BYRON GIPSON
Neuroscience
Spring 2009
Byron Gipson is the inaugural recipient of the Indiana University’s recently established Adam W. Herbert Graduate Fellowship. A graduate of Jackson State University, Mississippi, majoring in Biology, Byron is now pursuing a PhD in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at IU. He is supervised by Professor George Rebec, who heads the department’s Program in Neuroscience.
Byron’s work focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying drug addiction and relapse. “Relapse is the biggest problem in treating addiction, and our lab studies the way in which repeated exposure to cocaine and related drugs of abuse alters brain circuits to promote craving and the reinstatement of drug use even after a period of drug withdrawal,” he reports. At the Rebec lab, Byron employs “state-of-the-art electrophysiological techniques to monitor cocaine-induced changed in neuronal information processing in forebrain regions believed to mediate motivated behavior.” Through this work, Byron hopes to contribute to the alleviation of the grave impact of drug addiction on society.
Drawn to science from an early age, Byron remembers watching animal- and other science-related television programming as a kid and discussing what he saw with his mother. In high school he participated in science fairs. As a college student, Byron studied biological phenomena ranging from horticulture to marine biology to breast cancer. He further developed his interest in scientific research during summer research experiences. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he studied plant science, and later at the Nebraska Medical Center, pancreatic cancer. Byron was introduced to Indiana University and the Program in Neuroscience while participating in IU’s HBCU-STEM Summer Scholars Institute during his last summer as an undergraduate student.
In the future, Byron plans to combine his research expertise with medical practice. He plans to pursue an MD after finishing his PhD, and work as a neurosurgeon while also doing neuroscience research. He is choosing this educational path over a combined MD-PhD program, in order to get the “full experience” of earning each degree. When asked for advice to other students, he offered, “Stay strong and be determined” – advice likely to sustain Byron himself in his ambitious plans for the future.
The Adam W. Herbert Graduate Fellowship supports graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in earning doctoral degrees in the STEM disciplines. More information can be found at here.
VALERY BENTON
Neuroscience and Biochemistry
Fall 2008
Chicago native Valery Benton is a third-year doctoral student at Indiana University-Bloomington pursuing a dual degree in Neuroscience and Biochemistry. She is a graduate of Goshen College in northern Indiana, where she majored in molecular biology. Her main research focus is reproductive pain – “a fancy way of saying ‘my uterus isn’t working right,’” she says. Valery conducts her work in the laboratory of Dr. Heather Bradshaw, who is affiliated with IU’s Departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Biochemistry and Neuroscience and the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction. There, she examines the communication between the brain and the uterus, particularly as it relates to uterine health issues such as fibroids and endometriosis. Most drugs prescribed for these reproductive ailments are limited in effectiveness. A primary goal of Valery’s research is the development of better therapies for such illnesses. Improving medical interventions for reproductive illnesses could prevent women from having to undergo hysterectomies.
In college, Valery found that she enjoyed scientific research through her coursework and her participation in summer undergraduate research programs. Valery’s first year of graduate study was spent in rotations through various disciplines within Biochemistry. These consisted of Medical Sciences, Molecular Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Organic Synthesis. This enabled her to explore the field and make an informed decision about her course of study.
During her time as a doctoral student, Valery hopes to find her niche in the scientific community. She can see herself as a faculty member, but she also sees value in working from more of an advocate’s perspective in the broader women’s health community. While it is important for the science of women’s health to advance, Valery also feels strongly about the necessity to increase reproductive health awareness among health care providers and consumers. She thinks “beyond the lab” about the big picture of research on women’s health issues. She hopes to bring reproductive health issues further into the public eye, evolving the way people think about women and their bodies.
Away from school, Valery is raising four children with her husband. She works out daily. Her family enjoys Bloomington’s overall family-friendliness. They have fun exploring all the things there are to do “for free.” Her advice to budding scientists is to always expect the unexpected, and to be open to learning how to think.
EDUARDO FERNANDEZ
Psychology, Animal Behavior and Neuroscience
Spring 2005
Imagine getting a shot every morning that gave you all the nutrients you need for the day – you no longer need to eat. Do you think you’d still want to chew on something at certain points during the day? Would gum become an appealing habit or would your pen cap suffer? Would you still rummage around the fridge for food?
Eduardo Fernandez thinks you would. And, he says, the desire to forage is a big part of why animals in zoos often exhibit stereotypical behaviors. Polar bears pace, walruses swim in circles, and giraffes lick their barn doors. His research focuses not only on understanding why these behaviors take place, but also how to help animals be able to behave more like they would in the wild.
Many zoos have been experimenting with how to feed their animals by spreading food around for them to find, feeding them at different times of the day and techniques such as these have helped, but it’s important, Eduardo says, that we understand why animals behave as they do in captivity – that it’s not just that animals are bored, like is commonly thought.
For example, walruses spend all day skimming the bottom of the ocean and pounding the ocean floor looking for stuff to eat. One of Eduardo’s projects involves providing a feeding mat that zookeepers can stuff fish and mollusks into for the walrus to forage. Another project involves giving the walruses large balls with fish in them. The walrus takes the balls in their flippers and have to shake the balls to get the fish out one by one.
Another recent project involves polar bears, who have the largest home ranges of any land mammals and, not ironically, exhibit some of the most stereotypic behavior in captivity. With concern for global warming on the rise and the polar caps at risk, learning how to create natural environments allowing polar bears to be more themselves is more important than ever.
Eduardo Fernandez is a graduate student in the department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. To learn more about his research, visit his website.
Back to profile index