GETTING THE HANG OF IT

10/13-10/19

Last week was not as grueling as some previous weeks. Although there was not as much on my plate, it was still a productive and successful week. I was incredibly lucky to have come across an attention- grabbing research study for my research assessment. The paper was published just 2 weeks ago and detailed a fascinating experiment that provided promising results for a procedure that would aid in quick and easy diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. The experiment evaluated retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell layer thickness in Alzheimer’s Disease using optical coherence tomography. 

The graph above encompasses the study and its results as it depicts how patients with AD had a significantly thinner retinal nerve fiber layer (in different segments of the brain) than normal subjects (without AD).

In addition to learning about this new advancement in diagnosis, I was able to learn more about the role of genetics in AD and solidify my understanding of Alzheimer’s from previous research. My recent research has been extremely beneficial in pointing me towards further areas of exploration. LAst week, I also secured another interview with a researcher who my first interviewee referred to me. I am able to secure interviews and conduct research naturally nowadays and the different aspects of ISM do not seem as foreign to me now. As I continue to explore my chosen field in detail and talk to professionals, I am getting more and more engrossed in neuroscience and in developing my original work. It really does seem like I’m getting the hang of it!

This week, I intend to focus on gaining more insight about the field of neuroscience from a primary source and produce a thorough interview assessment. I will also keep contacting more professionals as I intend to schedule another interview in the near future.