INTRODUCTION.

I first began my journey in research in the third year of my undergraduate degree. Before this, I was unsure of what research entailed and had not yet found a topic I was truly passionate about. In winter 2022, I was enrolled in the Human Neuropsychology course with my current academic supervisor, Dr. Claudia Gonzalez, and decided to approach her after class one day as I had learned about her research and was fascinated by it. Soon after, I began a directed studies project with Dr. Gonzalez where I began assisting with an ongoing project that examined prefrontal cortex brain activity in older, middle-aged, and younger adults using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which is a non-invasive neuroimaging tool. The goal of the study was to determine if age-related brain activity differences were occurring, and if these differences correlated to task-related performance; the participants completed two working memory tasks on a computer to measure this performance. After completing this directed study, I was enthusiastic to pursue the project further as my interest in cognitive neuropsychology strengthened. Subsequently, I applied for and was awarded an Undergraduate Research Experience Award (UREAP) through TRU to conduct research over the summer. Throughout this project, I began the processes of participant recruitment and piloting. After the summer, I was accepted into the BSc Honours program in September 2023, where I was given the privilege to continue this fascinating research. I am currently in the final semester of my undergraduate degree and will be defending my thesis in April of 2024. After graduating, I hope to pursue a Master’s degree in Clinical Neuropsychology to continue my journey in research, as it has taught me invaluable skills and has allowed me to learn and grow as an individual tremendously.

THE STANDARDS.

Understanding the Research Process:

Below I’ve attached the research proposal I submitted in order to be accepted into the BSc Honours Program. This proposal includes an Introduction, Study Objectives, Materials & Methods, Analysis, Expected Results, and a Project Timeline & Budget. This proposal demonstrates my understanding of the logistics on how to effectively carry out a research project and how to manage my time accordingly so it can be completed at a high standard within the timeline given.

Additionally, statistical courses such as Research Statistics in Psychology (PSYC3610) and Biometrics (BIOL3000) are both classes that strengthened my knowledge of the research process. In these classes, we examined all the steps of research thoroughly, from creating a hypothesis to experimental design and analysis. We also learned about the different types of analyses such as t-tests, repeated measures ANOVA, post hoc tests, and multivariate regression (to name a few), as well as how to interpret these results. Furthermore, through these courses, I became familiar with analysis software such as Jasp, RStudio, and Jamovi. I’ve attached my biometrics lab report, where myself and my partner had to start with a research question and had to follow each step of the research process to answer our specific question. In this report, we had to demonstrate our understanding of research effectively, and overall I felt I was able to implement my knowledge of research into this report.

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Honours_proposal_JL

Evaluating Existing Research:

Below I’ve attached an in-depth review of the literature for my Honours project. This literature review thoroughly evaluates multiple theories of brain aging and highlights discrepancies within the literature as well as a lack of research in the field of neuroscience. This prompts the need for future research in this area and underlines the importance of our research.

I also had to apply my skills in evaluating existing research in my Human Physiology (BIOL3550) course, and have attached my lab report for reference. For the lab portion, myself and two others were required to conduct our own independent research project over a two-month period. This project required us to examine past literature to determine what has already been accomplished, and what has still yet to be studied. In the Introduction (pg. 3-6), our knowledge of the existing research in this area allows us to effectively “set the scene” for the reader, before proceeding to Materials and Methods. By reading a vast abundance of literature within the field, I felt I was able to better understand the significance of our project and gained a more holistic view of the research prior to experimental testing.

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Literature_review_JL

Applying Research Methods:

Below I’ve attached my final report submitted for the Undergraduate Research Experience Award (UREAP) program. Pages 8-13 consist of a detailed description of the Methods and Analysis used to successfully carry out the project over a 6-month term, which shows my ability to apply complex research methods in a limited period of time (i.e., 6 months). The report also includes visuals of the neuroimaging array used and describes the working memory tasks that the participants of the study completed while their brain activity was being measured. This is to ensure those who read the report are able to replicate these research methods in the future if needed.

Another non-traditional way that I have learned to apply research methods is through community-engaged research, which I had the privilege to take part in during my time as a Research Innovator in 2022. Specifically, the research office led a cultural mapping session, which takes Indigenous cultural practices and integrates these practices within community or academic settings (in this case, Thompson Rivers University). This really opened my eyes to how variable research can truly be. The session was run by a member of the research office, who carefully walked us through each step and explained the significance throughout the process.

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Analyzing and Drawing Conclusions:

Below I’ve attached my final report submitted for the Undergraduate Research Experience Award (UREAP) program. Pages 13-21 include a Results section of our performance-related data, as well as our neuroimaging data presented in graphs, tables, and figures. This is followed by a detailed Discussion section that highlights significant findings from our study, which is then followed by a section on Future Considerations and how the project will develop in the continuing months moving forward. This required me to look at the results of our analysis and draw conclusions (for example, old adults show an increase in brain activity compared to young adults during the memory task – so what does this actually tell us?)

Similarly, my research project from the Human Physiology (BIOL3550) course allowed me to put these same skills into practice (I have attached this report below for reference). On pages 14-24, our discussion highlights the results of our study and attempts to explain them based on observations, as well as what the past literature suggests. I find this part of research to be the most difficult, as you have to pull together all of your knowledge of the subject and try to create a justifiable understanding of what your results truly mean. The more I am exposed to this part of the research process, the more I’m able to learn and better myself as a researcher.

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Engaging in Knowledge Mobilization:

Below I’ve attached a poster used to disseminate my Honours Thesis project at multiple conferences, such as the Research & Innovation Conference at TRU, The Science Undergraduate Poster Exhibition of Research at TRU, and the UVIC Making Waves Undergraduate Research Conference in Psychology. These conferences really broadened my understanding of knowledge mobilization, and the importance of being able to effectively share your work with others. It was very cool to be able to exhibit the work you’ve been putting countless hours into for the past year, and have conversations with people who are curious about your work.

I also recently participated in the “In A Nutshell” 3-minute thesis event held at TRU. This was a really interesting experience – instead of presenting my research in front of others in the field, I was able to disseminate my research to the general public. This can be difficult as we can become sensitized to the niche language or jargon in our discipline, but not everyone has a foundation in your same area of research, so you have to be careful how you present it depending on your audience. Additionally, 3 minutes is a very short period of time, so it can be challenging to pick and choose which information to include. This helps you filter out your main takeaways and the real-world applicability of your research, which is extremely important. I have attached my Powerpoint slide used for this competition (I ended up scoring in the top 3 participants and won an award with the research office, which I am very thankful for).

Finally, my time as a Research Ambassador greatly enhanced my understanding of knowledge mobilization and its significance in the research process. Through events such as a UREAP peer support event, as well as the Strike A Match Event (where students and professors were able to interact to create potential research opportunities), our goal as a group was to increase knowledge of research across our campus. We also put together a Women in Research series, where research could be further shared throughout TRU campus with an emphasis on women in research. Overall, I think we were able to accomplish our goal, and helping to put together these events deepened my appreciation for knowledge mobilization of research as a whole.

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jaida_lewis_poster

REFLECTIVE ESSAY.

Jaida Lewis: Reflective Essay (RESL 1500), 2024

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