Anne Popit reports that her first week at the Summer Scholar’s Program where she is studying “Neuroscience: Understanding the Human Body’s Command Center” has been “incredible.”
“Whether in the classroom, on the volleyball courts, or in the dorm, I feel that I have not stopped learning since the moment I arrived on campus. My residence hall is situated right behind the Golden Dome, which is one of the most iconic landmarks at the university. Exploring campus itself has been one of my favorite aspects of the experience thus far; Notre Dame is almost like its own bubble, and though that may seem isolating, it is, in reality, connecting. Being in a relatively small yet warm environment has made me feel very secure, and it’s been extremely helpful when getting to know my classmates, as our propinquity to virtually every major building on campus allows us to walk most places together. We have access to an off-campus area called Eddy Street Commons, and we often walk there to get ice cream, dinner, or to make a Trader Joes run. I really enjoy the independence this provides,” Anne explains.
Anne has enjoyed meeting the other students on campus and has become “fast friends” with her roommate.
“Prior to moving in, I was worried that I would have a roommate who would think I am too loud, or who wouldn’t want to talk to me, or with whom I would simply not click, but my experience has been the complete opposite of this. She and I have become fast friends, and we regularly get meals together, go for walks with our other dorm members, and stay up late talking. Learning about the relationship dynamics that come with dorm life, specifically at Notre Dame, has been very informative,” Anne says.
“My resident counselors were all very welcoming, and they have all articulated that the community at Notre Dame was a vital part of their decision to choose the school. This is evident in the way they work to foster friendships and nurture that community in their dorm sections. I have become friends with many of the girls in my dorm section, as well as with many of my classmates,” Anne adds.
“On our first day, we analyzed neuroscience in an abstract fashion, discussing the history of the relatively young field, as well as all of its unique microcosms. My professors informed us that it adding the prefix neuro to any existing word could create a new, intricate branch. For instance, often I thought of neuroscience in the cognitive, behavioral, and psychiatric context, but it turns out that there are also members of the field devoted to neuroaesthetics, neuroeconomics, and neurolaw, each acting as parts of a distinctive, self-contained universe,” Anne explains.
“Additionally, we took time to examine case studies that related to our prerequisite reading, An Anthropologist on Mars, which is a novel by neurologist Oliver Sacks that highlights seven “paradoxical” cases in a deeply profound and human manner. The case we focused on in class concerned an individual diagnosed with prosopagnosia: a condition characterized by an inability to recognize and process faces, usually as a result of damage to the fusiform face area, which is the part of the brain responsible for neurological processes concerning the perception, recognition, and memorization of faces. I was intensely intrigued by the case studies, and discovering various diagnoses I had never heard of before felt fascinating rather than overwhelming,” Anne adds.
“Similarly, when we spent the rest of the day learning about neurons, axons, glia, neuroanatomy, and the chemical processes behind electrical activity in the brain, I found myself absorbing the complex information rather quickly. It was reminiscent of my advanced biology class, and given that I enjoyed that course immensely, digesting familiar lecture styles and chemical behaviors was manageable,” Anne says.
“The feeling of being thrown into the course headfirst did not come until the following day when we continued our unit on neurological electrical communication through synapses. We modeled the process of an action potential moving down an axon intracellularly and extracellularly as the driving stimulus for the depolarization, repolarization, and hyperpolarization cycle of the neuron with circuit boards, taking to account resistance elements. Sometimes, aspects of science take a lunch period to grapple with, and for me, that aspect may be neurophysics; though having to spend more time on a topic than I am used to was challenging in the moment, I am pleased to report that after my brief bewilderment, the lesson flowed quite smoothly, and I have immensely enjoyed the course. We’ve discussed various neurotransmitters, neuroanatomy, and neuroimaging through performing gross dissection of sheep brains, measuring brain electrical activity with EEG headbands, and analyzing research papers,” Anne reports.
I was assigned to a research paper about the NI70, a component of an event-related potential triggered by a sudden onset facial stimulus that peaks at 170ms. Most prominent over the occipitotemporal cortex (where the fusiform face area is located), the N170 marks the point where a stimulus is interpreted as a face, and it carries a specific signature when presented with face-related stimuli that has a high amplitude. The paper focused on how, in experimental settings, the N170 is activated by images of faces to a much greater degree than it is by objects, and it seems that it is not triggered by characteristics, but rather by our own prior knowledge and perception of faces. The paper also delved into whether or not we process faces holistically or by individual features. By displaying images of the right and left sides of the face at different frequencies, researchers were able to determine that facial perception is likely holistic, as the subjects showed new intermodulation responses that can only arise when neurons are processing everything nonlinearly and together. I found it fascinating, and I was eager to relay all the technical terms I learned to family and friends. Currently, my classmates and I are working on a research project that examines the neurological impact of our preconceived ideas or expectations of people and items not matching up with reality on our P300, an event-related potential that peaks after a person comes into contact with an unexpected or disrupting stimulus. We are utilizing EEG technology, and it’s incredibly cool,” Anne says.
When not studying, Anne has been able to enjoy after-class activities with her classmates.
“We’ve had a few field trips to the Potawatomi Zoo and the Indiana Museum of Medical History, which used to be a mental institution and now features a pathology exhibit with the brains of former patients on display. Additionally, the program is hosting what they have dubbed “The Notre Games,” which is a program-wide competition where we have been split into teams battling for a prize through basketball and volleyball tournaments, a trivia night, a campus scavenger hunt, a regatta, and an upcoming massive game of hide and seek. That sounds a little silly to write, but I am very excited,” Anne reports.
“Also, I have attended an admissions session, spent time with a comfort K-9, attended a Q&A about college majors, a watercolor painting event, bracelet making, powderpuff games, movies on the quad, world cup viewing parties, and rosaries on campus, which have made my week feel both balanced and magical. I occasionally do feel homesick, but I know that my parents want me to focus on all that these two weeks have to offer me. So far, this program has been everything and more academically and socially, and there is still so much to discover, so many activities to do, so many people to meet, and so many opportunities to get out of my comfort zone ahead of me, and I am ineffably thankful for the Garwin Family Foundation for allowing me to pursue my future with this program,” Anne says.
We are happy to hear that you are off to a good start at Notre Dame and have overcome the initial challenges. Good job, Anne!
