Research Mentor Information
---------------------------
Primary Research Mentor Name: Aaron Wilber
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns: {Empty}
When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific?: Dr.
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): wilber@psy.fsu.edu
Position Title: Faculty
FSU College (if applicable): Arts and Sciences
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation: Psychology
Headshot (optional): https://cre.fsu.edu/system/files/webform/urop_project_proposal_portal/8011/image029.jpg

Additional Research Mentor(s)
-----------------------------
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above): Shawn Moseley
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns: {Empty}
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific?: Mr.
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): moseley@psy.fsu.edu
Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable): {Empty}
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns: {Empty}
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific?: {Empty}
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): moseley@psy.fsu.edu

Overall Project Details
-----------------------
Title of the Project: Brain Systems for Spatial Orientation in Health and Disease
Project Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, spatial orientation, rodent animal disease models
Are you currently looking for research assistants?: No
Number of Research Assistants Needed : 2
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s):
Neuroscience, Psychology, Biology, Computer Science, Math

Project Location:: On FSU Main Campus
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation?: {Empty}
Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s):: Partially Remote
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work?: 10-12
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work?: Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Overall Research Project Description:
The goal of this project is to assess impaired memory reactivation (replaying sequences of activity that were recorded during a learning task during post-task sleep) as a possible cause of impaired ability to get oriented in space we have observed in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Another available project is to access which normal systems in rats are responsible for spacial orientation and disrupt these systems using drugs or optogenetics (laser light inactivation).

Research Tasks:
- Assist with analyzing brain recording and behavioral data for transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. 
- Assist in data collection by performing behavior experiments. 
- Section and stain brain tissue and assist with quantifying positive cells in specific brain regions.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need::
Basic science background recommended. We will teach needed skills.

Mentoring Philosophy:
We provide diverse, interactive, and stimulating learning opportunities by building a customized training plan that meets both the student’s and our laboratory needs. I meet students at least bi-weekly following laboratory meetings and for students with more involved training plans more often. The training is driven by the student’s interests and begins to be developed during the interview where I learn about the student’s interests and career goals and think about a good match to specific projects in my laboratory. The interview is also used to identifying students that maintain and build on the diversity in our group. Diversity leads to better ideas and solutions to problems we encounter and improves the training experience and knowledge base for everyone in my group. 

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable):: https://wilber.neuro.fsu.edu/publications
Please add any additional information here (if applicable)::
{Empty}


UROP Program Elements
---------------------
Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication: Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation: Yes
Materials Grant: Yes
UROP Poster Presentation: Yes

{Empty}
Year: 2023
update url: https://cre.fsu.edu/urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?element_parents=elements/research_mentor_information/headshot_optional_&ajax_form=1&_wrapper_format=drupal_ajax&token=sT2R-MIjgTd66720JK6-c_mYYaT646dVc1Nh6HCPSj0