Saadia El Karfi

October 23, 2015

From the Cortex to the Thalamus

This summer I spent my time working as a student researcher doing Neuroscience research at the Halassa Lab at NYU Langone Medical Center. The Goal of the lab is to understand how the brain routes information from different sources to execute behavior. The lab is interested in the ability of human beings to extract meaningful information and filter out irrelevant distractions from a noisy world, and appreciate the importance of these brain mechanisms. Interactions between the thalamus and cortex are essential for sensation, action and cognition. The focus of research at the Halassa Lab is to understand and investigate the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), a gate for information flow between thalamus and cortex. This summer I assisted post doctoral fellows in their research through the use of a combination of molecular genetics and behavioral electrophysiology in mice.

Come learn about how the liberal arts helped me shape my experiences in the lab and NYC as an international student.