Hi I'm Abby!! by Abby Shen

Hi everyone! My name is Abby Shen and I'm a current sophomore at The Baldwin School (go bears!). I’m extremely honored to be part of the 2018 TRIP session at William Tennent High School, and it’s been a wonderfully eye-opening and educational experience so far. I love science and I want to explore as many aspects of it as I can, so TRIP is truly an amazing opportunity for me. I am considering a career in medicine, or a related biological or chemical field.

In my free time, I like to read (mostly fiction and psychology books), watch shows and movies, and explore my hobbies and interests. These can go anywhere from developing websites and video games to participating in school theatrical productions. I love seeking out new experiences that allow me to meet all kinds of people with similar and different interests, like what I’ve been able to do at TRIP.
For my first experiment, I’m investigating the effects of the drug Valerian and the stressor of constant darkness on the flies’ metabolism. Having set up the flies in four tubes (one control, two with either the stressor or the drug, and the final with both), I’m looking forward to seeing the results in my next session. I think the disruption of the flies’ Circadian rhythms caused by constant darkness may affect their metabolism, which may also be impacted by the drug Valerian (thought to treat sleep orders and anxiety). The combination of Valerian and constant darkness will be interesting to observe—if constant darkness does affect the flies’ metabolism, would Valerian negate those effects, augment them, or have no impact? Hopefully I’ll find out next time.