I am more than halfway through the first semester of my Ph.D. at Indiana University! This fall, I have been doing a rotation in the lab of Dr. Troy Smith. As part of my rotation project, I am investigating the molecular basis of differences in electrocommunication signals between two species of weakly electric fish: the brown ghost knifefish (Apternotus leptorhynchus) and the black ghost knifefish (Apternotus albifrons). Specifically, my research focuses on the differential expression of polyamine biosynthesis and connexins in the pacemaker nucleus of these two fish species.

I am having a wonderful time working in the Smith Lab, and I am looking forward to the spring semester, when I will start my second rotation with Dr. Greg Demas.