Meet Joyce Chemplanikal
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Major: Biology and Business Administration, Double Major
Graduation Year: December 2015 Field of Study: Psychiatric Neuroscience Abstract: This study sought to understand potential mechanisms behind drug addiction. Cocaine acts on the mesolimbic dopamine reward system and repeated use of the drug can lead to changes in the neurons in this circuit and possibly to addiction. During cocaine use a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) increases in a vital area of the reward system called the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh). BDNF is associated with neuronal plasticity and learning and binds to the tropomyosin kinase B receptor (TrkB, also known as tyrosine receptor kinase). Different intracellular pathways are activated by the endogenous TrkB receptors that lead to increasing intracellular calcium, activity-dependent plasticity, and neuronal growth. This study sought to understand the effects of blocking specific signaling pathways of TrkB by overexpressing a mutated TrkB in the reward pathway. The viral vectors used in this experiment were Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)-TrkB mutations. In order to study behavioral changes due to the receptor mutations, rats were allowed to self-administer cocaine and several measures of drug seeking and addictive behaviors were examined. Previous data has shown that cocaine use increases the number of dendritic spines and dendritic complexity in the NAcSh. Some researchers believe this neuronal change could be a mechanism in addiction so we sought to explore if viral TrkB changes would alter these dendritic spines. The first experiment measured spine density and dendritic length changes between viral groups that self-administered cocaine or saline. The second experiment measured reinstatement behavior that models human relapse behavior with cue, cocaine-induced and stress-induced reinstatement tests after withdrawal from three weeks of cocaine self-administration while mutated TrkB receptors were expressed. |
My Experience:
The Green Fellowship was much more than I expected. I loved all my experiences at UT Southwestern and consider myself lucky to have been part of this program. Although I was initially worried about taking a semester off and postponing my graduation I quickly realized that doing the program was the best decision I could have made. I had past experience in research in Ray Baughman’s lab of the Alan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute focusing on artificial muscles at UTD. The research at UT Southwestern was completely different and focused on drug addiction in the Psychiatric Neuroscience department. I had never taken a single psychology or neuroscience course but was excited to expose myself to these new fields. During the semester I attended seminars, poster sessions, and sat in for my mentors Neurobiology of Addiction class. . Lively debates and discussions from the lecturers and members of the lab made learning both subjects more interesting than a traditional classroom setting. Through these opportunities only offered here I gained an in-depth perspective of my research field. I loved all the hands-on work with animals and even had the chance to be involved in multiple rat surgeries. Eventually, I was able to do surgeries completely on my own (this was my favorite part of the program). The program is so unique in that it allows undergraduate students the opportunity to command their own project, analyze data, and witness ground breaking research every day. |
My Advice:
My advice for future Green Fellows is that you put in as much time as you can to the project you're working on. Learn as much as you can about the topic and try to improve your skills to become a better scientist. Make sure to pick a lab that studies something you're interested in and look up some old papers that come from that lab. Reading papers will also help you understand how the things you do apply to the big picture in the field. Don't be afraid to ask questions and practice for your poster presentation in front of people from your lab. I plan on going to medical school after graduating and using what I learned from the Green Fellowship when I get there. If you have the chance to do this program, take it!
My advice for future Green Fellows is that you put in as much time as you can to the project you're working on. Learn as much as you can about the topic and try to improve your skills to become a better scientist. Make sure to pick a lab that studies something you're interested in and look up some old papers that come from that lab. Reading papers will also help you understand how the things you do apply to the big picture in the field. Don't be afraid to ask questions and practice for your poster presentation in front of people from your lab. I plan on going to medical school after graduating and using what I learned from the Green Fellowship when I get there. If you have the chance to do this program, take it!