This March, Roanoke College senior Colin Blye presented his research at Pittcon, a conference in Pittsburg, PA that covers research on analytical chemistry and applied spectroscopy. Colin’s project involved working with fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV), a technique used to measure neurotransmission in the brain. Using FSCV, Colin worked on how to address the problems with field inconsistences that FSCV can cause.
Colin worked under Dr. Keithley in the Chemistry Department in order to learn more analytical chemistry and instrumentation. Colin says:
“Working one on one with a professor is a really good learning experience. Doing research you are able to learn so much about a topic that you would not normally get the opportunity to do in a classroom.”
About his experience at the Pittcon conference, Colin says:
“Being able to present my research at Pittcon was a great experience. It was nice to be able to share my hard work with other people who are interested in FSCV. It was cool having people come by and listen to the progress I have contributed to the technique of FSCV and at the same time learn from them as they provided further guidance and ideas to help with my research.”
Colin’s favorite thing about presenting his research was:
“The whole process from finding my topic to then being able to present it at a conference was the confirmation that hard work and the effort you put into something pays off . In this case I was able to show and explain to people my findings that will ultimately help advance and perfect the FSCV technique.”