Garrett

 

Hi everyone!

   My name is Garrett Wagner, and I am about to graduate here at SUNY Albany with a Bachelor’s in Science in Biology and a minor in Neuroscience. I joined the Scimemi lab in July of 2021 hoping to further my knowledge on how certain mechanisms work within the brain.

   From my interview with Dr. Scimemi, before I even began, I knew that her current work would be quite fascinating to learn.  I began my time in the lab learning PCR as well as how to take care of the mouse colony. In the fall of 2021, I began working with Nurat Affinih and Monica Rodriguez to analyze mouse brain images to determine the effects that the loss of the glutamate transporter, EAAC1, has on dopaminergic cell survival within the mouse midbrain.  My role involved using programs such as Fiji to count the dopaminergic cells and determine regions of interest such as the VTA and SNc.  I also began to familiarize myself with Igor which was used for analysis of our cell count totals and create figures to present our data in a more reasonable format.  Those figures were then included in my presentation at the 39th Annual Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposium.  I valued this opportunity greatly as I gained more experience in presenting to others. 

   From my time in the lab, I have learned so much in just a short period of time.  I’ve gained a much better understanding of how research is performed and the time and effort it takes from everyone in the lab.  As I continue my journey following undergrad, I plan to take a gap year and apply for medical school.  I look forward to continuing my time in the Scimemi Lab this summer as well as other opportunities that may come about. 

Garrett