UROP Leader Information Submission: Submission #165
Submission information
Submission Number: 165
Submission ID: 13656
Submission UUID: e4d62966-888d-4f39-9df1-a3a03c15bef3
Submission URI: /urop-leader-information-submission
Submission Update: /urop-leader-information-submission?token=YbGqCz9OEE94F4y5MsRFlEavd_mQz6J7dlfViwBP8QI
Created: Sun, 04/21/2024 - 12:14 AM
Completed: Sun, 04/21/2024 - 03:18 PM
Changed: Thu, 05/23/2024 - 09:56 AM
Remote IP address: 50.30.177.26
Submitted by: Anonymous
Language: English
Is draft: No
Webform: UROP Leaders Information
Submitted to: UROP Leader Information Submission
| First Name | Skylar |
|---|---|
| Last Name | Ruffner |
| Full name as you would like it to appear on the website | Skylar Ruffner |
| Preferred Pronouns | she/her/hers |
| Hometown, State, and Country (ex: Tallahassee, FL, USA) | San Clemente, CA |
| FSU email | smr21e@fsu.edu |
| Please check this box if you are willing to be contacted by students interested in UROP | No |
| LinkedIn URL (optional) | |
| Major(s) | Behavioral Neuroscience |
| Minor(s) | Chemistry |
| Graduation Semester and Year (ex: Fall, 2022) | Spring 2025 |
| What is your current research focus? | I have been a part of the Hammock lab, a social and developmental neuroscience research lab, from Summer 2022 - current. We focus on the role of oxytocin in relation to postnatal brain and behavior development via an animal model. I completed my Honors in the Major Thesis project under Dr. Elizabeth Hammock and Alicia Gonzalez. My project focused on the evaluation of oxytocin and touch on neonatal thalamus c-Fos activity in mice. I investigated the role of oxytocin as a modulator of experience-dependent development through social touch circuitry. I plan to continue pursuing research under Dr. Hammock while at FSU. In the future, I hope to study the effects of early life stress on microglia activity and postnatal neural circuitry development. |
| Are there any other research related activities you participate(d) in? | I volunteer within Dr. Lisa Eckel’s Neuroscience Lab, where I perform animal maintenance and care and attend regular lab meetings. The research project I am currently involved in focuses on the role of estrogens on attenuating weight gain in female rats. This lab has provided me with a well-rounded foundation for the experimental process, from both a behavior and brain perspective. |
| Answer one of the following two questions about being a UROP Leader or your UROP background. | How do you hope to impact your students as a UROP Leader? |
| Please answer the question you selected above in the area provided. | I hope to impact my students as a UROP Leader by conveying the benefits of becoming immersed within research, and by teaching students how to properly get involved without feeling overwhelmed. I want to help guide other undergraduate students in the journey of discovering their research interests, and learning how to navigate the process of searching for and contacting research professors. I want to instill my passion and appreciation for research in other undergraduate students, and convey to them that their research skills will help guide them in all areas of life. |
| Please list any other hobbies or interests you would like to share | Beyond the classroom while at FSU, I was a part of the FSU Women’s Swimming and Diving team (August 2021 - August 2023), in which I competed as a 10-meter platform diver. Additionally, I'm a part of the pre-medical chapter of Phi Delta Epsilon at FSU (FL Zeta), participating in numerous fundraising and volunteering events. In my free time, I love to run, do yoga, and bake, with my specialty being cheesecake. I am currently training for a triathlon, and plan to run in the next Tallahassee Half-Marathon! |
| Headshot |
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| 2025Year2025 | 2024 |
| Approved | Yes |
| Update URL UROP Leaders | https://cre.fsu.edu/urop-leader-information-submission?element_parents=elements/headshot&ajax_form=1&_wrapper_format=drupal_ajax&token=YbGqCz9OEE94F4y5MsRFlEavd_mQz6J7dlfViwBP8QI |
| Years as a UROP Leader | 2024-2025 |