Choosing my Research Topic
Before attempting to narrow down a specific research topic, I knew that I wanted to study genetics or gene expression. In the field of biology, research usually takes years to complete, so I couldn't just start a new project with the time I have left in my undergraduate career. Looking for ways to join research here on campus, I looked into different professors and the labs they run. Many professors do research with undergraduate students, so I looked into joining one of the ongoing labs. During my search, I came upon Dr. Carter's lab. His lab has a few different research teams each studying something different at the same time, all contributing to the overall research questions. I am joining his Gene Expression team in the spring semester, and I will be joining research covering chemical influence on gene expression in zebrafish.
My Mentor
For my research mentor, I chose Dr. Brad Carter. He is an Assistant Professor of Biology here at UW-Eau Claire and has a PhD in Neuroscience. I met him as a professor in a biology class I am taking right now, and then we got to talking about research I want to do. I got the opportunity to observe his lab before making my decision and I learned a lot about who I will be working with and what the atmosphere is like. During my visit, they were preparing to present at MidBrains, which is an annual neuroscience conference. I thought this was extremely beneficial to me because I got elevator pitches for the studies I am going to join and I got to observe how Dr. Carter interacts with the students. Dr. Carter has his own website, which I will link below.
Making a Timeline
For Dr. Carter's lab, students are required to take a biology research seminar in the spring semester before they want to start their research. Since I have already decided on my research and know what I will be doing this summer, I actually have an opportunity to start my research a little before everyone else. This seminar meets once a week from February to May, and then I will be doing research for 10 weeks in the summer. After the summer is over, I will continue being active in the lab and will get a few chances to present my research at CERCA and Midbrains. For now, I am preparing to submit grant proposals with Dr. Carter to fund my research and getting prepared for the seminar this spring.
Dr. Carter's website: