The bi-annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression Fair gives undergraduates from across the University the opportunity to exhibit posters and research projects in all academic majors and fields.
The Spring 2026 Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression Fair will take place Wednesday, March 4, 2026, from 5 to 7 p.m., in the Connolly Ballroom, Alumni Hall.
Note: students can receive Outside the Classroom Curriculum (OCC) credit for attending this event.
Spring 2026 Presenters and Projects
Pitt undergraduates were invited to submit poster abstracts for the Spring Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression Fair. While poster presentations are most common, projects presented in formats other than a poster are also included as part of the fair.
Following is a list of students participating in the spring event and their projects.
The presentation format is a poster unless otherwise noted.
Info Format:
Student Name - Project Title
Inside the dropdown: School: Major / Faculty/Staff Mentor / Title and Description
- Mert Akdogan - CGI-58 Coordinates Lipid Supply and Oxidized Phospholipid Clearance to Drive Ferroptosis
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biological Sciences | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Valerian Kagan
CGI-58 Coordinates Lipid Supply and Oxidized Phospholipid Clearance to Drive Ferroptosis
Ferroptosis is a regulated form of cell death that eliminates cells with dysregulated iron and thiol metabolism through iron-dependent peroxidation of membrane phospholipids enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). A well-established pro-ferroptotic lipid, 15-hydroperoxy-arachidonoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (15-HpETE-PE), is generated by the 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX)–phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 1 (PEBP1) complex and accumulates during the execution of the cell death program. The calcium independent phospholipase A2β (iPLA2β) preferentially cleaves the sn-2 HpETE from 15-HpETE-PE thereby suppressing ferroptosis. Another protein, comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58), a canonical activator of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), has recently been shown to support lipid droplet lipolysis in the placenta by interacting with iPLA₂β. We show that biochemical data suggest CGI-58 inhibits the anti-ferroptotic activity of iPLA2β by preventing the cleavage of 15-HpETE-PE. Consistent with this mechanism, in vitro experiments in melanoma (A375) and hippocampal (HT22) cells confirm the pro-ferroptotic effect of CGI-58: co-overexpression of CGI-58 with iPLA2β abolishes the protective effect observed with iPLA₂β overexpression alone. Additionally, the neutral lipid profile of CGI-58 knockout mice—from brain and placental tissues—shows substantial accumulation of PUFA-containing triacylglycerols (TAGs), suggesting that CGI-58 may regulate the availability of free PUFAs for esterification into phospholipids. Together, these findings identify CGI-58 as a previously unappreciated regulator of ferroptosis that links lipid droplet metabolism to phospholipid oxidation and ferroptotic susceptibility.- Arushi Bansal - Organ Donation on "The Pitt"
School of Public Health: Public Health | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Beth HoffmanOrgan Donation on "The Pitt"
Background: Although most adults in the United States support organ donation, donor registration rates remain low due to limited information exposure and persistent misconceptions. Prior research suggests that fictional medical television programs can influence health-related attitudes and behaviors, especially when storylines are accurate and emotionally engaging. In January 2025, the HBO Max medical drama The Pitt aired an organ donation storyline developed in consultation with an organ procurement organization (OPO). This study examined how viewers discussed organ donation on the social media platform Reddit following the storyline.
Methods: We searched the r/ThePittTVshow subreddit using the keywords “organ donation, honor walk, OPO, organ procurement, organ transplant, transplant” and extracted posts and comments (hereafter referred to as posts) using the RStudio package RedditExtractoR. Two student research assistants independently coded posts for relevance to organ donation and the presence or absence of specific content categories. Analyses included descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis.
Results: A total of 179 relevant posts/comments were identified. The most frequent content categories were personal connection to donation (34%, n=113) and emotional engagement (29%, n=97). Qualitative analysis revealed that loved ones shared emotional and practical challenges associated with the donation process, while those identifying as OPO staff affirmed the authenticity and realism of the process portrayal.
Conclusion: Social media discussions following The Pitt suggest meaningful emotional engagement and validation of accurate organ donation portrayals. These findings show the potential for medical dramas to encourage informed conversations about organ donation.- Janhavi Barpande - Linking Local Collagen Density to Mechanical Strength in Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms
Swanson School of Engineering: Bioengineering
Faculty Mentor: Dr. David Vorp
Linking Local Collagen Density to Mechanical Strength in Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms
Tissue strength can vary locally due to uneven collagen fiber distribution in TAAs. Areas with lower collagen content may be less able to withstand mechanical stress and more prone to failure. To test whether aortic mechanical strength depends on local collagen content, we treated defined tissue regions with collagenase or a sham solution to mimic the heterogeneity of the aorta tissue and link it to rupture risk in low-collagen areas. Tissue was looped through a watertight well plate exposing an isolated area to collagenase or PBS treatment. Each tissue sample underwent uniaxial tensile testing. Longitudinally, 10/15 collagenase-treated samples failed at the treatment location whereas 2/15 failures occurred in the treatment region of sham-treated samples, suggesting that collagenase had an observable effect on local tissue strength and failure. There was a decrease in tensile strength for collagenase treated samples and no difference in stiffness. Circumferentially, 4/15 failures occurred in the collagenase treatment location and 2/15 failures occurred in the treatment region of sham-treated samples, suggesting that collagenase had no effect on the circumferential tissue strength and failure point. In conclusion, varying collagen content along the aneurysm tissue creates local weaknesses leading to an increased likelihood of thoracic aortic aneurysm rupture.- Andrew Beer - Evaluating Automated Frond Counting for the Greater Duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza using Deep Learning
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Ecology & Evolution
Faculty Mentor: Martin Turcotte
Evaluating Automated Frond Counting for the Greater Duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza using Deep Learning
Duckweeds are an increasingly prominent model system across diverse fields of research, from ecology and evolution to applied studies in bioremediation and biomanufacturing. Their appeal stems largely from their extremely rapid growth rates, combined with their small size and simple morphology, which enables multigenerational experiments with large population sizes in highly replicated, multi-treatment designs. However, these same features that make duckweed experimentally attractive also create challenges for precisely quantifying population dynamics and fitness. In this context, manually counting individual fronds remains slow, labor-intensive, and prone to inconsistencies among counters, limiting the scale and replicability of many studies. Current automated duckweed individual-counting methods are often expensive, inflexible, or both, and previous work using these methods have not analyzed the largest species of duckweed, S. polyrhiza. To address this gap, we are developing an automated individual-counting pipeline that utilizes deep learning image segmentation and evaluating its performance against human-counted S. polyrhiza images in terms of both agreement with human counts and time efficiency. We use CellposeSAM, an open-source deep learning algorithm, to generate label-free masks of individuals. Mask data is extracted via Python to quantify and colorimetrically assess individuals. Preliminary results indicate that this approach shows promise for substantially reducing manual labor and being interchangeable with human individual-counting.- Millie Belnekar and Janani Balasubramanian - Oxidative-Stress Induced Lysosomal Calcium Release
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Pharmacy
Faculty Mentors: Jonathan M. Beckel, Stephanie L. Daugherty
Oxidative-Stress Induced Lysosomal Calcium Release
Bladder inflammation is a predominant component within various urological disorders, including Overactive Bladder (OAB) and Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS), conditions that negatively impact an extensive population and lack comprehensive and effective therapies. Past clinical studies have implicated purinergic signaling as essential in the etiology of bladder pathology, and research from this laboratory has confirmed that ATP release from the urothelium via lysosomal exocytosis is a major precursor in the occurrence of bladder inflammation and overactivity. ATP release is regulated by lysosomal calcium (Ca2+) signaling via TRPML1 channels and is often activated by the occurrence of intracellular oxidative stress. However, the intracellular pathways coupling oxidative stress to Ca2+ release and thus lysosomal exocytosis are poorly characterized.
This project aims to explore whether oxidative stress caused by various biologically active molecules (Menadione, Angiotensin II, ML-SA-1, ML-SA5) induces lysosomal Ca2+ release through TRPML1 channels in urothelial cells. The methods used are primarily Fura-2 calcium imaging, through which we observed and measured Ca2+ responses to oxidative stress; we also introduced an antagonist, the TRPML1 inhibitor ML-SI3, to determine whether Ca2+ responses are blocked upon its inclusion.
This project additionally investigates the influence of two urothelial ion channels on the modulation of lysosomal ATP release. The specific channels noted are Cl- and K+ channels, with a concentration on large-conductance, calcium-activated potassium channels (BK channels) and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR).
By extensively explaining the methods by which oxidative stress regulates Ca2+ release, this research will contribute to a greater understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying bladder inflammation and ultimately expand and refine therapy options for bladder pathology.- Neeharika Beru - Prevalence and Outcomes of Sarcomeric Gene Variants in Infantile Onset Cardiomyopathies; A Single Institution Study
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biochemistry
Faculty Mentor: Mousumi Moulik
Prevalence and Outcomes of Sarcomeric Gene Variants in Infantile Onset Cardiomyopathies; A Single Institution StudyRationale: Infantile cardiomyopathy is a rare but life-threatening condition with poorly characterized genotype-phenotype relationships. Sarcomeric gene mutations are a recognized cause, yet their phenotypic spectrum and prognostic implications in infants remain poorly understood. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort evaluation of all consecutive 99 infants diagnosed with cardiomyopathy within the first year of life at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh from 2016 to 2024. 36 of these patients harbored pathogenic, likely pathogenic, or variants of uncertain significance in sarcomeric or sarcomere-associated genes identified through clinical genetic testing and were included for this study. A retrospective chart review was conducted, with clinical data collected through February 2026.Results: Sarcomeric cardiomyopathies accounted for 36% of infantile cardiomyopathy in our cohort, which was 63% male with a median diagnosis age of five weeks. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was the most common phenotype (12/36, 33%), followed by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (11/36, 31%), mixed cardiomyopathy (9/36, 25%), and left ventricular non-compaction (4/36, 11%). MYBPC3 was the most frequently implicated gene (23% of variant instances), followed by MYH7 (18%) and TTN (11%). A single recurrent homozygous MYBPC3 splice donor variant, c.3330+2T>G, was identified in 9/38 patients (24%), all of whom were of Amish ancestry consistent with the known MYBPC3 founder mutation in this population. Overall mortality was 24%, with the highest death rate in mixed cardiomyopathy (44%) and lowest in isolated LVNC (0%). Homozygous MYBPC3 c.3330+2T>G status had 56% mortality.
Conclusions: Sarcomeric gene mutations are common in infantile onset cardiomyopathies and are associated with a poor prognosis."- Pooja Bhavsar - Analyzing the Associations Between Physical Activity, Amyloid Status, and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biological Sciences | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Annie Cohen
Analyzing the Associations Between Physical Activity, Amyloid Status, and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline, with amyloid deposition serving as a key biomarker. Physical activity is known to improve cognitive functions however, less is known about how amyloid positivity influences this relationship. This study examines the association between physical activity, amyloid status, and cognition.
Data was obtained from the Connectomics in Brain Aging and Dementia (CoBrA), a longitudinal community-based study of older adults. The sample included 270 participants (mean age = 64 years; mean education = 15 years; 49% white; 23% MCI; 63% female) with self-reported physical activity, PET-based amyloid status, and neuropsychological assessments. Physical activity was measured using the CHAMPS questionnaire, and cognition was assessed with multiple neuropsychological tests. ANOVA models examined cognitive differences by physical activity and amyloid status, adjusting for age, education, sex, race, ethnicity, and hip/waist measurements. Interactions between physical activity and amyloid status were also evaluated.
Participants who reported walking for exercise at least once per week (CHAMP26 = yes) demonstrated higher global cognition on the MoCA (p = 0.01) and better visuospatial memory on the Benson Complex Figure-Delay (p < 0.001) than those who did not. Those reporting leisurely walking for exercise or pleasure (CHAMP28 = yes) also showed better visuospatial performance (p = 0.01). No other significant associations were observed. Amyloid status was not associated with cognition and did not modify the relationship to physical activity.
In this sample, brisk walking was associated with better global cognition and visual memory, independent of amyloid status. These findings suggest physical activity may support cognition regardless of amyloid pathology. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify causal relationships over time.- Briana Bindus - Humanity's Mother: Eve and Original Sin as the American Female Archetype
Format: PowerPoint
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: English Literature / Communications: Rhetoric and Communication
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Brenda WhitneyHumanity's Mother: Eve and Original Sin as the American Female Archetype
This research examines the biblical story of creation in Genesis 2-3 and the enduring influence of Eve—both the original sinner and humanity’s mother—on American perceptions of motherhood. In the biblical narrative, Eve’s consequence of pains during childbirth after yielding to the forbidden fruit’s temptation has created a paradigm that frames motherhood as both a punishment and moral burden. This thesis argues that the cultural legacy of Eve’s transgression positions American women as responsible for atonement through childbearing. It further analyzes how deeply embedded Evangelical narratives persist in both literary representations, including The Awakening, The School for Good Mothers, memoirs and contemporary American political debates on reproductive rights. Through close readings of four biblical translations—the King James Version, New International Version, English Standard Version, and New Living Translation—I trace how Eve’s fall and its consequences are characterized, particularly in contrast to the antithetical figure of the Virgin Mary. By connecting biblical archetypes with modern cultural discourse, this thesis shows how religious narratives are ingrained in the American consciousness and continue to affect women’s autonomy.
- Emma Bocquillon - Defining conserved mechanisms of toxicity for glycolytic inhibition
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biochemistry | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Allyson F. O'Donnell
Defining conserved mechanisms of toxicity for glycolytic inhibitionMany studies have demonstrated that cancer cells undergo a metabolic reprogramming known as the Warburg effect, in which cells increase glycolytic flux and favor anaerobic glycolysis even under aerobic conditions. This phenomenon increases cellular reliance on glucose for energy production, making glycolytic inhibitors promising anti-cancer therapeutic agents. Although glycolytic inhibitors have been used in treatments and clinical trials for decades, resistance often develops for reasons that remain unclear.
Our research in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae defined the cytotoxic mechanism and resistance pathway for 2-deoxyglucose (2DG), a toxic analog of glucose. This study investigates whether resistance mechanisms established for 2DG are conserved across other glycolytic inhibitors, including 3PO, 3-BrPA, and PFK158.
Drug sensitivity assays were first performed to evaluate the effects of these inhibitors in yeast strains sensitive or resistant to 2DG. After selecting effective drug concentrations, growth analyses revealed that 3PO and 3-BrPA exhibit mechanisms of action similar to those of 2DG. The localization of the yeast glucose transporter Hxt3, tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP), was also examined following treatment with each inhibitor. Consistent with prior findings, 2DG-resistant mutants stabilized Hxt3 at the plasma membrane, whereas sensitive and wild-type strains rapidly endocytosed the transporter. A similar response was observed in yeast treated with 3PO and 3-BrPA. Further analysis indicates that this response is mediated by α-arrestins. Complementation assays confirmed these findings and identified the α-arrestin Rod1 as a key regulator of Hxt3 endocytosis in response to these inhibitors.
Together, these results demonstrate a conserved mode of resistance among glycolytic inhibitors.
- Sonia Borker, Tanvi Challa, Alaina Buerger, Hruthika Lingutla, and Abigail Obeng - Qualitative study of doulas' perceptions and attitudes toward supporting the mental health of birthing individuals
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biological Sciences | Affiliations with Office of Undergraduate Research, Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Shinnyi Chou
Qualitative study of doulas' perceptions and attitudes toward supporting the mental health of birthing individualsBirthing individuals often experience role-specific stressors and stressors due to other conflicting responsibilities that may impact their mental health. Perinatal doulas – non-medical professionals who provide a bridge between medical providers and the real-world during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum – may be able to serve an important role in caring for birthing individuals’ mental health. However, it is unclear whether doulas are equipped with the knowledge, preparedness, and resources necessary to serve in this capacity. The study aimed to understand the perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge of perinatal doulas on supporting the mental health of birthing individuals.
Doulas within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Birth Circle Doulas program were invited to participate in 60- to 90-minute semi-structured focus group interviews about supporting the mental health of birthing individuals. Interviews were recorded and transcripts were coded using NVivo through an open, iterative process by two researchers. A qualitative description approach was used to perform thematic analysis by reviewing high frequency codes, discussing patterns and categories, and identifying themes.
Two focus group interviews were completed with a total of seven doula participants. The following preliminary themes were identified from the interviews: 1) mental health support is an essential component of caring for the birthing individual; 2) focus is placed on creating spaces for birthing individuals to discuss any concerns, including mental health; 3) brief, informal behavioral interventions often take place during client visits; 4) additional trainings and resources are desired to enhance doulas’ capacities to support the mental health of birthing individuals.
These insights suggest that perinatal doulas may already possess some knowledge regarding ways to support the mental health of birthing individuals, but that additional training and resources are necessary to increase service capacity and achieve practice transformation. Future studies may explore the effectiveness of various trainings and resources for this population.
- Bridget Brinkman, Stella McElwain, Rick Wu, Faith Morrisey, and Farah Hendawy - Coffee Futures and Local Business: A 19 Coffee Company Case Study
School of Computing and Information: Computer Science
Faculty Mentor: Jeffrey WheelerCoffee Futures and Local Business: A 19 Coffee Company Case Study
Coffee roasters typically buy their beans in bulk and commonly utilize futures contracts to purchase their product. We are interested in how futures markets economically benefit local businesses, as opposed to buying coffee beans at spot prices. 19 Coffee Company, our specific case study, is a Pittsburgh-based coffee roaster sourcing from multi-generational farms in South and Central America. We use 19 Coffee as a lens to analyze the pricing dynamics of a local specialty business. By analyzing trends in futures markets compared to green coffee spot prices, we determine which variables affect coffee prices and identify seasonal trends to suggest optimal timing and methods for coffee purchases.
- Claire Brodeur - Social Affect Mediates the Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Suicidal Ideation
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Psychology | Research Program: FEND Lab - Teen SCREEN
Faculty Mentor: Jennifer SilkSocial Affect Mediates the Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Suicidal Ideation
Introduction: Sleep quality is a modifiable, short-term risk factor for suicidal ideation (SI) in adolescence. One possible mechanism for this relationship is that sleep quality impacts positive affect (e.g. happiness) and negative affect (e.g. sadness) in social situations. This mechanism would be especially important for understanding SI risk in adolescence, given the heightened salience of social situations and prevalence of disrupted sleep. The current study explores whether social affect mediates the relationship between past-night sleep quality and next-day SI occurrence in a sample of adolescents assigned female at birth (AFAB) across a spectrum of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Methods: Participants were 134 AFAB individuals, aged 12-17. They completed ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys sent 3 times per day in 3 10-day bursts over 3 months. Morning surveys assessed sleep quality, and all surveys assessed continuous measures of positive and negative affect. Evening surveys assessed past 24-hour SI presence. Analyses were restricted to days where participants were with others.
Results: Covarying for age, day-to-day better sleep quality was indirectly associated with decreased likelihood of SI occurrence via mediation by positive social affect (c’ path=-.0027, p<.05; a path β=.20, p<.001; b path OR=.73, p<.05) and negative social affect (c’ path=-0.0014, p<.01; a path β=-.08, p<.01; b path OR=1.57, p<.001).
Conclusion: Results support a mediating role of social affect in the relationship between sleep quality and short-term SI risk. Findings highlight the importance of sleep as a target for clinical intervention.- Marysia Brown - Listening at a cocktail party: Does our ability to follow one conversation depend on the acoustic and linguistic similarity of other conversations nearby?
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience
Faculty Mentor: Barbara Shinn-CunninghamListening at a cocktail party: Does our ability to follow one conversation depend on the acoustic and linguistic similarity of other conversations nearby?
In cocktail party-type environments, listeners must both identify which acoustic information comes from which talker (auditory segregation) and home in on the source they wish to focus on (auditory selection). Voice differences between sources (e.g., pitch) can facilitate auditory attention, with prior studies assuming that this reflects an influence on auditory segregation specifically. However, many prior studies have used similar speech content between sources, making auditory selection difficult. Here, we asked how the benefit of voice differences for auditory attention may vary based on selection difficulty and how this might influence the neural encoding of speech.
In an electroencephalography (EEG) experiment, young adults with normal hearing were asked to selectively attend to a stream of target syllables and report what they heard. We manipulated whether a spatially separated, temporally offset distractor stream comprised similar syllables (making selection difficult) or digits (making selection easy), as well as whether distractor speech was spoken by the same or a different talker.
Behaviorally, we observed that voice differences only facilitated performance when selection was difficult. Neurally, both voice differences and selection demands influenced electrophysiological responses to target stimuli: Targets were better encoded (specifically, the P1 and N1 components were larger) when the distractors were highly dissimilar, and target encoding suffered when distractors were similar.
When paying attention, listeners try to suppress brain responses to irrelevant, distracting sounds. Our results suggest that when the target and distractors are very similar, attention is less effective, so that brain responses to target sounds are also suppressed.
- Alaina Buerger - Alterations of cortical cannabinoid receptors following delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure in male and female rats
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Shinnyi ChouAlterations of cortical cannabinoid receptors following delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure in male and female rats
Cannabis is the most prevalent recreational drug used globally. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the psychoactive component of cannabis – exerts its effects through the cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1R) within the endocannabinoid system. Although it is known that chronic cannabis use is associated with alterations in cortical CB1R levels, it is unclear whether these alterations demonstrate cell type-specific patterns. The aim of this project is to examine cell type-specific changes in prelimbic cortex CB1R expression following THC exposure in male and female adult rats.
Male and female rats underwent intravenous THC or saline self-administration (n=5 per group) sessions for a period of 20 days. Following the self-administration period, prelimbic cortex tissue samples were collected and processed for immunohistochemistry to compare CB1R fluorescence intensity within excitatory and inhibitory neuron terminals between subject groups.
Based on our preliminary findings, we expect to see reduced CB1R levels within only the inhibitory neuron terminals of rats following THC exposure compared to those exposed to saline self-administration, while CB1R levels within excitatory neuron terminals should remain unchanged. The reduction of CB1R levels within inhibitory neuron terminals may shift the prelimbic cortical local circuitry toward an increased inhibitory tone, potentially contributing to the mechanisms underlying executive function impairments associated with chronic cannabis use.
These findings will increase our insights into the neurobiological effects of cannabis use and inform future research directions for potential therapeutic strategies in cannabis use-related disorders.
- Pratyay Bulusu - Creating patient-centered educational platforms to promote patient self-advocacy: Development of an interactive podcast series for individuals living with advanced cancer
Format: PowerPoint
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Pharmacy | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College | Research Program: Nursing Martinson Applied Project
Faculty Mentor: Teresa Hagan ThomasCreating patient-centered educational platforms to promote patient self-advocacy: Development of an interactive podcast series for individuals living with advanced cancer
Self-advocacy is a critical skill for patients with chronic illness, enabling them to get their needs met in the face of challenge and ensure their care aligns with their personal values and priorities. Due to their heavy disease burden and lack of training in how to manage serious illness, patients often overly rely on clinicians to prescribe them medicines that they know nothing about, and sometimes these medicines have high risks of adverse reactions. In the context of advanced cancer, this is crucial given the complex treatments and medications patients take, and the need for confidence in adhering to recommended treatment guidelines. In my podcast, I will discuss the foundational theoretical work on which patient self-advocacy is defined, including current frameworks that drive patient self-advocacy interventions. Then, I plan to interview patients with advanced cancer who are enrolled in current clinical trials at Pitt’s School of Nursing; in this interview, I plan to either set up a hypothetical game or ask various questions with the intended goal of proving the power of self advocacy through education in a hospital setting. The main goal of my work is to influence patients to educate themselves on the diseases they have to deal with. By doing this, they will be confident in addressing health concerns, striving for patient-centered care, managing their medications, and maximizing their quality of life. My research will consist of the podcast, and other details about my research outside of the podcast that I will explain.
- Eliza Callahan - I’m a Quantum Person (Or Not): Understanding How Identity in Emerging Technologies Shapes Engagement in Informal Spaces
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Computational Biology, French | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Raquel CoelhoI’m a Quantum Person (Or Not): Understanding How Identity in Emerging Technologies Shapes Engagement in Informal Spaces
Students' disciplinary identities are often targeted in early educational interventions. Informal learning spaces, such as summer camps, play a critical role in developing these identities and shaping long-term disciplinary engagement. However, little is known about how the identities students bring upon entry shape their experiences within these contexts. This study examines how learners' identity perceptions shape their participation in an informal learning environment focused on Quantum Information Science (QIS), an emerging field largely absent from K-12 education. Twelve high school students participated in Q-Jam, a QIS summer camp in which they reimagined classical games through quantum mechanics principles and technology applications. Participants completed pre- and post-camp surveys identifying themselves as "a quantum kind of person" or not. Drawing on video data and interviews, this paper examines how students' initial quantum identities inform their participation within the camp. Preliminary findings suggest implications for designing informal learning environments that effectively engage diverse learners in emerging technological fields.
- Ridgeway Case - The β-catenin/Liver X Receptor Axis Regulates Cholesterol Metabolism and Inflammation in Murine Cholestasis
School of Public Health: Public Health
Faculty Mentor: Kari Nejak-BowenThe β-catenin/Liver X Receptor Axis Regulates Cholesterol Metabolism and Inflammation in Murine Cholestasis
Introduction: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) can result in retention of toxic bile acids (BA) within hepatocytes leading to cell death, inflammation, and fibrosis. Lithocholic acid (LCA) is a BA associated with adverse clinical outcomes in PSC; however, studies focusing on therapeutic interventions that target this toxic BA are lacking. We hypothesize that β-catenin, which has been shown to regulate BA homeostasis, may reduce LCA-induced cholestasis.
Methods and Results: Liver-specific β-catenin knockout mice (KO) and wild-type littermates were fed 0.6% LCA supplemented diet for 7 days. KO had a remarkable reduction in bile infarcts and hepatobiliary injury, as shown by histology and serum biochemistry. In the absence of β-catenin, xenobiotic metabolic pathways including pregnane X receptor (PXR) were activated, resulting in decreased serum hydrophobicity in KO. Additionally, loss of β-catenin increased HNF4α occupancy of the oxysterol-activated liver X receptor (LXR) promoter in KO, resulting in the upregulation of downstream targets that regulate cholesterol metabolism and transport in hepatocytes. Conversely, LXR activation also repressed expression of inflammatory genes, such as IL-33 and ST2, which in turn decreased recruitment of disease-exacerbating type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2).
Conclusions: PXR- and LXR-mediated processes such as regulation of BA composition and cholesterol metabolism are enhanced by loss of β-catenin during LCA-induced cholestasis. Additionally, 26 inhibiting β-catenin suppresses the inflammatory response by downregulating the LXR/IL-33/ST2/ILC2 axis. Taken together, these data demonstrate a newly-identified β-catenin-dependent mechanism for attenuating hepatic injury in patients with cholestasis.
- Tanvi Challa and Sonia Borker- Examining cell type-specific cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the postmortem cortex of individuals with schizophrenia and cannabis use
Neuroscience | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Shinnyi ChouExamining cell type-specific cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the postmortem cortex of individuals with schizophrenia and cannabis use
Background: Cannabis use is associated with symptom exacerbations in patients with schizophrenia (SZ), which has led researchers to examine alterations of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1R), the main target of the psychoactive constituent in cannabis (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, THC), in SZ. In particular, examining cell type-specific distributions of CB1R in clinical samples is important for understanding its role in the pathophysiology of SZ and cannabis use. Here, we compare CB1R levels within excitatory and inhibitory neuron terminals in healthy and disease postmortem human brain samples.
Methods: Using immunohistochemistry (IHC), we labeled CB1R, vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (vGlut1), and vesicular GABA transporter (vGAT) proteins in fixed postmortem human prefrontal cortex samples from individuals with SZ with and without and cannabis use, and from individuals without known psychiatric diagnoses. Samples were visualized through confocal microscopy imaging, and antibody fluorescence intensity information was extracted for comparison.
Results: Microscopy images revealed identifiable CB1R immunolabeling within both excitatory (i.e., vGlut1-positive) and inhibitory (i.e., vGAT-positive) neuron terminal populations in all subjects. Comparing fluorescence intensity across groups, we found that CB1R levels were 35.5% higher in excitatory neurons and 14.9% lower in inhibitory neurons in individuals with schizophrenia without cannabis use history compared to unaffected individuals (p<0.001), but these differences were not observed between individuals with schizophrenia with cannabis use history and unaffected individuals.
Conclusions: We demonstrated the feasibility of using multi-label IHC to identify CB1R within excitatory and inhibitory neuron terminals in both healthy and diseased human prefrontal cortex samples. We identified cell type-specific alterations in CB1R levels in individuals with schizophrenia without cannabis use history, which differed from individuals with schizophrenia with cannabis use history. Future replications of the study will increase sample size and power to detect more nuanced differences. These preliminary findings underscore the importance of conducting cell type-specific analyses when considering CB1R as a potential therapeutic target in schizophrenia and cannabis use.
- Katelyn Chen - CD7- CAR-T Cells Display Robust Antitumor Activity [VP1.1]in the Face of Chronic Activation
Format: PowerPoint
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biology, Spanish | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College | Research Program: St. Jude Pediatric Oncology Education Program
Faculty Mentor: Paulina VelasquezCD7- CAR-T Cells Display Robust Antitumor Activity [VP1.1]in the Face of Chronic Activation
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is a promising treatment for relapsed and refractory pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemias (B-ALL and T-ALL). However, challenges such as limited CAR-T cell persistence remain. Our group has identified CD7- T cells as a naturally occurring population that are enriched in responders to CD19-CAR T cell treatment for B-ALL and have demonstrated advantages in antitumor activity when compared to bulk T cell CAR products. To better understand these functional differences, we analyzed the in vitro response to chronic stimulation of CD7- T cells expressing CD19-CAR.
We expressed CD19-CAR on CD7- and bulk T cells isolated from healthy donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We then determined their short and long-term cytotoxic potential and immunophenotype in the presence of B-ALL using a luciferase-based assay and flow cytometric analysis. To determine the long-term antitumor activity, we established a novel assay providing chronic antigen stimulation and performed serial immunophenotypic and functional characterization.
We found that CD7- CAR-T cells retain a high effector phenotype in the face of chronic activation, evidenced by sustained expansion and cytotoxicity. Both CD7- and bulk CAR-T cells displayed robust short-term antitumor activity. When compared to bulk CAR-T cells, CD7- CAR-T cells had a more sustained activation profile in response to antigen-specific chronic stimulation, which may play a role in the improved long-term tumor control seen in this group. In sum, CD7- T cells expressing CD19-CAR have a sustained activation response and antitumor activity and further characterization is warranted.
- Cheng-Kai Chiang - The discovery of metabolic pathways of PPCs by human gut microbiota
College of General Studies: Natural Science | Affiliation with Department of Pharmacy | Research Program: Department of Pharmacy Internship Research Program
Faculty Mentor: Qihao WuThe discovery of metabolic pathways of PPCs by human gut microbiota
Diet derived phenylpropanoid polyamine conjugates (PPCs) are abundant phytochemicals that reach the intestinal lumen. Gut microbes can transform PPCs into structurally distinct metabolites that shape host exposure. We defined the PPC-derived metabolite landscape by comparing germ free mice with mice colonized with human gut microbiota. Using LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics of intestinal contents, we identified microbiome-dependent conversion patterns, including PPC 441 to PPC 417. We also expanded the set of PPC transformation routes by discovering additional microbiome-dependent PPC derivatives enriched in colonized animals. Candidate metabolites were annotated by accurate mass, retention time, and MS/MS spectral matching to our in-house PPC database. A subset was further confirmed by targeted LC-MS/MS analyses using available reference standards from isolation or chemical synthesis. This workflow establishes an atlas of PPC exposure states and high confidence PPC metabolite identities that will guide downstream mechanistic studies of how PPC metabolism shapes host physiology.
- Elizabeth Chiappetta - Helper T Cells Kill Melanoma Tumor Cells After Pre-Activation
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Creg WorkmanHelper T Cells Kill Melanoma Tumor Cells After Pre-Activation
Cancer immunotherapies use the patient's immune system to kill tumors. Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T cell) therapy entails taking bulk T cells from a patient and modifying them to target tumors, making T cells powerful, specific killers. Although CAR-T cell therapy is promising, its efficacy is limited to a subset of patients. CD4+ T cells, also called helper T cells, are often overlooked in their cancer fighting ability in favor of CD8+ (cytotoxic) T cells. Helper T cells are commonly thought of as aides, directing the other cells of the immune system to kill. Notably, effective CAR-T cell therapy is often associated with a higher CD4+ T-cell count, suggesting a role of helper T-cells in successful immunotherapy. To determine the role of CD4+ T-cells in tumor cell killing we ran in-vitro kill assays with murine OT.II CD4+ T cells and B16 OVA tumor cells (melanoma). We determined that murine CD4+ T cells can directly kill B16-OVA cells after T cell stimulation and interferon-gamma pre-treatment at a 20:1 ratio of T cells to tumor cells. We see similar levels of killing at a 1:1 ratio of CD8+ T cells to tumor cells. We found that no killing occurred with naive T cells. Our results provide support for the killing capabilities of CD4+ T cells and offer insight on how CD4+ T cells support tumor removal and patient survival. By empowering CD4+ T cells, we can increase their direct and indirect killing and thereby have more effective immunotherapy.
- Yubin Cho - Cultivating Emotional Intelligence in Nursing: Content and Face Validity of the PAUSE Acronym
School of Nursing: Nursing | Affiliation with Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program
Faculty Mentor: Karen CoyneCultivating Emotional Intelligence in Nursing: Content and Face Validity of the PAUSE Acronym
How can healthcare professionals improve patient care outcomes by intentionally addressing their own values, beliefs, and implicit biases? PAUSE (Pause before the encounter; Assess your own values, beliefs, and biases; Understand the medical condition; See the patient as an individual; and Encounter with empathy) is an acronym developed to promote emotional intelligence (EI) and mitigate implicit bias among healthcare professionals. The use of acronyms in education has been shown to improve learning efficiency and performance, making them a practical tool in clinical education.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the content and face validity of PAUSE as a tool to improve emotional intelligence. Thirteen experts in education, addiction medicine, nursing, social sciences, and psychology evaluated the acronym for necessity, relevancy, clarity, and importance. Experts also assessed the wording of each component and provided feedback when clarification or revision was needed. All components of PAUSE were rated as necessary, relevant, clear, and important.
PAUSE demonstrated both content and face validity. Future research will examine the impact of PAUSE on emotional intelligence, implicit bias, and patient outcomes among healthcare professionals.
- Samuel Cohan and Luca Jacob - Quantification of Baseline Functional Vision in the Macaque Non-Human Primate Model Using In-Cage Training
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Dr. J. Patrick MayoQuantification of Baseline Functional Vision in the Macaque Non-Human Primate Model Using In-Cage Training
Visual restoration is a growing field of research in neuro-ophthalmology, as novel research aims to find methods to rescue visual capacities. The primary issue of the current macaque non-human primate (NHP) model is the measurement of disease effects on functional vision: one’s capacity to extract and interpret visual information from one’s surroundings. Prior research has focused on light transduction of neural retina, anatomical, and physiological changes, but research in functional vision and behavioral response is limited. In conjunction with the Byrne Lab, the Mayo Lab has made substantial progress in finding ways to measure functional vision. Here, we explore the use of a behavioral testing system, an In-Cage Trainer, which can be used in the NHP home enclosure to evaluate baseline functional vision. The In-Cage Trainer consists of a tablet mounted within an aluminum case and a liquid dispenser which gives a juice reward for every correct trial. A trial consists of a correct tap on a stimulus displayed upon the tablet’s screen. Data output is stored within an online database, allowing precise recordings of events such as screen touch time and time between trials. We used a variety of tasks to evaluate reaction times based on stimulus location, opacity, and radius. We demonstrated increased reaction time in response to decreased opacity and radius of the stimulus. Our results depict a promising system to facilitate learning in the macaque NHP model. This behavioral proxy of baseline functional vision provides a basis for downstream evaluation of functional loss of vision.
- Lia Cohen - Characterizing the High Acuity Area During Chick Retinal Development: Focusing on Retinal Ganglion Cells and Displaced Amacrine Cells
Format: PowerPoint
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Susana da Silva and Dr. Vicente ValleCharacterizing the High Acuity Area During Chick Retinal Development: Focusing on Retinal Ganglion Cells and Displaced Amacrine Cells
Vertebrate species that rely heavily on their sharp and detailed vision (such as primates or birds) can attribute this evolutionary adaptation to the high acuity area (HAA) - a highly specialized neuroretina region responsible for both high spatial resolution and color vision. The human fovea, located at the center of the retina, is considered a sophisticated HAA. This region is characterized by unique anatomical features, including the absence of rod photoreceptors and a high cellular density of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) as well as potentially displaced amacrine cells in the ganglion cell layer (GCL).
While peak density of RGCs is a well-established attribute of mature HAAs, little is known about how this cellular specialization is progressively acquired during development. The scarcity of species presenting this visual adaptation, combined with the technical challenges of working with embryonic tissue, has limited developmental studies of the HAA.
The da Silva lab aims to uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating HAA development using the chick embryonic retina. Due to the presence of an HAA and exceptional embryonic accessibility, the chick serves as an excellent model for studying HAA formation. Using immunohistochemistry and reconstruction-based imaging techniques on whole flat–mount embryonic chick retinas and cryo-sectioned heads, my work is focused on characterizing the distribution of the RGC and displaced amacrine cell populations across the retina throughout chick embryonic development, with particular emphasis on evaluating specializations at the HAA.- Kay Costantino - Beyond Stigma: Diverse Motivations for Identity Concealment
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Joel Le ForestierBeyond Stigma: Diverse Motivations for Identity Concealment
Social Scientists often presume that identity concealment (i.e., strategies or behaviors used to prevent an identity from being known) is motivated by hope of avoiding stigma surrounding their identity. However, some may have other goals that motivate their concealment, such as a need for privacy, conformity, belonging, or accessing resources. To study the extent to which these diverse concealment goals motivate identity concealment, we had 727 participants (Mean age = 18.57 years, SD= 1.52; 66% White, 75% Women) complete a survey about an identity they reported needing to conceal (e.g., SES, religion, political ideology, sexual orientation, relationship status, etc.). We assessed their endorsement of multiple concealment goals (i.e., stigma, privacy, conformity, belonging, and accessing resources), their subjective identity concealability (i.e., how much they perceived they could conceal an identity if they wanted to), and the amount they concealed their identity. Using multilevel modeling to account for observations being nested within the identities on which participants were reporting, we examined the relationships of each of these concealment goals, subjective identity concealability, and all the two-way interactions between goals and subjective identity concealability with identity concealment. Building from the Dynamic Identity Concealment Model (Le Forestier & Lewis, 2024), we hypothesized that greater endorsement of each concealment goal would predict greater identity concealment, but would do so most strongly for participants who were higher on subjective identity concealability. We found that higher levels of stigma, privacy motives, preference for conformity, and resource-access goals were related to greater identity concealment, whereas belonging was not. Higher levels of subjective identity concealability were also related to greater concealment. Subjective identity concealability did not significantly moderate the relationships between the concealment goals and concealment behavior. These findings suggest that multiple goals in addition to avoiding stigma may influence an individual’s motivation to conceal their identity.
- Alexandra Crowshaw - H5N1 influenza viral nucleoprotein expression in macaque alveolar macrophages.
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Douglas ReedH5N1 influenza viral nucleoprotein expression in macaque alveolar macrophages.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses can cause lung damage and high mortality in humans. However, the mechanisms that lead to H5N1 mortality in humans are not well understood. We have previously established a nonhuman primate model of lethal H5N1 infection which strongly resembles what has been reported in humans. In that model we saw productive infection of alveolar epithelium. The present study is investigating whether H5N1 can infect alveolar macrophages. To accomplish this, we used immunofluorescence of cryogenically frozen fixed lung sections to detect the alveolar macrophage marker CD206 and influenza nucleoprotein (NP). In both vaccinated and control macaques, we saw a general loss of alveolar macrophages but alveolar macrophages that were found were positive for NP. Future steps will include evaluating whether NP in AM is indicating productive infection and if so whether this contributes to the strong inflammatory response to H5N1 infection.
- Hitesh Davuluri - Identifying Common Patterns in Fibrosis Across Organs Using Interpretable Machine Learning
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Computational Biology
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jishnu DasIdentifying Common Patterns in Fibrosis Across Organs Using Interpretable Machine Learning
Fibrosis is a pathological scarring process that affects hundreds of millions worldwide and contributes to approximately 45% of deaths in developed countries. Progressive fibrosis occurs when normal wound healing fails, leading to excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) buildup, tissue scarring, and organ dysfunction across numerous vital organs - heart, liver, kidney, lung. This process is driven by complex interactions between immune cells, fibroblasts, and profibrotic signaling pathways, compromising organ structure and causing functional impairment. Although underlying causes vary by tissue, ECM-producing myofibroblasts and pathways like TGFβ/SMAD signaling are central drivers. Many studies have described molecular mechanisms of fibrosis within individual tissues, but the extent to which conserved fibrotic programs exist across organs remains understudied. To address this gap, we use interpretable machine learning to compare fibrotic gene expression across various tissues using single-cell and multi-omic data. We combine SLIDE, a machine learning model developed by our group for identifying significant interacting latent factors underlying cellular programs, with single-cell foundation models, such as Geneformer and scGPT. This architecture generates expression-informed gene embeddings and captures high-dimensional representations of fibrotic cellular states. Using these techniques in tandem, we build biologically specific responsibilities and apply optimal transport methods to quantify the degree of sharedness across tissues. This framework improves our understanding of cross-organ fibrosis and enables identification of shared molecular programs not apparent when analyzing tissues individually. Understanding these conserved signatures will inform development of generalizable therapeutic targets for fibrotic disease.
- Lauren Deaton - The Life of Jean Grey
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: English Literature and Media & Professional Relations | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College, Humanities Center
Faculty Mentor: JS WuThe Life of Jean Grey
Originally creating as a project for the Pitt Humanities Center, this work has evolved to become my senior thesis. This project looks at women's representation in comic books by closing examining the character of Jean Grey in "The X-Men". I analyze Jean through the lens of the monster, to assess how women, in particular powerful women, are harmed and villainized in comic books.
- Aden Erlikh - Using Cervical Spine Measures to Track Pubertal Developmental Across Adolescence
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliation with Office of Undergraduate Research | Research Program: Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development (LNCD)
Faculty Mentor: Ashley ParrUsing Cervical Spine Measures to Track Pubertal Developmental Across Adolescence
Adolescence is a dynamic period marked by drastic physical neurological changes that support the transition into adulthood. The onset of puberty is associated with a cascade of dynamic neuroplastic changes. However, existing pubertal measures used in developmental neuroscience are largely subjective and include Tanner Staging and the Peterson Developmental Scale (PDS) which only show moderate agreement with physician-based staging. We aim to test an MRI-based marker of cervical vertebrae development as an accurate, sensitive and scalable marker of puberty maturation. For 151 participants (ages 12-31, 79 female, across 1-3 visits for a total of 316 sessions) we gathered 3T-MRI imaging of the upper cervical vertebrae and developed an in house tool to place markers at the boundaries of C2-C4 that allow for assessments of changes in morphology across adolescence. We next intend to examine how cervical vertebrae morphology changes across age and varies based on biological sex at birth. We demonstrate that morphological changes in cervical vertebrae can be well captured with MRI-based assessment. We will present results linking these changes to age and sex-based variation across adolescence. Our results indicate that MRI-based assessments of the cervical spine may provide a scalable, objective alternative to more subjective pubertal assessments seen elsewhere. Future work will establish a relationship with subjective pubertal measures to find out whether cerebral spine morphology provides a more sensitive measure of pubertal maturation across development.
- Fatima Fall and Yordanos Nash - Tackling Noma Disease: Preventive Measures and Educational Outreach
Format: PowerPoint
School of Nursing: Nursing | Affiliation with Kessler Scholars
Faculty Mentor: Abi FapohundaTackling Noma Disease: Preventive Measures and Educational Outreach
Noma is a neglected disease that begins in the oral cavity and progresses into a disfiguring facial disease. Approximately 90% of cases result in mortality within two weeks, and survivors often confront discrimination, isolation, and social marginalization. Advances in public health medicine have enabled high-income countries to reduce the prevalence and risk of this disease. Yet, Noma currently impacts impoverished children in Africa, stretching from Senegal to Ethiopia. This research aims to increase awareness of Noma by evaluating current prevention strategies and the effectiveness of educational interventions. We reviewed peer-reviewed articles and case studies using PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases from the past decade. The findings reveal a direct correlation between malnutrition and Noma risk in children, with about 92.1% of cases occurring in those aged ten and younger. Poor oral hygiene increases infection rates, and 93% of cases are classified as mild gingivitis. Prevention can be effectively achieved through enhanced oral hygiene practices, improved nutritional intake, and appropriate medical interventions. Nevertheless, the African Noma belt is confronted with one of the most significant disparities in global health. Implementing widespread educational initiatives and outreach programs could provide substantial benefits.
- Carlo Gambotto - Dynamics of Paraspeckle Components in Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1)-Infected Human Neuronal Cells.
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Leonardo D'AiutoDynamics of Paraspeckle Components in Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1)-Infected Human Neuronal Cells.
Paraspeckles are subnuclear ribonucleoprotein bodies indispensable for host stress responses, including those triggered by viral infections. In vitro studies using non-neuronal cells have shown the involvement of specific paraspeckle components in facilitating the replication of certain viruses, including Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1), but these processes have not been investigated in human neuronal cells, which represent the host natural environment of the virus.
We employed human neural precursor cells (NPCs), neurons, and brain organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to investigate the hitherto unexplored dynamics of paraspeckle components in HSV-1-infected human neuronal cells.
Our results reveal cell-type-specific differences in the expression of paraspeckle genes in response to HSV-1 infection. Unlike other viruses, HSV-1 orchestrates a previously undocumented redistribution of paraspeckle proteins and their accumulation in the in viral replication compartments (VRCs). Critically, the expression of the paraspeckle proteins NONO and SFPQ correlate with HSV-1 permissiveness in human neuronal cells and may be required to establish a nuclear environment favoring viral transcription/replication. This enhances our understanding of how stress-response pathways in cells can be exploited by viruses in a cell-type-specific manner.
- Jennifer Genell - Neuroendocrine-immune Responses to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in the Context of Chronic Stress and Sex in Mice
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amy WagnerNeuroendocrine-immune Responses to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in the Context of Chronic Stress and Sex in Mice
Title: Neuroendocrine-immune Responses to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in the Context of Chronic Stress and Sex in Mice
Authors: Jennifer A. Genell1,2,3, Ashley L. Russell1,2, Julie A. Scott1,2, Lara Nasser1,3, Devin J. Henry1,2,4, Camden J. Sheehan1,2, Patrick M. Kochanek1,2,5, Amy K. Wagner1,2,3,6
Affiliations: 1Dept of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 2Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, 3Dept of Neuroscience, 4Dept of Immunology, 5Dept of Critical Care Medicine, 6Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh
Introduction: Chronic stress and traumatic brain injury (TBI) disrupt neuroendocrine and immune system allostasis, which contributes to allostatic burden and results in psychological health (PH) disorders such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Limbic communication with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) regulates the neuroendocrine stress response. Interleukin (IL)-6 is a stress-inducible cytokine that can modulate the HPA axis and neuroinflammatory responses. Given the integration and responsiveness of the neuroendocrine and immune systems, we aim to assess how TBI and cumulative stress impact HPA-IL-6 family markers in a sex-specific manner.
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that TBI and chronic variable stress (CVS) will synergistically worsen TBI outcomes across sexes by disrupting neuroinflammatory (IL-6) and neuroendocrine (HPA) responses.
Methods: Adult male and female mice (N=96/sex) were randomized into four groups: 1) sham, 2) CVS+sham, 3) TBI, 4) CVS+TBI. An additional cohort assessed CVS acute effect (n=8 no CVS, n=8 CVS). 2-weeks of CVS with 2X/day stressors (physical and psychological) preceded controlled cortical impact (CCI), 6.0±0.2 m/s, 2mm depth, 50-60ms duration) or sham surgery. 23 days post-injury (dpi), serum and tissue were collected to analyze multiple primary outcomes 1) HPA-IL-6 biomarker expression (n=9/group), 2) spleen immune cell characterization (n=6/group), 3) PH-associated limbic structure activation (n=9/group). ELISA measured plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels. MesoScale Discovery multiplex assays quantified IL-6 biomarkers in brain and plasma. Flow cytometry characterized spleen immune cell phenotypes. Immunohistochemistry assessed limbic activation in cFos+ cells. Data was analyzed for males and females using a two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s multiple comparisons.
Results: Acutely, CVS increased plasma CORT in both sexes, indicating endocrine disruption. 23dpi CCI females showed no CORT effect while males had decreased CORT, suggesting an impaired endocrine response. CCI males and females presented increased brain IL-6 levels (p<0.05). Soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) was increased in both males (p<0.05) and females (p<0.05) post-TBI. The sILR-6 increase was a ubiquitous injury effect while increased IL-6 is attributable to injury and stress for females only. Peripherally, CCI yielded decreased plasma IL-6 23dpi in males and increased levels in females while sIL-6R went unaffected. CCI upregulated IL-6 relevant cytokines IL-33, IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-1a, MIP-2, IL-1β, TNF-α, and KC/GRO in both sexes. Flow cytometry yielded no significant data in females 23dpi while CCI+CVS males exhibited elevated spleen IL-6R (p<0.05). However, modest effects suggest testing occurred outside the optimal peripheral immune response detection window. Ongoing work is measuring stress-induced cFos immunoreactivity in limbic structures as a proxy of neural activation.
Conclusions: Overall, we identified sex-specific neuroendocrine-immune responses to TBI. Decreased plasma CORT indicate a suppressed endocrine response for CCI males, which may translate to poorer TBI outcomes. Moreover, CCI increased brain IL-6, sIL-6R and relevant cytokines across sexes, evincing increased neuroinflammation. Although the acute CVS effects demonstrate neuroendocrine disruption, the lasting CVS response is slight with CCI surpassing the stress response. HPA-IL-6 dysregulation may be linked to PH detriment. Additional work will explore neurobehavioral phenotypes and components of the neuroendocrine-immune system to therapeutically target after TBI.
Significance: Because sex and stress effects on TBI outcomes are largely nebulous, there is essential knowledge found within neuroendocrine-immune markers and their association with PH disorders.
Funding: DoD (Award Number: W81XWH-22-2-0056) from the DoD CDMRP
- Sai Ghatti - Exploring the effect of GEMIN5 mutants on non-neurological tissues
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Udai PandeyExploring the effect of GEMIN5 mutants on non-neurological tissues
GEMIN5 is a multifunctional RNA-binding protein crucial for the assembly of the survival motor neuron (SMN) protein complex and the formation of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs), essential components of spliceosomes. In a previous study, we identified families presenting with developmental delay, hypotonia, and cerebellar ataxia, all harboring biallelic variants in the GEMIN5 gene. We found that mutations in GEMIN5 adversely affect the subcellular distribution, stability, and expression of both GEMIN5 and SMN complex proteins in patient-derived iPSC neurons, indicative of a loss-of-function mechanism. Furthermore, GEMIN5 mutations decrease snRNP complex assembly, which compromises RNA splicing. To understand the molecular changes and underlying mechanisms associated with GEMIN5 mutations, we used an inducible transgenic mouse model expressing mutant GEMIN5 under a UBC-Cre/LoxP. We found that Tamoxifen-induced, UBC-Cre GEMIN5 mutant mice then recapitulates key clinical features of disease including ataxia and developmental delay. GEMIN5 is a ubiquitously expressed protein, and its role in non-neurological tissues has not been studied yet. In this study, we are going to explore the effects of GEMIN5 mutations on the function of non-neurological tissues/organs. We isolated tissues from the spine, liver, lungs, kidneys, spleen, heart, and testis from mice showing ataxic phenotypes. By using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, we want to evaluate changes in expression of GEMIN5 and SMN protein levels in non-neurological tissues as compared to controls. This study will help in understanding the selective threat of GEMIN5 mutations on neurological compared to non-neurological tissues.
- Kyr Goyette - FND Borderlands: Inhabiting Worlds “Betwixt and Between” Neurology and Psychiatry
Format: PowerPoint
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Anthropology & History and Philosophy of Science | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College | Research Program: Research supported by Humanities Center Undergraduate Fellowship, Spring/Fall 2025
Faculty Mentors: Carla Nappi, Laura Matthews, Tomas MatzaFND Borderlands: Inhabiting Worlds “Betwixt and Between” Neurology and Psychiatry
The goal of this project is to convey how philosophical distinctions between neurological and psychiatric diseases have profound, and often negative, impacts on individuals diagnosed with functional neurological disorder. To demonstrate this, I provide a history of the diagnosis and how it is connected to the history of the philosophical divide between neurology and psychiatry. Then, I develop the concept of borderlands–contested spaces whose occupants are not granted full belonging or visibility in either of the realms between which they sit. With this idea in mind, I conduct a discourse analysis of conversations that occur in online FND communities to articulate the contested, liminal, and precarious clinical space which functional neurological disorder occupies. Finally, I discuss case studies from ethnographic interviews with individuals diagnosed with FND in relation to anthropologist Jean Jackson’s writings on the incommunicability of pain and philosopher Miranda Fricker’s concept of epistemic injustice. This analysis aims to connect the philosophical distinctions between neurology and psychiatry to lived experiences and emphasize the role of medical education and slow-to-change diagnostic systems in this process.
- Cooper Gray, Kyle Mo, Sean Maloney, and Yuvaraj Elangovan - Cosmic Ray Tracker Experiment for Education and Outreach
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Physics / Mathematics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Pranava Teja SurukuchiCosmic Ray Tracker Experiment for Education and Outreach
Pitt-CoRTEx (Cosmic Ray Tracker Experiment) is a self-contained, modular cosmic ray (muon) detector designed for outreach and educational experiences. The detector consists of multiple plastic scintillator bars arranged in a 3D grid. As muons pass through the detectors, their path is visualized. Efficient, low-power electronics allow these processes to run in real time on portable hardware including a Raspberry Pi 4, requiring no specialized power infrastructure and drawing little enough power to operate off a battery bank for extended periods. This, combined with the detector's modularity allows it to be easily transported, opening up more opportunities for outreach and experiments. Each event is visualized in real time with an LED matrix for displaying tracks in 3D space. The current 3×3×3 detector serves as a prototype for our upcoming 8×8×8 detector, which will feature better spatial resolution, built-in LEDs for visualization, and improved electronics and software for greater accuracy. This presentation will give an overview of the construction of the 3×3×3 detector and the ongoing development of the 8×8×8 detector.
- Joaquin Grijalva - Buckle Up: Driving Performance Comparison between Individuals with and without Concussion
School of Education: Exercise Science | Affiliation with Office of Undergraduate Research | Research Program: Concussion Research Lab
Faculty Mentor: Aaron ZyndaBUCKLE UP: DRIVING PERFORMANCE COMPARISON BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS WITH AND WITHOUT CONCUSSION
Concussions are characterized by a variety of symptoms (e.g., headache, dizziness) and functional impairments (e.g., neurocognitive, vestibular/ocular). These symptoms and impairments can impact driving and cause reduced vehicle control. Prior research has demonstrated that after a concussion, drivers have slowed reaction time and impairment in dual tasking, compared to controls. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare patients within 30 days of concussion with healthy matched controls across a wide range of driving performance metrics during race simulations. This was a prospective cohort study of participants aged 16-40 years diagnosed with a concussion within 4-30 days. Participants were age- and sex-matched to healthy controls, recruited from the Pitt+Me online research registry. Participants completed multidomain concussion measures (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Concussion Clinical Profile Screen, Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening), orthostatic measures (heart rate, blood pressure), and an action videogame use survey. A total of 45 participants were enrolled, 24 diagnosed with a concussion (mean age=25.2±5.7; 49.8% female) and 21 healthy controls (mean age=27.1±5.5; 42.9% female). A greater proportion of participants with a concussion were Black (20.8% vs. 0%) and had a history of migraine. The control group had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures before testing than the concussion group. The findings from the racing simulator show no significant differences in driving performance between participants in the concussion and control groups, except that controls spent more total time completing their laps. Given that there were no notable differences between concussions and controls, these results suggest that driving-based performance metrics from a race simulator may not be useful for concussion detection. Alternatively, the findings may support the idea that individuals can reengage in their typical daily activities, such as driving, without significant barriers or safety concerns. However, future research with a larger sample size is warranted before definitive conclusions can be drawn.
REFERENCES
1. Patricios JS, et al. Br J Sports Med. 2023;57(11):695-711
2. Schmidt JD, et al. J Neurotrauma. 2018;35(20):2418-2424
3. Lempke L, et al. J Sport Health Sci. 2020;10(2):145-153.
4. Dumphy, et al. 2017. Int Soc Biomech Sports. 2017;35(1):166.- Ethan Guan - How Mood Symptoms Relate to Psychosocial Functioning in Bipolar Disorder in Adolescence
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Psychology + Economics | Affiliation with Office of Undergraduate Research
Faculty Mentor: Danella HafemanHow Mood Symptoms Relate to Psychosocial Functioning in Bipolar Disorder in Adolescence
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic psychiatric disorder marked by recurrent depressive and manic or hypomanic episodes, often beginning in adolescence and contributing to long-term psychosocial impairment. Prior research shows psychosocial impairment occurs in both youth and adults with bipolar disorder. Youth with BD frequently experience interpersonal and school functioning difficulties, even after symptom remission. Mood symptoms may both result from and worsen psychosocial stressors. This study examines whether current mood symptoms are correlated with psychosocial functioning. We hypothesized a negative correlation between current mood symptoms and psychosocial functioning. Participants were drawn from the Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth (COBY) study, which includes 446 youth aged 7 to 17 years with bipolar spectrum disorders. Mood symptoms were assessed with the KMRS and KDRS, and psychosocial functioning was measured with the SAS-SR. Correlation analyses showed significant negative associations between mood symptom severity and psychosocial functioning. Manic symptoms were modestly associated with poorer functioning in students, social functioning, family functioning, and total functioning (r = −0.17 to -0.29, all p < 0.001). Depressive symptoms showed stronger associations (r = −0.33 to −0.45, all p <0.001). Overall, higher mood symptom severity was associated with poorer psychosocial functioning, with depressive symptoms showing larger effect sizes. Current findings support a significant negative association between mood symptom severity and psychosocial functioning in youth with bipolar disorder. Depressive symptoms showed stronger relationships with functional impairment than manic symptoms. These results highlight the importance of monitoring mood symptoms to understand functional outcomes and inform early intervention strategies.
- Jacob Harris - Investigating the Cellular Actions of BPC-157 on Skeletal Muscle Precursor Cells In Vitro
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Rehabilitation Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Bridget DeasyInvestigating the Cellular Actions of BPC-157 on Skeletal Muscle Precursor Cells In Vitro
BPC-157 is a synthetic pentadecapeptide (15 amino acids) originally isolated from a partial sequence of a protein found in human gastric juice. It has attracted attention for its regenerative and cytoprotective actions in multiple tissues, particularly within the musculoskeletal system. BPC-157 is not approved by the FDA for human use and is listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as a prohibited substance in competitive sports. Numerous preclinical studies show that BPC-157 accelerates repair of injured skeletal muscle, tendon, ligament, and bone, while exhibiting protective effects on vascular endothelium and peripheral nerves. These effects have been attributed to activation of VEGFR2, stimulation of the Akt–eNOS axis, upregulation of growth hormone receptor (GHR), and activation of ERK1/2 signaling. Despite extensive preclinical data, there is a striking lack of direct evidence describing how BPC-157 influences skeletal muscle cells themselves. In this study, murine muscle precursor (myoblast) cells were cultured under standard growth conditions and treated with BPC-157 at 0.1 µM or 1 µM for 48 hours; untreated cells served as negative controls. Cell proliferation was assessed using a colorimetric metabolic assay reflecting mitochondrial activity, and microscopic examination evaluated morphological features associated with proliferation and early myogenic differentiation. Parallel wells were inspected for cytotoxicity. Treatment with BPC-157 resulted in a statistically significant increase in muscle cell proliferation compared with untreated controls at both concentrations (p < 0.05). The proliferative response was concentration-dependent, with the 1 µM condition producing the highest increase. Cells maintained normal morphology and showed no evidence of cytotoxicity. Preliminary analysis shows enhanced early myogenic activation and in vitro myotube formation. These findings provide direct evidence that BPC-157 stimulates skeletal muscle cell proliferation in vitro and support a cell-autonomous effect on myoblasts.
- Lauryn Hawkins and Sarah Poravanthattil - Gender Differentiating Progress in Peripheral Neuropathy Patients
School of Education: Exercise Science | Research Program: MSPO (Walkasins study)
Faculty Mentor: Goeran FiedlerGender Differentiating Progress in Peripheral Neuropathy Patients
Background: Walkasins is a prosthetic device that is used to replace nerve function in peripheral neuropathy patients. It is assumed to help with balance issues thus reducing fall risk. However, there is little research on how gender differentiates progress while using the devices.
Purpose: To uncover whether gender significantly enhances or minimizes progress using Walkasins and what that could be attributed to.
Methods: A group of 40 individuals who met the inclusion criteria (demographics, PN diagnosis, etc.) were asked to take part in a baseline visit with verbal surveys, sensory screenings, and functional outcome measures. The results of the screenings will be compared between men and women to uncover any significant differences.
Statistical analysis: Multiple graphs will be made comparing the results from the outcome measures between the men and women during the baseline visit. Preliminary analysis will be conducted using dry run data.
Expected outcomes: Whichever gender has a higher self-efficacy will do better in the functional measures. In previous studies women have had higher self-efficacy in verbal tasks (Palomo-Osuna J et al.), therefore, performing better through those than men have.
Preliminary results: A graph will be presented that shows the first dry run to the last. Each time a baseline visit was conducted, the time it took to complete grew shorter as comfort levels with the tasks at hand grew stronger. As self-efficacy improved as did success. This same trend is expected to be seen in participants.
- Joseph Inzano - Effects of Extracellular Matrix-Derived Bioscaffolds and Betacellulin on Subventricular Zone Cell Subtypes After Ischemic Stroke
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Research Program: Neuroscience
Faculty Mentor: Michel Modo
Effects of Extracellular Matrix-Derived Bioscaffolds and Betacellulin on Subventricular Zone Cell Subtypes After Ischemic Stroke
Ischemic stroke results in substantial neuronal loss and long-term functional deficits, in part due to the limited regenerative capacity of the adult central nervous system. Although the subventricular zone (SVZ) retains neural stem and progenitor cells capable of responding to injury, endogenous repair following stroke is insufficient for meaningful tissue restoration. Extracellular matrix (ECM) derived bioscaffolds have emerged as a strategy to recreate a permissive microenvironment within the stroke cavity, supporting cellular infiltration and structural organization. However, ECM implantation alone yields limited recruitment of endogenous cells. Growth factors such as betacellulin (BTC), a member of the epidermal growth factor family, promote neural stem cell proliferation and progenitor expansion through epidermal growth factor receptor signalling and may enhance regenerative responses when combined with biomaterials. This study investigates the effects of combined ECM and BTC treatment on SVZ cell subtype distributions and proliferative activity following ischemic stroke. Using rodent transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) models, the SVZ cell populations including Type A neuroblasts, Type B1 and B2 neural stem cells, and Type C transient amplifying cells, were identified and quantified through histological staining and fluorescence microscopy. Animals receiving ECM with BTC were compared to control groups lacking BTC and/or ECM. We hypothesized that combined treatment would enhance progenitor proliferation and alter SVZ lineage dynamics, increasing cellular infiltration into the stroke cavity. These findings aim to clarify how biomaterial-based growth factor delivery strategies modulate endogenous repair mechanisms after stroke.- Josephine Isenberg - Altered Social Behavior and Paralaminar Amygdala Development Following Early Life Stress in Mice
Format: PowerPoint
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Shawn SorrellsAltered Social Behavior and Paralaminar Amygdala Development Following Early Life Stress in Mice
The amygdala is a brain region important for social and emotional learning which undergoes significant maturation during adolescence. This stage is important for development and refinement of social behaviors and is vulnerable to environmental stressors. Mouse amygdala neurons mature primarily during adolescent ages, but the relationship of early-life stressors to the formation and maturation of social circuits in the amygdala is not well understood. We hypothesize early-life stressors lead to alterations in social behavior as well as amygdala development. To test this hypothesis, we induced stressors known to mimic fragmented parental care during early-life. We recorded thirty-minute videos of mice in an open field test with a littermate weekly from postnatal day 14 to 60 and used software to quantify their interactions compared to an unstressed control group. We also compared indicators of neuronal maturation in the amygdala between control and stressed mice. Our behavioral analysis showed that the number of interactions between mice increased significantly with age regardless of condition, but was lower in older mice who experienced early-life stress. This altered social behavior correlates with results from immunohistochemistry, which show that the amygdala of stressed mice retains more markers of immaturity than control mice across all studied ages. These data suggest that the mice that experienced early-life stress interact differently in social contexts than the control mice and that the amygdala matures more slowly in stressed mice. It is therefore possible that aberrant social behaviors observed in neuropsychiatric disorders may be impacted by neural development of the amygdala.
- Vincent Jackson - Seasonal and Demographic Variation in Physical Activity Among Rural Adults at Elevated Cancer Risk
School of Education: Exercise Science | Research Program UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Faculty Mentor: Samantha Werts-PelterSeasonal and Demographic Variation in Physical Activity Among Rural Adults at Elevated Cancer Risk
Prior research indicates that rural adults experience higher cancer risk and lower physical activity levels (a known modifiable risk factor) than urban populations. However, seasonal variation in physical activity has not been extensively studied in rural communities.
This exploratory analysis compares Fitbit daily step data across the 4 meteorological seasons from intervention participants in the PA Moves trial, a group randomized controlled trial testing the effect of a telephone behavioral intervention on physical activity among rural adults. Step data were filtered to include only days with ≥ 600 minutes of wear time. The final sample included 7873 days from 91 participants. Daily step count was averaged across each season and compared using one-way ANOVA by age, sex, rurality, BMI, and diabetes status.
The final sample had a mean age of 48.0±14.8 years and BMI of 37.4±7.9 kg/m2. Participants averaged 6668 steps/day. Average daily steps by season were spring (7504), summer (7298), fall (6771), and winter (6730; p=0.59). Adults ≤ 45 showed higher average daily steps than adults > 45 years (7504 vs 6096; p=0.02), with the largest difference in summer (9408 vs 6245; p<0.001). Those with a diabetes diagnosis had a lower average step count in spring than those without (6110 vs 8700; p=0.03). There were negative associations between daily steps and both age (β=-50.57; p=0.012) and BMI (β=-96.15; p=0.011). No differences were observed by sex or rurality.
Rural adults exhibit seasonal variations in physical activity. Older adults and those with a higher BMI show lower activity levels across seasons. Given that each 1000-step/day increase is associated with lower all-cause mortality, tailoring interventions to seasonal and demographic patterns of rural adults may benefit long-term health.
- Finn Jensen, Gabrielle Ruble, Alaina Welser, Aidan Van’t Hof, and Shreeya Soma - Hydroponically Grown Mycelium
Swanson School of Engineering: Mechanical Engineering | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College | Research Program: Martinson Applied Projects
Faculty Mentor: Joaquin Alonso RodriguezHydroponically Grown Mycelium
Hydroponic mushroom cultivation presents a promising pathway toward sustainable, space-efficient fungal production; however, currently standardized systems for hydroponically growing mycelium remain underdeveloped. This research project aims to design a fully sustainable hydroponic mushroom system. The proposed design functions similarly to a hydroponic seedling station, requiring only water and nutrient inputs. The initial phase of the project focuses on cultivating mycelium on agar plates under controlled laboratory conditions and quantitatively measuring growth rates. To do this, we will explore image-based analysis, biomass estimation, and dry-weight protocol methods. These methods enable precise tracking of radial expansion, biomass accumulation, and nutrient consumption during early mycelial development. After successful agar colonization, mycelium will be transferred to sterilized rockwool. Long-term objectives include building a fruiting mycelium hydroponic system. Additionally, this project is inspired by emerging research on mycelial interactions with plants, including shifts in microbiome composition, altered nutrient exchange dynamics, and electrical signaling capabilities. Understanding these interactions may inform future systems that combine mycelium hydroponic systems with plant-based systems. Overall, this study seeks to establish a scalable and data-driven foundation for hydroponic fungal cultivation.
- Nandita Kalyan - Identifying Immune Regulatory Drivers in Cardiac Disease Recovery
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Computational Biology | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jishnu DasIdentifying Immune Regulatory Drivers in Cardiac Disease Recovery
High-dimensional, multiomic datasets capture matched regulatory readouts, such as chromatin accessibility and transcriptomic gene expression, from individual patient cells, revealing coordinated gene regulatory patterns underlying disease phenotypes. However, obtaining biologically interpretable insights remains challenging due to multimodalities, multicollinearities, and feature sparsity. Significant Latent-Factor Interaction Discovery and Exploration (SLIDE) presents a novel machine-learning framework that identifies interacting latent factors (LFs) that drive biological outcomes from high-dimensional multiomic data. To evaluate its scientific relevance, I applied SLIDE on transcriptomic data derived from healthy, acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) patients, performing three pairwise comparisons on each phenotype to characterize the innate recovery processes distinguishing each cardiac disorder. I constructed and cross-validated SLIDE models that robustly delineate the disease states, identifying standalone and interacting genes that define each condition. To further validate these SLIDE genes, I integrated another machine learning method, CellOracle, to construct a gene regulatory network for each comparison and calculated the significantly enriched genes within the SLIDE LFs, highlighting distinct regulatory players overrepresented in STEMI and CAD, respectively. These findings establish SLIDE as a robust and interpretable tool for uncovering outcome-specific biological insights, successfully identifying regulatory programs relevant to cardiac recovery in STEMI and CAD.
- Sophia Kasner and Jess Poillucci - Synthesis of Novel Polyamines With Antibiotic Potential Against Methicillin-Resistant Bacterial Strains
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Chemistry | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Paul FloreancigSynthesis of Novel Polyamines With Antibiotic Potential Against Methicillin-Resistant Bacterial Strains
Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is a deadly soft-tissue infection that poses a significant health threat. Naturally occurring polyamines show toxicity against most MRSA strains with the exception of USA300 strains, which have a gene that codes for an acetyl-transferase (SpeG), which confers resistance through an unknown mechanism. A small library of non-naturally occurring polyamines were screened for toxicity against the USA300 resistant strains. It was found that polyamines that terminated in aminohexyl groups and tertiary tetramines demonstrated toxicity towards USA300 strains.
The goal of this project was to establish an efficient synthetic route for non-canonical polyamines with enhanced bactericidal characteristics. A five-step route was generated to extend hexamethylenetriamine by one aminohexyl group. A commercially available and inexpensive hexanediol was used as the starting material. A seven-step route was developed to access a trihexyl tetramine from methyl 6-hydroxyhexanoate.
These two novel products will be tested for anti-MRSA activity and therapeutic viability.
- Jahnavi Kotapati - The Role of Insulin Signaling in Amphetamine Response in Drosophila melanogaster
School of Public Health: Public Health | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Zachary Freyberg MD, PhDThe Role of Insulin Signaling in Amphetamine Response in Drosophila melanogaster
The dopamine transporter (DAT) regulates the concentration of dopamine (DA) in the synapse by transporting DA back into the presynaptic terminal. Amphetamine (AMPH) is one of the most commonly used and abused psychostimulants today. AMPH acts on the DAT and causes it to reverse transport (efflux) DA, therefore increasing extracellular DA levels. Insulin signaling and its downstream activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway has been heavily studied. However, insulin and its associated signaling is poorly understood within the context of DAT and AMPH’s mechanism of action. There are studies that demonstrate how insulin and subsequent Akt activation can modulate DAT surface expression, thus altering dopaminergic neurotransmission. We wish to expand upon these studies to examine the effects of insulin and Akt/mTOR in the context of AMPH-induced DA release and associated behaviors. Here, I have utilized a two-choice preference assay to determine the contribution of specific insulin related signaling pathways and their effects on AMPH response. The DA system is a highly conserved system across species, including Drosophila. Given its genetic tractability, short life cycle, and inexpensive upkeep, Drosophila was chosen as the model organism for this study. AMPH has addictive properties and can drive preferential consumption across species, from Drosophila to humans. My work shows, for the first time, that perturbing insulin-related signaling pathways in DA neurons in flies can disrupt AMPH-induced behaviors, ranging from locomotion to AMPH preference.
- Aditi Kowta - Tumor Control after Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Meningiomas
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College | Research Program: Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Lab - UPMC Presbyterian
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chris WeiTumor Control after Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Meningiomas
Meningiomas account for approximately 36% of all primary brain tumors. Leksell Gamma Knife provides an effective treatment for patients with intracranial meningiomas by targeting tumors and minimizing peripheral cell damage. We evaluate the connection between radiologic dosing and post-SRS outcomes. We reviewed outcomes of 56 patients (41 female, 73.2%) who underwent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment from 2022-2024. Median age of patients was 68 years (32-85 years). Median follow-up time was 16.4 months (0-40 months). Median WHO grade was 1 (range 1-3), ki-67 was 7% (range 2-46%). The median Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) score before SRS was 80 (range 60-90). Presenting symptoms included headaches (22 patients, 39.3%), seizure (11 patients, 19.6%), gait dysfunction (17 patients, 30.4%), motor deficits (2 patients, 3.6%), sensory dysfunction (32 patients, 57.1%), and cranial nerve palsies (5 patients, 8.9%). Thirty-one (55.4%) patients underwent pre-SRS surgical resection. Median prescribed margin dose was 13 Gy (range: 11-40). The median cumulative tumor volume was 1.75 cc (range: 0.02-13.35) while the median 12Gy volume was 2.96 cc (range: 0.04-31.0 cc). Overall, 8 patients (14.3.%) experienced local tumor progression at their last follow-up with the median timespan between SRS and local tumor progression of 14 months (range: 5-44). None of the patients had any distant tumor progression. Three patients (5.5%) required repeat-SRS treatment due to local tumor progression. Adverse radiation effects, as edema was seen in 1 patient (1.8%) which was treated with surgery and steroids. Three patients (7.1%) had improved neurological function, and 41 patients (92.9%) had no change in neurological function. Median KPS at last follow up was 80 (range: 50-100). SRS demonstrated favorable outcomes with low associated morbidity, low rate of progression and minimal toxicity suggesting that current dosing strategies remain effective and well-tolerated in meningioma management.
- Kelly Kurtzweil and Lisa-Sophia Kachalova - Labeling Sustainability: The Impact of Eco-Labels on Consumer Willingness to Pay
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biological Science
Labeling Sustainability: The Impact of Eco-Labels on Consumer Willingness to Pay
Eco-labels are a type of branding used to encourage consumers to purchase products that are made more sustainably. This study investigates the impact of eco-labels on consumer purchasing behavior, and more specifically, how they change a consumer’s willingness to pay for a sustainably produced product. A sample of 194 college students was randomly divided into four treatment groups: control (no eco-label), government-issued eco-label, self-applied eco-label, and a numeric eco-label. Participants were then asked about their willingness to pay. Results showed that the differences in the average willingness to pay for each treatment group were not statistically significant. These findings suggest that neither the presence of an eco-label nor the type of eco-label significantly influences consumer willingness to pay in college students.
- Pari Lakhia - Associations Between Self-Reported Psychopathology and Task-Based Measures of Executive Functioning
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience and Psychology | Affiliation with Office of Undergraduate Research, Directed Research
Faculty Mentor: Danella HafemanAssociations Between Self-Reported Psychopathology and Task-Based Measures of Executive Functioning
Introduction: Working memory, commonly measured by the OSPAN, is a task-based measure of executive function that can be impacted by psychopathologies like depression, ADHD, and mood lability, often measured by self-report. Depression, ADHD, and mood lability have been seen to reduce working memory, but limited research has investigated these relationships for adolescents at family risk for bipolar disorder.
Using baseline data, we hypothesized that ADHD, depression, and mood lability symptoms, measured by self-report are negatively correlated with working memory.Methods: Participants included 91 11–14-year-olds at family risk for bipolar disorder from the BEAM2 study. Measures assessing depression (Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire; SMFQ) were completed by adolescents, ADHD (ADHD Rating Scale-IV) by parents, and mood lability (Children Affective Lability Scale; CALS) by both adolescents and parents. Working memory was assessed with by OSPAN total recall score. Linear regression analyses were used to assess relationships between OSAPN scores and self-report outcomes.
Results: When controlling for age and sex at birth, depression (β = 0.10, p = .391), ADHD (β = −0.08, p = .111), and mood lability (parent β = −0.06, p = .203, child β = 0.05, p = .249) were not significant predictors of working memory. Age was a significant positive predictor for OSPAN performance across CALS completed by the child (β = 0.05, p = .249) and the parents (β = 1.340, p = .037), but not depression (β = 1.26, p = .051) or ADHD (β = 1.138, p = .078). Sex at birth had no significant effect on OSPAN scores across self-report survey scores. Working memory had no significant correlation with depression (p= 0.3737) or mood lability reported by both child (p= 0.3373) or parent (p= 0.2178). ADHD scores showed small negative correlations with OSPAN score (R= -0.1907738, p= 0.07008).
Conclusion: Depression and mood lability scores were not significantly associated with or predictors of working memory. ADHD scores showed small negative trends, but were not a predictor of working memory. Age was a positive predictor, but only for mood lability.- Hailey Latona, Elijah Volcsko, Kalinda Wagner, Emily Shen, Juli Murphy, and Alina Milan - The Anchor Behind the Plate: Quantifying the Effects of Catchers' Game-Calling Skill
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Mathematics-Economics | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College and BIG Problems
Faculty Mentor: Jeff Wheeler
Additional project participants: Sophia Fairman, Josephine Ellis, Luke Kryka, and Sam SchohnThe Anchor Behind the Plate: Quantifying the Effects of Catchers' Game-Calling Skill
In baseball, a catcher performs many defensive tasks, occasionally framing and blocking, but also calling pitches over the course of 9 innings. While many actions have quantifiable metrics, “game calling,” or strategically calling pitches, does not have such a metric, despite it being one of the most important aspects of a catcher’s defense.
Given a data set of nearly 1,000,000 MLB at-bats each with 28 dimensions provided by the Pittsburgh Pirates, our project aims to investigate and quantify this “game calling” skill through statistical and mathematical frameworks. These frameworks provide us new insight into an underrepresented defensive ability that is crucial to evaluating catcher defensive success. We hope our resulting analysis will offer the Pirates a new data-driven perspective for player evaluation and future roster construction.
- Kate Leshniowsky - From Screen to Search: Examining Public Awareness of Freedom House Ambulance Service After Viewing The Pitt
School of Public Health: Public Health
Faculty Mentor: Beth HoffmanFrom Screen to Search: Examining Public Awareness of Freedom House Ambulance Service After Viewing The Pitt
Background: On February 20, 2025, the medical drama The Pitt featured a character affiliated with Freedom House Ambulance Service (FHAS), a group of Black men from Pittsburgh who pioneered pre-hospital emergency care but remain largely unknown. Given prior research demonstrating that television programs can influence viewers’ knowledge and perception, we used social media data to examine public awareness of FHAS following The Pitt storyline.
Methods: We quired Google Search Trends for “freedom house” over a one-month period, spanning two weeks before and two weeks after the episode aired. Simultaneously, we searched the subreddit r/ThePittTVShow for “Freedom House” and extracted the resulting posts and comments (hereafter referred to as posts) using the RStudio package RedditExtractoR. Two trained research assistants independently coded the posts (n = 2,052) for relevance and specific content categories using a systematically developed codebook (Cohen’s κ = 0.66–1.00).
Results: Relative search volume for “freedom house” increased 170% the day after the episode and remained elevated. Of the 196 relevant posts (10%), the most common content category was providing information about FHAS (37%, n = 72). Additionally, 19% (n = 37) of posts indicated users were previously unaware of FHAS, and 7% (n = 14) reported searching online for more information after viewing the episode.
Conclusion: Combined Google Search Trends and Reddit data suggest that The Pitt motivated viewers to learn more about FHAS. This study supports using social media data to augment search trend results and highlights the potential of fictional medical programs to disseminate public health knowledge.
- YY Li - Preserving Language Through Play
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliations with Office of Undergraduate Research, Frederick Honors College | Research Program: Chancellor's Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Faculty Mentor: Aakash GautamPreserving Language Through Play
For immigrants, language and cultural preservation is crucial to maintain their identity, but the process of immigration can put a strain on a community’s ability to foster such efforts. In particular, language gaps between second-generation children and their first-generation parents can hurt familial relationships and inhibit cultural exchange. To understand the challenges immigrants face preserving their language and explore possible design interventions, we interviewed eight Nepali immigrants, drawing out the tensions that exist between their sociopolitical contexts and their desires for language preservation. Findings from the interview show that participants want to preserve their culture, but face challenges such as assimilation and resource constraints, and that design interventions should focus on interactivity and parental involvement, going beyond standard language learning methods. Given these results, we are developing a language learning game based on the theory of comprehensible input and parental teaching. An early evaluation with four design experts reveals that, while game play is promising, further work needs to be done on parental involvement and refining the game’s UI. Our work challenges HCI to design with the multiplicity of immigrant issues in mind, creating more holistic interventions that better serve immigrant communities.
- Hruthika Lingutla, Alaina Buerger, and Abigail Obeng - Combined effects of cortical cannabinoid receptor manipulations and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure on working memory performance in male and female rats
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biochemistry | Affiliations with Office of Undergraduate Research, Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Shinnyi Chou
Combined effects of cortical cannabinoid receptor manipulations and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure on working memory performance in male and female ratsIndividuals with schizophrenia (SZ) often experience impaired working memory, which is essential for our everyday function. Importantly, cannabis use may exacerbate working memory performance, suggesting a role of the endocannabinoid system in regulating this function. We previously identified that individuals with SZ have altered cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1R) levels in the prefrontal cortex. Here, we examine whether this CB1R alteration interacts with cannabis exposure to affect working memory.
We compare working memory between male and female control subjects and those exposed to prefrontal cortex glutamatergic cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1) manipulations and Δ9-tetrahydrocanabinol (Δ9-THC) using rodent models. We used the Delayed Match to Sample (DMtS) task, where rats learned to respond to illuminated apertures for sucrose reinforcement. After task acquisition, rats underwent a 20-day drug (saline versus Δ9-THC) self-administration paradigm. They were then re-introduced to the DMtS task with gradually increasing difficulty, and their working memory performance tested in a final DMtS session where the percentage of correct trials were recorded for analysis between groups.
Analysis of the percent correct trials performed during the last DMtS working memory test showed that both male and female rats exposed to the combination of prefrontal cortex glutamatergic CB1R manipulation and Δ9-THC performed worse in the working memory test compared to other groups, p<0.001. Neither the CB1R manipulation nor Δ9-THC exposure alone resulted in working memory impairments.
Our preliminary results suggest a possible synergistic effect between altered CB1R and Δ9-THC exposure on cognitive function, providing a possible mechanistic explanation for the increased sensitivity to the negative effects of cannabis in individuals with schizophrenia. Future replications of the study will increase sample size and statistical power to confirm the validity of our preliminary results.
- Lucia Liu - Beyond the Petri Dish
Format: PowerPoint
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biological Sciences | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Raed El RafeiBeyond the Petri Dish
Beyond the Petri Dish is a short documentary that follows a group of young scientists at the University of Pittsburgh as they study how local frog species survive infection by the deadly fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). The documentary follows their daily research and their emotional connection to the animals they study. In the documentary, it will show the long hours they spend in the lab and field, the teamwork that keeps them going, and the curiosity that drives them to find answers.
- Thaanvi Malgireddy - Dopaminergic Modulation of Olfactory Associative Learning via Amphetamine in Drosophila melanogaster
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience, Psychology, and International Relations | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Zachary FreybergDopaminergic Modulation of Olfactory Associative Learning via Amphetamine in Drosophila melanogaster
The purpose of this study is to explore olfactory associative learning in Drosophila, with a focus on amphetamine (AMPH). Dopamine (DA) is considered a primary neuromodulator of reward-based learning, motivated behaviors, and reinforcement. Associative learning is modulated by DA signaling and is a key cognitive process that enables individuals to create associations between two otherwise unrelated stimuli. Prior studies demonstrate that maladaptive reinforcement in response to psychostimulants, such as AMPH, can drive substance abuse. AMPH is a potent psychostimulant with significant societal and clinical relevance due to its strong addictive potential and widespread use. Importantly, AMPH produces a robust increase in dopaminergic neurotransmission by both acting as a competitive substrate for the dopamine transporter (DAT) and by reversing DAT function, a phenomenon known as DA efflux. Together, these mechanisms drive elevations in extracellular dopamine and exaggerate reinforcement signaling, strengthening associations between stimuli and reward. In order to explore the interactions of AMPH with DA-dependent learning and memory, we use Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. DA signaling and reinforcement learning pathways are conserved between flies and mammals, and Drosophila is a powerful system for the evaluation of DA-dependent behaviors, including associative learning. We utilized the Y-maze olfactory conditioning assay in order to probe DA-dependent associative learning in response to both AMPH and natural rewards, such as sucrose.We hypothesize that sucrose and AMPH, utilize similar DA-dependent reinforcement learning pathways. Furthermore, due to AMPH’s robust ability to elicit DA release, we hypothesize that AMPH will drive a significantly more robust and long-lasting associative memory compared to other, natural rewards.
- Joseph Manning - Ovarian Cancer Cell-Driven Reprogramming of Fibroblasts to Induce Collagen Remodeling and Promote Differential Monocyte Infiltration
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biochemistry | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Ioannis ZervantonakisOvarian Cancer Cell-Driven Reprogramming of Fibroblasts to Induce Collagen Remodeling and Promote Differential Monocyte Infiltration
Within the tumor microenvironment (TME), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) regulate ovarian cancer progression by remodeling the extracellular matrix and modulating immune cell infiltration. This study examined how ovarian cancer cells reprogram dermal fibroblasts (NIH 3T3) into CAFs and how this affects monocyte recruitment. NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were exposed to conditioned media from three ovarian cancer cell lines (UPK10, 2F8, ID8 p53 KO) for 72 hours in a transwell co-culture. Reprogramming was quantified via immunofluorescence for aSMA. Activated fibroblasts were embedded in 3D collagen droplets (1–2 mg/ml) and subjected to a monocyte infiltration assay using bone marrow–derived monocytes. Fibroblast proliferation (CellTracker CMFDA) and monocyte infiltration (CellTracker Deep Red) were tracked at 0, 24, and 48 hours via confocal microscopy. Results showed differential CAF phenotypes: fibroblasts exposed to UPK10 exhibited increased aSMA, indicating activation, while ID8 p53 KO–treated fibroblasts had reduced aSMA. Monocyte infiltration corresponded to activation status, with UPK10-reprogrammed fibroblasts recruiting the most monocytes. All co-culture conditions increased fibroblast proliferation. These findings demonstrate that ovarian cancer cells use paracrine signaling to induce distinct CAF phenotypes, which functionally modulate immune cell recruitment in the TME. This highlights the role of tumor-specific factors in driving CAF diversity and shaping the immune landscape, providing insight for TME-targeted therapies.
- Ashley Markle - Testing the Efficacy of a Self-Love Clinical Group at Gwen’s Girls
School of Social Work: Social Work | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Catherine GreenoTesting the Efficacy of a Self-Love Clinical Group at Gwen’s Girls
This study aims to measure improvement in self-esteem over a three week period. During weekly clinical groups, I will facilitate a discussion and lead activities surrounding improving self-love. Self-compassion, self-esteem, and self-love will be the main themes of this group. Alongside my supervisor, Ingrid Edwards, LCSW, I have developed a curriculum that encourages the girls to develop a stronger sense of self and build confidence in themselves. Gwen’s Girls is an afterschool program for Black adolescent girls who are facing income inequality and high rates of school discipline. Many of the students at our site report poor academic performance and frequent suspensions. This group aims to build up their confidence and self-esteem as many participants report low-self esteem and low-self love.
I created a questionnaire to be used as a pre- and post-test, inspired by the Self-Compassion Scale for Youths, but simplified to match a younger age demographic. This study will be a quality assurance quasi-experimental project, and therefore aims to study and improve the behavioral health services offered at Gwen’s Girls. The goal of this study is to measure the efficacy of the group curriculum I develop. The goal of the group is to improve self-esteem as a result of the lessons taught. An increase in scoring from the pre- to post-test will demonstrate that the girls have learned new ways to develop love for themselves and that the curriculum is effective. This data will be useful for the clinical team as the curriculum can be shared and repeated across multiple years and sites.- Kyle Mason - Identifying Best Practice for Placement of Wearable Muscle Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) for the Vastus Lateralis
School of Education: Exercise Science | Research Program: Human Movement and Balance Labratory
Faculty Mentors: Dr.April Chambers, Dr. Zack WilsonIdentifying Best Practice for Placement of Wearable Muscle Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) for the Vastus Lateralis
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive physiological monitoring technique used to measure skeletal muscle oxygenation (SmO₂) and total hemoglobin (tHb). These measures provide insight into oxidative capacity, fatigue patterns, and training status during exercise and offer more direct, localized physiological information than other normalized metrics used to assess muscle function. Accurate NIRS measurements depend on precise device placement, as SmO₂ and tHb values vary across regions of the same muscle due to heterogeneous fiber recruitment and localized blood perfusion. Standardized placement protocols are therefore essential for improving measurement reliability and data comparability across testing sessions. The goal of this work is to identify best practice for placement of NIRS for the Vastus Lateralis.
Data collection is conducted across two sessions. In the first session, the NIRS device is placed on the vastus lateralis using standard electromyography (EMG) placement guidelines corresponding to the distal muscle belly. In the second session, the device is placed functionally on the muscle belly proximal to the hip. The same leg is used across sessions, and participants complete an identical protocol consisting of isometric exercises and a ten-minute treadmill run.
Preliminary analysis indicates that both placement methods demonstrate similar temporal trends and comparable tHb values but produce different SmO₂ readings. During treadmill running, SmO₂ ranges were approximately 16.4 for the MOXY placement and 18.9 for the functional placement. The MOXY placement produced lower SmO₂ values (55.9–65.2% maximum; 34.3–49.5% minimum) compared to the functional placement (78.6–88.4% maximum; 50.9–69.5% minimum). The placement method did not substantially impact tHb measurements. Due to limited sample size and individual variability, neither placement method can currently be identified as superior. Continued data collection will support future statistical analyses and improve interpretation of placement-related differences.
- Oliver Medina - Training in Computational Genomics Approaches for Precision Oncology in Breast Cancer
College of General Studies: Natural Science | Affiliation with TRIO McNair, TRIO SSS | Research Program: Wang lab
Faculty Mentor: Renu SharmaTraining in Computational Genomics Approaches for Precision Oncology in Breast Cancer
Precision oncology aims to match patients with targeted therapies based on the molecular characteristics of their tumors. This requires computational frameworks capable of translating complex genomic data into actionable biological insights. This project focuses on training in the computational tools and workflows developed in the Wang Laboratory at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, which bridges computational and experimental methodologies to advance precision oncology.
The training involves two key bioinformatics platforms. IndepthPathway is an R-based tool that performs pathway enrichment analysis on bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing data, enabling identification of pathway alterations that may drive tumor progression and therapy resistance. iGenSig (Integral Genomic Signature analysis) is a machine learning method for multi-omics data that predicts responses to targeted therapy and chemotherapy, supporting in silico drug screening for personalized treatment selection.
A unique aspect of this training is learning how computational predictions are integrated with experimental validation through in vitro (cell line) and in vivo (animal model) studies. This project provides foundational experience in the computational genomics approaches used within the lab's ""Genomics to Knowledge"" (G2K) framework, contributing to my understanding of how precision oncology research translates from data analysis to therapeutic discovery.
- Malavika Menon - Knockout Of Neuronal MD-1 Increases Ly6G MRNA Cutaneous Expression and Mechanical Hyperalgesia In The Plantar Incision Model
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Molecular Biology | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Marsha Ritter JonesKnockout Of Neuronal MD-1 Increases Ly6G MRNA Cutaneous Expression and Mechanical Hyperalgesia In The Plantar Incision Model
The role of sensory neurons in surgical wound healing, in particular nonpeptidergic neurons, is not well defined. A developing consensus is that activation of nonpeptidergic afferents that innervate barrier tissues, e.g., the skin, dampens an inflammatory immune response. Interestingly, analysis of sensory ganglia of mice that overexpress neurturin, a growth factor that supports the survival and growth of nonpeptidergic afferents, shows upregulation of immune-response genes, suggesting a role for these neurons in immune homeostasis and response to immune challenges.
Towards understanding the role of nonpeptidergic neurons in immune signaling, a gene of interest is lymphoid antigen 86 (Ly86). We determined Ly86, which encodes myeloid differentiation 1 (MD-1), an innate immune response protein with anti-inflammatory actions, to be expressed in nonpeptidergic neurons. To examine the role of MD-1 in neurons, we used the mouse plantar incision model and tested if conditional knockout of MD-1 in MrgprD+ neurons impacts the immune response and incisional hypersensitivity. At 7- and 14-days post incision, mechanical sensitivity lateral to the incision was increased in knockout mice. We also determined that after 7d, RNA encoding Ly6G, a marker of neutrophils, was increased, correlating with the increased behavioral sensitivity. These data support the role of MD-1 and nonpeptidergic neurons as immune modulators in response to cutaneous injury and suggest possible adjunctive approaches to improve wound healing. Studies to uncover mechanisms that link cutaneous nonpeptidergic neurons, immune changes and hypersensitivity are continuing.
- Chaitrali More - Sex Dependent Effects of Rotenone-Induced Neurodegeneration in a Rodent Model of Parkinson's Disease
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliations with Office of Undergraduate Research, Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Zachary FreybergSex Dependent Effects of Rotenone-Induced Neurodegeneration in a Rodent Model of Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that results in the loss of dopamine-producing neurons within the substantia nigra (SN) brain region, causing motor and cognitive impairments. Women are less likely to develop PD versus men, showing greater resistance to dopamine neurodegeneration. An important clue for this sex-specific neuro-protection comes from a subpopulation of dopamine neurons that expresses the vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2). These neurons are more resilient to PD-induced loss and women possess more of these cells. This project investigates if estrogen acts as a protective factor against dopamine neurodegeneration by regulating VGLUT2 levels in dopamine neurons. We will use an established rat PD model which uses rotenone, a PD-linked pesticide. First, we will use RNAscope fluorescent in situ hybridization to label dopamine neurons and VGLUT2 to quantify sex differences in dopamine neurodegeneration in male versus female rat brain regions especially susceptible to PD neurodegeneration: SN and locus coeruleus (LC). Next, female rats will undergo ovariectomy (OVX) or sham surgery before rotenone treatment to determine if estrogen loss increases dopamine neurodegeneration and abolishes sex differences in dopamine neuron VGLUT2 expression. We expect: 1) SN and LC will both demonstrate significant rotenone-induced dopamine neurodegeneration. 2) OVX females will show dopamine neuron loss comparable to males alongside reductions in VGLUT2 expression. 3) Sham females will remain more protected and express higher VGLUT2 levels versus OVX females. These findings may reveal contributions of female sex hormones to VGLUT2-mediated dopamine neuron resilience and inform future sex-specific treatments for PD.
- Faith Morrisey - The Mathematical Magic of Iterative Mirrored Subtractions
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Mathematics
Faculty Mentor: Jeffery WheelerThe Mathematical Magic of Iterative Mirrored Subtractions
In the late 1940s, Dattatreya Ramchandra Kaprekar, recreational mathematician from India, was experimenting with iterative subtractions and observed a recurring solution. Taking any four-digit number, rearranging it in descending order and ascending order, subtracting, and repeating this process, Kaprekar noticed patterns emerge. Particularly, this procedure, now known as Kaprekar’s Routine, always returned to 6174 in seven or less iterations. This has been confirmed to be the unique four-digit number in this which occurs. For 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 digit numbers, Kaprekar’s constant does not exist. There are either two kernel values, or none at all, but no unique constant. My interest is particularly in 6174, and I have begun to explore digits in terms of multisets which converge to 6174 in one iteration. The goal is to unravel the logic behind Kaprekar’s constant through multiset isomorphisms to discover the computational theory behind these iterative differences. In addition to this, I am researching the uniqueness within the four-digit case, 6174, as opposed to other digits.
- Amelia Morrison - Optimizing Porosity as a Function of Powder Morphology in Binder-Jet Printed Copper Filters
Swanson School of Engineering: Materials Science and Engineering | Affiliation with MEMS FIRE | Research Program: MEMS FIRE Summer Research Program
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Markus ChmielusOptimizing Porosity as a Function of Powder Morphology in Binder-Jet Printed Copper Filters
Copper has been shown to have very strong antimicrobial properties. As filters and foams, copper could have the potential to be used as reusable and cleanable filters in clinical and industrial settings. Due to its density compared to traditional filter materials, complex filter geometries with high surface areas are required for air filtration, making additive manufacturing an ideal route for producing highly porous copper filters. However, additive manufacturing methods often struggle to achieve high porosity without unwanted heat-induced deformation. This study explores the potential of optimizing sintered porosity of binder-jet printed copper filters as a function of powder morphology. Copper filters using powders with varying sphericities are characterized, binder-jet printed, sintered, and analyzed through both calculated porosity and image analysis. It is determined that decreased sphericity in copper powder leads to increased porosity in binder-jet printed copper filters due to reduced green density and packing fraction, with a change in morphology increasing sintered porosity by up to 24.2%.
- Marcia Mundy - Exploring the Association of Parental Regulatory Talk on Child Math Skills
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Psychology, Anthropology | Affiliation with Office of Undergraduate Research | Research Program: Learning and Research Development Center, Kid's Thinking Lab
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Melissa LibertusExploring the Association of Parental Regulatory Talk on Child Math Skills
The Math Made for Me (MM4M) program aims to create an accessible and flexible math intervention for parents of preschoolers by virtually delivering informational videos to parents that provide math support tailored to the families’ daily routines and the child’s current math competencies. Our pilot study showed promising preliminary results of increased parental math talk for dyads that were in the MM4M group compared to a business-as-usual control group. However, the pilot study did not find any improvements in children's math skills (Leyva et al., 2023). One of the possible explanations is that parents' attempts to increase their child's engagement in home math activities leads to more controlling behavior from the parent, which takes away the child's sense of autonomy. Since intentional autonomous behavior from children is associated with higher levels of engagement, enjoyment, interest, creativity and cognitive flexibility during a task (Deci & Ryan, 1987), a child who lacks the ability to autonomously decide (i.e. if an adult decides for them) is less likely to benefit from participating in a task. We are now testing whether parents in the MM4M group may have been more controlling during math activities with their child following the intervention compared to the business-as-usual control group. To this end, we are coding for parental regulatory talk (autonomy or control). I will present this coding scheme and share preliminary observations from the ongoing coding.
References:
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1987). The support of autonomy and the control of behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(6), 1024-1037.
Leyva, Diana, Libertus, Melissa E., McGregor, Rebecca (2023). Math intervention targeting family routines increases parental math talk and math activities. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 89, 101595
- Prithu Neog - Singularities 4.0
Format: PowerPoint
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliations with Frederick Honors College, Martinsen Applied Projects
Faculty Mentor: Robert CoulterSingularities 4.0
Alcohol use among LGBTQ+ youth populations experiencing heavy episodic drinking remains a major public health concern, as they experience disproportionately higher risk and related harms. The Singularities Project is a youth-collaborative, game-based behavioral intervention designed to reduce drinking-related harm through personalized narrative engagement, training in coping skills, and providing harm reduction strategies. Earlier pilot trials demonstrated promising reductions in binge drinking and cyberbullying, indicating strong feasibility and acceptability among LGBTQ+ adolescents (particularly aged 13-18)
During my time in the lab, federal restrictions necessitated the removal of gender identity-related content from the ongoing R01 trial. This presentation outlines the scientific rationale, methodological adaptations, and current progress of trial implementation, which has been the primary focus of my work in the lab. It will highlight the current progress of the study and outline the processes used to create a resilient model for continuing high-impact adolescent health research under shifting federal constraints. Findings will inform future intervention design and advance strategies for reducing alcohol-related harms among all youth while centering LGBTQ+ experiences.
- Tatyana Olevich - Coding for Intellectual Humility in Scientist
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Psychology
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Karina Schumann and Dr. Jonah KoetkeCoding for Intellectual Humility in Scientist
Intellectual humility (IH) involves an awareness that one’s beliefs or knowledge may be incorrect. Prior research suggests that scientists who display more IH elicit greater trust from the public, yet this research relied on controlled laboratory stimuli. In the current research, we sought to extend this work using naturally occurring scientific communications. In Study 1, we coded 100 PsyPost articles for scientists’ IH and trustworthiness and observed a positive association between these constructs. In Study 2, we attempted to replicate this association with a broader set of articles from The Conversation. The association did not replicate, potentially due to challenges in coding the trustworthiness of scientists from diverse disciplines. However, as a secondary aim, we evaluated the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to code IH. The AI-generated coding demonstrated high reliability with human coders, highlighting the potential of AI for measuring complex psychological constructs in real world communication.
- Krisha Pahwa - Investigating the Functions of DRP1 Splice Variants in the Brain and Skeletal Muscle
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Nadine HempelInvestigating the Functions of DRP1 Splice Variants in the Brain and Skeletal Muscle
Mitochondria play a crucial role in cellular functions ranging from energy production to cell death. As such, maintaining mitochondrial health is essential. Mitochondrial health is dictated by a balance of two opposing forces: fission and fusion. Dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) is the key driver of fission. DRP1 expression and activation changes have been associated with various disease states, including brain and skeletal muscle (SkM) diseases, both tissues with high metabolic demand heavily reliant upon mitochondrial health. It is well known that DRP1 undergoes post-translational modification, but little research has investigated DRP1 splice variants. The Hempel Lab has previously SkM muscle and brain tissue uniquely expressing distinct splice variants. Prior research has shown that exons 16 and 17 play a crucial role in DRP1 reliance on interaction with various fission adaptor proteins and the mitochondrial membrane. The question that remains, and what this project attempts to answer, is what interactions are favored by the different DRP1 splice variants in the brain versus SkM, and why? We have bred and maintained mice that uniquely express single DRP1 splice variants. We then utilized these mice for SkM and brain harvests, which will be used for Western blots and co-immunoprecipitations to probe for various adaptor proteins used by DRP1 to facilitate fission. We expect that DRP1 variants will interact with/rely on different adaptor proteins. Specifically, we anticipate that the splice variant highly expressed in the brain will rely on mitochondrial fission factor more heavily than the splice variant expressed in SkM.
- Satvik Reddy Palagani and Ritvik Kondaveeti - NEIMY-associated KIF5A Mutation Impairs TRAK-Mediated Mitochondrial Transport
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jonathan BrentNEIMY-associated KIF5A Mutation Impairs TRAK-Mediated Mitochondrial Transport
Mutations in the KIF5A motor protein cause a range of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Frontotemporal Dementia (ALS/FTD) and Neonatal Encephalopathy with Intractable Myoclonus (NEIMY). ALS/FTD- and NEIMY-associated mutations cause similar frameshift mutations within the cargo-binding domain of KIF5A, but lead to notably different clinical outcomes. We developed in vitro models of ALS/FTD and NEIMY-associated mutations, which demonstrated disrupted motor autoinhibition and ectopic aggregation through a gain-of-function mutation. Overall, the NEIMY mutation exhibited a more severe phenotype than the ALS mutation in terms of distal neuritic accumulation, protein aggregation, cytoskeletal defects, and disrupted axonal transport. Strikingly, we discovered that NEIMY mutations alter the assembly of KIF5A and cargo complexes, specifically those with KIF5A, mitochondrial adaptors TRAK1/2, and mitochondria, thus leading to disrupted mitochondrial motility. These findings advance our understanding of how distinct mutations in KIF5A result in clinically disparate diseases and highlight cargo transport dysfunction as a key target for the amelioration of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.
- Alexandra Perazzo - Integrating Interactive Concept Maps into Foundations of Biology II Course
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biological Sciences | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Abagael WestIntegrating Interactive Concept Maps into Foundations of Biology II Course
Concept maps are an active learning tool used to promote conceptual understanding and connections between topics by visually linking core ideas, definitions, and examples. This approach helps students synthesize information and see the “big picture” within complex courses. Despite their widespread use, relatively few studies examine the effectiveness of concept maps in undergraduate college courses. As an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant in the Foundations of Biology II course, I implemented a concept map training designed to teach students how to construct effective concept maps and use them collaboratively in group study settings. The effectiveness of this intervention was evaluated using pre- and post-survey responses assessing students’ confidence, study habits, and perceived understanding of course material.
- Lexi Petronio - Exploring the Link Between Town Demographics and EMS Call Types
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience + sociology | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Hillary LazarExploring the Link Between Town Demographics and EMS Call Types
Emergency Medical Services play a crucial role in providing care to patients in medical emergencies. Northwest EMS is a company based in Mckees Rocks, Pennsylvania that serves many towns in Allegheny County. This study investigates the relationship between EMS call type and the demographic characteristics of towns across Pennsylvania. Data on EMS call types were collected from Northwest EMS reports. Demographic variables of each town were collected from publicly available census data. Comparative analyses were conducted to identify patterns between call types and community demographics. Understanding these relationships can help reveal how social and economic factors shape health needs.
- Akshita Piedy - Social Determinants of Health and Sleep Among Caregivers of Patients with Cancer
School of Public Health: Public Health | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Jennifer SteelSocial Determinants of Health and Sleep Among Caregivers of Patients with Cancer
Background: Sleep is critical for health and is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Family caregivers are at increased risk for CVD when compared to the general population. However, the role of SDOH in family caregivers’ sleep has not been examined in the context of cancer.
Methods: A secondary analysis was performed from a Phase III trial. Baseline caregiver sleep was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and domains including sleep duration, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and global sleep quality subscales were included in analyses. SDOH included in this study were area deprivation, rurality, income inequality, and residential segregation and assessed using geocoding. Linear regression was performed to test the associations between SDOH and sleep domains.
Results: A total of 189 caregivers (68.3% female; mean age = 62.6 years, SD = 12.1) were included in the study. Higher levels of neighborhood deprivation (B = -0.160, SE = 0.006, p = 0.031) and greater rurality were associated with shorter sleep duration (B = -0.150, SE = 0.070, p= 0.049). Income inequality and residential segregation were not associated with sleep duration. Higher neighborhood deprivation was associated with poorer global sleep quality (B = 0.195, SE = 0.166, p = 0.010). No SDOH variables were associated with sleep latency or sleep efficiency.
Conclusion: Caregiving is a unique stress and examining the role of SDOH on sleep in this population may facilitate the development of multilevel interventions to improve caregiver quality of life and health.
- Shreyas Ramkumar - Inhibition-Driven Network Reorganization in Primate Cortex: A Structural Profile of Spatiotemporal Dynamics
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Chengcheng HuangInhibition-Driven Network Reorganization in Primate Cortex: A Structural Profile of Spatiotemporal Dynamics
Cortical networks reorganize their architecture when excitation-inhibition balance shifts, changing which brain regions dominate information flow, how strongly areas interact, and the network's dimensional complexity. While such reorganization is critical for adaptive computation, the underlying spatiotemporal mechanisms remain poorly understood: which specific brain regions drive transitions, when do local changes occur relative to global shifts, and does reorganization follow direct trajectories or explore intermediate configurations through the space of possible network states? Here, in a 29-area macaque cortex model with varied local inhibition (wEI = 20-30 pA/Hz), we show that inhibition-driven reorganization proceeds through three distinct dynamical phases, with specific association cortex regions triggering global transitions through anticipatory destabilization: Collapse (wEI ≤ 23.0) with rapid dimensionality increase, Exploration (23.0 < wEI ≤ 26.5) maintaining high dimensionality, and Stability (wEI > 26.5) with progressive reduction. Five parietal-frontal association areas (7B, 7m, 24c, F5, STPr) exert 2-fold greater influence on network reorganization, with peak influence occurring approximately 2 units before global dimensionality expansion. Trajectory analysis reveals 10-fold geometric inefficiency, indicating reorganization explores intermediate configurations through a flexible, high-dimensional regime. Together, these observations establish mechanistic principles: association cortex drivers control network-wide transitions through anticipatory timing, and reorganization proceeds through exploratory search rather than direct reconfiguration. This exploratory dynamics framework offers testable predictions for how E-I imbalance disorders may disrupt adaptive network flexibility.
- Shivani Rangaiah - Endothelial-specific knockout of Nrf2 protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Molecular Biology | Research Program: biological sciences departmental honors
Faculty Mentor: Roderick TanEndothelial-specific knockout of Nrf2 protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury
Purpose: To determine whether endothelial Nrf2 expression affects acute kidney injury (AKI) due to ischemia-reperfusion injury
- Owen Richardson - Optimizing Efficiency in Dental Clinics Using Industrial Engineering Principles
Swanson School of Engineering: Industrial Engineering | Affiliations with TRIO McNair, Frederick Honors College, Provost Scholars | Research Program: Optimizing Efficiency in Dental Clinics Using Industrial Engineering Principles
Faculty Mentor: Lisa MaillartOptimizing Efficiency in Dental Clinics Using Industrial Engineering Principles
- Gabriella Robert - Investigating 3′ UTR regulation of mRNA stability in zebrafish embryos
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biochemistry | Research Program: Promoting Peers
Faculty Mentor: Dr. LeeInvestigating 3′ UTR regulation of mRNA stability in zebrafish embryos
Hypothesis: Because Nrf2 protects against AKI, we hypothesized that an endothelial specific knockout of NRF2 would increase kidney injury following Ischemia Reperfusion Injury (IRI).
- Sevinch Rozmukhamedova, Deniz Cinemre, and Gunes Cinemre - Current Gene and Cell Therapies for Skeletal Muscle Repair
School of Public Health: Public Health
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Bridget Deasy, Dr. Burhan GharaibehCurrent Gene and Cell Therapies for Skeletal Muscle Repair
- Ria Sai - Increasing Efficiency and Memory Usage of Novel Tumor Subclone Analysis Method
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Chemistry, Philosophy | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: George TsengIncreasing Efficiency and Memory Usage of Novel Tumor Subclone Analysis Method
Experimental design: To test this we used 11 mice: 6 of which had an endothelial specific knockout of NRF2 (KO), while the other 5 acted as wild-type controls (WT). Tissue specific knockdowns were created using the cre-lox system in order to target the renal microvasculature. Injury was induced through ischemia for a total of 18 minutes followed by reperfusion and followed for 3 weeks. Contralateral nephrectomies were performed 1 day prior to sacrifice, at which point the injured kidney was removed and injury markers assessed.
- Luke Sandusky - Connections Between Maternal Assistance, Maternal Intrusiveness, Gender, and Goal-Directed Partnership in Child Spatial Activities
School of Education: Applied Developmental Psychology | Affiliations with Frederick Honors College, Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC)
Faculty Mentor: Melissa LibertusConnections Between Maternal Assistance, Maternal Intrusiveness, Gender, and Goal-Directed Partnership in Child Spatial Activities
- Phillip Santos - Characterizing the regulatory potential of transposable elements in zebrafish embryogenesis
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Molecular Biology | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Miler T. LeeCharacterizing the regulatory potential of transposable elements in zebrafish embryogenesis
Results: In contrast to our hypothesis, results showed reduced injury in KO models. BUN, Serum Creatinine and inflammatory marker levels in KOs were decreased compared to WTs. To further assess the effects of the knockout, we ran qPCRs on various injury markers to determine their expression levels. Interestingly we noticed that most of the targets showed a decrease in expression, within the KO injury model compared to the WT.
- Siya Saraswat - Finger-math: A Novel Digit-based Intervention for Stroke-Induced Acalculia
Format: PowerPoint
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience and Psychology
Faculty Mentor: Julie FiezFinger-math: A Novel Digit-based Intervention for Stroke-Induced Acalculia
Acalculia, the loss of cognitive numerical ability, severely impacts daily functioning and quality of life. A common cause is stroke; between 30–60% of the roughly 795,000 individuals who experience a stroke in the U.S. annually develop acalculia. Despite this high prevalence, there is no standardized treatment for stroke-induced acalculia. One promising approach is “finger-math,” which may serve as a remedy by enabling an individual to physically operate with numbers 1 through 99 using fingers. Studies show that finger counting facilitates numerical understanding in children and can serve as an effective intervention for dyscalculia. Additionally, a case study reported a stroke survivor regaining numeracy through tactile counting, supporting the feasibility of finger-based math interventions. Thus, this pilot study aims to develop a method to measure the efficacy of finger-math and investigate its rehabilitative impact on individuals with stroke-induced acalculia. We hypothesize that (i) finger-math will be a feasible intervention for post-stroke participants to learn and use, and (ii) some individuals from a randomized stroke sample (i.e., a sample not selected for having acalculia) will demonstrate an increase in arithmetic accuracy after the finger-math protocol intervention. We anticipate that participants with acalculia will show improvement following the intervention, whereas those without acalculia will remain consistently accurate. Approximately 9-10 participants will be recruited and invited through the Western Pennsylvania Registry to complete a pre-intervention stroke assessment, conducted via video call. The finger-math protocol will then be administered, followed by a post-session survey to evaluate usability and engagement. Behavioral and arithmetic performance, including response time and accuracy, will be analyzed to assess the intervention’s effectiveness. Furthermore, we will select 2-3 participants with expected numeracy deficits for follow-up sessions to continue practicing the finger-math technique. We expect this study to provide preliminary evidence for a novel, accessible method for numerical rehabilitation in stroke survivors.
- Matthew Shi - Teaching the “Why”: Fostering Conceptual and Logical Reasoning in Organic Chemistry
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Rehabilitation Science | Research Program: Chancellor's Undergraduate Teaching Fellowship
Faculty Mentor: George BandikTeaching the “Why”: Fostering Conceptual and Logical Reasoning in Organic Chemistry
Conclusion: Contrary to our expectations, our findings suggest that endothelial specific knockout of Nrf2 in the microvasculature plays a protective role. Future studies will determine by what mechanism Nrf2 affects the kidney in ischemia-reperfusion injury.
- Trevor Staab - Reflective Introspection and Healing: Naikan Therapy at the Intersection of Medicine and Religion
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience
Faculty Mentor: Clark ChilsonReflective Introspection and Healing: Naikan Therapy at the Intersection of Medicine and Religion
Naikan (“inner looking”) is a structured method of self-reflection developed in mid-twentieth-century Japan within the Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist tradition. Centered on three relational questions—what one has received, given, and caused another—Naikan reconstructs autobiographical memory to foster gratitude, responsibility, and awareness of interdependence. Originally introduced as a rehabilitative practice in Japanese prisons, Naikan was later incorporated into psychotherapy and psychosomatic medicine for conditions including addiction, mood and anxiety disorders, psychosis, chronic illness, and existential distress. This review synthesizes empirical and theoretical studies published between 1979 and 2025 evaluating Naikan as a therapeutic or reflective intervention. Thirteen peer-reviewed sources met the inclusion criteria, encompassing randomized controlled trials, longitudinal studies, and case reports across diverse clinical populations. Across diagnostic categories, Naikan was associated with improvements in mood, social functioning, insight, and relapse prevention. Evidence supports its antidepressant and anxiolytic effects, benefits in schizophrenia when used adjunctively, and reductions in psychological distress among cancer patients. Emerging findings suggest possible neuroendocrine modulation involving stress and social bonding pathways. Collectively, the literature indicates that Naikan produces clinically measurable benefits without requiring adherence to Buddhist belief, positioning it as a model of religiously informed yet secularly applicable therapy. While promising, existing research is geographically concentrated in East Asia, and mechanisms linking moral reflection to psychological and physiological outcomes remain insufficiently understood. Further cross-cultural and neurobiological investigation is warranted to clarify Naikan’s role within integrative and contemplative medicine.
- Mia Stack - Mathematics and Social Skills Intervention For Preschoolers
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Psychology | Affiliation with Office of Undergraduate Research | Research Program: K!T's Thinking Lab
Faculty Mentor: Melissa LIbertusMathematics and Social Skills Intervention For Preschoolers
Early development of mathematics and social skills is crucial for preschoolers’ later success in advanced education. Parental engagement in their child’s education is especially important, before children begin formal schooling. This study will examine the effectiveness of two different interventions created for families to improve their preschool-aged children’s math and socio-emotional skills respectively. There are three conditions of this study: Math Math 4 Me (MM4M), Math Made 4 Me + (MM4M+), and Thinking and Feeling Together (ToM). Each intervention is tailored to families’ daily routines to ease the burden of implementation. MM4M and MM4M+ are additionally tailored to children’s math skills. Each condition is communicated to participating families through short videos created on Canva. These videos contain a mix of animated demonstrations and real life parent-child interactions of previous participants. We hope that this six-week program will foster family engagement in their child’s development, by providing adult-child interactions that are possible to administer in everyday routines. I will show samples of the intervention materials I created and talk about the process and considerations that went into creating engaging videos that are easy to understand for parents.
- Elizabeth (Lulu) Sweeney - The Importance of Escaping Reality Through Travel
Format: PowerPoint
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Communications
Faculty Mentor: Elizabeth PittsThe Importance of Escaping Reality Through Travel
I wanted to honor my passions in this comic because I saw it as an opportunity to embrace humanity through my own perspective. As I dove deeper into thought, I came upon the idea of focusing on the beneficial impact of traveling to tropical locations. My reasoning for picking this topic can be credited to my love for exploring different areas of the world that have a warmer climate, excotic wild life, and unique culture that I do not have the pleasure of seeing in my daily routine. When I visited Cancun, Mexico last spring, my life was changed for the better. Before my trip, I was feeling very low in energy and unmotivated. After the trip, I noticed myself being happier and engaged in myself and those around me. This experience has inspired me to rely on academic research that showcases the benefits of traveling to areas that are considered tropical, and transform those findings into a story showcased by a comic strip. In my comic strip, I wanted to focus on how traveling can provide a sense of purpose to people and fulfill them with a new passion of life. The main benefit that I found in my research is that travelling leaves a lasting impact on individuals mental health. Traveling to warmer destinations have positive impacts on individuals because it is an escape from everyday life that breaks the monotonous routine we are programmed to submit ourselves to.
- Emily Taylor - The Impacts of Peer Victimization on Youth Behavioral Outcomes Across Racial and Ethnic Groups
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Psychology | Affiliations with TRIO McNair, TRIO SSS, Office of Undergraduate Research | Research Program: Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daphne HenryThe Impacts of Peer Victimization on Youth Behavioral Outcomes Across Racial and Ethnic Groups
Youth who experience peer victimization are often at increased risk of stress, anxiety, and depression. These internalizing behaviors may manifest into a negative sense of self, especially as younger adolescents lack the proper emotional regulation needed to manage stressors. Theories posit that Black and Latinx youth are at higher risk of contextual factors, such as school disadvantage and socioeconomic status, and sociocultural stressors, such as discrimination and stereotyping, that may increase victimization and intensify its effects. The study asks three research questions: Are there racial/ethnic differences in peer victimization among Black, Latine, and White students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades? Is reporting peer victimization related to internalizing behaviors in 5th grade youth? Does race/ethnicity moderate the relationship between peer victimization and internalizing behaviors in 5th grade? The study will use secondary data analysis from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011 database. This study hypothesizes that race and ethnicity will interact with the relationship between peer victimization and internalizing behaviors, specifically strengthening this relationship for Black and Latinx youth. The results of this study will help clarify potential differences in the level of peer victimization and internalizing behaviors reported by youth based on race/ethnicity. If differences are present, greater exposure to contextual risk factors may explain increased effects of bullying to Black/Latine youth whereas culturally-grounded protective factors may explain a reduction in bullying’s effects on internalizing behaviors. The current study is underway and preliminary results will be available by the time of presentation.
- Kavya Tiwary - CRISPR-Cas9 Editing of the EBV Genome to Define Latent Membrane Protein 1 Variants in EBV Immortalization and Pathogenesis
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Molecular Biology and History & Philosophy of Science | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College | Research Program: UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Faculty Mentor: Kathy Ho Yen ShairCRISPR-Cas9 Editing of the EBV Genome to Define Latent Membrane Protein 1 Variants in EBV Immortalization and Pathogenesis
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a gamma-herpesvirus with seroconversion in more than 95% of the human population by adulthood. The virus resides latently in B-lymphocytes causing a proliferative condition known as post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) in the immunosuppressed. EBV pathogenesis in PTLD is studied in vitro by EBV immortalization of primary B-cells. Pediatric solid organ transplant patients on long-term immunosuppressants that seroconvert are at the greatest risk. The gene encoding the principal viral oncoprotein, latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), is an essential virulence factor for virus reactivation and immortalization of B-cells. There are seven circulating variants of LMP1, typed as LMP1 strains. We assess the phenotypic differences between LMP1 strains in the immortalization of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). To overcome random recombination between repeat elements in the EBV genome in traditional BAC-engineering, this study edited the multicopy episomal EBV genome directly in mammalian cells. LMP1 strains were knocked-in at the endogenous loci by a novel CRISPR/Cas9-nickase based strategy. Recombinant EBV was isolated, packaged and shuttled to a producer cell line, yielding infectious molecular clones which were validated for genetic integrity by Sanger and whole genome sequencing. The recombinant LMP1 KI viruses were phenotypically assayed for EBV immortalization in PBMCs. We identified a recombinant with a mutation in a conserved domain that was defective for EBV immortalization but was determined to be a circulating variant in six deposited sequences from saliva and sputum. These results provide an optimized knock-in CRISPR/Cas9 approach for testing LMP1 variants that could predispose individuals to cancer.
- Rohit Velankar - Laser Subtractive Manufacturing of PDMS For Soft Robotics
Swanson School of Engineering | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentors: Dr. Rahul Panat, Dr. Trevor JonesLaser Subtractive Manufacturing of PDMS For Soft Robotics
Soft robots are useful in situations that require safe interactions with humans such as in healthcare or alongside human workers in manufacturing. Current methods of soft robotic fabrication are costly, time-consuming, and wasteful. We describe a novel fabrication process based on laser subtractive manufacturing which can be used to modify the surface of a hyperelastic tube at low cost and high speed. To characterize ablation, we vary laser power and scanning speed to control the ablation rate within a range of 50-600μm per pass and describe the heat affected zone by both general and application-specific measures. Manufacturing capability is demonstrated by controlling physical attributes of ablated features including internal fillets, external fillets, and wall angle. We also show that by layering passes with varied inputs, we can efficiently create high quality features through separate roughing and finishing stages. Finally, we fabricate and operate simple actuators to demonstrate viability of the tube model.
- Joseph Weaver - Everyday Cognitive Functioning in Treated and Untreated Women with Anxiety and Depression: Evidence from the Window Brain Study
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Psychology | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College | Research Prgram: Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation – Window Brain Study Program
Faculty Mentor: Robin GandleyEveryday Cognitive Functioning in Treated and Untreated Women with Anxiety and Depression: Evidence from the Window Brain Study
Depression and anxiety are associated with impairments in memory, attention, and executive functioning, and subjective cognitive complaints are common among women during midlife and postpartum periods. The Window Brain Study examines long-term brain health in women approximately 15 years after pregnancy.
The objective of this study was to evaluate whether women with elevated anxiety and/or depression symptoms who are not receiving treatment report greater everyday cognitive difficulties compared to treated women and controls.
Participants were classified into three groups: controls with no history of anxiety or depression and low symptom scores (PHQ-9 and GAD-7 ≤10; n = 212), a treated group with diagnosed anxiety and/or depression currently taking psychiatric medication (n = 54), and an untreated group with elevated symptoms (PHQ-9 or GAD-7 ≥10) but no treatment (n = 35). Self-reported cognitive functioning was assessed using the Everyday Cognition (ECog) scale, with higher scores indicating greater cognitive complaints. Nonparametric analyses were conducted, with additional models adjusting for age and education.Significant group differences were observed in total ECog scores and across multiple cognitive domains (overall p = 0.0007; adjusted p = 0.0001). Untreated participants reported significantly worse everyday cognitive functioning than controls across total cognition, memory, language, visuospatial ability, and executive function, with additional executive planning differences after adjustment. Treated participants also reported greater cognitive difficulties than controls, though impairments were less pronounced. All treated participants had PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores below 10, indicating effective symptom control.
Greater anxiety and depression symptom burden was associated with worse everyday cognitive functioning, with the largest impairments observed among untreated individuals. Persistent cognitive complaints in treated participants may reflect residual cognitive effects rather than active symptom severity, underscoring the importance of early symptom identification and management for long-term cognitive health.
- Lauren Williams - Relationships Between Components of Physical Activity, Physical Function and Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults With Walking Difficulties in the STEPS Study
School of Education: Exercise Science
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rockette-WagnerRelationships Between Components of Physical Activity, Physical Function and Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults With Walking Difficulties in the STEPS Study
Exercise is key to longevity and health of older adults. However, many individuals are currently not meeting physical activity guidelines. The lack of physical activity is thought to be related to decreased functional abilities such as walking. The purpose of the STEPS study is to evaluate if a brief strength training program for older adults with walking difficulty can improve their functionality. After initially screened as having difficulty walking a quarter of a mile, older adults with a Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score <8 (scale 0-12), complete 3 in person study visits (baseline, 6 and 12-months) in which the SPPB (assesses lower extremity physical performance through balance, gait speed and chair stand), the Berg Balance test, the 6-minute walk test, and an assessment of perceived quality of life are assessed. Participants were also asked to wear an ActivPAL physical activity monitor for 7-10 days after each visit on the thigh; measures collected include step counts, stepping and standing duration, total sedentary minutes and minutes in sedentary bouts. These analyses will assess the baseline relationship between activity monitor output and physical function and quality of life using Spearman correlations on the first 20 participants randomized. We hypothesize that higher levels of movement, longer duration, and lower sedentary time will be associated with better physical function and reported quality of life.
- Chris Wood - Detection of Injury Biomarkers in Sweat of Collegiate Athletes Pre- and Post-Football Season: A Pilot Study
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Neuroscience | Affiliation with Frederick Honors College
Faculty Mentor: Ava PuccioDetection of Injury Biomarkers in Sweat of Collegiate Athletes Pre- and Post-Football Season: A Pilot Study
A record number of students are participating in NCAA championship sports and an estimated 150 million youths in the United States have played football. With contact sport participation increasing, the sports medicine community recognizes concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a major public health concern. While biomarkers are typically analyzed through blood, sweat serves as a potential non-invasive source for the detection of protein biomarkers for return to play. A previous pilot study indicated a significant relationship between the detection of protein biomarkers of brain injury in sweat and a history of TBI in athletes before and after a football season, suggesting sweat as a viable biofluid for TBI biomarker analysis. This pilot study explores this relationship further within players from the 2024 football season. The participants were from an NCAA Division III college under an IRB approved protocol (N= 36 pre-season, N = 34 post-season). At both time points a non-invasive sweat patch was applied for approximately 24 hours, and physical activity assessments were conducted with collection of demographic data and injury history. Statistical analyses will be conducted, comparing pre-season and post-season athlete TBI history and demographics. The goal of this is to compare the participants from the 2023 to the 2024 season to make predictions about future analyses, such as sweat biomarker values. Replication of previous research is crucial to validating our previous hypothesis and the potential use of sweat biomarkers for young athletes in the future.
- Zoey Zheng - Characterizing an Inter-domain Interaction within LARP1
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences: Biological Sciences | Affiliation with Departmental Honors - Biology
Faculty Mentor: Andrea BermanCharacterizing an Inter-domain Interaction within LARP1
RNA-binding proteins are involved in many molecular processes, including translation regulation. La-related protein 1 (LARP1), is an RNA-binding protein that regulates terminal oligopyrimidine (TOP) mRNAs, which encode the translational machinery. LARP1 is interesting because it helps repress and promote TOP mRNA translation and stabilize TOP transcripts; however, its mechanisms are not fully understood.
LARP1 contains an intrinsically disordered region (IDR) that has no defined structure. A protein’s sequence of amino acids determines its final structure which is related to its function. This IDR could be tied to LARP1’s various mechanisms of control because we hypothesize that its flexibility allows it to interact with various cellular components to form unique structures that can impact the cell differently. Therefore, we cannot define LARP1’s function without considering this IDR.
Preliminary data showed the formation of a structure between two domains in LARP1, the La-module and the CR2-DM15, that could help the IDR take on a defined structure. This could give us insight on how this interaction impacts LARP1’s function.
Here, I created constructs of LARP1 that contain mutations in the regions that we predict to be vital in this interaction. Changing these amino acids should disrupt the ability of these regions to form this novel structure. Through successful site directed mutagenesis, I created two mutant constructs of LARP1 that can be further used to determine if this interaction helps induce structure into LARP1’s IDR, potentially helping us gain more insight into its structure.