Data Collection Set-Up

Author: Katelyn Helberg | Major: Biology and Art History | Semester: Spring 2023

During my junior year and the Spring 2023 semester, I started on my honors biology research project with the help of my research mentor Dr. Michelle Gray. My project investigates the relationship between progesterone (a sex hormone) and cognitive performance in college aged women. The importance of this research topic is to discover whether or not there is a substantial change in the way women process information during different phases in their menstrual cycle as a result of differing levels of hormones.

To tackle this question, I have participants undergo a set of cognitive tests called RBANS to measure memory, processing speed, attention and more during two specific times in their menstrual cycle. Participants complete these tests at the mid-luteal phase of their menstrual cycle when progesterone concentrations are at their highest and during menses when they are at their lowest. At these two participation dates, I am also gathering saliva samples to evaluate the total change in progesterone levels from the highest and lowest points.

I became interested in this topic after reading a variety of different research papers on menstruation and realizing that there were a lot of questions by other researchers on the effects of progesterone on mood and memory. As I dug deeper into the world of women’s hormones, I was discouraged by the lack of overall research on women’s health outcomes due to the difficulty of tracking all the individual effects of circulating hormone levels. I felt that one of the best ways to close the knowledge gap between men’s and women’s health was to pursue a research project that would answer some of questions that I and previous researchers kept asking.

I have been fortunate enough to be working for Dr. Michelle Gray’s research lab since the beginning of my freshman year. Knowing that she loved tackling difficult questions, I asked her if she would help guide me through the process of creating my own research project. Even though my project was not in her typical realm of research, she was excited to learn alongside me so that we could both investigate the effects of progesterone on naturally cycling women. Throughout the semester, I have already had such an incredible experience to learn the ins and outs of starting a research project. As someone who has only worked on the fun part of research (aka data collection) in the past, I have found it enlightening to understand how to propose a research project, apply for research funding, and determine how to collect data. These aspects were always mysterious and a little daunting to me before I embarked on this journey, but I have been well supported by my research mentor and the honors college during every step of the process.

Currently, I am still in the middle of collecting data and I plan on continuing to recruit participants throughout the summer. One of the hardest parts about my research project so far is that scheduling can be a difficult task. For my project, my participants have to visit the lab at very specific times in their menstrual cycle which limits when they can participate. I also have been scheduling and collecting data by myself meaning that their limited time also must fit within my own schedule. As anyone who works with humans can agree with, it can be difficult to recruit and schedule participants who are also busy or have unexpected events that pop up. I cannot overstate the importance of giving yourself plenty of time to collect data to overcome this problem. I also think that it’s always a good idea to talk to other researchers, classmates, and friends about how they might be encouraged to participate in a study. By talking with a variety of people with different areas of expertise, I have determined new ways to solve the problems of my research project while getting to engage with more people about a topic that I am passionate about. Once I complete my data collection and analysis, my hope is to present my research at a conference. Regardless of the outcome, I am excited to answer some of the questions that I keep asking about women’s hormones and add to our knowledge about the complexity of the female body.