Bailey Sarka

Background

About Bailey Sarka

I am a former PhD student from the Medical College of Wisconsin in the Pharmacology & Toxicology Department. I worked in Chris Olsen's lab in the Neuroscience Research Center, where we studied drug-seeking behavior under various drugs of abuse and how the seeking behavior is modulated at the cellular level. My work investigated the changes in the brain at the neuronal level during the comorbidity of opioid drug seeking and chronic pain. My graduate career included extensive project management skills, sensitive behavior testing, 300+ neuron electrophysiology recordings, 100+ mouse survival surgeries, aseptic technique, and large dataset analyses using GraphPad Prism and R Studio. I communicated my scientific findings at Society for Neuroscience (virtually) in 2021, Winter Conference on Brain Research in Snowmass, Colorado, 2022, Pavlovian Society Conference in Milwaukee, WI, 2022, Winter Conference on Brain Research in Snowbird, Utah, 2023, and across 4 seminar series at the Medical College of Wisconsin (2020-2023). While I have a passion for science and the ability to be a critical, independent thinker, I am rooted in human connection, empathy, and promotion of wellbeing. During my time in my PhD program, I spearheaded Wellness initiatives, advocacy for inclusion, and social/community engagement. I was a co-lead on designing and implementing a Wellness Lounge as a designated quiet zone where students could go to meditate, relax, and de-stress. We worked with key leaders at MCW to secure a room to make this possible. I drafted 3D room designs for the space, and watched it come to life as we included 2 massage chairs, 2 globe chairs, 2 laptops for HeartMath Biofeedback tools, yoga mats, anxiety relief coloring books, and much more. If you'd like to get in touch with me, feel free to email me at bsarka.mcw@gmail.com or scan the QR code at the top of my page to learn more about me!