Irene Bukh '08
View baby Kimani - Low speed
View baby Kimani - High speed
As a Co-op student working in the Boston University Medical School lab under several PhD and MD graduate students during the summer and fall of 2005, Irene situated her schedule to allow time for her junior/senior Honors Project knowing it would help prepare her for veterinary school. Irene was awarded the Gladys Brooks Undergraduate award in the spring of 2005 which provides financial support to a student who is working on his or her junior/senior honors project. "Assisting in the behavioral and laboratory aspects of the research projects that the graduate students were working on, I was able to see how research really works. For example, rhesus monkeys are taught to discriminate between objects on a computer screen through obtaining rewards such as frosting or M&M's. The BUlab that I specifically am working in does research focusing on Anatomy and Neurobiology. I've been able to experience the various ways different PhD students approach and develop their research." After beginning her junior/senior Honors Project proposal with Professor Block and working at BU Medical School lab during the summer Irene discovered her interest in pursuing a VMD/PhD. She would like to be able to practice veterinary medicine as well as pursue her research interests in that field. Irene enjoys having a schedule that keeps her quite busy and energized by her work at the Franklin Park Zoo. She began working in Professor Block's lab doing a directed study that focused on helping one of his PhD students complete her research. This is the path that led Irene to research the Western Lowland Gorillas. Working with Professor Block has allowed her to understand many aspects of research including statistical methods and behavioral tests, "Many of the skills that I have learned in my Behavioral Neuroscience major are incorporated, which is my third major at Northeastern which just goes to show you that you often locate what you love through trial and error!" Through her research, Irene has had the chance to observe the new baby gorilla, Kimani, "We first learned Kimani was ill when she was not developing her motor skills as rapidly as other research articles on gorilla development had noticed. She was then diagnosed with a metabolic bone disorder which is extremely rare in primates. After being given the proper treatment she is now progressing very well." "I discovered that research in a zoo setting not only involves statistics but very careful observation techniques. Prof. Block and his PhD student Amanda Shyne were an integral part of my research experience. Learning how to defend a thesis so my work at the zoo can extend to the kind of research I will do in the dual degree graduate program was a very valuable experience and one that receiving the Gladys Brooks Undergraduate award made possible." Irene is co-president of the Animal Science and Pre-Veterinary Club, (ASPVA) which will become an official academic club for the first time this year. It is an excellent resource for talking to other students about their experiences in undergraduate research, working at a wide variety of veterinary settings including zoo hospitals, aquariums, laboratories, and small animal clinics. The club also hosts professors to speak on current topics of veterinary and animal science interest for students thinking about applying to Veterinary Schools.
