Meet Marissa Co
Major: Neuroscience
Did the GF program impact your career decision? If yes, how so?
The Green Fellowship Program was pivotal to my career development. While I had always wanted to pursue research before applying to the GF Program, it further solidified my decision and played a huge role in how my early research career would play out.
Before the GF Program, I was working part-time in a lab at UTD studying how neurotransmitters influence attentional processes. I loved learning about how different subtypes of noradrenergic receptors could play different roles in neuronal activity and behavior. Moreover, I earned co-authorship on a publication that no doubt bolstered my early CV. Still, it was challenging to fully focus on my research while taking classes full-time, and I wanted to expand my research experiences to include more molecular biology and biochemistry techniques.
Consequently, I was thrilled to be accepted into the 2012 GF Program. I was matched with the Konopka Lab, which studies the molecular basis of human cognition, and I worked full-time on a project to study FOXP transcription factors. It was daunting starting out, especially since I had never even touched a pipette before, but everyone in the lab was immensely helpful and patient. By the end of the eight months I was there, I had learned many wet-bench techniques and other important academic skills, like data presentation and public speaking. I was certainly more confident in my ability to perform research and apply for PhD programs.
During my senior year at UTD, I applied for graduate school and was accepted into multiple programs, one of which was at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The GF Program was such a positive experience that I decided to stay in Dallas and perform my PhD research in the Konopka Lab. By doing so, I mastered the work I started as a Green Fellow and forged strong relationships with my professors and colleagues. With these skills and support networks, I am now (as of January 2020) performing postdoctoral research jointly in the O'Roak and Wright Labs at Oregon Health & Science University to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying autism. I can say with absolute certainty that the GF Program has played a major role in my career trajectory, and it's an experience I will always cherish as I continue forward.
Did the GF program impact your career decision? If yes, how so?
The Green Fellowship Program was pivotal to my career development. While I had always wanted to pursue research before applying to the GF Program, it further solidified my decision and played a huge role in how my early research career would play out.
Before the GF Program, I was working part-time in a lab at UTD studying how neurotransmitters influence attentional processes. I loved learning about how different subtypes of noradrenergic receptors could play different roles in neuronal activity and behavior. Moreover, I earned co-authorship on a publication that no doubt bolstered my early CV. Still, it was challenging to fully focus on my research while taking classes full-time, and I wanted to expand my research experiences to include more molecular biology and biochemistry techniques.
Consequently, I was thrilled to be accepted into the 2012 GF Program. I was matched with the Konopka Lab, which studies the molecular basis of human cognition, and I worked full-time on a project to study FOXP transcription factors. It was daunting starting out, especially since I had never even touched a pipette before, but everyone in the lab was immensely helpful and patient. By the end of the eight months I was there, I had learned many wet-bench techniques and other important academic skills, like data presentation and public speaking. I was certainly more confident in my ability to perform research and apply for PhD programs.
During my senior year at UTD, I applied for graduate school and was accepted into multiple programs, one of which was at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The GF Program was such a positive experience that I decided to stay in Dallas and perform my PhD research in the Konopka Lab. By doing so, I mastered the work I started as a Green Fellow and forged strong relationships with my professors and colleagues. With these skills and support networks, I am now (as of January 2020) performing postdoctoral research jointly in the O'Roak and Wright Labs at Oregon Health & Science University to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying autism. I can say with absolute certainty that the GF Program has played a major role in my career trajectory, and it's an experience I will always cherish as I continue forward.