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Ever since taking AP Psychology in high school, Sarah has been fascinated by the brain and amazed by the ways in which it plays a role in human experience. She decided to major in Psychology so she could keep learning and gain the skills necessary to serve others with what she learns.
After coming to college, she wanted to get involved in research. Sarah initially was hired as a mentored student with the Counseling and Psychological Services center (a free therapy clinic for students) at BYU. While there, she learned a lot about how to study therapy. For example, how are clients doing emotionally? What factors are important in effective therapy? What impact do past experiences have on how clients do in therapy?
The work with CAPS gave Sarah a solid foundation of research skills. She learned to:
search through academic journals to find articles about religious injury (her research topic)
use a statistical software package (SPSS) to organize and analyze data
collaborate with a team to solve problems
create and present posters on her findings.
This past year, She was again in search of a research opportunity. Jared Nielsen's lab conducts varied research on the brain. Past studies have investigated such topics as: religious OCD, brain networks involved in post-stroke disorders, phone usage and depression in adolescents, and the intersections of the brain and spirituality. She applied for and received a position in early Summer 2022.
While working in the Brain and Behavior Lab, she has strengthened her research skills by:
becoming familiar with neurological research, which she had never done previously
conducting a complete search of the academic literature in order to find stroke case studies
learning to use a new software (3D Slicer)
creating a poster and website about her research
In the future, Sarah hopes to find a position that will allow her to put research findings into practice. In addition, she hopes to participate on many more research projects which will allow her to broaden her knowledge and enjoy this beloved pastime.
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