Chao Q
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at University of Wisconsin
Expertise
Pharmacology, neuroscience, animal and human behavior, intellectual property, law, business strategy, finance, valuation
Bio
I am an intellectual property attorney providing consulting services to a wide range of clients in the information technology, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries. I specialize in all aspects of patent prosecution and intellectual property counseling, licensing, and litigation. I strive to evaluate IP from both a business and legal perspective, having gone through several high stakes patent trials and understanding the risk and complexities associated with such. I hold a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology from the University of Wisconsin and have over 10 years of research experience in molecular biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, neuroscience, genetics, and behavioral psychology. In addition, I hold a J.D. and a M.B.A. from the University of Southern California. In my free time, I am a former professional video gamer and current avid casual gamer. I enjoy wine, whiskey, and weird foods. You can usually find me cheering on my favorite sports teams (Go Badgers! Força Barça!) on the weekends with a craft beer in hand or at the local theater for the most recent Marvel Studios release.Project ideas
Altruism as an evolved trait
Neuroscientific research suggests that altruism is an evolved trait, and that person exhibiting altruistic behavior typically have heightened brain activity in specific brain regions. One region is the amygdala, which regulates the "fight or flight" response and is highly active in states of fear and anxiety. Increased stress leads to elevated cortisol, a stress hormone. This may be observed and tested both behaviorally and physiologically. Behaviorally, a subject may be presented with an altruistic dilemma and asked to record their decision, followed up by questions related to their present state of anxiety. Physiologically, cortisol may be gathered from saliva. Home test kits are available, though they may be expensive. Baseline cortisol levels and post-questionnaire cortisol levels would inform a physical change. Supplements or alternatives to cortisol gathering and testing include temperature, heartrate, blood pressure, or additional questions directed to common physical traits of anxiety such as headaches, tension, fatigue, or sleep disruption. Results can be gathered and presented in paper or presentation format. In drafting a scientific paper, you would learn to conduct background research through PubMed and other biomedical literature sources, as well as proper research paper structure and APA citation.