What a Great Few Weeks It has Been! by Veronica Zhang

Just a few weeks ago, I formulated a question regarding the effects of atorvastatin on memory and fertility.
​Little did I know about the grand journey I would take to chase after the answers to this question. 

Statin drugs have always been a prevalent medication in my life as many of my relatives suffer from hyperlipidemia. One of my relatives has been taking a particular statin drug called atorvastatin for quite some time. I have previously already heard of certain concerns regarding statin drugs. For example, I knew that the FDA had recently released a warning that atorvastatin may decrease cognitive function and impair memory. This brought me into a state of frenzy, since I definitely did not want my loved one being exposed to a potentially harmful substance. 

After scouring the Internet for more information, I determined that more research needed to be done to help clear up the murky waters that surrounded the side effects of statin drugs. After all, statin drugs are used by 28% of Americans who are over 40, so it is fundamental to learn more about this relevant drug.

Every following week of TRIP, I spent two hours conducting the larval memory assay. At first, the idea of training fruit flies to learn was just mind-boggling and even comedic. However, I soon grew to realize the striking similarities between larvae and humans. The fruit fly larvae were able to associate a banana scent with sugar, and a pineapple scent with no sugar. The larvae definitely enjoyed the banana scent more, since sugar added a nutritional advantage to their diet. After successive rounds of training larvae on separate scented agar plates, I tested their memory by placing them on a sugar-free agar plate with a pineapple scent and a banana scent side. To my surprise, most of the larvae in my control group actually were able to recall that banana meant sugar! Unfortunately, my data also supported the claims made by the FDA. Larvae that were exposed to the statin drug had as much as a 12% drop in cognitive function!

 In addition, the fruit flies also experienced detrimental hits to their fertility, as the number of embryos per female dropped by as much as 90% with the intake of atorvastatin! Clearly, atorvastatin had negative impacts in both the aspects of cognitive function and female fertility. However, statin intake also results in great gains, such as a decreased potential of getting cardiovascular diseases. My research aims to shed light on the possible consequences of ingesting statins, but the benefits must also be weighed in.

Throughout the fourteen weeks of TRIP, I have learned far more than just laboratory techniques. I have learned to look at problems and questions from different perspectives in order to reach a resolution. However, most importantly, I was further able to experience the power of teamwork. Three of my fellow TRIP classmates and I formed an unimaginably close bond as we examined our own questions. All four of us were active researchers performing the larval memory assay. Every single week, we would start out with making agar plates together as a team. One of my favorite TRIP moments was pouring agar plates with my fellow labmates. We would then work as a team to navigate the seemingly complicated steps to the memory assay. It really was an exceptional partnership that transformed the way I perceived lab work. 

​Science is not an independent endeavour; it involves teams that support each other through failure, and also help resolve conflicts, just like the larval memory assay group did. I was able to see myself grow exponentially throughout TRIP as I learned from my instructors, peers, and myself.

Three of my fellow TRIP classmates and I formed an unimaginably close bond as we examined our own questions... It really was an exceptional partnership that transformed the way I perceived lab work. 

These past fourteen weeks of research with TRIP was truly revolutionary. I enjoyed the experience so much that I look forward to many future research opportunities down the road!