Immersed in Science

Conduct student-faculty research at Conn's Summer Science Research Institute.   

Anjum Shaikh ’22 knows if you’re paying attention. 

As part of the Connecticut College Summer Science Research Institute, Shaikh spent eight weeks this summer conducting funded neuroscience research and developing an alert system that is capable of monitoring neurons in the brains of test subjects to detect when their minds begin to wander.

For those of us who are notorious daydreamers, this technology, which uses a process called electroencephalography (EEG), may not seem especially appealing at first. But the potential impact on a wide range of specific occupations could actually save lives.

“This type of research is incredibly important when it comes to any task requiring sustained attention that can be a bit boring, such as an everyday activity like driving,” Shaikh explains. “But it can also apply to people who have jobs that are typically quite repetitive, like TSA agents who screen luggage for weapons, or radiologists who examine X-rays for signs of tissue abnormalities. It’s crucial for these types of professionals to remain focused, as slip-ups could be dangerous.”

The system works by tracking the brain’s neural activity in real-time and then sounding an audio alert the moment somebody’s attention begins to falter, snapping them back into focus.

This is the second year in a row Shaikh has participated in the Summer Science program, which provides campus housing and a $4,000 stipend, and involves an eight-week intensive research project overseen by faculty. This summer, 42 students were accepted to participate in a variety of projects with 20 different professors from across the math and science departments.