Taurine Regulation of Blood Pressure and Vascular Resistance

Irene Kalogiannis, Verrazzano Class of 2024, completed major in Psychology and minor in Biology

I joined the Child Development Lab in the Psychology department in the spring of 2023 semester. I was interested in studying the visual attention of infants in locomotor tasks, mostly working with babies. I was going to use the work I had completed there as my capstone, and I realized that the lab was not a good fit for me and my aspirations. I was devastated by how things turned out. I thought that it was too late for me to join another lab and that no professor would accept me because their labs were full. I asked my microbiology professor for help and she gave me a list of professors who I could possibly work with and who were more involved in the biology/medical field. I decided to participate in Dr. El Idrissi’s lab and the rest is history.

I highly recommend that students start exploring different fields of research as early as possible to see what they are comfortable with and what fits their schedules. If you see an opportunity and you are eager to learn, take that opportunity. Put yourself out there and do something your future self would be proud of. It is important to take a breather and to allow situations to come unexpectedly even if we like it or not. You never know what the experience may lead to, so my best recommendation is to put your best foot forward and go with the flow. There are so many different and intriguing fields of research that many professors in each department are involved in and will inspire you, so choose wisely.

Throughout my experience, I am happy that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone; freshman year Irene would’ve been shocked. If I could change a few things in my college experience and go back to freshman year with the knowledge I have now, I would, but time travel doesn’t exist!

While working on my capstone project I had to start from scratch. I was very stressed because it crept up on me very quickly, as I am sure it has for most students. I had to learn time management and to have patience. Writing things out in my planner was a big help for me. Throughout this whole process, I thought that I wouldn't finish on time because things kept on getting pushed back and it was just too much to handle. I was taking many credits, volunteering at hospitals, and to add icing to the cake, working on top of everything else, which led me to become burnt out. But thanks to my family, friends, and Cheryl and Cynthia, they all helped me finish my capstone and graduate college with ease and reassurance.

Thankfully, things have calmed down a bit and as time has passed, it has gotten better. Some days were better than others and I managed and got through it. I took an interest in a topic I knew nothing about. I knew what taurine was but I didn't know the effects and the results it has on the human body, especially with blood pressure and vascular resistance. Taurine was mentioned in some of the biology classes I have taken before, but my professors didn't go in-depth about it. So, learning about this and searching many articles related to my capstone project was interesting. Taurine is a nutrient that is produced in the body and is found in many different foods like energy drinks. It is a multipurpose amino acid in the central nervous system, helps the body process bile acid, and has many more functions.

Overall, this whole process has been a long and wonderful journey with many bumps in between but I am very grateful that I have experienced this and I will look back at it with a smile on my face. Now, onto the next chapter!