Ella Cooper is a second-year Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology major at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is currently an undergraduate researcher for the Paul Lab which studies sleep homeostasis and circadian rhythms. Ella has been aiding in a project testing the role of the gene BMAL1 in recovery from sleep loss paired with muscle overexertion. The study examines the baseline and sleep deprivation EEG recordings of mice that overexpress BMAL1 and compares them to wild type mice. Ella has assisted by scoring the mice EEGs and setting up mice for the experiments. Ella would like to thank the Paul lab for their guidance and knowledge throughout her learning process. She has learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed her time in the lab.