Jacob and His Science
Jacob Stallman is an undergraduate research assistant in the Dulin Lab from Houston, Texas. Like many of our other scientists in the Dulin lab, his interest in research was solidified in high school. For Jacob, it was first sparked when an instructor took his class on a field trip to the Galveston National Laboratory. Here, he learned the importance of discovery through research and how these findings can benefit our society. Seeing this aligned with his goal to ultimately help others through scientific research.
In the Dulin lab, Jacob is working on a team project that uses a chemogenetic approach to alleviate chronic neuropathic pain that can be caused by a spinal cord injury. Their hope as a team is that they will find a technique to improve movement and sensory function through the modulation of neuronal activity. Jacob will also be beginning his own independent project within the lab, in which he will focus on identifying the subtypes of sensory neurons in the host dorsal root ganglia that can form functional synaptic connections onto neural progenitor cell grafts. Jacob explained that this field of study is relatively new and hopes that his work will be a stepping block for more research to continue after him.
Jacob Outside of Science
Being in research helped Jacob become more confident in himself inside and out of the lab. He learned how to overcome his fear of public speaking through papers and poster presentations. This confidence has spilled over into many of his other hobbies including basketball, sewing, video games and so much more. However, outside of the lab there is still work to be done within the community and Jacob does his part by volunteering. One way Jacob volunteers is by fundraising for the Alzheimer’s Association as a member of the
philanthropy group.
For the Next Generation of Researchers
To wrap up this article, I asked Jacob to give us a word of advice for undergraduate students who may be considering research. This is what he had to say.
“My advice would have to be to go for it! There’s only one way to know if research is for you or not. It may seem scary to contact PI’s and go through the interview process, but it just might be your favorite and most fulfilling experience in your college career.”
On that note, we at the Dulin Lab want to encourage you to Follow The Science!
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