Josh and His Science
My name is Joshua Moses and I am a part of the Dulin Lab as an undergraduate research assistant/blogger extraordinaire. Well, at least in my dreams I am the latter. You are probably used to me telling the stories of others, but this time it is my turn. I am from Douglasville, GA, which is about fifteen to twenty minutes west of Atlanta. My curiosity about research began at an early age. I remember when I was no more than five years old watching Dexter’s Laboratory, fascinated by the young genius. I wanted to be just like the cartoon and began mixing random items around the house such as toothpaste and hand soap, and making what I called “hand sanitizer”. My parents encouraged my curiosity, bought me my first microscope, and put me in STEM camps throughout my childhood.
In the Dulin lab, I am working on my own project. The goal of my project is to compare the synaptic connections that are established from neural progenitor cell grafts during acute versus chronic injury timepoints. This research will be clinically relevant, as most individuals suffering with spinal cord injuries are at the chronic timepoint. We will monitor whether the neural progenitor cell transplant will survive in a chronic environment, as it is
different from the acute. In other words, my project will look at transplanting cells in the spinal cord of a relatively young injury and an old injury and see if the cells can make connections to the host spinal cord in both environments. I hope we are able to find some significant connections to aid the clinical field and give hope to those suffering with chronic spinal cord injury.
Josh Outside of Science
Outside of lab, I am a creator. I live a “Hannah Montana life”, as some would say. When I am not studying for classes or preparing for lab, I am memorizing lines for a movie or a play. I may even be writing and recording music to release months after production. I love my double life because I am allowed to explore both avenues (right-brained and left-brained) at the same time. Around the same time I got my first microscope, I received my first solo in a school production and have been obsessed with drama ever since. If I am not doing any of the activities above I am most likely binging a show I have seen before and pretending it is brand new. My current series I am rewatching is Vampire Diaries.
Why Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate research is not as scary as it may first appear. You will learn so much from your peers and superiors that you may not be able to learn in a traditional class setting. Undergraduate research will surround you with experts within your field and help you build a network of genuine individuals that want to see you succeed. Also, you could be working towards something that could change a person’s life tremendously and that is what keeps me coming back to lab every time. So in summary, do research and follow the science.