Aliyah Ross, a senior neuroscience student in the Honors College at şÚÁĎÍř, is diving headfirst into the world of research and examining how a specific protein may play a role in fear expression and anxiety disorders.
Ross is from Bolivar, Ohio and came to Kent State because she was fond of its admissions process and academic programs. She started her undergraduate journey as a psychology major but switched to neuroscience after being selected to join a Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) lab in 2023 with Lee Gilman, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences. Ross’ admission into the competitive SURE program was based on her successful application.
A Look into PMAT
Ross’ research examines the plasma membrane monoamine transporter (PMAT) protein and how it affects fear discrimination and fear generalization. PMAT regulates dopamine and serotonin levels, and natural genetic differences can cause individuals to have reduced PMAT function.
Discrepancies in PMAT function result in measurable, gene dose-dependent outcomes in how individuals respond to antidiabetic medications, but its effect upon human behavior has yet to be studied. Ross studies mice and uses sound cues and environmental contexts to determine the level of fear in mice with reduced PMAT function.
While the research is still ongoing, Ross’ preliminary findings suggest there may be sex-specific effects, particularly in male mice compared to female mice. The evidence could suggest that PMAT function affects individuals with anxiety disorders, specifically in regard to environmental or contextual memories.
“For example, let’s say we were in the student center, and something was to catch on fire, which would be a very bad situation to be in,” Ross said. “Whenever you go back, are you going to show the same amount of fear? Or are you going to be like, oh, it’s OK, this is a different day. But then, if you were to go to the library, are you going to carry that fear from your past experiences to this new environment or new place?”
Research and Support
Ross started this research as an individual investigation because she was unfamiliar with PMAT and wanted to learn more about it. She works closely with Gilman, her principal investigator.
“They want to push you to your best abilities,” Ross said. “They’ve been really good at making sure that I am responsible for my own actions and make sure that I’m doing the best I can and providing the best work that I’m able to do.”
Ross said Gilman helps her understand important concepts, set up equipment in the lab and interpret and graph data. Gilman mentors several other undergraduate and graduate students who conduct research at the . Additionally, Gilman continually works to procure funding for lab equipment and regularly shares research findings broadly to help other scientists and practitioners improve mental and physical human health.
“Aliyah has been tenacious in studying how functional reductions in PMAT can affect a core, cross-species attribute of anxiety—fear generalization,” Gilman said. “Therefore, Aliyah’s research could directly implicate PMAT as a biological contributor to natural variations in people’s anxiety levels.”
Ross conducts research in the lab alongside other undergraduate and graduate neuroscience and psychology students. She said her lab mates have helped her transition into the neuroscience field and deal with feelings of imposter syndrome.
“I have very supportive lab mates,” Ross said. “They’ve been amazing, and they’ve helped me realize that I do have value within this field.”
Ross emphasized the importance of learning from mistakes, especially when beginning work in a new lab. Her advice to other students who want to delve into research is to reach out and receive support from the Kent State community.
“Don’t be afraid to reach out to people because there’s so many people that are going to be willing to help, whether it’s other students, grad students or professors—they’re very knowledgeable in their field,” she said. “I was really scared to change my major to neuroscience because I didn’t think I would be able to do it, but with the support of other students and faculty, it’s been a lot easier to get through it.”
Ross has conducted similar research in the past, looking at how different salt diets affect active avoidance in mice. She said her classroom knowledge from biology and neuroscience courses at Kent State have helped her understand her lab findings on a molecular level.
Accolades and Future Plans
In October, Ross’ research led her to a first-place finish in the Three Minute Thesis competition neuroscience category. In early November, she presented her research at a poster session during the 12th annual Brain Health Research Institute (BHRI) Neuroscience Symposium at the .
“I’m really proud to have the privilege of having my own project and being able to handle that mostly by myself,” Ross said. “I think that’s been a really big accomplishment and it’s been a huge responsibility.”
Ross plans to attend graduate school after she finishes her undergraduate studies. She wants to continue doing research in the future and is strongly considering a career in behavioral neuroscience. Ross and Gilman plan to write a manuscript about the research within the next year.
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Photo Credit:
Elise Simmons, psychology and neuroscience student at Kent State