Interested in neuroscience and AI research? If yes, this opportunity may be for you!
This project is not being offered for the current term. Please check back next semester for updates.
Two undergraduates will be first learning to work with mice under the supervision of a postdoc in the lab, then they will lead behavioral studies that measure different learning and memory functions. We focus on the thalamus brain region and so will use animal models with thalamic defects to understand how the thalamus contributes to cognition. Students will contribute to data analysis, visualization, and interpretation. They will also help troubleshoot experiments, which is a critical skill for their future. They will be expected to present in lab meetings monthly/quarterly and in UB research days across campuses. If the project matures significantly in their time with us, we will be happy to support them to present at national conferences as well. They will produce behavioral results for a bigger learning and memory project in our lab, which will be for a manuscript submission in the future. We hope that they will be authors and will grow during this experience. In addition to behavior work, they will be permitted to learn AI applications in neuroscience (e.g., neural network modeling and machine learning for behavioral analysis, which we perform in the lab routinely).
Students will be paired with a postdoc or graduate student to learn basic/critical lab skills. Students will be put through training for rodent handling to work with mice in our lab. Students will shadow postdocs or graduate students to learn the basics of PCR, DNA electrophoresis, brain organoid culturing, behavior testing, and surgeries. They will be given a tour around the lab area and be introduced to various machines required for our experiments. They will learn to operate equipment like autoclaves, PCRs, EEG, classical conditioning boxes, and many more. This includes being taught how to make and use programs that run on these machines. Students will also be given many opportunities to practice using skills learned in basic chemistry labs including using micro-pipetting and making precise chemical solutions. After learning the basics, they will be given the opportunity to practice and perform these tasks under supervision, before eventually performing these tasks on their own. Throughout the project, students will communicate closely with me and senior lab members, allowing them to ask questions any time they need to. Students will also be attending lab meetings where they will learn what the lab has been doing, here they will practice presenting their work and findings in a short presentation. Students will be given research articles to read and analyze, before explaining them to check for their understanding of the material. After gaining a good understanding of the research topic, students will be tasked with reading relevant review articles to find new ideas and discoveries happening in the field. After collecting enough data, students will be guided on various ways to analyze data, including an introduction to machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Students will gain experience with neuro-physiological research. This includes the training and use of mice to model behaviors. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the thalamus through reading and presenting peer-reviewed articles. Students will be exposed to various techniques associated with research like PCR and electrophoresis to look at mouse DNA. Students will also practice biochemical techniques and contribute to creating human brain organoids that mimic human thalamic and cortical cells. Students will work closely with graduate students in recording behavioral and neural activity as well as analyzing neural activity from various projects. This includes working closely with artificial intelligence to analyze vast amounts of data. Students will also be given the opportunity to computationally analyze data, and, depending on their familiarity with computer programming, they may work with artificial intelligence to help interpret large amounts of video files and neuronal firing. Students with high performance and commitment may help present our work at conferences and contribute to the writing of a paper.
Length of commitment | Longer than a semester; 6-9 months |
Start time | Anytime |
In-person, remote, or hybrid? | In-Person Project |
Level of collaboration | Work with 1 senior Roy Lab member |
Benefits | Academic credit Work study Stipend |
Who is eligible | Freshmen, Sophomores & Juniors |
Dheeraj Roy
Assistant Professor
Physiology & Biophysics
Phone: (646) 651-5361
Email: dsroy@buffalo.edu
Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase.
Review the publications tab of our lab website (https://dsroy.lab.medicine.buffalo.edu/) before contacting Prof. Roy for an introductory meeting.
Neuroscience, biology, AI, computer science, disease