Introductions!! by Emily Kulp

Hi! My name is Emily Kulp, and I am so excited to be a part of the TRIP community!

It should come as no surprise that I love science–as of right now, chemistry is my favorite, but biology and neuropsychology are quickly catching up. I’m also in love with animals, and I’m hoping to find a career that involves all of these passions. Obviously, becoming a vet is an option, and I’ve already had a chance to shadow a few. However, I don’t have much experience in a lab, and that’s why I applied to TRIP–I wanted to get a better understanding of what research is like. Research has so many opportunities to advance animal medicine in the future, and it would be really exciting to be a part of that!
Like I said, I’m a huge animal lover. My family has adopted a menagerie of animals, and one of my favorite things to do is spend time with our rescued paint mare, Casey. When I’m not spending time with horses, you can usually find me curled up with a dog and a good book, or doing art. I’m a huge nerd, and love books–I will read just about anything. Art is another way for me to relax–I do a lot of drawing, but when I get the chance I enjoy painting as well.
Right now we are 2 weeks into TRIP, and I am having a blast. The teachers and students are all such amazing people, and we are doing some really cool stuff. For example, this last session we knocked flies out with carbon dioxide to detect mutations and sort them under the microscope. Who knew flies could look so interesting up close? I think sorting is one of my favorite things we’ve done so far. For the first experiment, I’m testing the effects of senna (a laxative) and stress associated with a disrupted Circadian cycle. I’m also looking forward to trying my first behavioral assay, which involves olfactory preferences of the progeny.
I can’t wait to start!