1) What are you working on lately?

I’m currently a postdoc in Dr. Catherine Weisz’s lab at the NIH and am working on classifying the neurons of the small cell cap in the mammalian cochlear nucleus using genetics, electrophysiology, and immunohistochemistry. These neurons receive exclusively low-spontaneous rate/high-threshold auditory nerve fiber inputs, meaning they are well suited for extracting salient auditory cues.  However, little is known about their electrophysiological responses. Additionally, I am classifying the outward conductances in medial olivocochlear neurons, which inhibit outer hair cells.

2) What did you learn while on the CEBH training grant that you still use today?

While on the CEBH training grant, I learned how to utilize dynamic clamping in order to model intrinsic and synaptic conductances in real time while recording from single neurons. This is a powerful technique that I have been working to set up in my current lab.

3) Do you have any advice for current trainees?

Talk to everyone! You never know what experiences people have or what experimental approaches they tried that didn’t work. The things that don’t work often don’t make it into publications- talking to people can help you avoid falling into the same issues, or maybe they will have insights that can help you solve the problems that you’ve run into.