Researching Brain Functionality at IBR Through the CUNY Service Corps Program

 Marina Ghobrial, Verrazzano Class of 2021, completed major in Psychology with minors in Biochemistry and Chemistry 

        I started at the Institute for Basic Research or as it is most commonly known as IBR, through the CUNY Service Corps program. At this point, I was already working in a research lab at CSI, but I wanted more experience and professional development provided by the program. I was placed at IBR and this is where our story takes place. Funny fact, we had to interview with employers to see if we were a good fit and I did my interview oversees from Egypt while I was in a crowded restaurant. I had to whisper because everyone over there stares at you if you speak in English out loud and the only thought going through my head was “Oh God, I hope he can hear me”.

Fast forward about two months and I entered IBR for the first time and met my mentor Dr. Jeffrey Goodman. It was super exciting to be in a state-run facility and I started my training right away. My favorite organ in the body is the brain and when I found out I was going to be working with them, I felt like I was in heaven.  I already had some experience with immunohisto-chemistry, but I also got the experience of a working environment and seeing scientists collaborating with each other. My early days in the lab were spent alone, and I had to learn how to do the procedures on my own (or with the help of my mentor), how to set up the experiment of the day, and how to learn from my failures when procedures didn’t work.

When my time in the CUNY Service Corps ended, I decided to stay and work on my own project. After many months working with practice tissue, I finally got to work with experimental tissue. I learned a lot about how a traumatic brain injury affects the brain both during the initial impact and after. During my time in the lab, I learned neuroanatomy and developed the skills to section brain tissue and two types of staining techniques. Most importantly, I have learned how scientists approach solving scientific questions and how to formulate and test a hypothesis.