Showcase

This pilot study investigated sex differences in post injury response that focuses on aggressive fibrotic responses in females following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. Using the C57BL/6J mouse strain, we examined 5 male and 5 female mice, ... aged 18 weeks, with ACL rupture on the right knee with the left knee serving as an internal control. Three mice per sex were euthanized at 3 weeks post injury. The remaining 2 mice per sex were euthanized 6 weeks post injury. Our primary goal was to explore gene expression changes in response to the injury, with a particular emphasis on identifying key pathways that drive inflammation and fibrosis. Early findings from a previous study with young females indicated an aggressive fibrotic response, which limited range of motion and severely impacted recovery. Clinically, females are more prone to arthrofibrosis post ACL surgery than their male counterparts. Through this study, we sought to uncover underlying genetic and molecular factors that contributed to arthrofibrosis development and guide future treatments. This research was directly tied to a forthcoming clinical study in patients, providing insight into potential therapeutic targets for managing arthrofibrosis and improving post-injury recovery outcomes, particularly in females. Read more

I have learned many new scientific techniques while working in the Walker lab. I started by performing western blots to identify specific proteins within a sample. Identifying these proteins illustrates if a cell is functioning properly, or if a neur ... odegenerative characteristic is present. I also was able to learn about harvesting mice, BSA assays, and cell culture. My focus recently has been cell culture, in which I have been able to take a set of C2C12 cells from a mouse, grow, passage, and seed them. This process has taught me the procedure for how cells go through various steps to be ready for analysis. This internship has been a big learning experience for me, and it has deepened my interest in lab research. Read more

While working in Dr. Bruzzaniti's bone-focused lab my main task is to analyze collected microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) scans of mouse skulls. I then get on the computer and reconstruct these scans, rotate them, and manually draw "Regions of Inte ... ns of Interest" around specific areas of bone within the maxilla and mandible in each mouse. The "Regions of Interest" allow us to run computer analysis on these specified areas of bone and receive calculated measurements that give us information regarding bone mineral density, tissue-to-bone ratios, and measurements of overall cortical and trabecular bone. After I'm done drawing the "Regions of Interest" on the scans I take different skull measurements such as craniofacial height and width. I also take multiple tooth measurements within the maxillae and mandibles of the mouse skulls. Collecting this data allows us to quantitatively compare different mouse genotypes and observe how the deletion of certain proteins, such as Kalirin, is affecting the craniofacial, periodontal, and dental structures in both male and female mice at different age points. This research that we conduct in Dr. Bruzzaniti's lab's is important groundwork that can help guide future studies concerning specific bone and dental diseases. As a current Pre-Dental student, working towards making advances in the world of oral health via this research has been a very fulfilling experience for me! Read more

This pilot study investigated sex differences in post injury response that focuses on aggressive fibrotic responses in females following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. Using the C57BL/6J mouse strain, we examined 5 male and 5 female mice, ... aged 18 weeks, with ACL rupture on the right knee with the left knee serving as an internal control. Three mice per sex were euthanized at 3 weeks post injury. The remaining 2 mice per sex were euthanized 6 weeks post injury. Our primary goal was to explore gene expression changes in response to the injury, with a particular emphasis on identifying key pathways that drive inflammation and fibrosis. Early findings from a previous study with young females indicated an aggressive fibrotic response, which limited range of motion and severely impacted recovery. Clinically, females are more prone to arthrofibrosis post ACL surgery than their male counterparts. Through this study, we sought to uncover underlying genetic and molecular factors that contributed to arthrofibrosis development and guide future treatments. This research was directly tied to a forthcoming clinical study in patients, providing insight into potential therapeutic targets for managing arthrofibrosis and improving post-injury recovery outcomes, particularly in females. Read more

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a complex disease influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, leading to autoimmune destruction of insulin producing beta cells. The leading, yet somewhat controversial, hypothesis for this environmental trigger is ... viral infection. To investigate how cytokines can impact the beta cells directly, we treated INS-1 cells (a rat beta cell line) with IFN-?, a cytokine released during viral infections, to see if it affects cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. To measure ROS, we used fluorescent probes and biosensors coupled to confocal microscopy. I used the probe dihydroethidium (DHE), which lights up in the nucleus when ROS is present. We also used biosensors to track ROS in different cellular compartments: the cytoplasm (AAV8-GRX1-roGFP2), endoplasmic reticulum (MYC-ER-roGFP), and mitochondria (TOMM20-GRX1-roGFP2). These biosensors were introduced using the reagent Lipofectamine 2000. All experiments compared IFN-?-treated cells to corresponding control cells. Read more

This research study aims to explore the diverse impacts of various experiences on youth diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease, particularly focusing on factors such as racial bias, emotional mood, levels of anxiety, and overall quality of life. My role ... in this project has involved actively recruiting eligible participants within the age range of 11 to 17 years. This process includes not only outreach to potential candidates but also maintaining a comprehensive log of all participants. This organized chart is essential for tracking and ensuring that our research remains structured and systematic for further analysis. Read more

This research focuses on improving services for adolescents with mild to moderate substance use concerns in a primary care setting. We are interested in testing three different ways to involve caregivers in brief interventions for teens: no caregiver ... involvement, a single caregiver session, or an online parenting program. Among adolescents who use alcohol and other substances, most do not develop substance use disorders, and those who do typically experience mild to moderate symptoms. This research project is important as it can help identify effective interventions for those adolescents, who often do not need a long-term course of therapy. Also, this research can benefit a wide range of adolescents because it is implemented in a primary care setting, where more than 90% of teens visit each year. Primary care settings may be more accessible than specialty behavioral health services, like mental health and/or addiction and recovery programs. By including adolescents as participants, we are able to provide support for a group of people who do not typically seek help for substance use. Addressing their substance use concerns at mild to moderate levels may lead to higher chances of avoiding poor mental and increased substance use. Read more

At my showcase, visitors will learn about the transcription work I completed for the LHSI internship, where I transcribed videos recorded by Stephanie Bartlett, who was asking important questions for research purposes. The videos covered various topi ... cs related to end-of-life medical decisions, and my role was to accurately transcribe the conversations to help ensure that the data could be analyzed for the project. This experience gave me hands-on exposure to the transcription process, as well as insight into the ethical considerations of handling sensitive conversations. Visitors will also hear about how this work contributes to the larger goal of improving healthcare practices and patient care through research. Read more

During my internship, I contributed to research aimed at improving early autism evaluation in the U.S. and developing countries like India and Kenya. Many families face delays in diagnosis due to long wait times and a shortage of experienced clinicia ... ns, creating a bottleneck that hinders timely intervention. To address this, I analyzed interview transcripts to identify key themes related to autism awareness, diagnostic barriers, and cultural perceptions. I was also involved in all aspects of the screening process, from title and abstract screening to full-text screening, ensuring relevant research was included. Additionally, I helped design surveys on REDCap to assess participants' autism knowledge, refining questions to capture insights from diverse populations. This data collection was crucial in identifying gaps in awareness and access to diagnostic services. Through this experience, I gained insight into unique cultural barriers, such as stigma, that impact autism identification and care in underserved communities. This deepened my understanding of the systemic challenges in autism evaluation and reinforced the importance of research-driven solutions in expanding early diagnosis efforts globally. Read more

The IUI ECHO Center's mission is to improve health outcomes and quality of life for individuals affected by chronic and complex conditions through innovative research, education, and community engagement. This work matters because it impacts millions ... lions of Americans struggling with chronic illnesses, aiming to enhance patient-centered care, reduce health disparities, and promote equitable access to healthcare. The ECHO Center's research has shown that nearly 60% of Americans live with at least one chronic condition, highlighting the need for effective management and support. Read more