MEET THE STUDENT RESEARCHER
LEX GOMEZ
What is the focus of your work? My graduate work seeks to understand how the developing brain processes sensory information. Sensory experience in early development is thought to be very instructive: It shapes the function and connectivity of structures throughout the nervous system. Much of my work is focused at the level of neocortex, where most higher-order sensory processing takes place. I investigate neural activity in sensory and motor areas of neocortex and ask: a) How are they receiving sensory information? b) How are they responding to that sensory information? and c) How do both of these factors change over development? My research also examines how sensory processing in early development is influenced by sleep. Tell us about the broad impact it has/could have. My work provides important context for understanding how infant brains make sense of the world. It helps answer the question: How does a growing brain make sense of a growing body, as well as the environment around it? More broadly, my work may lead to insights regarding how sensory and motor abnormalities shape brain development and behavior. communities. INTERDISCIPLINARY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN NEUROSCIENCE (BLUMBERG LAB, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES)
What excites you about the environment in CLAS? The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been a great environment for me while I complete my doctoral work. I get to interact with a variety of folks with diverse research interests on a regular basis, which provides fantastic fuel for scientific thought. During my time at UI, I’ve developed great connections with peers and mentors within the research community in CLAS. What are your hobbies and pursuits outside of work? I enjoy a wide variety of hobbies that allow me to exercise creative energy. I play and write music, write a little poetry, and am low-key working on a novel. I also perform locally with the burlesque and circus communities. I collect insects and am currently learning how to lasso. What are your favorite things to do in Iowa City? COVID-willing, the arts and music festivals in the summer are a highlight of my year. There’s a lot of great local talent in Iowa City, and it’s a treat to attend outdoor concerts in the summer. Iowa City also has several verdant hiking areas that I have managed to get blissfully lost in.
26 I College of Liberal Arts and Sciences • clas.uiowa.edu
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