Hildebrand Scholarship Recipients
Rachel Becker
Spring 2022 Recipient
Receiving the John G. Hildebrand scholarship provided me the opportunity to figure out the apparatus I am using to test flies' memories in my honors thesis as well as explore other research projects. I was able to purchase an anemometer to monitor airflow in my apparatus and setup new tubing to optimize the setup. Additionally I was able to spend more time enhancing my research skills before applying to graduate school.
Nicole Ferguson
Spring 2022 Recipient
Thanks to receiving the Hildebrand Scholarship, I was able to join the Eggers Lab over the summer and have continued to work there this past Fall and current Spring semester. I completed a project analyzing the impacts of a High-Fat Diet on the inner retina of female and male mice. The Eggers Lab studies the impacts of metabolic disorders, particularly diabetes, on the retina. My research determined the morphological impacts of a high-fat diet on multiple cell types, including astrocytes and dopaminergic amacrine cells, as well as the retinal vasculature. I also was able to determine the differential effects of the diet on the sexes, and this research has continued and will be included in my senior Honors Thesis. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to engage with research in Neuroscience and Physiology and to have gained critical skills in conducting and analyzing research, as well as synthesizing scientific writing. I presented my research at the Galileo Circle Scholars luncheon this past Fall, and have included a picture at this event.