Showcase

At my internship site, we aim to determine why patients living with Parkinson's Disease may or may not have advance care planning documentation present in their electronic medical records. We are currently conducting a patient survey, and we strive t ... ive to provide solutions to any barriers we find that may hinder a patient's ability to provide their advance care documents. Throughout the year, I have completed literature reviews on advance care planning, worked with a team to brainstorm and modify questions for a patient questionnaire, constructed the Redcap for one of our determined patient cohorts, and walked through the questionnaire with several patients. The earlier phases of my internship work involved significant learning about Parkinson's Disease and its progression. I also learned how to pull relevant information from research sources as I gathered information about the significance of advance care planning documentation. As the teamwork phase of our project began, I worked with a team consisting of interns to PhD candidates as we discussed the patient cohorts we would create and tailored questions we planned to ask them. The finalized questionnaires are currently being used to collect survey data at the IU Health Parkinson Clinic from patients attending appointments, and we hope to have preliminary findings analyzed by May 2025. Read more

LEADS stands for Longitudinal Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease Study, and it is an observational study that follows cognitively impaired and cognitively normal participants from ages 40-64. Participants go through a series of physical, neurological, a ... al, and imagining tests in order to develop clinical and biomarker measures for future Alzheimer's research. This study is impactful because it aims to observe a younger group of people that are normally overlooked in Alzheimer's research. Through LEADS, the research done on Alzheimer's Disease can be improved and expanded. Read more

My research project focuses on Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), which occurs when the blood pressure in the lungs' arteries is too high, causing the heart to work harder. My internship investigates the role of the WWOX (WW domain-containing oxi ... g oxidoreductase) gene in PAH and its relation to vascular remodeling. The work hypothesizes that maintaining WWOX expression levels is crucial for lung cells' health. When WWOX levels are low, problems can occur in cells in the lung arteries. The whole purpose of this research is to understand how WWOX loss contributes to PAH progression by analyzing its effects on pulmonary vascular remodeling. This research is important for understanding the role of WWOX in vascular remodeling. Understanding this role could unveil new pathways that can be targeted for PAH treatment. This could lead to developing more effective therapeutic methods, significantly improving the quality of life for PAH patients. Our research has made some exciting progress. We have reduced the WWOX expression in cells to evaluate potential WWOX-targeting treatments for PAH, offering new treatment avenues and raising hope for the future of PAH research. Read more

In Dr. Norlander's Lab, we study hypertension, its causes, and potential treatments using mice. The experiment begins by dividing mice into two groups. One group receives an osmotic minipump containing angiotensin II, a hormone that constricts blood ... lood vessels and induces hypertension. The second group is given a vehicle, serving as a placebo. After two weeks, a second pump is added, dividing the groups into four: one group continues with angiotensin II, another with the vehicle, a third with treprostinil (a vasodilator that widens blood vessels), and a fourth group receives both angiotensin II and treprostinil to examine potential reversal of hypertension effects. After 28 days, the mice are harvested, and tissues such as the heart, aorta, and kidney are collected. These tissues are sliced, placed in a water bath, and mounted on cell slides. The slides are then stained using the Masson Trichrome method, which highlights collagen and fibrous tissue. The stained slides are scanned, and the fibrous tissue percentage is calculated by comparing it to the total tissue area. This allows researchers to assess the impact of angiotensin II and treprostinil on tissue damage and fibrosis caused by hypertension. Read more

The Solutions for Overcoming Life-threatening Actions and Crisis Events for Teens (SOLACE) lab explores adolescent suicide ideation and prevention. One in five students consider suicide, and one in ten attempt it(CDC, 2023). These alarming statistics ... are one of the large driving forces behind the SOLACE lab's focus on refining treatments for at-risk adolescents. We work towards this aim through our Study of Teletherapy Application for Youth (STAY) and the Indiana Confronting Adolescent Risk and Empowering Youth against Suicide (IN CARES) initiatives. The goal of Project STAY is to develop a clinical decision-making tool to aid healthcare providers in assessing when tele-mental services are ideal for adolescents to ensure access to care is maximized, while minimizing risk. The IN CARES program provides suicide prevention services through the Riley Pediatric Clinic, using Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) therapy. To contribute to these initiatives, I distributed flyers for recruitment, cleaned interviews, conducted literature reviews, created data codebooks, and edited Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) worksheets for adolescents. Ultimately, the insight we glean from our work will enable us to improve the resources and clinical care tools available to at-risk youth. Read more

Breast cancer is common and affects 1 in 8 women. One third of patients who undergo axillary lymph node removal as part of the treatment of breast cancer experience lymphedema. It is estimated that lymphedema affects 5 million Americans. Lymphedema i ... s characterized by progressive arm swelling that hinders quality of life, reduces mobility, and increases risk for infections. There is no cure for lymphedema and current treatments are variably effective. Therefore, the goal of this laboratory is to study novel prevention and management strategies for lymphedema. The current study is to optimize the murine hindlimb lymphedema model to achieve consistent results and assess the utility of radiation on the model. Read more

This study looks at how sex chromosomes affect bone formation in mice that are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. We used mice with different combinations of gonadal (ovaries or testes) and chromosomal sex. The bone structure was studied usi ... d using a special scan called micro-computerized tomography (mCT). My job in the study was to measure bone formation by tracking two fluorescent dyes that attach to bone minerals. The mice were injected with these dyes. Calcein green and Alizarin red at two different times: once 7 days before and again 4 days later. By measuring how much of the dyes were incorporated into the bone, we could assess bone growth. We looked at different bone formation measures, including the Mineral Apposition Rate (MAR), the Mineralized Surface/Total Surface (MS/BS) ratio, and overall bone formation rate. The results showed clear differences between males and females in bone structure. Mice with ovaries responded more to the injections, while male mice didn't show any changes. The study found that sex chromosomes affect bone formation rates on both sides of the bone, linked to differences in bone marrow and bone growth. The findings suggest sex chromosomes play an important role in bone formation in this Alzheimer's model, with females showing a stronger response. More research is needed to understand why these differences occur. Read more

Sarcomas are rare, malignant tumors affecting the nerves, bones, muscles, adipose tissue, and blood vessels, often spreading to other body parts. In the U.S., approximately 5,420 people die from sarcomas annually, with males being slightly more affec ... ted than females. Around 13,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, including 900 children. About 7% of these cases will be treated with immunotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Digital imaging AI platforms, such as Aperio, Halo, and QuPath, are now used in pathology for image analysis. This study analyzed 18 clinical cases, including 12 primary sarcomas and 6 metastatic to the lung. Immunohistochemistry using an antibody to Topo II Isomerase was performed to aid in cancer cell identification. The image analysis data showed slightly higher expression in metastatic lung tumors (5.84%) compared to primary tumors (5.5%).Most patients received Adriamycin and Etoposide before surgery. In conclusion, the study found a slight difference in expression levels between primary and metastatic tumors. Essentially, my project focuses on Sarcomas and the expression of Topo-II found within them. Read more

Autosomal Dominant Osteopetrosis is a genetic disorder where bones become overly dense and hard due to poor bone resorption, which can lead affected individuals to be more prone to fracture and develop other complications. This condition is primarily ... caused by mutations in the CLCN7 Gene, which affects osteoclast activity, leading to poor bone resorption. Osteoclasts are a type of bone cell responsible for absorbing bone tissue, and their activity is compromised due to mutations in the CLCN7 gene that cause reduced lysosomal trafficking and activity. This research project aims to discover if the addition of Torin 1 to ADO II cells plays a role in regulating osteoclast differentiation in autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type II. Torin 1 is a potent inhibitor of a protein complex called mTOR that has shown promise in improving lysosomal production and function, which is crucial for reestablishing regular osteoclast activity. Through the cell culture of ADO and wild-type cells, the addition of different doses of Torin 1, and osteoclast counting via TRAP Stain, this research hopes to find an affordable, effective treatment with no significant side effects to individuals affected by ADO II. Read more

My poster will discuss broad concepts of sleep quality and how it impacts the overall mood and likelihood of expressing empathy and engaging in harassing behaviors toward others.