I just got back from doing research and I'm tired. I have had certain people ask me what I do, how research is like at UCI, well let me tell you.. Doing research at UCI is actually a program where undergraduate students get to work alongside of doctors, grad students, post-docs, etc. Well, from my experiences, I think it's pretty awesome. One of our projects is focused on sexual behavior and we're basically trying to work on a drug that improves sexual drive. Kinda like viagra.. but viagra is more on improving erectile dysfunction rather than one's own sex drive.. ewww! lol.. So what we do is we castrate female and male rats, inject them with certain levels of hormones, then with certain levels of the drug.. and we observe them do the "ta-na-na-na." Another one of our projects, which I have worked on, entails the study of memory. So, we pretty much get a bunch of rats.. place them in a maze with different odors and see which ones they respond to, which ones they remember and which ones they get correct/incorrect, then we cannulate their brains to see if there are any differences in brain activity (ie increased activity in actin polymerization).. run 'em again, perfuse them, take their brains out, cut 'em into pieces for study.. other projects also include Huntington's Disease, Alzheimer's, NPC.. etc. Interesting no?
Well, today I got to work with mice that had Huntington's Disease, injected them with a drug called ampakine, then we ran several tests on these animals to see if this drug improves their performance.. ok you can fall asleep now..
K.. until next time. I should stay committed to writing in this thing.
Ahh.. I still cannot believe I'm graduating. So, the countdown begins.. Well, today I went with Lesley to the grad expo at UCI. Man oh man oh man.... so much to do, so many things to buy, so many ppl to invite.. it's gonna be awesome! Although I don't how I'm gonna handle graduating w/o my grandmother here.. her last wish was to see her eldest granddaughter graduate from college. I wish she hadn't said that, 'cause now I feel like crap. Everytime I think about that.. or think about graduating, I start getting teary-eyed.. and just last week as I was watching Grey's Anatomy, I got really bummed when O'Malley's dad died 'cause that was exactly how my grandmother had passed.. I guess I'm still heartbroken..
Oh, this made me laugh today..
JA: Ate, Steven thought "Vibe 12" was some kind of club
Me: LOL!!!!
(Vibe 12 is a dance showcase featured at the UCI Bren Events Center this Sunday)
It's almost the year 2007 and I am now 22 years old... still young and healthy and a Senior at UCI baby! Time does fly quickly.. Hmm.. I've been thinking, since most people perceive me as one who is studious, responsible, a conservative being, blah blah blah.. I guess I wouldn't blame people who think that I live a serious lifestyle. I'm guessing it's just how I was brought up. I've always been the oldest (eldest granddaughter, cousin, and sister) and I guess I've learned the responsibilities that came with it.. kinda.. hehe.. plus, I grew up in a strict and religious household. I wonder why I never rebelled. Anyway, I'm still a very big kid at heart with a young face who wants to..
Visit the P.I. (next year!!)
Go sky diving
Scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef
Go on a Safari
Learn to do the tango and salsa merengue (sp?) and go dancing with a hot sexy guy in S. America
Meet the !Kung tribe
Go shopping in Paris
Meet Dennis Trillo (he's a cutie!)
Go to Alaska and take a pic standing next to a penguin
i am so tired of studying.. blaah! and im still sick.. i don't know why.. i've been feeling a bit congested lately.. boo! must be from those rats i handle.. they have pinworms eww.. ok, i have finals next week and dinner to attend to tonight with some of my peeps from SB.
oh, i am really looking forward to hanging out with my cousins from chicago, canada, and from NH.. i miss them oh so much
u know, i still can't believe that my brother's friend, ivan, is on like the top 10 on So You Think You Can Dance.. yea i vote for him, but i still want allison to win! hehe..
ok, study time.. i don't want to lose my A! muahahahaha!!
