Showcase

In our lab we focus on understanding how stress response pathways help prostate cancer (PCa) cells adapt and survive amino acid (AA) limitations. Our lab discovered that the kinase GCN2 is critical for the maintenance of AAs in PCa cells by turning o ... n genes involved in AA synthesis and transport. Blocking GCN2 function in PCa cells results in AA starvation leading to decreased growth of these cancer cells. These results support that GCN2 may be a potential therapeutic target for treating this deadly disease. However, before GCN2 inhibitors can be taken to the clinic, we need to have a better understanding on how inhibition of GCN2 affects different cellular processes. For my LHSI project, my goal was to study how deletion or inhibition of GCN2 in cultured PCa impacts ribosome biogenesis and translation, both cellular processes are dependent on AAs. Using Click-IT-based reactions and immunofluorescence for detection, we found that the amino acid limitations caused by loss of GCN2 function decreased ribosome biogenesis and translation in PCa cells, and this could be reversed by AA supplementation. Furthermore, culturing PCa cells in media depleted of AAs also reduced ribosome biogenesis and translation, suggesting that AA limitations is a major factor leading to the reduction in these cellular processes following GCN2 inhibition. Read more

During my internship under the guidance of Dr. April Newton and Alex Buchanan, I had the invaluable opportunity to participate in two clinics: the Buprenorphine Clinic and the CoPac Clinic. These experiences offered me profound insights into the powe ... r of team-based clinical care, showing the efficacy of an interprofessional approach in addressing complex health issues. Inspired by what I learned at the clinics, I pursued on a personal passion project. Recognizing the power of team-based care in addressing complex health challenges, I initiated the project “Madres en Plenitud: Apoyando a Madres a Vencer Barreras de Salud.” In this project, I am creating an accessible resource guide made specifically for mothers of Hispanic backgrounds. Using insights gained from my mentorship under Dr. April Newton and Mr. Alex Buchanan, this guide aims to streamline access to vital resources and support networks for these mothers. Through this project, I aim to address the diverse and intricate social determinants of health faced by underprivileged mothers, through an interprofessional approach. Read more

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs in pregnant women. This is a short-term condition where the woman’s body is not able to produce enough insulin to combat the amount of glucose being produced. This can be quite harmful to both th ... e mother and the baby. Babies that are born to mothers with gestational diabetes tend to have more complications as they mature. During my initial semester of research, I collaborated with Dr. Tamara Hannon's Pediatric Type II Diabetes Registry, extracting specific data from electronic medical records (EMRs) to contribute to the ongoing analysis of patient trends over several years. Subsequently, during my second semester, I focused on our patient cohort from Riley Children's Hospital within the pediatric endocrinology department. Within this group, distinctions emerged between patients whose mothers had gestational diabetes during childbirth and those who did not. I systematically categorized and compared these two patient groups, examining various clinical features such as A1C levels, BMI, hypertension, medication given at discharge, and more. Read more

For this project, we are focused on researching the various treatments of behavioral problems for individuals with Down syndrome (DS) by analyzing previous literature. A select group of articles have been screened and data has been extracted from the ... articles that are relevant for our scoping review, which is a form of evidence synthesis that involves several steps. The general procedure for making a scoping review is to answer a research question, screen references, extract data from the references, and evaluate conclusions and implications based on the data that was collected. The articles that were extracted for this scoping review involve case studies that have human participants with Down syndrome go through interventions that target the individual’s problem behaviors. These behaviors include, but are not limited to, aggression, noncompliance, tantrums, and property destruction. This topic was selected due to the lack of literature in the field relating to treatment of conduct problems related to DS, which emphasizes the importance of finding and analyzing data related to the topic and presenting it in a scoping review format. Read more

We conduct comprehensive literature reviews and surveys to understand the involvement of international medical graduates in the pediatric bioethics field. Not much research has been done on this topic, so we hope to learn more about international med ... ical graduates' lack of membership and involvement in pediatric ethics committees. Read more

This internship project aims to improve the health of individuals at risk of developing diabetes by introducing them to a strength training program. The focus is on promoting physical well-being through targeted strength exercises, with the ultimate ... goal of preventing or managing diabetes. The research seeks to demonstrate the positive impact of strength training on overall health, specifically addressing the needs of those who are pre-diabetic. By encouraging and implementing a structural strength training program, the project aims to contribute to healthier lifestyles and reduce the risk factors associated with diabetes development. Read more

1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Epithelial cell cancers result from the overexpression of Angiomotins (Amot). Amots are a family of adaptor proteins that control the location of proteins responsible for c ... ell proliferation, migration, and maintenance of normal cell structure. This trafficking function is related to the ability of Amot's coiled coil homology (ACCH) domain to associate with and remodel cellular membranes. We are interested in deciphering the structure of the ACCH domain to better understand this regulatory function. Our lab’s previous research proposed a theoretical structure of the ACCH. This project focuses on refining this structure, using modeling tools like RoseTTAFold, trRosetta, and GoogleCoLab, against globular envelope dimensions determined experimentally with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Approximately 80 models were generated and compared to current SAXS data. We also investigated mutations of the ACCH to better understand how single-amino acid changes affect structure and therefore functionality. Specific focus was on Arg-153 mutations and how structural differences cause previously documented reductions in association with cellular membranes. Refined structures are key to understanding how all documented Amot mutations lead to cancer initiation and metastasis to find effective cancer therapeutics. Read more

The supervisor of the site, Dr. Williams, is a clinical psychologist specializing in pediatrics. Her research focuses on how psychological factors affect pain and how to better manage and treat pain, both chronic and acute, in the pediatric populatio ... n. She is involved in a multitude of projects that interns have the opportunity to assist with. An ongoing project is a study titled Injustice and Resilience in Youth with Sickle Cell Disease, and interns have the opportunity help with recruitment through the Sickle Cell Clinic at Riley Hospital for Children. Dr. Williams and her colleagues have also conducted research on evidence-based interventions for complex behavioral health disorders in community mental health centers. The manuscript over this research is still being written, so interns have the opportunity to help prepare that. Another project Dr. Williams is working on is a study regarding disordered eating in pain patients, and recruitment has just begun. Lastly, Dr. Williams is just beginning to develop a clinical database with data collected from the Pediatric Headache Clinic at Riley Hospital for Children, and interns have the opportunity to help with this project. Read more

I work in The Healthy Sleep for Kids Lab, primarily on the SHH (Sleep and Health and Home) project to study sleeping, feeding, and obesity risk during infancy in African American and Latinx families. This project is a collaboration with Purdue Univer ... sity College of Health and Human Sciences. As part of my role in this project, I attend multidisciplinary team meetings and help conduct interviews with underrepresented, minority families to learn about their children's feeding and sleeping schedules. By conducting interviews, we can gain a better understanding of how the child's sleep and feeding schedules may contribute to the development of sleep problems, and later, obesity risk. I have worked with Spanish-translated material and Spanish-speaking families to ensure inclusion of a broad sample of voices. This study aims to raise awareness among minority families about how sleep and eating habits can significantly impact children's everyday lives. In my PowerPoint presentation, I will share how the opportunity to help conduct this study has allowed me to not only learn more about infant sleep and feeding and contribute to this research, but also develop my communication skills. My confidence and interview abilities have increased since joining the lab in Fall 2023. Read more

In my internship, I am actively engaged in supporting resident wellness, with a primary focus on mental health. The overarching goal is to establish a healthy work-life balance for medical residents, addressing the challenges they face in their deman ... ding profession. To combat burnout, we are developing a comprehensive Canvas website that offers a variety of resources tailored to their needs. This initiative is particularly pertinent today, as more than 50% of medical residents report experiencing burnout. In addition to my practical contributions, I am also conducting a literature review to ensure our strategies align with the latest research and best practices in the field. Read more