Auditory Stream Segregation

It's only been a week of research and adventure, but already I feel quite settled into my new home here at Albert Einstein College. And even better, I find I have already made progress on my work in the lab and feel that I am really learning a whole new skill set.

For example, how do you first distinguish
between sounds in a loud environment
like the NYC streets?

But I suppose I should start with the basics of what my lab is currently researching. As you may recall, I said in my last blog that Dr. Sussman is interested in auditory processing. But to be more specific than that, her lab is focused on unraveling the process called stream segregation. The simplest way to explain stream segregation is through example. Imagine yourself walking into a crowded area with people and noise all around. When you first enter, it all seems like one big cacophony but after some time, your brain distinguishes between sources and 'dials down' the ones that are deemed unimportant. Thus, in a crowded restaurant you can still focus on the conversation at hand and not be distracted by surrounding background noise.

With this general premise, the Sussman lab has run multiple experiments trying to tease apart how we recognize novel sounds and respond to them. Since most of these experiments have been completed, I have been focused on transforming this data into something easier to understand. AKA, I've been learning how to make pretty figures of ERPs and voltage maps. It sounds simple, but learning to use the software has been a fun challenge. And hopefully, some of my work will make it's way into a publication at the end of this all!

Here are some of the voltage maps I've made so far.

Oh, and yes, I've still been exploring NYC and all it has to offer (which is a lot!). So far this week, I haven't hardly been home before midnight because I've been off on some adventure. Whether that be a CollegeHumor live comedy show or a trip to the beach, it's been busy yet thrilling. I expect this next week will bring new challenges as well as explorations!

CollegeHumor live for $5- what a deal!

Beach adventure! What perfect weather!