Hometown: Newton, Iowa
I did a large chart review comparing operational and safety outcomes for different anesthetic agents used in the Wada procedure, which is a test to localize language and memory in patients considering surgery for medically intractable epilepsy. After that was finished, I started another project comparing long-term neurobehavioral outcomes for patients with organic epilepsy versus psychogenic spells. That project is still in progress and will hopefully be passed on to a younger student before I graduate.
Q: Why did you choose to research this topic?
A: Honestly, my most recent project sort of fell into my lap. I was looking for something in the field of clinical neurology, but wasn’t sure what. An adviser recommended my research mentor (a neuropsychologist) and this was a project he had been considering for a while when we first met. I thought it sounded interesting so he agreed to guide me as the lead researcher. I enjoyed working with him, so I stuck around for a second project that is still in progress.
Q: How has research benefited your education?
A: Participating in research has improved my ability to evaluate studies that I will use in day to day clinical decision making better than any other course. It has helped prepare me to assess outcomes for novel interventions that I hope to try with patients in the future. I was also able to present at a conference, which gave me a chance to learn from other researchers’ posters and speeches while sharing my own.
Q: What made you want to get involved with research?
A: I have always found the scientific process to be really cool, because it’s the best way to learn new things about the world. I love to learn and so the idea of being able to figure out something myself was very appealing. Research requires both creativity, patience, and precision, a kind of logical art that can be incredibly rewarding despite its numerous frustrations.
Additional Thoughts
Try a couple different labs or types of research if you’re interested but unsure. Clinical research is completely different from bench work, and you may love one even though you hate the other.