Faculty Mentor: Moriel Zelikowsky
Title: Assistant Professor
College: Medicine
Project description
Social instability (rapidly changing friend groups, moving from one place to another, COVID-associated changes to social structure and schooling) can lead to the development of anxiety, depression, and social deficits. This project focuses on investigating the role of oxytocin signaling in the brain as a mediator of the impacts of social instability on behavior in mice. To test this, we use cutting-edge systems neuroscience approaches (chemogenetics, optogenetics, in vivo imaging, computational approaches, behavior).
Student Role: Undergraduate students in this role would be handling mice and performing behavioral testing, stereotaxic surgery, immunostaining imaging, and data scoring/analysis
Student Benefits: Offers students an opportunity to gain research skills, be part of a collaborative group, develop independent projects, present and co-author findings (posters, papers)
Project Duration: Project will last ~2-3 years.
Flexible hours depending on experimental stage of project (on average ~10 hours/week)
Flexible hours depending on experimental stage of project (on average ~10 hours/week)
Opportunity Type: Volunteer; This is a work-study research position; Prepare a UROP proposal; Write an Honors Thesis or Senior Thesis; Earn independent study credit
Opportunity Location Type: Hybrid
Is this a paid opportunity: ToBeDetermined
Minimum Requirements: No previous training required, strong interest and commitment to participating in the project are valued. Applicants with ability to provide 1 year+ will be prioritized