Hello, my name is Kaylee Hall and I'm a senior at the University of Kentucky. I have been involved in research since my sophomore year and it has been one of the most rewarding things that I have done here.
My Experience
I started my research during my sophomore year. The question the I have been researching is the affects of pharmacological alterations of the GABAergic system of drosophila on locomotion, behavior and growth. I know that sounds like a lot, and I didn't know what it was at first either. Basically I'm giving GABA (the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain) to fruit flies and seeing how that affects them. Through my experience with my research I have gained a better understanding of how research works, been able to travel to different areas to present my research at physiology conferences, and had a lot of fun doing it.
How to get involved in research
The best way to get involved is by finding out what research is being done that interests you. This can be done looking at University of Kentucky Undergraduate Research page, http://www.uky.edu/chellgren/undergraduate-research/research-opportunities. Once you find something that interests you, you can email that professor and ask them how you can get involved. It is helpful to find many projects that interest you because there are not always openings in the labs that you may want.
Why you should get involved in undergraduate research?
Undergraduate research is a great way to get hands on learning experience in a subject that you are interested in. It gives you a strong understanding of the research process and allows you to build close relationships with professors on campus.
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