Week 10: Wrapping It All Up

Hey everyone!

This week was all about tying everything together, months of effort, analysis, and discoveries finally coming into focus. I spent most of my time finalizing my research poster and polishing my presentation script. Seeing all of my figures, image panels, and graphs laid out in one cohesive visual format was honestly crazy. It’s wild how these scattered data points from early on, just fluorescent blurs and counts, now tell a full story about how marijuana can shift the course of early human brain development. I made a few last-minute tweaks to figure layouts using Adobe Illustrator, like refining the spatial placement of SATB2 and SOX5 comparison images to help viewers more clearly see patterns across zones like the VZ, OSVZ, and CP.

On the presentation side, I practiced giving my talk, tightened transitions between slides, and worked on making the scientific terms more digestible for people who might not have a background in neuroscience. Preparing to share this project publicly made me realize just how much I’ve learned over the past ten weeks, from immunostaining to image analysis to communicating complex science with clarity and confidence.

As a small thank-you to the amazing team that supported me throughout this journey, I brought in a box of pastries for everyone in the lab. It felt good to give back in a small way, especially after all the patience, mentorship, and encouragement they’ve shown me since day one. Honestly, sharing those pastries over some casual lab banter made the end of the project feel even more real and memorable. It’s hard to say goodbye to a space that taught me so much and made me feel like I truly belonged. Thank you to all of you for staying with me on this ten week journey, it’s been really fun!