Showcase

As a student, I want to see the Center for Student Counseling make a difference on the Indiana/Purdue Fort Wayne University campus. I personally believe that this organization could have a great impact on students overall wellbeing while in school. T ... hese are challenging years, so the accessibility to proper resources are essential. Read more

There are many challenges that healthcare providers face in a clinical and academic environment which evidence shows that these can impact their wellness and satisfaction both personally and professionally. I evaluated many articles and data that fo ... cuses on the wellness of practitioners, comparing and contrasting the data, forming a literature review on this topic. This literature review examines wellness and burnout among future and practicing healthcare practitioners, with a specific focus on Physician Assistants (PAs). I analyze various writings on burnout and wellness in different specialties, as well as the experiences of PA students throughout their curriculum. I evaluate the quantity and findings of reports and studies published on PA wellness and burnout, comparing these results with those reported for physicians. Assessing the burnout and wellness of our current and future practitioners is crucial for ensuring that patients receive the best quality of care. It is also essential to evaluate the current state of wellness among practitioners to develop strategies for improving wellness and preventing burnout, both in the workplace and within educational curriculum. The insights gained from this research can inform approaches to support not only practicing and student PAs but also healthcare professionals across all fields of medicine. Read more

The Clinical Core at the Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center is committed to advancing research on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias through participant recruitment, longitudinal assessments, and the collection of neuroimaging data and ... data and biological samples. Their efforts support groundbreaking studies on dementia and cognitive aging while collaborating with other IADRC cores and other Alzheimer's research centers around the nation. With more than 6 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer's, the center's work is crucial in improving early detection, enhancing quality of life, and accelerating the development of new treatments. Through innovative research and clinical assessments, they aim to drive meaningful progress in the understanding, prevention, and care of Alzheimer's disease. Read more

Skeletal muscle is a fundamental metabolic organ required for nearly all human motion. In the Muscle Biology Laboratory, each study aims to gain a deeper understanding of how the human body and muscle respond to exercise to optimize health. To study ... exercise training, different interventions were used. In one study, the subjects were taken through a series of exercises to induce muscle damage, and then strength and pain were evaluated with and without therapeutic taping after exercise. These data provide information on muscle repair, and differences between sexes could be derived as well. In another, exercise-averse individuals enrolled in a 12 week resistance training program while psychological and physical outcomes were measured to determine if the exercises helped to improve the person's health and exercise self-efficacy. In a third study, different intensities (intermittent sprinting vs. continuous moderate) during rowing were tested and the responses used to interpret the most efficient way to perform this exercise. Read more

My internship at the IUI ECHO Center in Indianapolis gives me the chance to work in an academic setting focused on helping underserved communities. The center uses a model called ECHO, which connects local doctors and healthcare providers with expert ... s through Zoom sessions to improve healthcare and the lack thereof in communities. As an intern, part of my work involves helping with various tasks, like preparing pre/post materials for said Zoom sessions or working on projects that were assigned to me. We are given the chance to learn about different healthcare topics, such as mental health, substance use disorders, and chronic diseases. We work closely with healthcare professionals and researchers, gaining insight into how healthcare systems work and how technology can help improve healthcare. In addition to learning about healthcare practices, interns may assist with research and creating reports or presentations about healthcare issues. At my table, visitors will gain insight into the daily responsibilities of an intern, showcasing the various tasks we manage on a day-to-day basis. There will be examples of the projects I have contributed to during my time at the IUI ECHO Center, highlighting how these efforts align with and support the center's overarching mission. Read more

If you want to determine what an animal most likely eats, their teeth are a great place to start. Depending on the diet, each type of tooth will appear different and have different properties. Herbivores are known to have molars designed to grind up ... plant matter, while carnivorous animals are associated with sharp teeth meant to tear and slice flesh effectively. But what about omnivores, like humans and many other primate species? Every tooth serves a purpose, and the information that they hold can serve as useful puzzle pieces to better understanding extinct species. The research project I am currently assisting with at the Deane Lab is focused on gathering raw data for further research on this topic. While research has already been completed concerning New World Monkeys and Apes, we believe that it would be beneficial to gather data for Old World Monkeys. In this presentation, I will discuss how teeth's properties relate to the different types of diets in animals, specifically primates. Read more

This research investigates the role of the protein Kalirin in bone health, focusing on its GEF1 domain and its impact on osteocytes--specialized bone cells essential for skeletal strength. Osteocytes act as mechanosensors, coordinating bone remodelin ... g by regulating osteoblast (bone-forming) and osteoclast (bone-degrading) activity. Prior studies in the Bruzzaniti lab show that deleting Kalirin in mice reduces bone density and disrupts cell balance, highlighting its importance in skeletal homeostasis. The project examines how Kalirin's GEF1 domain influences osteocyte morphology. Using the osteocyte-like cell line MLO-Y4, the GEF1 domain was overexpressed to study its effects on dendritic length and connectivity. Preliminary findings suggest that Kalirin promotes osteocyte connectivity, potentially enhancing the cells' ability to sense mechanical forces and regulate bone remodeling. This work advances understanding of Kalirin's molecular mechanisms in bone health and highlights its therapeutic potential for conditions like osteoporosis, where osteocyte dysfunction contributes to bone fragility. Ongoing studies explore additional Kalirin domains to further examine its role in skeletal biology. Read more

About 1 in 8 men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. High-quality evidence from randomized-control trials has demonstrated that patient outcomes do not differ significantly between treatment and active surveillanc ... e in low and moderate-risk disease. Accurate prognostic markers are needed to identify high-risk patients. Microseminoprotein-beta (MSMB) has been studied for its potential role for predicting prostate cancer progression, but previous histologic studies have been limited by qualitative staining assessments and tissue microarray-based approaches that do not capture expression heterogeneity. Forty-seven Tissue sections from fourteen prostate cancer patients were selected with a variety of Gleason grades. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for MSMB was analyzed using QuPath, a quantitative image analysis platform. Cell type classifiers were used to distinguish normal and cancer tissues, allowing for the assessment of MSMB expression variability across similar histologic regions. MSMB expression showed marked spatial heterogeneity across tumor and normal tissue regions, reinforcing the need for whole-organ assessments. MSMB staining was absent or significantly reduced in high-grade tumor areas but sometimes exhibited high expression. There was no background staining of lymphocytes, corpora amylase, or other normal cells. Future work will focus on building prognostic models associating heterogeneity with future metastatic disease. Read more

At my internship, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a dedicated team to help translate the English INPEP Manual into Spanish. This project focused on making important educational resources accessible to the Spanish-speaking communities, ensur ... ing they could benefit from the program's guidelines and best practices. I will go over about the process of translating a specialized manual including the challenges of maintaining accuracy and clarity while also considering cultural relevance. I collaborated with other team members to ensure that the translated content was not only linguistically correct but also contextually appropriate for the intended audience. This experience allowed me to have valuable insights to teamwork, language translation, and educational program development. It also highlighted the importance of making educational resources accessible to different diverse audiences. Whether interested in the translation, peer education, or community outreach, this project shows the significance of breaking down language barriers to enhance the learning experience and opportunities for all. Read more

Project 1: We are completing a literature review of the TELE-ASD-PEDS (Telehealth Autism Assessment) post-Covid 19. We are gathering information regarding the use of the TAP including the necessity of follow-up appointments, clinician satisfaction, a ... nd population differences for use. Within this project, we have scanned scholarly articles and written summaries of the information included to best understand the use of the TAP from many different studies perspectives. Project 2: Within this project, we are looking at open-ended questions that are found on the ADOS-2 Module protocol (Autism assessment for children with complex language skills). These questions involve concepts such as relationships and feelings. There are no "right" answers to these questions, so this study is looking at the answers given, ages of children, and diagnoses given to better understand how different children respond to these questions. Project 3: We are also in charge of creating and publishing the PCIT (Parent Child Interaction Therapy) monthly newsletter. This includes newly licensed therapists, important data and training updates, as well as other helpful information for the people within this community. Read more