208. UW Engage Science 2023: Violet Sorrentino & Tessa Code

<p data-aura-rendered-by="4360:27278;a"><a href= "https://www.engage-science.space/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"><u>UW Engage Science</u></a><strong> </strong>sees a future where every graduate student has access to science communication training, and therefore good science communication becomes the norm. The outcome is an increased public trust and positive attitude toward science, ultimately strengthening the connection between the public and scientists. Join us for a look at the forefront of research in our region and meet the students who are leading the latest wave of scientific discovery.</p> <hr /> <p data-aura-rendered-by="4360:76946;a"><strong>Violet Sorrentino: How tiny worms can help us understand the human brain</strong></p> <p data-aura-rendered-by="4360:76946;a">The human brain is a complex structure populated with hundreds of billions of cells. When something goes wrong and the brain gets sick, how can we pinpoint which cells are having problems? That’s why some neuroscientists use tiny worms as a model. They have similar brain cells and molecules, but everything is on a much smaller scale, so we can take knowledge more easily gained from the worm brain and apply it to humans. Brain cells called glia eat small parts of other cells, but eating too much or too little can cause diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. If we use worms to better understand the eating process, maybe we can develop treatments for these diseases.</p> <p data-aura-rendered-by="4360:76946;a"><strong>Violet Sorrentino</strong> is a cell biology graduate student at Fred Hutch, where she uses microscopic worms to study communication between two types of brain cells. The conversation between these cells helps maintain a happy and healthy brain, and she is working to define the molecular language these cells speak.</p> <p data-aura-rendered-by="4360:76946;a"><strong>Tessa Code: The threat of artificial light to young salmon in Lake Washington</strong></p> <p data-aura-rendered-by="4360:76946;a">Juvenile sockeye salmon are no