Casey Herbert
Neuropsychiatric disorders are commonly associated with sleep disturbances and a high percentage of chronic sleep issues. Children with neurodevelopmental genetic conditions have a high likelihood of developing sleep disorders, which consequently leads to an array of neuropsychiatric conditions. Unraveling the relationship between sleep, neurodevelopment, and neuropsychiatric disorders is extremely difficult due to their complexities and interlinking factors. Genomic studies have led to the identification of genes correlated with human sleep disorders. However, unlike previous studies that focus on how genes control sleep behavior, I propose to analyze specific sleep disorder […]
Nicole Khatibi
Turbulent flows are everpresent in engineering and nature. Turbulent flows are characterized by a wide range of flow scales, intense mixing, high rates of heat and momentum transfer, and significant energy dissipation rates. A question of paramount importance in the field is how do turbulent flows achieve these ‘extreme’ properties. The practical and scientific importance of this question can hardly be overstated. A thorough insight into the principal components of turbulence will facilitate the development of better control strategies in engineering and explain the physical mechanism behind the enhanced angular […]
Nicole Klatt
Single-cell RNA sequencing has fundamentally changed our understanding of disease and the methods we utilize to classify cell types and discover new biology. However, some rare cell types can have a disproportionately large impact on overall development and progression for disease. To study these cells, traditional methods for cell classification and purification involve tagging cells with fluorescent antibodies targeting proteins on a cell’s surface. However, some cells cannot be identified based solely on their surface protein profile. In the Clark Lab, we develop new workflows for nucleic acid cytometry to […]
Charlie Kortleven
As atmospheric CO2 concentrations rise, rapid environmental shifts have led to more frequent and severe droughts. Some plants have demonstrated the capacity for rapid acclimation to abiotic stressors; however, the extent to which these responses are retained and transmitted across generations remains unclear. This study aims to explore how parental effects, potentially mediated by epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, prime offspring to cope with similar stressful environments before experiencing them directly, by altering gene expression—a process often implicated in phenotypic plasticity. To understand the mechanisms underlying transgenerational plasticity in […]
Sona Asatryan
Every 40 seconds, someone in the US experiences a stroke. Ischemic stroke triggers a stress response in the body, inducing hyperglycemia which exacerbates outcomes following stroke. One mechanism by which hyperglycemia worsens stroke symptoms is by fueling NADPH oxidase-2 (NOX2) activity, producing superoxide and increasing cellular damage through oxidative stress. Inhibiting NOX2 activity may serve as a potential treatment. While hyperglycemia after stroke is common, its treatment with insulin is not a viable option due to the risk of developing hypoglycemia. Therefore, a thorough investigation of hyperglycemia after stroke is […]
Rachel Bai
Rising temperatures due to climate change pose a serious threat to global crop production. Understanding the plant heat stress response is therefore critical to the fight against climate change. Heat stress is a major stressor of plants, disrupting nearly every part of normal plant function with effects ranging from reduced photosynthetic efficiency to premature cell death. Importin-βs, a family of nuclear transport receptors that shuttle cargo between the nucleus and cytoplasm, are essential in many plant cellular processes, including stress response, immunity, and development. While some Arabidopsis importin-βs are known […]
Annette Bennett
My research explores the connection between dopamine, a key neurotransmitter involved in learning and reward, and operant conditioning. Using zebra finches as a model organism, the study investigates how manipulating dopamine levels affects learning outcomes. By modulating neural activity, we examine whether changes in dopamine impact response times and accuracy in operant conditioning tasks. The findings could shed light on the neural mechanisms behind reward-based learning and contribute to advancements in cognitive and behavioral therapies. The results will provide valuable insights into the role of dopamine in learning and behavior, […]
Sohaib Butt
Studies have shown that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) establishes lifelong infection in 50% of the human population. One reason for its success in infection of host cells is its ability to evade immune responses, which is what a large majority of herpesvirus genomes are devoted to: evading the immune response. An immune evasion tactic identified by our lab is ERAP protein downregulation, an aminopeptidase required for peptide trimming prior to loading on MHC-I. ERAP protein is essential for antigen processing and recognition of infected cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), cells […]
Benjamin Capinski
The field of atomic physics studies the behavior of atoms, focusing on their fundamental properties and interactions. Most research in ultracold atomic physics has concentrated on alkali and alkali earth metals due to the simplicity of laser cooling them. Until recently, this has left most of the periodic table unexplored in the ultracold regime. By performing laser cooling in a metastable state, the E8 experiment in Prof. Dan Stamper-Kurn’s group is the first in the world to laser cool titanium atoms, with plans for further cooling to quantum degeneracy. The […]
Rylee Chaisongkram
Over generations, there has been a steady decline in reproductive rates. One in 6 adults across the world experience infertility, with stress contributing substantially to this decline. While studies highlight stress-related health risks, its specific impact on the reproductive system at the brain level remains unclear. This project will explore the connection between stress and the neuroendocrine regulation of female reproductive function, with a particular focus on kisspeptin (Kp) neurons in the posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) region of the brain. Through the use of transgenic mouse models, immunohistochemistry, and viral […]