Headshot of Jenna Thomas

Author: Jenna Thomas | Major: Biology/Psychology | Semester: Summer 2023

I’m Jenna Thomas, a Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences student majoring in biology and psychology at the University of Arkansas. This summer was my fifth academic term working with my mentor, Dr. Anastasia Makhanova, in the psychology department. After I graduate, I hope to attend medical school to pursue a Doctor of Medicine.

My research focuses on the correlation between oxidative stress, a result of the buildup of reactive oxygen species in cells, and oppositional behavior in conflict resolution for couples expecting their first child. While extensive research has been conducted on the role of neurotransmitters in romantic relationships, there is limited research on how specific aspects of these relationships, such as conflict resolution, impact the body. Understanding the positive and negative effects of romantic relationships on the human body can help future researchers develop communication strategies for new parents to resolve conflicts while optimizing physical health. These strategies have the potential to enhance marital satisfaction as couples transition to parenthood, thereby creating a more stable environment for the child.

I chose this topic because I was interested in the interaction between biology and psychology. Through working with my mentor, Dr. Makhanova, whom I met by taking her social psychology class my freshman year, it was decided that oxidative stress would provide a useful quantitative marker for studying how biology can affect behavior. Last semester, we coded videos of couples engaging in problem-solving discussions to assess opposition levels. In our coding, opposition included any statement that blames, demands, or rejects a partner. This summer, I was trained and carried out the oxidative stress assays, using urine samples collected at the same time that the problem-solving discussions were filmed.

My mentor assisted me this summer by training me on how to perform the oxidative stress assays. This ensured that I was performing the procedure correctly and minimized the number of samples we had to redo. Another great help was one of our paid research assistants, Jake, who helped me to complete the plates. I had the chance to learn a lot about working in the wet lab this term. Previously, in my research lab, I have focused mainly on coding videos, so this was my first experience with doing assays. Additionally, I haven’t had much experience in the wet lab since the biology labs I took years ago. Thus, I spent a lot of time during training becoming comfortable using a pipette again and using the vortex and centrifuge machines. The main challenge I faced with this part of my research was time management, as the assays took around six hours to complete. However, this was easily fixed by planning ahead when I would complete the assays and purposely blocking out days in my weekly schedule to go into the lab.

Going forward, I will have to perform more assays to control for the concentration of the urine. By controlling for concentration, we can get the most accurate measure of oxidative stress. After I am able to complete these assays, I will be able to begin analyzing my results and writing up my final paper. Most of this should take place next semester, so that by spring I will be making final edits to my thesis to ensure it is the best it can be for my defense.