Justin Kim
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, and catching it early saves lives. My research focuses on subsolid nodules, small growths on CT scans that can be early lung cancer precursors. They are difficult types of nodules for radiologists to accurately assess, as many are infections that resolve, but others carry malignancy risk, requiring monitoring over months or years of scans–a burden we’d like to avoid for patients whose nodules resolve on their own. This project will explore a deep learning framework called a Generative Adversarial Network […]
Rocelia Alvarez-Navarrete
Microbes inhabiting a plant’s leaf surface, a community known as the phyllosphere, can significantly affect plant health, development, and immune responses to microbial pathogens. Our past work has shown that interactions among microbes within phyllosphere communities can affect the persistence of certain bacterial species in the phyllosphere. Using experimental evolution with a community of microbes that are known to protect against pathogen invasion, we have evolved Pseudomonas species that have enhanced/altered colonization on tomato seedlings. Now, we ask if our evolved strains could successfully establish on adult tomato plants already […]
Erica Domen
During the Miocene (~23-5 million years ago) Earth experienced a geologically abrupt warming event known as the Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO). The MCO represents the most recent period in Earth’s history where abrupt warming coincided with reconstructed atmospheric CO2 concentrations comparable to modern-day and projected future levels. The UC Museum of Paleontology (UCMP) has extensive collections of Miocene fossils from the Molalla flora of northwestern Oregon which have yet to be described or published. In this project I will focus on surveying the vegetation of the Molalla flora during a […]
Kayla Tougas
The hypothalamus of the brain regulates critical parameters such as fluid balance. Fluid balance is the equilibrium between water intake and output, and is measured in the body as blood volume and blood osmolality. Fluid balance is regulated by behaviors such as thirst. The lamina terminalis of the hypothalamus regulates thirst, and is therefore essential for maintaining fluid balance. During pregnancy, female physiology undergoes dramatic changes. Notably, maternal blood volume increases by 30-50% to support fetal growth. An insufficient increase can lead to severe conditions like preeclampsia. Though it is […]
Micaela Bowers
Over the past 200 years, increased use of phosphate fertilizers has dramatically changed soil nutrient compositions in croplands, with runoff impacting natural plant populations in unexpected ways. To investigate whether natural plants are evolving in response to this environmental transformation, our lab analyzed a time-series of Arabidopsis thaliana genomes collected over the last 200 years in conjunction with historical soil nutrient estimates, and uncovered a gene associated with soil phosphorus levels: Uroporphyrinogen III Methyltransferase (UPM1). Though UPM1 has an established role in the nitrogen and sulfur status of plants, no […]
Alessia Checcone
For some children with sensory over-responsivity (SOR), an ordinary sound or the feeling of clothing against skin can be overwhelming. Common in children with ADHD and autism, SOR also affects many children without formal diagnoses, influencing how they learn, socialize, and regulate emotions. My research examines the brain architecture of neurodivergent children with and without SOR to better understand its neural mechanisms. Using brain MRI data from nearly 200 neurodivergent children, I measure how closely gray matter regions of the cerebral cortex resemble one another in thickness and volume, creating […]
Andrew Nguyen
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of membrane signaling proteins in humans, mediating cellular responses to hormones, neurotransmitters, metabolites, and immune signaling molecules. GPCRs are important therapeutic targets, with nearly one-third of FDA-approved drugs acting on this receptor family. Despite their importance to human physiology, binding partners of many GPCRs have yet to be identified, which limits our understanding of how they function in health and disease. Microbial communities in the gut produce a wide array of metabolites that influence host physiology across the body. Changes in the gut […]
Irem Kurtdemir
My research focuses on the representation of Turkish characters in English-language fiction, using Ben Tran’s concept of “literary dubbing” as a framework. In Elif Shafak’s The Bastard of Istanbul (originally written in English), the characters experience life in Turkish, but Shafak represents their thoughts and speech in English. This choice resonates with dubbing foreign films. Shafak, in a way, “dubs” the thought-language of the characters, detaching voices from bodies and characters from sociolinguistic contexts. My project asks: How can we analyze the voices of Kazancı women in The Bastard of […]
Shaquori McCoy
My project asks how experiences of early responsibility in childhood shape mental health later in life among Black adults. Specifically, I examine adultification, when children take on caregiving, emotional, or household responsibilities earlier than expected. I also examine adultification bias, when Black children are perceived as older, less innocent, and less deserving of protection than their peers. While research has shown these experiences can affect Black youth, much less is known about how Black adults reflect on these experiences over time or how they may influence well-being in adulthood. Through […]
Janina Schieneman
Ikaros is a transcription factor, which splices into many different forms and influences the development of several different immune cells. One such cell line, the eosinophil, plays a crucial role in the immune response to parasites, allergies, and asthma. Unfortunately, the impact of Ikaros on eosinophil development is not well known. Establishing a better understanding of eosinophil development could result in discovering markers of eosinophilia and allergy responses. Discovered effects of Ikaros on eosinophil development can eventually be tested on human cells and provide insight into immunosensitivity disorders. Previous research […]