![[Image showing graduate student's journey as full of adventure, obstacles, test, enemies and rewards.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2021/03/gradstudent_Journey.png)
Ask any graduate student, and they will tell you that graduate school is not a place for the faint-hearted. Just like any jaw-opening, thrill-seeking action movie, there are mysterious, shady characters wanting to put you down, as well as a kindhearted stranger that makes the journey bearable. As I reflect about my journey as a cancer biologist, I feel that my story here at Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) can be described in a few words: confidence, structure, purpose, and knowledge. Let me tell you what I mean…
Entries by Riddhi Sood
Are you sure you should eat that?
Amid this pandemic, you may be having conversations with family members similar to my own. I was talking to my brother about going to the grocery store and buying some eggs for baking when I was pretty strictly told that “no, you shouldn’t because the virus can be transmitted through food.” As a scientist myself, this was intriguing advice. So, I asked him to show me where he had read it. Sadly, nowadays when we are bombarded with news at every corner we turn, we were unable to backtrack his source…
Expanding ‘The Matrix’ of science: The Newman lab inside and out
![[Eight people standing around a table full of science experiments]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/01/fairview4-26.jpg)
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (PBS) assistant professor Dr. Ehren Newman studies circuitry in the brain, particularly the circuitry that is associated with the making of stories and the retrieval of memories. Newman’s background as a computational neuroscientist enables him to bring a plethora of new insight into his current field of systems cognitive psychology. Memory is a complex process with multiple facets. “We don’t remember everything that happens to us with equal probability,” he observes. “Instead, we have fragmented memories of things of varying lengths.” So, how do we choose which memories to store and later recall?
IU’s take on the cannabis trend
![[The image shows Cannabis Sativa plant]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/01/hemp-4354389_1920.jpg)
On March 20, 2019, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Professor Emeritus Dr. Brian O’Donnell and Research Scientist Dr. Alex Straiker met with the student community for a Q&A session entitled “Cannabis: Science and Policy.” “IU has been the world center for research regarding cannabinoid signaling,” said Dr. Straiker during his address at the Science Café talk. Having studied cannabinoid signaling for more than 20 years, Dr. Straiker mentions the growing enthusiasm for cannabis use in a variety of forms, like essential oils; not only recreationally, but also for the treatment of anxiety, autoimmune disease, inflammation, and pain management…
My journey with science – What role do opportunities play in STEM?
As an international woman of color in STEM who didn’t grow up attending science fairs, it was quite a shock to my family (and myself) when I declared science as my field of study. As a teenager in India who was forced to decide my career at the age of 16, it was quite a… Read more »
Meet the SciComm Symposium Speakers
ScIU ‘s annual Science Communication Symposium is tomorrow, November 8th! We’ve asked some of our panelists to answer some questions to learn about their journey with science communication. Dr. Janet Carpenter, our keynote speaker, is a Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean of Research for the School of Nursing at IUPUI What is your current science… Read more »
Graduate learning outside research: I CAN PERSIST STEM initiative
I remember one night when I was a second-year graduate student looking for an email from my advisor, feeling the pressure of yet another transition from a research filled summer to a teaching intensive fall. Instead, I found an email from my department chair with the subject “requesting assistance.” As you may have guessed, it… Read more »
Graduate learning outside research: Science Fest
If you are a Bloomington (or a nearby city) resident, you probably have heard about Science Fest. Science Fest is an annual multi-department science outreach event managed by office of science outreach showcasing IU research rolled up as uber fun activities for kids and adults to enjoy. As a veteran volunteer who has participated in… Read more »
Digging up your roots: How DNA is used to trace your ancestors
Have you ever heard of genetic testing? Ever had a family member who sent a sample to companies like ancestry.com? With the rise in popularity of sites like ancestry.com, it’s becoming increasingly tempting to trace your roots through genetic testing. But, how do these genetic tests work? In this post, I will explain the science… Read more »