Carlene C
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at University of California Irvine (UCI)
Expertise
Neuroscience (addiction behavior, memory, motivation); Psychology (mental illness, stress); Biology (molecular, genetics)
Bio
My current research interests focus on how the environment and our experiences change our behavior and memory at a molecular level. Specifically, I am interested in the effects that stimuli such as stress or drug abuse have on the processes that underlie long-term memory, cognition, and motivation. Are there sex-dependent differences? Are the changes preventable or reversible? These are my academic interests. Outside of work, I am a huge fan of all forms of art: music, illustration, history, games, cinema etc.! I love practicing drawing, making videos and photography, and cooking new recipes. When I have time, I enjoy running or lounging with my fluffy dog, reading or playing games, or building computers!Project ideas
How Does Stress Affect Our Memory As We Age?
In this project, you will use public, peer-reviewed research databases to construct either a research review or scientific communication media (poster/infographic and presentation) to answer this question: How does stress affect our memory as we age? You will learn how to break down and analyze primary research articles, how to ask your own research questions, proper experimental design, public speaking to translate science terms to a general audience, and more! The end product, either a research essay review or scientific graphic, will be of your choosing based on your interests. The main goal is to learn how to independently ask your own research questions and navigate published research to create your own contribution to scientific literature!
Investigating the Effects of Exercise on Memory
This project will utilize a scientific research paper format to investigate the hypothesis that exercise persistently alters molecular mechanisms involved in long-term memory. You will learn how to break down and analyze primary research articles, how to ask your own research questions, proper experimental design, public speaking to translate science terms to a general audience, figure illustration, and more!