Vyshnavi Pendala

Abstract Preterm birth is a leading risk factor for atypicalities in cognitive and sensory processing, but it is unclear how prematurity impacts circuits that support these functions. To address this, we trained adult mice born a day early (preterm mice) on a visual discrimination task and found that they commit more errors and fail to achieve high levels of performance.

Founded in the spring of 2016, Animal Justice Advocates at the University has been working towards ending violence against animals throughout the Charlottesville community. Some of their current initiatives include prevention of animal use in experiments, dissections and entertainment and the creation of the Student Choice Policy, which allows students to opt-out of dissections. AJA’s End Dissection Initiative received support from Student Council’s Representative Body this past fall.

Established in 2001, the Undergraduate Research Network is connected with the University’s multiple research communities. URN provides resources to allow students to explore and get involved in various disciplines of research. URN has six committees — outreach, research and scholarship, symposium, tech and advising, workshops, and the Oculus — comprised of a total of 50 students who work together to expand and advance the University’s research outreach.