Cory Knox - Dr. Liston - Week 1

 After settling into our dorms at Lasdon, we were greeted by Carly and Kelly with a warm welcome and orientation to the hospital. The environment was fast paced and exciting - paired with seeing everyone in their business attire and enjoying a bagel breakfast, it was a fun way to start the week. We also had the opportunity to meet Dr. Min and Dr. Sabuncu, who shared with us their professional stories, and of course recommendations for things to do in the city. It was especially exciting to hear about Dr. Min's career and how he became the Chair of Radiology, as a person of color and someone who takes exciting risks that have led to his success today. 

I was also able to meet with Dr. Liston's lab this week through one-on-ones and attending their weekly lab meeting. Dr. Liston's lab pairs psychiatry and neuroscience to characterize TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) as a treatment for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Their research spans neurophysiological characterization, neurochemical and cellular morphology, and behavior. This summer I will be working alongside Dr. Shane Johnson, a postdoc in the Liston lab who is exploring the effects of TMS on a cellular basis. I hope to apply some of my previously established skills, such as multiphoton imaging and surgical implantation, to his project to characterize dendritic spine turnover in deep brain tissues with the application of TMS therapy. Additionally, I am excited to see the Liston Lab's microscope rigs and behavioral setups as they differ greatly from what we have back in Ithaca. I believe this project collaboration will be a great opportunity for me be gain new perspective on behavioral assay setup and imaging alternatives, in addition to optogenetic methods and prism implantation (something I haven't done yet! :)). 

To wrap up the week, Shane and I are planning out sub project ideas and methods that I can use throughout this summer, while I finish up confocal training and access at WCMC. Next week I'm looking forward to shadowing various behavioral assays and seeing the TMS clinic where the human clinical trials are being performed. There's a lot to look forward to and I'm excited for what's to come. 

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