Showcase

Osteoclasts are the primary cells involved in the process of bone breakdown. Many bone diseases, including osteoporosis and periodontitis, involve increased osteoclast activity. Estrogen also plays a significant role in bone metabolism, and the absen ... ce of estrogen leads to increased osteoclast activity. The Pyk2 tyrosine kinase is a key protein involved in the regulation of osteoclast breakdown activity. Absence of Pyk2 decreases osteoclast activity. The objective of this study is to establish a potential relationship between Pyk2 and the estrogen receptor (ER) alpha (ERa) and/or beta (ERb) in osteoclasts. In addition, we examined Nedd4 protein, which targets proteins, including the estrogen receptors, for degradation. The overall hypothesis is that absence of Pyk2 may activate Nedd4 to degrade ERa, decreasing osteoclast activity. Bone marrow preparation was performed using both male and female wild type (WT) mice, as well as from mice that were missing the Pyk2 gene (Pyk2 KO). Bone marrow cells were then cultured with media to induce osteoclast formation. Mature osteoclasts were used for qPCR analysis to measure gene expression of the genes mentioned. The results suggest that in the absence of Pyk2, Nedd4 expression is upregulated, with no differences in ERa/ERb levels. Read more

The Well Child & Oral Health Clinic is held at IU Health Primary Care Central Indianapolis as an interprofessional environment where a team works to provide comprehensive wellness and oral health examinations for pediatric patients. The team is compr ... ised of Family Medicine Residents, Dental and Dental Hygiene learners, and clinic staff. The age of patients ranges from 1-18 years old. Parents or caregivers of children attend the patient visit with the child. As a pediatric clinic, the residents and learners work in pairs to see each patient. The pairs allow each profession to learn more about others' roles and responsibilities, how to communicate with patients, and how to collaborate to create a “comprehensive” care plan. Oral health examinations are imperative to health and wellbeing of all individuals. Additionally, poor oral health has consequences that interact with chronic conditions. It is reported that patients with untreated oral health conditions tend to receive health care in emergency rooms where their dental concerns are often not treated. Innovations in Oral Health and Primary Care Integration (2021) reported that models of primary care and oral health integration provide an opportunity to meet patients' oral health needs across the socio-economic spectrum. Read more

As part of my role in the Healthy Sleep for Kids Laboratory, I have been studying the development, detection, and treatment of a variety of sleep disorders in infants, children, and adolescents from underserved populations. My internship has revolved ... around two projects: Sleep and Health in the Home (SHH) and Evidence-based Detection of Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). SHH aims to understand predictors of the disproportionate rates of high Body Mass Index (BMI) in Black and Latinx children by examining sleep and feeding patterns in infants. There is growing evidence that the risk of high BMI is associated with certain sleep and feeding patterns. In order to prevent unhealthy weight later in childhood, it is essential to identify these patterns. The OSA Project is focused on the impact of health communication in the detection of OSA in children. Through this project, we developed and refined an OSA infographic in English and Spanish with feedback from parents and medical providers. The infographic will be ultimately shown to parents to increase OSA detection and referrals. As many families participating in both studies speak Spanish at home, I have been able to apply my bilingual skills to the research. Read more

You've probably heard one of the many terms related to dementia, but the meaning of the term dementia is constantly shifting as more research evolves. That's because dementia is a condition of the brain, or an umbrella term, and not a disease. An umb ... rella term covers a broad category of similar topics, rather than a specific item. FTD, like Alzheimer's, is a specific brain disease, while dementia is a term to describe this group of symptoms. It is roughly estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 people in the United States are affected by FTD, making up an estimated 10-20% of all dementia cases. For rare diseases like this to become topical, it often requires media input and celebrity showcasing; a case in point is how Bruce Willis was recently diagnosed with FTD. The goal of this project is to peer under the umbrella term of dementia, inform the audience on what exactly FTD is, and discuss the ALLFTD study. I hope you can walk away with a better understanding of FTD and the dementia umbrella. Read more

The Lifespan Resiliency After Family Trauma (LifeRAFT) research program studies how stressful life events affect how parents and their children think, feel, and act by using questionnaires, DNA samples, and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans ... . The purpose of our research is to examine how the difficult things that parents and their children have been through in their lives affect them so that we can help make better treatments for those who have gone through traumatic experiences. One of the LifeRAFT research studies focuses on parents' stress and substance use and how those two problems relate to their children's brain development. Understanding how parents' mental health and children's development are related is important because it might help us understand why some children are at greater risk for substance use and other problems than others. In turn, we could reduce negative outcomes for children at the greatest risk. Read more

Disorders of the gut-brain interaction are heterogeneous gastrointestinal disorders characterized by disturbances in gut motility, food sensitivities, the gut microbiome, and other systematic effects. A common disorder of the gut-brain axis is irrita ... ble bowel syndrome, which may induce constipation, diarrhea, pain, anxiety, depression, and numerous other symptoms. Disorders of the gut-brain axis are difficult to investigate due to the complexity, variability, and widescale effects of symptoms across patients. Throughout my internship, I have worked alongside the research team to investigate the physical and psychological effects of IBS, the receptiveness to care in patients with IBS, and research regarding other matters related to gastroenterology. At my internship, I helped to conduct research regarding the prevalence of IBS in individuals with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disease. This research aimed to assess the prevalence of IBS, determine treatment modalities for gastrointestinal symptoms, and characterize dietary habits and food sensitivities within this patient population. Furthermore, additional research that I have taken part in has investigated the receptiveness to cognitive behavioral therapy in patients with IBS. Overall, this research has aimed to improve the understanding and treatment of various disorders of the gut-brain interaction. Read more

Our goal is to tackle food insecurity for the diverse patient population at Eskenazi by surveying patients on the types of foods they eat. This data is then aggregated to culturally-tailor the clinic's food pantry. Eskenazi Health Pecar sees many min ... ority and low-income patients. Because of this, addressing health disparities, poor health outcomes based solely on social or economic disadvantages, is a necessary part of Eskenazi's mission and vision. Food insecurity, or not having enough food to meet one's basic needs, is not the only goal of this initiative. There is also a mission to provide nutritious foods to the people that need it. The survey consists of asking preferences of proteins, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and other cooking essentials. Read more

Subjects over 65 years are at increased risk of developing chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and arthritis. These are often found to be related to chronic inflammation. In this work we hypothesize that persistent viruse ... s can repeatedly stimulate the T cell immune system for prolonged periods of time, leading to a phenomenon called immunosenescence, a highly pro-inflammatory condition. This results in chronic inflammation that leads to chronic diseases of aging. If true, by quantifying viral burden, it is possible to create a biomarker that predicts chronic disease. In order to assess this proposed relationship, viral load, inflammatory cytokines, and assessment of immunosenescent T cells was measured across two populations: adults ages 65 and older, and adults ages 21-40. For both populations, each participant also answered a chronic disease questionnaire. The younger population was used as a control to establish that the older population has an increased number of cytokines, and latent viruses. Through making a cross comparison between viral load and reported chronic disease, it is plausible to tentatively find a correlation between an increased likelihood of chronic disease in adults over 65+ with a high viral burden and whether it pertains to a specific virus. Read more

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a clinical imaging technique that uses radioactive molecules to illuminate body tissues and processes to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. Due to the radioactivity associated with PET tracers, ... they are usually prepared using automated radiochemistry modules that shield workers from radioactivity. Commercially available modules are usually very expensive and difficult to repair. The goal of this project is to design, build, and test a low-cost, open-source alternative to commercial radiochemistry modules that is easier to customize and maintain. We set out to design a system from scratch that could 1) distribute the radioactive solution across multiple reaction vials; 2) rapidly heat and cool reaction vials individually or simultaneously; 3) add multiple reagents to reaction vials in variable amounts. A schematic was constructed to select the most efficient combination of valves, pumps, and manifolds allowing for flexibility and remote operation while maintaining a modular cost-effective design. Several parts have been designed and produced in-house via 3D-printing, and a Raspberry Pi is being used to control hardware via the open-source programming application Node-Red. This project is ongoing and future work will focus on programming of other components, followed by assembly and testing. Read more

Patients with sickle cell disease often face systemic barriers related to their healthcare. Utilizing several psychosocial screeners is one way that care teams can better understand and address these patients' psychosocial and mental health needs. Th ... ere are currently several psychosocial screening tools utilized by medical providers for pediatric patients living with a variety of acute and chronic illnesses. My work through LHSI involved compiling and analyzing data from multiple screeners utilized in the Pediatric Sickle Cell Center at Riley Hospital for Children: Pediatric Quality of Life Inventories (PedsQL), Patient Health Questionnaires-9 (PHQ-9), and Psychosocial Assessment Tools (PAT). These screeners are respectively designed to identify patient quality of life, symptoms of depression, and barriers to care for children living with sickle cell disease. In addition, I developed an updated REDCap database to record data related to the Sickle Cell Story Club, which provides free books to sickle cell patients of all ages and reading levels that promote positive themes, such as increasing self-confidence, as well as including characters from diverse backgrounds. Assisting with these projects allowed me to understand how caring for individuals with a chronic disease means understanding the disease's impact on the whole patient to improve health outcomes Read more