Honors College senior gaining valuable hands-on experience in Radford’s behavioral and cognitive neuroscience lab

"Mom, you're never going to believe this," Sara Johnson said on a phone call back home.

The big news - well, possible big news - Johnson relayed to her mother late last year involved work she is doing to aid research inside Radford University's Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (BACoN). Her meticulous efforts could soon be cited in an academic journal.

It's not set in stone. Fingers crossed!

"She's really excited," Johnson said of her mother.

Johnson, a senior psychology and biology double major from Chicago, is spending numerous hours this spring semester in the BACoN Lab - "it's our fun little name for the lab," she said - that is housed inside the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences' Hemphill Hall. There, Johnson prepares brain tissue from rats as part of Assistant Professor of Psychology Matt Eckard's research that uses animal models to understand how cannabinoid abuse affects cognitive and emotional processes. The professor's research strives to find treatments for cannabis dependence in humans.

Johnson's role in the project involves using a vibratome to slice the tiny brain tissue to an uber-thin 40 microns. "It's thinner than a sheet of paper," the Honors College student explained. She then places the tissue onto a well plate and applies a stain, "using clear solutions that slowly allow for visualization of one specific protein, which shows up as tiny purple circles in the reward center regions of the brain. I look to see what's happening in the brain during withdrawal from cannabinoids."

Throughout the months-long project, Johnson performs the process on 30 brains, specifically the mid-brain regions. Once staining is completed, Johnson mounts the tissue onto glass slides for imaging under a microscope. Later, she'll quantify the number of stained cells in the brain tissue to determine how cannabinoid withdrawal affects reward activity in the brain. That process takes the longest.

The goal of the research, in which Eckard is the principal investigator, is to determine if a specific drug will halt withdrawal symptoms. For Johnson, her work is part of her Honors College capstone project.

"I'm fascinated with studying the correlation between the brain and behavior," Johnson said. "To be able to examine brain tissue and determine what's happening, why something worked when something else didn't, is amazing."

Opportunities to conduct research and get unique hands-on experiences piqued Johnson's interest when she was a high school senior scouting out colleges. "That was the whole reason I committed to Radford," said Johnson, who was also recruited to play volleyball for the Highlanders and did so for four years. "I saw the opportunities that were here for undergraduate research, and it was better than any school I had toured previously."

A significant part of her college decision was knowing she would immediately have a chance to work with faculty who are experts in the specific fields Johnson wanted to pursue as a career. Her long-term goal is to work as a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist.

"I've always liked psychology," she said. "My mom is a therapist, and her work has given me a little insight into the field."

Johnson's interest was refined after earnest discussions with Dayna Hayes, professor and chair of Radford's Department of Psychology.

"What are you interested in?" Hayes asked Johnson, who quickly responded with a list of topics. Science. Psychology. Behavior. The professor then suggested neuroscience, which led to Johnson's work in the BACoN Lab.

"It fit exactly what I wanted," Johnson said. "I realized I have a passion for studying neurodegenerative disorders. Ultimately, I want to work with patients who have Alzheimer's and also patients with traumatic brain injuries."

With those goals in mind, Johnson understands the next few years will require much more education beyond an undergraduate degree. "That's not an easy task," she said.

As Radford's spring commencement approaches - she is scheduled to graduate in May - Johnson is looking to what's next, applying to various graduate programs. "Nine of them, so far," she counted.

Johnson credits Radford faculty for helping her achieve remarkable success through her academic journey. There's Eckard and Hayes, of course, but Johnson also acknowledges other faculty mentors, such as Associate Professor of Psychology Stirling Barfield and Honors College Director Niels Christensen.

"I have weekly meetings with multiple professors," said the undergraduate researcher, speaking of her mentor's support. "I sit and talk with them, and they help me with whatever I need, whether that's about the work in the lab or applying to grad schools. I check in with them to make sure I'm on the right path for what I want to do.

"It's the people, she continued, "that make Radford University a special place. I've found my people here, and they've helped me find my place."

Right now, with less than two months remaining in her Radford undergraduate career, Johnson is steadily working toward completing her work in the BACoN lab. Slicing. Staining. Imaging. Quantifying.

"Sara has been a joy to work with," Eckard said. "Her project brings in a critical biological endpoint to better understand the behavioral effects of cannabinoid dependence we observe in the lab. I have no doubt she will excel in her graduate training following graduation from Radford."

In mid-April, she'll present her work at the Honors Capstone Showcase, and maybe - just maybe - her contributions will be mentioned in her faculty mentors' academic paper. With that prospect, and her bright future, Johnson's family is overjoyed.

"I have a huge family, and my mother called everyone," she said, smiling, recalling the phone call with her mom. "I told her it's just a maybe - it's not for sure - but everyone is still really excited."