S. Andrew Aston and J. Dee Higley, Department of Psychology
Aston, S. Andrew Gene x Environment Interactions in Rhesus Macaques: A test of the Orchid-‐Dandelion Hypothesis Faculty Mentor: J. Dee Higley, Department of Psychology Numerous studies have shown that certain gene variants produce distinct phenotypes based on the environment in which an individual develops. Many of these so called gene-‐by-‐environment (GxE) interactions lead to an increased risk of developing psychopathology. The Orchid-‐ Dandelion Hypothesis posits that risk alleles have been conserved to the present day, suggesting that although risk alleles may prove deleterious in many environments, under the right conditions, such variants may bestow an evolutionary advantage. For my ORCA grant, I proposed to mentor students currently investigating the effects of such GxE interactions in Dr. J. Dee Higley’s lab. Over the past several months, I have had the opportunity to gain valuable experience mentoring students by developing a standardized schedule and curriculum to help students learn about the research process in future semesters, teaching undergraduates how to conduct scientific research, as well as continuing my own research in neurogenetics.
Through my experience in Dr. Higley’s research lab over the past two years, I’ve learned how challenging conducting scientific research can be. Conducting research in Dr. Higley’s lab involves analyzing data from a large database of primate behavior and physiology gathered during many years of research at the National Institutes of Health and the California National Primate Research Center. Thus, students working with Dr. Higley have a unique opportunity to participate in scientific research from the theoretical and conceptual level moving them through the manuscript preparation process. While such research cultivates the students’ capacity for critical thinking, it often requires them to work and think at a graduate level. While I loved the challenge that research presented, in general, undergraduates find this transition difficult. After a year working in Dr. Higley’s lab, I approached him about the possibility of mentoring new students in the lab. I hoped that not only would mentoring help solidify the research skills I’d gained over the previous year, but that it would also give me the opportunity to help future students have an effective transition into the realm of scientific inquiry.
With Dr. Higley’s help, I prepared a syllabus of sorts for the lab. Reflecting on my own development over the previous year in the lab, I created a list of skills and tasks involved in conducting research in Dr. Higley’s lab. I then developed a plan including deadlines and lessons that would help students learn and use the skills necessary to execute a scientific research project with the end goal of presenting their research at a scientific conference or publishing their research in a peer-‐reviewed journal. As part of the plan, I would develop and present lessons about different aspects of scientific research during our weekly lab meetings. Dr. Higley and I would also meet regularly with the students to advise them in their work. With Dr. Higley’s help, I prepared this plan during fall semester so that it was ready for implementation beginning in winter semester. Over the course of winter semester I conducted lab meetings and presented the lessons we had planned, which included developing a focused introduction that leads to testable hypotheses, and summarizing the findings and critically evaluating them for the discussion section of the manuscript. I also mentored the students working on individual or group projects on a more personal basis.
While the research we conducted as a lab did not clearly support or refute the Orchid- Dandelion Hypothesis, it did enrich our academic careers. Three of the groups I worked with investigated GxE interactions in rhesus macaques. Two of the groups were already quite self- sufficient and were well on their way to preparing their findings for publication in a scientific journal. I supported and helped them as needed as they continued finalizing their statistical analyses and preparing drafts of their manuscript. I particularly enjoyed working with a third group because I was able to mentor them from the start of their project. During the course of the semester, I helped them analyze their data and prepare it for presentation at two undergraduate research conference and two professional research conferences. While these groups found significant GxE interactions that affect primate behavior and physiology, it is unclear whether or not they support the Orchid-‐Dandelion Hypothesis. I also helped another student investigating the effects of social environment on behavior prepare and present his findings at two research conferences.
During winter semester I continued my own research as well, expanding previous findings of a GxE interaction affecting stress response physiology to include its effect on stress response behavior. I found that a C‐to‐T single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region of the corticotropin releasing hormone gene leads to differential phenotypic expression of behavior based on whether an animal is exposed to early adverse rearing conditions. While it is too early to conclude whether the differences in behavior may be deleterious or advantageous, the fact that differences in behavior exist due to this GxE interaction allows for the possibility that a risk allele under certain circumstances may prove helpful under other circumstances.
Over the past several months, I’ve had the opportunity to present my research at the Mary Lou Fulton Undergraduate Research Conference (where I received first place in the poster competition in the section for neuroscience), and at the Meeting of the American Society of Primatologists (where I was a finalist in the student poster competition). Thus, although our research could not provide substantial support to the Orchid-‐Dandelion Hypothesis, through our research we gained valuable experience that will help us in our future careers.
Mentoring in Dr. Higley’s lab during the last year has been an incredible experience for me. I found working with the students incredibly rewarding and enjoyed seeing the students applying the skills I helped them learn. Such experiences have helped me decide that I would enjoy being an academic and seeing students grow and develop. It also allowed me to obtain a prestigious internship at the National Institutes of Health where I am currently working. Through mentoring, I personally learned much more about statistical analyses and research procedures that I will use as I pursue a career in biomedical research and, in mentoring, discovered an enriching aspect of academic research that I hope to incorporate in my future career. I am very grateful for the support this ORCA grant gave me in pursuing this invaluable experience.