Rosa Kyuwon Lee
| Undergraduate Thesis Student B.Arts.Sc. Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour IV, Biochemistry minor I am working with Dr. Andrews on multiple projects, including a summer project on the neurobiology of serotonin in depression, and a thesis project on the role of ovarian hormones in depression. We are also initiating a new project on the interaction between dopaminergic and serotonergic systems in depression. My primary research interests are: (1) finding variables that lead to different vulnerabilities to OC-induced depression, (2) finding the precise mechanisms of monoamine changes in depression, and (3) learning more about the evolutionary adaptive value of depression. I approached Dr. Andrews after hearing his talk on Darwinian Medicine and its application to depression, due to his interesting interdisciplinary mix in research, novel application of adaptationist approach to study depression and research interest in mood conditions. I also found Dr. Andrews’ lab to be ideal for the kind of research environment I was seeking, which is an environment where I can train my critical thinking skills to build my own hypotheses with the support from an expert in the field. I hope that my experience in this lab will prepare me for one of my major aspirations, which is to pursue research looking into the mechanism of depression from various perspectives—from hormones, neurochemistry, evolution and behaviour. |