I am an undergrad student (fifth year Senior!). I took two years off after I graduated high school and have changed my area of study 3 times! I also screwed around a little bit so I’m behind schedule in terms of graduating from college by age 22 or 23. I’m currently studying Psychology with an interest in neuroscience/neurobiology/brain and behavior/behavioral neuroscience. I’m interested in doing research in the area of Neuroplasticity (Synaptic Plasticity), Memory, and Parkinson’s Disease so far. I’m also very interested in the NMDA receptors and it’s implications on memory and long term conformational changes to the receptor and to the neuron itself through cascading second messenger systems that can change RNA transcription in the neuronal nucleus (blah blah blah blah blah…I could go on but I won’t). I will have my B.A. in Psychology hopefully by the end of the 2009 Spring semester now in the Spring of 2010. I’ve decided to stick around for one more year because I am doing some research with two professors in the Fall of 2009 and Spring of 2010 to get some major lab experience and I’ll be obtaining a minor in Quantitative Statistics while I’m at it.
I’ve completed programming an experiment to be run on people with dementia in an fMRI. I’ve worked on it since July and finally had a couple of real meaningful successful runs! Woot! I’m also working (in another lab) with ERP (event related potentials) machines and how to run (prep) the data from each participant’s continuous brain wave files. I enjoy working in both labs filled with brilliant people. I’m also looking forward to likely being a statistician consultant working with the head of the stats program. I’m currently teaching myself PsyScope and the stats program R.
The grand scheme is to eventually get my PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience. The timing on that is way up in the air. I’m also interested in many other things not related to what I’m studying but there are just too many to list so I won’t bore you. I do want to go to grad school at the University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Denver, University of Illinois, and I’ve been encouraged to take a look at Washington University in St. Louis, which is a biased encouragement from one of my professors I can’t even begin to tell you.
I was born and raised in the vast-flatness-of-near-infinite-space-of-nothingness-with-nothing-much-to-do, known as the Midwest. I’m still here, dying to leave the state of Kansas. My dream state is Colorado! I will live there.
I do know a little bit of Portuguese. I would call my knowledge of the language intermediate and by no means fluent.
I am an athletic/outdoors person, I love soccer, which is what will be writing about on this blog. I’m a soccer player first and fan second, though that’s beginning to change. I also love playing and watching tennis, but haven’t played in about six years. I love music of ALL kinds not just one type of music. I’ll listen to Evanescence, Mozart, A Perfect Circle, Stevie Wonder, DJ Tiësto, Babyface, Jimi Hendrix, 112, and Aeorsmith in a single sitting. Though, E.S. Posthumus knows music!
This song is filed under the “Chill” playlist on my iPod. This is E.S. Posthumus’ Sollente Pi from their Piri Reis Remix of the Cartographer Album. Brilliant stuff.
If you haven’t noticed from the side board, my sport alliances are probably weird for someone who lives in the KC area. Let me explain that to crush any fair-weather fan issues that may come up. Usually, KC people like the Chiefs, Royals, Jayhawks, K-State, Nebraska, Iowa, or Missouri. Many KC area “football-soccer fans” like Manchester United as well mainly because of their world popularity. The average Joe doesn’t know much about football (soccer). My favorite teams are scattered throughout the U.S. because I never really liked area teams (exception KU). At the time they were picked, they were good I’m not going to lie. For example the Broncos were good when I decided to root for them in the mid-late 90s. The fact that they missed the playoffs on the last game of the season…again, isn’t going to sway me away away from them (they’re 5-0 now!). The teams were initial fair-weather picks but I’ve stayed loyal since then.
Barcelona supporter since 1993
Broncos supporter since 1994
Avalanche supporter since relocation from Quebec in 1995
Florida Gator supporter since 1996
F.C. Porto supporter since 2004
A Kansas Jayhawk since 2006
Overall, I try to keep a calm and laid back attitude most of the time (which can come across as indifferent and uptight sometimes) all while keeping my mind as open as possible.
That is all.
last updated 17 October, 2009 from the ol’ Macbook Pro.
