Belated (but oh so necessary) Goodbye

Well I'm really sad this is over. I realize it ended a week ago, but I've really been missing everyone these few days wandering off to lunch alone! This was probably the greatest single experience I've had. I don't think I'll ever forget any of you, or the amazing things I've learned this summer. How many other high school kids have met a Nobel Laureate and discussed and presented advanced scientific topics to and with professors, on their level? Needless to say, our scientific experiences have been inestimably inspiring. Another aspect that struck me, however, was that this summer was also amazing in that, as high school students, we learned to work and communicate on the level of adults. The speakers, mentors, and audiences that we have met never looked down on us as kids that they have to deal with for a summer. Far from it; they showed genuine enthusiasm working with us and teaching us about their respective fields. We learned as a part of the scientific community, completely incorporated rather than temporary visitors. This, I believe, is almost quite as important as the science itself. In short, I consider the Howard Hughes Precollege Program to have been nothing short of life-changing.

Week Two!

The latter half of this week, I started the fun and TBS-filled process of staining brain tissue to identify new neurons by a protein that they contain. It's a pretty interesting process, and a delicate one! The brain tissue is paper-thin, and must be transfered from filter to filter and vial to vial. And, of course, it must be rinsed in TBS three times after every move for five minutes at a time. My mentor and I took a peek at an un-covered piece of tissue on Friday right after we finished staining it with Vector Grey, and so far it looks fantastic. Monday, I will be arranging the brains in a particular order on gel-coated slides and cover-slipping them. Arranging them is very challenging, and I hope I do well!
I have also met a few other people in the lab this week. There are a few graduate students, who have just gone to California for a big conference, and a few undergraduate students from a different summer research program at Duke. Some are in the MOB program (not sure what that stands for!), and one is a Duke senior working on a big project that will be presented in San Diego in November. There is also a Howard Hughes undergraduate, though I have not had the chance to meet her just yet. All around me there is interesting work going on, and I've been looking in during my many TBS rinses!

Wandering Old Rats

Hi! My name is Sophia Cao, and I am a rising senior at Cedar Ridge High School in Hillsborough. At Cedar Ridge, I'm in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, which is basically AP level classes smushed together with some big essays/projects and a Theory of Knowledge course in a program with a really long name. Erica did this program too in high school!

I play a lot of sports, and I'm usually in one for at least 2 or so seasons a school year. I've done Cross Country, Swimming, and Track, and I'm starting tennis in the summer/fall. And I am totally open to playing tennis with someone who knows how some weekend!

I also enjoy listening to and finding music, most of my favorite bands being of the British indie sort, though I really like almost everything and I enjoy dabbling in a variety of genres (even opera, minimally!) Oh and you should check this video out--it's this absolutely amazing opera performance by this mobile phone salesman from Wales. Most of you have probably already seen it, but if you haven't, it's worth seeing. http://youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA

My lab this year deals in neuroscience. I work with Melissa Glenn, a postdoc in Dr. Christina Williams' lab. I'm coming in at the end stages of a 2-year study on the effects of prenatal choline exposure levels on neurogenesis, memory, and explorative tendencies in aging rats who have been exposed to different levels of choline during the prenatal stages. So far, I've done everything from observing rat maze tests to watching perfusions and brain extractions, to moving delicate slices of rat brains into appropriate containers. The research that this lab does really has the potential to be quite revolutionary. Eventually, it is plausible that research like this can help improve quality of life drastically for the aging population. These old rats (90-something in rat years) and their seemingly random wanderings have the capacity to change lives! Who would have thought?

It looks like I'm in for an exciting summer! I'm really happy that I am a part of this possibly groundbreaking study.