Hello Hello~

My name is Jay Kim, and I am a junior studying Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology (NBB). I came to Emory knowing that NBB was exactly what I wanted to do and have not wavered in my decision ever since! The field of neuroscience is extremely fascinating and crosses so many domains of study. After finishing my undergraduate studies at Emory, I hope to continue my education in a graduate neuroscience program.

This summer, I have been given the opportunity to conduct research abroad at the University of Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires, Argentina through the IRES program. Through my P.I. at Emory, Dr. Ronald Calabrese, I was connected to a lab of his colleague, Dr. Lidia Szczupak, who researches in the Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas at UBA.

In both the Calabrese and Szczupak laboratories, we conduct basic research to understand various aspects and mechanisms of the hirudo medicinalis, or the medicinal leech. At Emory, I have studied the interactions between the circulatory and nervous systems of the leech at various levels. From studying the whole animal to separate heart segments and finally to specific cells involved with heart motor patterns, I have learned to work with various preparations in studying different parts of the leech. 

When I arrive at Buenos Aires, I will be attempting to combine all of my research experience thus far into one experiment. By recording from both individual heart segments and the ganglia where heart motor patterns originate, I hope to recreate two separate experiments all in one individual and compare the numbers to the data that my lab has accumulated up to this date.

Other than the research, I hope to go around all over Buenos Aires and try out all kinds of the local cuisine!