Ellie Garcia
SURG
Please provide a brief summary of your research.
My research project looked into whether acoustic prosody differed between individuals with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) and those with typical development. FXS results from an X-linked mutation of increase CGG DNA repeats in the FMR1 gene and is characterized by a wide range of symptoms, including intellectual disability and deficits in communication. Prosody refers to the rhythm, rate, and intonation of speech, and therefore is very important for communication. FXS is the most commonly known genetic condition associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and while there is a wealth of research on prosodic abilities in ASD, there is not much for FXS. Wanting to address this research gap, I decided to focus in on the intonation of speech, which can be measured as the pitch of a person’s voice, and looked at how pitch variables compared between FXS and control participants for utterances with various communicative intents. Afterwards, I also looked at correlations between the pitch of FXS participants and FMR1-related genetic variations, hoping to gain a better understanding of the genetic underpinnings of FXS in relation to communication. I found that in certain speech contexts, individuals with FXS exhibited greater variation in their pitch than controls and there was a correlation between number of CGG repeats and pitch variation.
What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular?
I initially joined my lab because I had a strong interest in neurodevelopmental disorders after volunteering at a summer camp for kids with neurodivergence and/or physical disabilities throughout high school. Through journal clubs in my lab, I learned about FXS, and being a neuroscience major, I was fascinated by the processes causing the disorder. I also have a strong interest in both preventative and early care/therapy, so I was interested in studying prosody in FXS and looking for possible genetic markers of atypical prosody, which could theoretically be used as a factor for identify those who may benefit from early speech therapy.
What made you interested in pursuing (interdisciplinary) research more broadly?
I thought of research as a really great way to explore my interests more in depth! Additionally, it allows me to satisfy both my curiosity and my desire to feel like I’m contributing to something larger than myself. Knowing how much of an impact research findings make on policies, treatments, and people’s lives in general, makes it a really exciting opportunity to me.
Describe your experiences with research thus far. Was it tricky? What skills do you think you’ve gained?
I think the hardest part of research so far for me has been getting through the “grunt” work. I initially had a very idealized idea of what research would be, and thought it be super exciting all the time. However, I quickly realized that a lot of it can be very repetitive and a lot of number crunching for statistics. Despite that, it is a super rewarding process in the end, and it was really interesting to me to see the end results of all the statistics and to interpret my findings. I definitely improved my patience and persistence and also grew in my critical thinking and scientific writing skills throughout my research project.
Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in pursuing undergraduate research?
Figure out a topic or research area that you’re really passionate about when looking for labs to join. I think it’s easy to get overwhelmed when looking up all the different research opportunities at Northwestern, but having an idea of what you’d be excited to do really helps to guide you in the process. Also, don’t be afraid to contact a bunch of different people, it never hurts to try to reach out!
What would you name a boat if you had one?
I would probably name it Dumpling, after my dog!