Hi everyone! My name is Ella Hadden, and I’m going into my senior year here at Pitt pursuing a neuroscience major with chemistry and statistics minors. I’ve always had interest in research – in discovering new knowledge and ideas that can help contribute to a better the world – so I’m grateful to have this opportunity to learn more and develop my skills! I’m looking forward to what these next few weeks will offer.
This summer I’ll be working in the lab of Dr. Claire Cheetham to study adult neurogenesis – the generation of new neurons – in the mouse olfactory system. Specifically, I will be studying neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb, a structure of the brain responsible for processing sensory input. I will damage olfactory sensory neurons in the nose, causing loss of sensory input and subsequent cell death of neurons in the olfactory bulb. As the olfactory sensory neurons regenerate and sensory input will recover, I will be studying how neurogenesis in the olfactory bulb is affected. I will also be analyzing the effects on neurogenesis in the subventricular zone, the region from where olfactory bulb neurons migrate.
Most neurons are born during embryonic development; there are only a few regions of the mammalian brain in which neurons are continuously generated throughout adulthood, including the olfactory system. In cases of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, neuronal deterioration and cell death is irreversible. If we can apply what we learn about adult neurogenesis in the olfactory system to other regions of the nervous system, such as those affected by neurodegenerative disorders, it could result in exciting new leaps in the field of medicine.
After my undergraduate career, I plan on applying to graduate school to work towards a PhD. At the moment I’m planning to pursue research as a career in some capacity – specifically I’m interested in neuropharmacology and studying drugs in relation to mental and psychiatric disorder. Besides helping me perfect integral research skills for my career path, the interdisciplinary focus of the Brackenridge Fellowship can broaden my perspective on fields outside my own.
I’ve been fortunate to travel a lot with my family over the years – around the U.S. and to Europe a few times. I love exploring new places – someday I would like to go back and visit the city where I was born in China. But most of the time I like staying at home on the back deck of my house with a book, maybe some music, surrounded by trees and flowers, watching the birds.
