Spontaneous neural activity (SA) during brain development has been implicated in processes ranging from regulation of gene expression to development of neural networks that ready organisms for post-natal life. Though SA is a well-known phenomenon, the mechanisms and developmental processes mediating its behavior are not well understood. This research aims to elucidate some of these processes. Preliminary findings have focused on defining dopamine’s (DA) and serotonin’s (5-HT) role in spontaneous activity in the developing mouse brainstem. It has been shown using transgenic mice expressing markers for proteins that interact with DA or 5-HT that SA propagates through regions containing these markers. I am now expanding this work by performing calcium imaging and confocal microscopy along with whole cell patch clamp in these transgenic mice to characterize SA in regions where the markers are highly concentrated. In addition, I have been working with a colleague from the Phillip’s lab, using voltammetry to try and record the extracellular release of DA. These experiments will establish whether 5-HT cells act as drivers for SA and if such activity can trigger DA release. The implications of this research are multifaceted. Primarily, it will expand on the anatomy and physiology of the developing dopaminergic and serotonergic pathways in the mouse brain. Second, its findings may shed light on pathogenesis of certain disorders involving these pathways by contributing to the understanding of how SA mediates their development.

Urban restoration is a burgeoning movement in our increasingly urbanized but ecologically degraded living places. The success of an urban restoration project is usually measured against only ecological principles, such as complex vegetation structure, increasing biodiversity, and improved ecosystem services. The narrow set of performance criteria ignores social factors contributing to successful urban restoration practice, which potentially hinders further improvements on urban restoration projects. The study aims to examine impacts of participants’ cultural awareness and availability of long-term stewardship resources, as two examples of social factors on the outcome of urban restoration projects and also to create representative social indicators that can be adopted in urban restoration evaluations. To understand these two social variables, I conducted surveys on restoration volunteers and interviews with project managers/volunteer coordinators of local restoration groups, as well as extensive literature reviews. My internship as the volunteer coordinator for the Kincaid Ravine restoration project also provided first-hand experience working with volunteers on urban forest restoration. Findings suggest that two factors of urban ecological restoration projects selected can affect the outcome of restoration projects through various means therefore need to be incorporated into restoration evaluations. My research serves as a case study of two specific social factors; further research on the impacts of other social variables on the outcome of urban restoration projects is required. Moreover, it lays the ground for further efforts in developing social indicators to evaluate urban restoration practice, which is a necessary step towards promoting comprehensive urban ecological restoration.