Reflection #1: Dr. Lauren Richmond Memory + Aging
It was an honor to learn more about memory and aging from a professional, Dr. Lauren Richmond. Her presentation was both impactful and enlightening. This presentation makes me I look forward to the remaining presentations scheduled for this semester! What inspired me was the amount of research and devotion that Dr. Lauren Richmond has demonstrated through her presentation. I’ve learned a plethora of new facts about memory and the brain. Through the experimental data she shared about optimal memory training for elderly subjects, her team discovered that older people would be able to remember information more through writing. Furthermore, I also learned that you could retain more information for a test if you study in different locations rather than just one. Lastly, the information we have in our brain may be inaccessible at certain times, which explains why we may have deja vu and tip-of-my tongue experiences. It shows you that commonly held phenomena can be easily understood and explained through scientific endeavors! What I’ll take away from this presentation is that we can all contribute to the betterment of society through our interests and compassion for others. Dr. Lauren Richmond’s devotion to her work and openness to dialogue was what inspired me the most. It’s always inspiring to watch and learn about a topic from someone very passionate about it. Her team’s research will be very beneficial to aid older people and our understanding of the human mind.

Reflection #2: Dr. Hoi-Chung Leung Seeing From The Brain
Despite my absence during Dr. Hoi Chung Leung’s presentation, I learned about her research in her recently funded study on frontostriatal circuitry (motor, cognitive, and behavioral functions in the brain) in Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that causes uncontrolled movements. Patients display low response inhibition (the ability to prevent unintentional actions), reduced striatal activation (performing the intended activity), and deficient salient signal processing (recognizing the most relevant events during situations). Her team wanted to look into the effects of dopaminergic medications on Parkinson’s Diseased patients due to contradictory findings. The inconsistency was due to other drugs suppressing the effectiveness of the dopaminergic medications. Furthermore, previous studies didn’t account for the heterogeneous medical profiles of their test subjects. They discovered through reactionary tests and brain scanning that Levodopa, the precursor to dopamine, improves behavioral and neural functions in early-stage PD. I find it interesting that science can continuously build upon itself. Each study can be open for further research, creating an infinite feedback loop of understanding. Science humbles itself for the betterment of society. It is inspiring that Dr. Hoi-Chung Leung is part of SBU. I’m grateful to attend higher education amongst academics that change the world. The takeaway from learning this study is that not everything is what it seems to be. We can always make an effort to examine pre-determined phenomena.

Reflection #3: Dr. Arianna Maffei Taste in the Brain
Despite my absence during Dr. Arianna Maffei’s presentation, I learned a lot about her specialized research on the gustatory cortical circuit (the portion of the brain concerning taste). Her recent research study revolves around the experience-dependent plasticity of the gustatory insular cortex circuits and taste preference. The goal was to research how gustatory experiences during childhood influences the development of taste preferences. Her team exposed weanling mice to a series of taste solutions to determine if there were any patterns of taste preferences during their maturity. Findings show a sucrose preference that persisted weeks following the exposure. Another factor includes olfaction (nasal passages). Despite these mice naturally deterring from sugary foods, this experiment proves that conditioning can influence preference. These findings highlight the importance of establishing a nutritious diet in early childhood. Other species can help us a lot in science. Many animals and insects can reach maturity quickly, and you can do generational testing too. Although, we must ensure their comfort and safety too. I’m inspired by how complex this experiment is while being easy to understand for those outside the scientific field. I am a fan of reading abstracts. I find it crucial for professionals to explain their findings in simple terms to audiences. Otherwise, it would make people shy away from scientific processes, limiting our understanding of the world. My main takeaway from this research study is that life is very intricate. Science can uncover truths that had us stumped for millennia.

Reflection #4: Dr. John Pollock Vision, Sleep, Dreams, and Why Stories Matter
Despite my absence during Dr. John Pollock’s presentation, I learned about his research on the impacts of sleep deficiency in his television episode “Sciencetastic: Are You Sleeping?” The episode revolves around a student named Cassie as she makes efforts to improve the sleep patterns of her classmates and family. There are musical and animated transitions and a wholesome storyline that provides scientific ideas approachable to younger audiences. Through partaking in research studies, reading books on sleep, and referring to professionals, Cassie was able to help her classmates excel in their studies, her father with his snoring, and her mother with her caffeine addiction. It was interesting learning the history of how humanities sleeping patterns developed. During the paleolithic period, we would take naps during the day and sleep in short bursts at night. Pre-industrially we slept biphasically: sleeping around nine, waking up at midnight for an hour or two, then having a second sleep afterward. Post-industrialization, we sleep at night for eight hours. We can improve our sleeping by reducing sugary foods, yoga, and meditation. Thinking of relaxing images can help you sleep faster. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Professor Patricia Maurides was an actor and contributing producer! The production was very inspiring, being able to produce something both enjoyable and informative. My main takeaway from this episode is that scientifically understanding our bodies can help us be our best selves.

Reflection #5: Dr. Alice Powers Turtle Neurogenesis + Human Brains
Despite my absence during Dr. Alice Power’s presentation, I learned about her research on neurogenesis in turtles. Neurogenesis is the process where neurons form within the brain. Neurons use electrical and chemical signals to send information throughout the brain, spinal cord, and body. These signals allow you to do involuntary and voluntary movements and functions throughout the body. What I find unique about her research is her unorthodox experimental group: turtles. Turtles provide multiple advantages in scientific testing. Unlike mammals, turtles form new neurons in more than two areas, allowing researchers to pinpoint the specific purposes of each part of the brain. Turtles also can operate for long periods without oxygen, helping researchers understand how to prevent brain damage after high amounts of oxygen deprivation. She separated two groups of turtles into different environments: one with an enriching environment and one without one. They were injected with chemicals to show where newborn neurons are detected. Enriched environments increase the production of neurons. These findings suggest that enriched environments could increase the production of neurons in mammals. I found it very interesting that different species can apply to others. Her use of alternative methods to circumvent hurdles is inspiring. Her research shows we can derive knowledge and nuance through unlikely sources.

Reflection #6: Elsa Limbach Body+Mind/Brain Movement Workshop
Despite my absence during Elsa Limbach’s presentation, I learned about her specialization of utilizing movement to aid body functionality through her letter. She believes that through brain dance, individuals refresh their minds and bodies. A brain dance incorporates the eight fundamental movement patterns during infancy. The eight fundamental movements are breath, tactile (touch), core-distal (center of the body), head-tail (spine), upper-lower (top and bottom halves of the body), body side (left and right halves of the body), cross-lateral (connecting the halves of the body), and vestibular (balance of the body). Many curriculums include this technique to help students dance skills, think critically, innovate creatively, collaborate, and respond. Individuals should brain dance before exams, performances, and presentations to reduce stress. Following the instructional video Limbach provided allowed me to concentrate on parts of the body that I usually ignore. It was fun to find out which movements I should improve. After finishing this activity, I have a clear mind and a restful body. I’ll be sure to use this technique before working out every morning. Movement is an integral part of life. Optimizing our movement can lead us to live better lives!