![\"Natalie](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/natalie.jpg\")
When Gonzales first started college, she had planned on becoming a nurse. \u201cMy number one goal in life has always been to help people in some way, shape or form,\u201d she said. Nursing school, however, taught Gonzales that what she loves most is lab work, not nursing as an occupation. She decided instead to pursue a career in biological research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBiology is one of those areas where you really need to get your foot in the door and have experiences, which is why the Mary Gates Scholarship was so attractive,\u201d she said. \u201cBoth for the experience it offers and the funds. It\u2019s hard to go to school full time and work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c足彩app哪个是正规的 Mary Gates Scholarship has helped alleviate the pressure and guilt I felt about trying to pursue higher education and survive day-to-day life.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gonzales is sponsored by Dr. Michael Stiber, professor in the School of STEM<\/a>\u2019s Division of Computing & Software Systems. With his assistance, she plans to create waves of activity in a system called Graphitti to see how spike-timing-dependent plasticity (a biological process that adjusts the strength of connections between brain neurons) changes when consecutive sequences of spikes are placed on the system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am personally interested to find out if these changes could replicate the process and side effects of chronic neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson\u2019s or Lewy body dementia,\u201d Gonzales said. \u201c足彩app哪个是正规的 scariest thing about these diseases is that there isn\u2019t a cure, and it can be a chronic, long-term condition that not only affects the person diagnosed but everyone in their lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEven if we never find a cure for these diseases, I think it is still helpful to learn as much about them as possible. Maybe we find it can be prevented \u2014 or maybe the knowledge gained could apply to cancer research. 足彩app哪个是正规的re are just so many possibilities that come with expanding knowledge.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gonzales recognizes this is a lofty goal but said if the least she can do is open the door for someone else to get to that goal, then she is fine with that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lemke, who is also minoring in Marine Biology, is analyzing the call types of multiple subspecies of Steller\u2019s Jay across North America and Central America. She set out to determine whether their vocalizations show geographical variation in acoustic structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Douglas Wacker, assistant professor in the School of STEM\u2019s Division of Biological Sciences, said it was clear from the beginning that Lemke was most interested in animal intelligence and cognition. \u201cKira is analyzing what is potentially complex behavior in a bird family known for its intelligence,\u201d he said. \u201cShe is a tenacious and hard-working scholar student who shows a real knack for thinking across disciplines.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lemke explained that, in comparison to other birds, the Steller\u2019s Jay has a lot of call types. \u201cMost birds have maybe two or three. Steller\u2019s Jays have at least 16,\u201d she said. \u201cMy research was about figuring out whether or not the calls varied significantly.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n To do so, Lemke went to an online library where people upload bird calls. Unlike other birds that can be observed almost anywhere, Steller\u2019s Jays are more difficult to find. By analyzing recorded bird calls, she was able to listen to the sounds of Steller\u2019s Jays in different regions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Her results found that the vocalizations do vary significantly, depending on the region. \u201c足彩app哪个是正规的re are a variety of reasons this could be happening,\u201d Lemke said. \u201cA Steller\u2019s Jay in the Pacific Northwest is going to be around lots of really big trees whereas a Steller\u2019s Jay in California is going to be around more open spaces. Different kinds of calls travel better in different habitats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnother reason could be that as the jays migrate and establish themselves in new areas the calls could have changed over time due to natural selection. Or the jays could be learning the calls from other jays in different regions.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lemke\u2019s research is laying the groundwork for future scientists to study Stellar Jays. \u201cKnowing that variation between calls exists allows researchers to move forward with more specific questions \u2014 such as how they vary and what the implications of the variance are,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeing able to find something in my studies and produce new knowledge was super exciting. I will definitely apply the skills I learned in future research.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\nLaying the groundwork <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Kira](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/kira.jpg\")
Showcasing accomplishments <\/h2>\n\n\n\n