Name: Thomas Kuret
Hometown: Dublin, Ohio
Lab: Laboratory of Genetics under the direction of Rusty Gage
Lab website: https://gage.salk.edu/
Hobbies: Hiking, Cooking, and Teaching!
What do you study? I study Autism Spectrum Disorder and how and how the brain grows. We know brains grow differently in ASD patients, but we don’t know how. We can grow mini brains and watch them change over time to figure out how they’re different and similar to other brains.
Why is it important? Autism Spectrum Disorder affects a ton of kids and adults around the world. By studying it better, we can find new ways to treat it and diagnose it. We can also start helping kids at a younger age, to improve their outcomes.
What piqued your interest in science? Learning that our body works in a ton of weird ways and no one knows 100% how certain things work. Even Doctors are working hard every day to find new ways to help people and cure diseases we don’t have treatment for.
What do you like about being a scientist? When you’re a scientist you get to explore whatever you think is interesting and exciting. Usually we’re working on something that hasn’t been discovered yet. You get the opportunity to find something new and think in creative/unique ways to solve problems.
What are 5 general vocabulary terms someone should know going into your field of science?
Gene, neuron, axon, synapse, stem cell
What are 5 specific vocabulary terms someone should know about your research?
Organoid, endogenous fluorescence, green fluorescent protein, induced pluripotent stem cell
Here’s a sneak peek!