Showcase

The neurotypical spatiotemporal patterns of gene expression are disrupted in Down syndrome (DS) by trisomy of human chromosome 21 (Hsa21), resulting in altered behavioral development and brain circuitry. The Ts65Dn DS mouse model exhibits similar phe ... notypes to individuals with DS due to three copies of approximately one-half of the genes found on Hsa21. Dual-specificity Tyrosine Phosphorylation-regulated Kinase 1a (Dyrk1a), one of these triplicated genes, is an attractive target to normalize brain development due to its influence in cellular brain deficits seen in DS. We hypothesized that postnatal development of DYRK1A expression is dysregulated in trisomic animals, and found significant overexpression of DYRK1A in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and cerebellum at postnatal day (P) 15 in male-but not female-Ts65Dn mice. We then hypothesized the existence of sex-dependent effects of trisomy on neurobehavioral attributes during P16-17, and that administration of a DYRK1A inhibitor (CX-4945, ~75 mg/kg) beginning on P14 would normalize aberrant behavior in trisomic animals. Both male and female trisomic mice given control injections of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) displayed sustained levels of locomotor activity over a 10-minute test in contrast to the PBS-treated euploid animals that showed significant within-session habituation. Trisomic animals were more persistent in choosing to remain in home shavings in a preference test. Treatment with CX-4945 failed to confirm therapeutic effects. CX-4945 prevented growth, and both CX-4945 and its 10% dimethyl sulfoxide vehicle affected locomotor activity in trisomic and euploid groups, indicating a non-specific disruption of behavior. Despite the negative outcomes for CX-4945, the novel demonstration of sexually dimorphic DYRK1A expression in trisomic animals at P15 supports the broader hypothesis that overexpression of trisomic genes in DS can vary with age, sex, and brain region. Identifying the developmental timing of periods of dysregulated DYRK1A may be important for understanding individual differences in neurodevelopmental trajectories in DS and for developing effective therapeutic interventions targeting DYRK1A. Read more

Can epigenetic modification of DNA increase risk for Alzheimer's disease? This project summarizes literature findings about the role of Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and other environmental factors on DNA epigenetics associated with Alzheimer's disease.

This project focused on using histological analysis to evaluate tumor growth and proliferation of a control and two treatment groups of rats with glioblastoma multiforme. From the data, assumptions were made about the efficacy of certain drug treatme ... nts for this cancer. Read more

PERSEVERE is a clinical trial which aims to find better treatment methods for patients diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, an aggressive form of breast cancer. The goal of this project was to educate others about PERSEVERE and clinical tria ... ls in general, to potentially recruit participants, as well as increase the public's understanding of what clinical research entails. Read more

In 2022, the projected number of new breast cancer cases for women is nearly 290,000, making breast cancer the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. The most common types of breast cancer are DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), ... IDC (invasive ductal carcinoma), and lobular carcinoma, with most cases being IDC. Standard of care for breast cancer cases involves immunotyping for the following biomarkers: ER (estrogen), PR (progesterone), and HER2/neu (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2). A TMA (tissue microarray) was built with 80 to 90 patient samples on one slide. Approximately 192 patient samples were evaluated with 28 normal control and blank tissues, which allowed for correct orientation when evaluating the slides. Immunostaining was done for HER2/neu on these TMAs. Two software platforms were compared (1) Aperio Positive Pixel imaging platform and (2) QuPath imaging platform. QuPath had 24.17% positive cores and Aperio had 17.50%. The correlation coefficient was 0.7817 for the HER2/neu biomarker when comparing the positivity of the two image software platforms. In conclusion, both image analysis software platforms were similar and had no outstanding differences. Read more

The most important part of scientific research– beyond the data and the implications of a breakthrough finding– is disseminating your results. The goal of my project through LHSI was to operationalize my internship in manuscript writing by producing ... a quick, comprehensive video of the writing process for research publication for students interested in research. Read more

A background in the study LEADS is given as well as an understanding of intern-related tasks. Results from data analysis are discussed, which may show a correlation between COVID-19 and Cognitive Decline.

The goal of this project was to evaluate, in two distinct software, six tissue microarrays of breast cancer tissue that were stained with either ER or PR in order to find the positivity percentage for each biomarker. We found that both software showe ... d around 37-44% in positivity of the antibodies, however, there were a higher average in positivity of ER compared to PR and a higher average in positivity of QuPath compared to Aperio. Read more

Capsaicin is responsible for the “hot” burning sensation associated with consumption of the Capsicum plants (chili peppers,) and is a small molecule that activates the Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid type 1 channel (TRPV1).This review focuses ... on vascular TRPV1 channels that are expressed in both vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells and emphasizes the role of inflammation in sensitizing the TRPV1 channel to capsaicin activation. Read more

One in every four Americans is disabled, making people with disabilities the largest minority. The goal of this project was to create a new disability awareness/inclusion Canvas page for the Biology K101 course, highlighting language and history as w ... ell as current issues within the community. Read more