Marley R
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at University of California San Diego (UCSD)
Expertise
Neural Systems, Neurobiology, Animal Behavior, Evolutionary Psychology, Philosophy of Mind, Consciousness, Scientific Method, Scientific Writing/Communication
Bio
Hi there! My name's Marley and I'm a Postdoctoral Researcher in Neuroscience at the Salk Insitute. In my research, I use a variety of techniques to measure and record the electrical activity from individual neurons in living brain tissue. I thereby explore patterns by which different types of neurons connect with each other to form complex circuits. Fun fact: I was actually introduced to neuroscience by accident! I started off as a philosophy major in college and took a class where we discussed some really interesting questions about the human mind. I was hooked, and had to learn more about how this mysterious squishy gray organ is actually the basis of thought! Outside of the lab, I love running, painting, listening to electronic music, and trying (but mostly failing) to teach my cat basic tricks.Project ideas
Optogenetics: Controlling the Brain with Light
One of the coolest and most widely used techniques in neuroscience research today is optogenetics, which gives us the ability to control the activity of brain cells with a flash of light! In this project, we can learn about: -How light-sensitive proteins were discovered and the basic principles of how they work in genetically-modified neurons -How optogenetics is used in research experiments to answer different types of questions in neuroscience -Some of the most important scientific discoveries from optogenetics and how it has changed the way we think about the brain ...or any other aspect of optogenetics (or a different technique in neuroscience) that interests you!
Exploring the Mind/Brain Connection
One of the biggest questions in neuroscience is: How do the billions and billions of cells in our brain give rise to our sensations, thoughts, memories, emotions, behaviors, and all of the amazing things that make us who we are? There are many ways of thinking about this question--and many directions we could go with this project. The brain can be studied on multiple levels: on the level of single molecules, individual cells, groups of cells (neural circuits), entire brain regions, and everywhere in between! We could take a more biological approach, maybe where we explore the neural basis of the 5 senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell), or even a philosophical approach, where we read about and construct theories on consciousness (Are we all living in a simulation? If someone gets a brain transplant, are they really still "themselves"?). The possibilities here are endless!