During her undergraduate studies at The University of Tulsa, Rachel Thompson (B.S. ’24) seized every opportunity to get involved in research on the structure, function, development, and disorders of the human nervous system. Today, in addition to caring for her active six-year-old son, she is leveraging her major in biological sciences and minor in neuroscience as a research coordinator at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR).
Prior to transferring to UTulsa as a junior in 2022, Thompson completed an associate’s degree in biology at Tulsa Community College. Right out of the gate at UTulsa, she began conducting research in Assistant Professor Alexandra Kingston’s lab. Her focus was on brain anatomy and damage in snapping shrimp.
That experience fueled Thompson’s desire to learn more about human neuroscience research, an ambition that led her to LIBR. During summer 2023, she undertook an internship at LIBR under the supervision of Maëlle Gueguen. Thompson’s main role was running an online study looking at context-dependent subjective valuation in decision-making. Gueguen cross-referenced the data Thompson collected from a healthy control population with data from people with methamphetamine use disorder.
“Working in Professor Gueguen’s lab was my first experience analyzing my own data and making a poster,” Thompson noted. “Professor Gueguen was an incredible mentor and the opportunity to present my findings at LIBR’s Research Day was crucial for building my skills and growing my confidence.”
Now back at LIBR as a full-time employee, Thompson coordinates a National Institute of Mental Health-funded study directed by Emily M. Choquette, Ph.D., which examines two adjunctive treatments for women with anorexia nervosa. Thompson is responsible for day-to-day operational tasks, such as organizing participant appointments and corresponding with participant providers, including medical providers, therapists, and mental health technicians. She also independently collects behavioral, survey, and fMRI data for the study.
“Rachel’s ability to manage the complexities of a large randomized controlled trial has been nothing short of impressive.” – Emily Choquette, Ph.D., Associate Investigator, LIBR
“My involvement with Professor Choquette’s project is immensely rewarding,” Thompson remarked. “Being part of the process from beginning to end and getting involved in nearly every facet is deepening my understanding of how real-world research is conducted.”
For her part, Choquette noted that Thompson has been an “absolutely invaluable” member of her lab. “From the very first day, she jumped in with enthusiasm and immediately began organizing and streamlining protocols to make lab operations more efficient. Rachel’s ability to manage the complexities of a large randomized controlled trial has been nothing short of impressive.” In addition to her logistical strengths, Choquette commented, Thompson “brings warmth and empathy to her interactions with participants. Her friendly, approachable nature puts them at ease and encourages open, honest conversations about the sensitive topics central to our research.”
Beyond the personal satisfaction and intellectual stimulation of her LIBR work, Thompson credits it with galvanizing her quest to forge a career in neuroscience research. To achieve that goal, she has her sights set on pursuing graduate studies in the near future.
Learn more about how the 15-year LIBR partnership bolsters UTulsa’s work in brain research, neuroscience.