Megan Sieg is using her pre-veterinary and research skills in a project that explores Alzheimer’s disease.

The senior biology and psychology major will graduate in December and will pursue a doctorate in neuroscience. Sieg said she is in the middle of finishing up a project she started this summer through the Summer Research Opportunities Program.

Northern Star: What did you do for your summer research project?

Megan Sieg: I did my own independent project … from start to finish. Last year we worked on a project in lab where we did this surgery that mimics Alzheimer’s disease and we trained rats to learn odor discrimination. We saw that they were able to learn after the surgery, but they couldn’t remember what they learned prior to the surgery. This summer we looked to see if they could actually retain those memories that they learned after the surgery. So far, it looks like they don’t.

NS: It sounds like your major takes up a lot of your time. What groups are you involved in on campus?

MS: It does, but I am also president of the Pre-Veterinary Medicine Association, vice president of Alpha Omega Epsilon for women in STEM. I am also in the honors program and am involved in Psi-Chi, the psych honors society. I work for media services, just servicing smart classrooms.

NS: How did you get involved in the Pre-Veterinary Medicine Association?

MS: I was pre-vet when I came here, so I joined the group. Then our founder and president just graduated and left and I was the only person left from when it was founded. I am just kind of guiding the group to help them figure out what to do. We have a vice president who will take over [in the spring] and I am just kind of training her.

NS: What made you change your mind about pre-veterinary?

MS: I started research and fell in love with it. Being a vet is always still an option.

NS: What schools are you looking into to complete your doctoral program?

MS: Washington University in St. Louis is my top choice, but I am also applying to University of California-Davis; University of Colorado-Boulder; University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; and also Mayo Graduate School with Mayo Clinic. Any of those would be awesome.

NS: Do you want to move out of the state?

MS: Well, NIU is the only place in Illinois that has what I am interested in for neuroscience and my mentor isn’t taking any on any new grad students next year.