Written by Jeremy Cohn, BA candidate, Washington University in St. Louis, and participant in the 2024 Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program
I am excited to share an update on my experience in WashU’s Institute for Public Health Summer Research Program – Aging & Neurological Diseases Track. Choosing this program was a natural fit for my interests in neurological health and public health research. I am fortunate to have had an amazing start to the summer, learning alongside a passionate cohort and under the guidance of Assistant Professor Andy Aschenbrenner, PhD, in the Cognitive Technology Research Laboratory (CTRLab).
During the program, I am part of the Cognitive Variability Battery (CVB) project. The CVB builds on previous research indicating that individuals with high variability in their cognitive task performance are at greater risk of developing neurological disorders. By testing 10 different tasks (a mix of memory, processing speed, attentional control, and abstract reasoning) three times a day over a 30-day span, our goal is to identify which tasks most reliably predict important outcomes. Future applications from this project could significantly aid in the early identification of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Along with expanding my knowledge of neurological diseases and their cognitive associations, the summer program has fostered my growth in numerous ways. I have advanced my role as a researcher by making substantial contributions to the experiment’s design. For example, I designed several tasks both functionally and visually, incorporating features to streamline the testing process for participants. Additionally, I am learning to analyze data using programming software, a skill integral to the research process. Finally, I am developing presentational fluency through seminars, journal discussions, and the opportunity to present my first scientific poster at the end of July, showcasing my work throughout the summer.
Under strong mentorship and a robust backbone of support, I am set up to flourish in this summer program. By the end of the program, I hope to have a deeper understanding of neurological diseases and a solid foundation in research methodologies. I am excited to see the progress I make and how our cohort continues to grow together in the second half!