Week 8: Teagan

In my final immersion week, I got a lot done and wrapped up my project! For my research, I edited my 3D print design once again to add a little divet to better cradle the body of the mouse. However, upon initial designing, I increased the overall thickness of the base to have enough volume to create a deep divet, but this increase in depth affected image quality. In the Faxitron image, you could see the structural elements inside the base, which made analyzing the mouse limbs difficult. So I iterated one final 3D print design at the original base thickness with a shallower divet into the base. I didn't have time to run that print through the Faxitron before I left, but I left it with the Bostrom lab for them to test later in the month. I also spent some time in the OR with Dr. Bostrom. The patients he saw this week had a lot of health conditions that had to be monitored to ensure that they didn't cause any negative surgical effects. These conditions included cardiac history, obesity, and diabetic status. It was interesting to observe how these extra complications were handled by the team in the OR to ensure a smooth surgical operation. Lastly, I spent time preparing for two presentations that I had during this final week, one for the immersion program itself and another for the Bostrom lab meeting. It was gratifying to be able to share the work that I did this summer with others. I learned a lot from this immersion experience. There are many skills and insights that I will take with me back to Ithaca to help further my research!