Giorgio Rawda, COL ’25, Syracuse, NY
This past summer, I was given the opportunity to work in Dr. Mariella De Biasi’s lab, which explores the neurochemistry behind drug addiction in mice. Through my hands-on work, I learned how to investigate the roles of different somatosensory signals in triggering the rewarding properties of nicotine delivered in vapor. My postdoc and PI helped guide me in contributing to various grants involving addiction to a variety of drugs and the analysis of subsequent responses of different neurotransmitters and receptors in our mice. Ultimately, my research contributed to the lab’s main goal: to map out a comprehensive neuronal circuit that modulates aversive affective and somatic states associated with drug withdrawal and addiction to identify novel therapeutic targets.
My research this summer primarily focused on how exposure to flavors in nicotine vapor can alter the hormonal production associated with the cephalic system (and therefore impact insulin levels), concentrating on how different strains of mice react differently to chronic, passive exposure to nicotine through changes in consumption behavior. As a research assistant, I was responsible for completing several different tasks throughout the day, such as monitoring the sucrose intake of our mice, working to optimize the concentration of strawberry flavoring in their bottles through data analysis, and using Python to code a program that breaks down data from our Adafruit IR Breakbeam Sensors, among other things! What I enjoyed most about this experience was my ability to use the past experiences I gained from working with microcircuits in the context of signage and construction. In the lab, I worked on soldering our Adafruit Feather M0 Adaloggers, which enhance our understanding of how our animals consume both water and drugs by tapping into the microstructure of their drinking behaviors. Further, my experience as a neuroscience student (specifically after taking “Drugs, Brain, and Mind”) has certainly equipped me with a solid baseline of curiosity and understanding of the effect that drugs can have on brain circuitry. Being able to apply what I’ve learned from past experiences in such a niche and novel setting was extremely rewarding and has encouraged me to continue seeking new knowledge and valuable skills within the field of behavioral research.
I am extremely grateful to the 2024 Career Services Summer Funding Grant for the support I received while I conducted my research this summer. The generous grant I received from Career Services allowed me to confidently navigate my summer experience with a stronger sense of financial security. Not only have I learned an extraordinary amount from this experience, but I have also discovered a newfound passion – working toward a better understanding of the neuroscience behind addiction and the various biochemical changes that play a part in developing such addictions. All in all, I am extremely grateful for this experience and incredibly excited to continue working in this lab during the school year, with hopes to pursue adjacent research in the near future!
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2024 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here
