Israel Mora's Time at the ONL

My name is Israel Mora and I am a rising senior from North Caroline High School in Maryland. I had the opportunity to take an internship at Northern Illinois University under Dr. Richard J.Ortiz in his Neuroscience Laboratory. During my internship, I was introduced to Microscopy through the creation of a 3D-printed microscope lens that can be used with smartphone devices. Through this process I learned about optics and cost effective ways to make microscopic devices that could make research more accessible. I presented this work to students attending NIU and helped them develop their own mini microscopes while gaining hands-on experience in outreach. In addition, I gained hands-on experience in neuroscience through the use of microfluidic perfusion devices Brain-on-Chip tech with prairie voles. Overall, this has been an excellent opportunity that has really encouraged great academic growth. Motivating me to pursue a higher education.