July 21, 2024 | We are ecstatic to announce the addition of two team members from Los Angeles Mission Community College (LAMCC) this summer! Through the support of the National Science Foundation, Dr. Parvaneh Mohammadian from LAMCC has been collaborating with the Smith lab to give underrepresented community college students the opportunity to remotely experience what it is like to be a part of a research lab at UCSD.
Nathaly Villalta and Sidney Weisberg are two undergraduate students who have been chosen to work remotely with our lab over the summer! They will assist with remote scoring tasks, moving forward our goal to further analyze and understand mouse behavior through various measures, including behavioral despair and social interaction. Let’s get to know them more down below!
How has your experience been in the Smith Lab so far?
NATHALY: My experience has been nothing but positive! Despite not being physically present in the lab, I have had the opportunity to get acquainted with the lab research process and gain skills that will be useful in my career path. Also, everyone in the lab has been welcoming. Special shoutout to Parnaz for being so patient and walking me through the process!
SIDNEY: My experience with Smith Lab has been very enjoyable. When I first got invited, I was welcomed by being introduced to everyone and given a short walkthrough of the lab’s history, what it does, and how I fit into it. Additionally, if I have any questions, someone is there to help or explain something further if I am confused.
What is your current major?
NATHALY: I’m current a biology major transferring from LAMC to UCR in the Fall. Yay Highlanders!!
SIDNEY: I am a biology major at LAMCC.
How has your experience been in your current college thus far?
NATHALY: The STEM department at LAMC is awesome! I enjoyed all of my classes and labs. The only thing I regret is not taking advantage of the resources available sooner… and the hot cocoa maker.
SIDNEY: So far, college has been enjoyable. At my college, we have many counselors who are good at keeping you on track. I switched majors two times before I landed on this one. We have lots of clubs and events that you can participate in, which helps build a sense of community and gives you more opportunities to make friends and work towards a goal.
How do you feel about this opportunity to work remotely with a UCSD lab?
NATHALY: I truly believe this is a great opportunity for any STEM student, particularly pursuing a science degree. Not only do you get a chance to experience real lab work, but you can participate from anywhere.
SIDNEY: I was intrigued when I first heard about the opportunity to do remote work with the Smith Lab. I have always been curious about researching and what that experience was like. I had done research for school projects, but I needed to find out more about it. On top of that, the research looked at empathy and pain, which, even without knowing what that involved, sounded like something fascinating to me to learn about and research. I am really grateful to have been given this opportunity to learn and join the team.
What do you see yourself doing in the future? How do you like research?
NATHALY: My career goal is to work in the medical field as a cardiologist. I would love to do research associated with the cardiovascular system despite it not being among the popular specialities among the physician-scientist community. ):
SIDNEY: In the future, I hope to have a career for myself, and I have been doing more research on the brain and studying cognitive processes. It is a difficult question for me because I am just starting out and learning what interests me and what I enjoy. But to sum it up, I plan on further studying biology and broadly neuroscience and hopefully making a sustainable living doing something related to those fields.
What are some fun facts about yourself?
NATHALY: I was born in El Salvador, I named my dog after a Pokemon, and I hate celery!
SIDNEY: I enjoy going for hikes, playing board games with friends, going to new places, running, and watching movies.
