2012 REU Program Participant Profiles: Olatomiwa Lasebikan

Major: Computer Science School: Fisk Univ. Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria REU Research Project: Modeling the evolution of sexual imprinting

What is the purpose of your research?
When species search for their mates, they try to choose those with the best traits and fitness in order to ensure that their offspring live. As a result, they imprint on chose mates that look like their father, mother or any other adult figure in the population. Our research tries to predict who they would imprint on in a given population.

What does the research ultimately accomplish? What contributions to science and/or humanity does the research ultimately make?
In the long run, the research could help us understand how and why sexual imprinting occurs, which is an important aspect of understanding speciation (the formation of new species) and thus evolution.

What were your favorite parts of the REU program?
My most favorite part has been the experience of seeing skills gained in the classroom from one field, being applied in another field, and yielding very practical results that help us to understand nature better.

What new experiences did you gain that have helped you today?
Experience outside the classroom has been great. It's been nice seeing practical application of skills, gaining great team work skills and building my sense of responsibility.

Would you recommend our program to others?
Definitely. It's been a great chance to see the usefulness of skills acquired. Furthermore the interactions with teammates and mentors help to realize and understand the goal of teamwork and has provided an amazing experience.

What advice would you give to someone who's interested in about participating in the program?
Be ready to realize the use of your knowledge and be pushed out of your comfort zone in order to get a perfect blend of two completely contrasting areas of life: biology and mathematics.

NIMBioS
1122 Volunteer Blvd., Suite 106
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-3410
PH: (865) 974-9334
FAX: (865) 974-9461
Contact NIMBioS

From 2008 until early 2021, NIMBioS was supported by the National Science Foundation through NSF Award #DBI-1300426, with additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.