By Tjaart Esterhuyse
Looking back on my honours year, I think the biggest highlight has been becoming immersed in the research environment that I have been working towards throughout my undergraduate degree. I have had the opportunity to work alongside researchers who are actively contributing to our understanding of human brain development. Being surrounded by people asking interesting questions and tackling them with cutting-edge techniques has made research feel much more tangible and has reinforced that this is the field I would like to pursue in the future.
My honours project in the Hockman Laboratory has been a particularly rewarding part of the year. The project focuses on human brain maturation using single-nucleus RNA sequencing data, combining computational biology with developmental neuroscience. Before starting, I had very little experience with bioinformatics, but over the course of the year I became familiar with analysing large transcriptomic datasets, integrating data from different studies, annotating cell types and exploring changes in gene expression across development. Although there is still a great deal to learn, I have enjoyed seeing how computational approaches can answer biological questions that would be difficult to investigate in any other way.
One aspect I have especially appreciated is the collaborative nature of the laboratory. Everyone has been approachable and willing to answer questions or discuss ideas, creating an environment where it feels comfortable to learn from people with far more experience. It has been motivating to work alongside postgraduate students and researchers who are passionate about their projects, and seeing the variety of research taking place within the department has been exciting.
The coursework has also exposed me to a wide range of topics that I might not otherwise have explored in such depth. From neuroimmunology and cancer biology to genome engineering and neuroscience, the modules have all been really interesting and engaging. Overall, this year has strengthened my interest in genomics and neuroscience and confirmed that research is the career path I hope to follow.
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