69 Research Reflection by Taylor Otterness

Faculty Mentor: Crystal L. Sigulinksy (Ophthalmology, University of Utah)

I was fortunate to be warmly welcomed in to the Jones Laboratory (The MarcLab for Connectomics) at Moran Eye Center and provided the opportunity to explore retinal circuitry and neural plasticity in the context of retinal disease. This project and others I have completed through the Jones/Marc lab have deepened my knowledge of synaptology and neurological disease mechanisms. I had the opportunity to attend and present a poster on this project at the 2023 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Conference and attend lectures and poster presentations at the cutting edge of visual science. Doing Research at the Moran Eye Center has improved my ability to think flexibly and critically as well grown my skills in communicating nuanced information to generalized audiences, which will serve me as I pursue my education and career. I am so grateful to have been able to learn and grow alongside some of the most industrious, resilient individuals I have ever met, and I will strive to continue to learn from their example and knowledge.