Please describe your research in non-technical language. How did you become interested in your research subject?
We know that exercise has many benefits for our physical health, but my research is focused on looking at how exercise may be able to improve our mental facilities as well and the mechanisms by which it does that. The question we specifically wanted to ask was if even a short bout of aerobic exercise can improve our memory. I found this research subject interesting because it provides a way to make see effects of exercise through behavior, while also being able to see the actual brain activity that is changing. This was exciting to me as someone who is both an athlete and Neuroscience major as it is a topic that looks into how moving your body can impact your brain.
What are the most interesting findings from your research?
The most interesting findings from my research is that we did not see the results we were expecting so I had to go back a relook at how the exercise led to the results we saw instead, which was actually worse memory following the exercise and the involvement of a different brain oscillation. So it was really interesting do further research at what then may be an explanation for the results we saw.
