ohio State and beyond.

This project also helped me to jumpstart into the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) this coming summer.  This time around, SURP only accepted 18 people into the program and I completely feel like having done research through STEP helped to boost me into the program.  The connections that I had made and the hard skills I learned about research really helped me feel confident enough to apply and I think they made me valuable to the admissions crew.  I am excited about continuing in research because my advisor said that the goal for this project is to get me published.  My hopes are to publish at least one paper that I will be able to put on my CV that I can show to graduate schools in the admissions process.  I will be focusing on metallicity, or abundance of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, in solar-type field stars and plan to explore relations between metallicity and various other properties of stars.

All of these experiences have been extremely helpful in developing into a more confident and well-rounded astronomer and student.  It is so important to develop a great resume to look good on paper for admissions offices of graduate schools, and everything I have encountered through this opportunity can certainly be placed on a resume.  I do not think the effects of STEP will end here.  I think this was part of a large chain reaction that will shape the student I become and possibly even the employee I become.  Without the help from this project, I would not have been able to completely solidify my interests in research and made so many great networking connections and I really appreciate the funding given to me through STEP!

If you click on the image to the right, it is a GIF of opening up the telescope and to the left is a picture of me with the open telescope in the background.

My STEP project focused on my research in molecular genetics, under the guidance of my PI, Dr. Susan Cole, and graduate student, Kara Braunreiter. I studied the Notch Signaling Pathway, primarily the role of Hes7 in alternative polyadenylation. My primary objective was to determine whether a rare SNP variant in the 3’UTR of Hes7 interfered with alternative polyadenylation and how this may affect the phenotype.

As a result of my STEP project, I was exposed to new ideas and problems that I had to solve. Not all experiments worked out as planned, and I had to learn how to troubleshoot different procedures. It was transformative because I had to take responsibility and initiative to plan experiments and carry them out, as well as make decisions as to what to do next. I also had to learn how and when to ask for help, and how to do this in the most productive and professional way. This was very transformative because I learned that asking questions is the most helpful when you can be clear and precise as to what kind of answers you are looking for. This changed my outlook on the importance of asking for help and made me realize how to best ask for help in the future.

I had an experience in the lab where my sequencing would not work, no matter what I tried. I brought information on my trials and errors to my graduate student and PI, and we came up with a plan together of which samples to use for the qPCR to collect the samples for sequencing. This experience taught me that it was important to first try to solve problems myself using the knowledge I have. It was important that I trusted myself and my knowledge on the subject to troubleshoot the experiment myself. Then I was able to talk to my graduate student and PI on what I did, and what I was confused about. That way, I received the guidance I needed while still being a crucial part of the decision-making process.

There was also an instance when something was a little off in my results. In other words, I did not expect a certain result and was unsure what to do. After talking to my graduate student, I put together all of the information I had on the issue. I created a slideshow with all of the steps I took and the experiments I ran, along with the results and data for each part. My graduate student then reviewed the information with me and helped clarify certain sections. We then had a meeting with my PI where the three of us were able to discuss exactly what happened and what the next steps would be. It turned out to be very fixable, but I was happy that I was able to gather all the information and present it in a way that we could have a real conversation about what to do. I learned how important it is to stay organized and to present all information to get the most meaningful answers.

The corona virus pandemic came near the end of my project, which could have been a big issue. However, throughout my project I made sure to plan out my experiments carefully and thoughtfully. As a result, I was at a point in my experiments where I could hit pause during these unforeseen times. I was relieved that I had learned how to plan and take responsibility for what I needed to accomplish. While there was more I wanted to do before the semester ended, I was content with what I had completed and I felt efficient and productive with the time I did have.

This transformation will be significant for my career as a doctor. I will need to know how to ask questions and work with my attendings and colleagues in order to come up with the best diagnoses and treatments to keep the patients healthy. It is crucial that I know how to ask the important questions, because I want to learn as much as I can from my future mentors. Additionally, it is important that I am able to take responsibility and initiative, because I want to be a successful doctor who does everything for her patients. Having patients to care for is a big responsibility, so it is important I know how to handle this with grace. I am grateful for my STEP experience, because I think this transformation will help me to be the best doctor and person I can be.