During my spring semester, I worked as a student researcher through the RaMP program at the Pain Research Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. I worked about eight (8) hours a week for roughly fourteen (14) weeks alongside three (3) other UC students, two (2) research coordinators, two (2) post-docs, and one (1) principal investigator. This was my first time participating in any type of research.
The Pain Research Center (PRC) is conducting many human subject studies concerning the perception of pain, and how various factors can cause differences in perception. Factors that the PRC is looking at include migraines, temporomandibular joint disorder, and sleep patterns. The study I worked most closely with was the Migraine High-Risk study (MHR). Its aim is to investigate the differences in the perception of pain among adolescents with migraine and healthy adolescents. Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is used on subjects with heat, cold, and pressure stimuli to produce sensations. Participants rate pain intensity and unpleasantness and this data will be compared among the participant groups.
During this process, I learned skills specific to human subject research as well as more general skills that I'll be able to apply to many of my future endeavors. Specific skills include subject recruitment via email and phone, data entry in REDCap, MRI safety and protocol, data tracking using LabChart and Pathway, and quantitative sensory testing using Thermodes and Algometers to provide heat, cold, and pressure stimulation. More applicable skills include improvements in teamwork and communication, professional conduct, and awareness of preferred learning process and communication style.
This experience has impacted me because it sparked my interest in human subject research. With the knowledge that I wanted to continue to explore research, I applied to be a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow (SURF) in the Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy department at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. I got accepted to the position and I look forward to expanding upon the experiences and knowledge that I gained through the RaMP Program.
I gave the following presentation at the end of my RaMP experience to other RaMP mentees and mentors. I chose this PowerPoint because it summarizes what I learned from this experience. Enjoy!