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Student Research Seminar Series

2023-2024

2023-2024

May 2024

5/03 - Ryan Mayers(Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Brian Polster) "TBA"

5/10 - Emily DeMarco (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Tom Blanpied) "TBA"

April 2024

4/05 - No meeting: Good Friday and Muscle Biology Program Retreat

4/12 - Annie Brong (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Aikaterini Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos) "TBA"

4/19 - TBA "TBA"

4/26 - Hugo Bibollet (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Martin Schneider) "TBA"

March 2024

3/01 - Matthew Eason (Molecular Medicine Program/MD, PhD/Mentor-Aikaterini Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos) "A Novel Family of Pleckstrin Homology Domains Regulate PI3K/AKT to Block Breast Cancer Dissemination"

3/08 - Colin Robertson (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Alex Poulopoulos) "TBA"

3/15 - Kaylie Pinto (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Chris Ward) "TBA"

3/22 - No meeting: Spring Break

3/29 - TBA "TBA"

February 2024

2/02 - Li Yi (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Bob Bloch) "The cytoplasmic domain of small Ankyrin 1 binds to SERCA1 to regulate SERCA1’s activity in skeletal muscle"

2/19 - Spiro Sevdalis (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-David Weber) "NMR studies of calcium ion dissociation from the cell-binding component of Clostridioides difficile binary toxin induces conformational exchange necessary for membrane binding and pore formation"

2/16 - Abagail Postle (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Todd Gould) "The Role of Aromatase in the Aging Brain"

2/23 - Abby Vidgerman (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Tom Longden) "Utilizing Advanced Imaging Tools to Probe Blood Flow Control Mechanisms in Health and Disease"

January 2024

1/05 - No meeting

1/12 - No meeting: Biochemistry Program Retreat

1/19No meeting: University of Maryland Closed

1/26No meeting

December 2023

12/01 - Jennifer Mariano (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Aikaterini Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos) "Sex-specific phenotypic characterization of MYBPC1-linked myotrem myopathy in mid- and late adulthood"

12/08 - Aishwarya Iyer (Biochemistry Program/MD, PHD/Mentor-Aikaterini Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos) "Investigating the Molecular Pathogenesis of a Novel MYBPC1 Duplication Mutation Linked to
Myopathy with Tremor"

12/15 - Heather Buck (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Joe Stains) "Nitric Oxide Contributes to Sclerostin Protein Degradation Following Mechanical Load"

12/22 - No meeting: Winter Break

November 2023

11/03 - Kaila Noland (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Bob Bloch) "Metabolic Consequences of Skeletal Muscle Specific High Expression of mu-Crystallin Following Low-and High-Fat Diet Interventions are Diet and Sex-Specific "

11/10 - Maria Traficant (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Bob Bloch) "Investigating SLC34A2 as a Biomarker for FSHD "

11/17 - Alli Mancini (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Megan Rizzo) "A novel single-color FRET sensor reveals calcium-dependent activation of Rho-kinase during collective cell migration"

11/24 - No meeting: Thanksgiving

2022-2023

2022-2023

May 2023

5/05 - No meeting: Muscle Retreat

5/12 - Taylor Crawford (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Trudeau) "Using trafficking-deficient hERG LQTS mutants to determine the unique roles of the hERG1a and hERG1b N-terminal regions"

5/19 - Aisha Iyer (Biochemistry Program/MD, PhD Program/Mentor-Kontrogianni) "Investigating the Molecular Pathogenesis of a Novel MYBPC1 Duplication Mutation Linked to Myopathy with Tremor"

5/26 - Hugho Bibollet (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Schneider) "Excitation-Contraction Coupling: from Physiology to Biophysics"

April 2023

4/7 - No meeting: Good Friday

4/14 - Alex Wiltse (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Blanpied) "In vivo disruption of LRRTM2 and its effects on synapse structure, function, and animal behavior"

4/21 - Abby Vidgerman (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Longden) "Integration of Novel Imaging Modalities to Explore Blood Flow in Awake and Freely Behaving Animals"

4/28 - Spiro Sevdalis (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Weber "Ca2+-dissociation and functional unfolding of receptor binding domain 1 (RBD1) of the toxin delivery component (CDTb) of C. difficile binary toxin (CDT)"

March 2023

3/03 - Maxwell Madden (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Mathur) "Serotonergic Modulation of the Claustrum"

3/10 - Matthew Eason (Molecular Medicine Program/MD, PhD/Mentor-Kontrogianni) "Overexpression of the Obscurin Pleckstrin Homology Domain in Triple Negative and HER2 Positive Breast Cancer Cells Reduces Invasion and Chemoresistance to Doxorubicin"

3/17 - No meeting: Spring Break

3/10 - Nicholas Verhoeven (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Karbowski) "MARCH5 Knockout modulates Bioenergetics in a Fat Dependent Cellular Environment "

3/31 - Kaylie Pinto (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Ward) "Enduring effects of microglia function: Implications for sexual differentiation of the amygdala and establishment of fear, anxiety, and social behaviors"

February 2023

2/03 - Rob Brown (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Zalzman) "Enhancing the potency of aged stem cells for neuro‐regenerative applications"

2/10 - Jennifer Mariano (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Kontrogianni) "Sex-dependent Progression of the MYBPC1 E248K Myopathy with Tremor in Response to Aging"

2/17 - Yi Li (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Bloch) "The cytoplasmic domain of small Ankyrin 1 binds to SERCA1 to regulate SERCA1’s activity in skeletal muscle"

2/24 - Colin Robertson (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Poulopoulos) "Personalized Patient Model of a GRIN Disorder using In Vivo Prime Editing in the Mouse Brain"

January 2023

1/06 - Makenzy Mull (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Martin) "Altered Calcium Signaling via ATP‐activated P2Y2 receptor in Metastatic Breast Cancer Cells"

1/13 - Jenna Leser (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Stains) "Severe Osteopenia Induced by Osteocalcin‐cre Conditional Co‐deletion of Camk2d and Camk2g"

1/20 - Ryan Mayers (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Polster) "HMGB1 impairs mitochondrial respiration and decreases two‐pore channel 1 (TPC1) protein level in a neurodegeneration‐relevant microglial model"

1/27 - Alli Mancini (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Rizzo) "Calcium modulates Rho‐kinase activity during collective cell migration"

December 2022

12/02 - Maria Traficante (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Bloch) "Investigating SLC34A2 as a Biomarker for FSHD"

12/09 - Heather Buck (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Stains) "Nitric Oxide’s Role in the Mechanically Stimulated Degradation of Sclerostin"

12/16 - Mashhood Wani (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentors-Strickland) "Investigation of the Role of LRP1 Patient Mutations on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms"

12/23 - No meeting: Winter Break

November 2022

11/04 - Kevin Herold (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Ivy Dick) "Using iPSC‐derived neurons to dissect the role of Cav1.2 dysfunction in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum"

11/11 - Anicca Harriot (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Ward) "Increased microtubule density and detyrosination promote sarcomere malformations in dystrophic and aging skeletal muscle"

11/18 - Kaila Noland (Toxicology Program/Mentor-Bloch) "Physiological Changes in Response to Skeletal Muscle Specific High-Expression of mu-Crystallin in Mice on High-Fat Diet"

11/25 - No meeting: Thanksgiving

2021-2022

2021-2022

May 2022

5/6 - Andrea Romanowski (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Poulopoulos) - "Using new Cas9-fusion proteins to investigate neuropsychiatric risk genes in the developing brain"

5/13 - Nicolas Verhoeven (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Karbowski) - "MARCH5 knockout reduces OXPHOS mediated mitochondrial bioenergetics"

5/20 - TBA

5/27 - TBA

April 2022

4/1 - Michael Anderson (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Blanpied) - "Direct Visualization of Triheteromeric NMDA Receptors"

4/8 - Taylor Crawford (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Trudeau) - "Dynamics of the PAS domain and cyclic nucleotide-binding homology domain interaction probed with a fluorescent noncanonical amino acid (L-ANAP) in hERG potassium channels"

4/15 - No meeting: Good Friday/Passover

4/22 - Daniela Fuller (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Hong) - "Impaired reorganization of centrosome structure underlies congenital dilated cardiomyopathy"

4/29 - Bosung Shim (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Simard) - "NCX1-Dependent Surface Localization of AQP4 Underlies Astrocyte-Mediated Brain Swelling"

March 2022

3/4 - Julia Rutherford (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Rassool - "Characterizing pharmacologically-induced innate immune responses and their effects in triple-negative breast cancer"

3/11 - Andrew Coleman (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentors-Lederer & Ward - "A Role For Acetylated Tubulin In Striated Muscle"

3/18 - Li Yi (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Bloch) - "The cytoplasmic domain of small Ankyrin 1 binds to SERCA1 to regulate SERCA1’s activity in skeletal muscle"

3/25 - No meeting:  Spring break

February 2022

2/4 - Alexa Blanchard (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-McCarthy) - "The role of mast cells in shaping neonatal hippocampal development"

2/11 - Emily Demarco (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Blanpied) - "Elucidating the dynamic role of PTPsigma in synaptic nano-organization and NMDA receptor function"

2/18 - Ashley Marquardt (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-McCarthy - "Sex differences in the transcriptional networks underlying playfulness suggest a distinct function for play in males compared to females"

2/25 - Jennifer Mariano (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Kontrogianni) - "Pathological progression of the MYBPC1 E248K myopathy during aging"

January 2022

1/7 - Nicole Higgins (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Monteiro) - "Serpin Neuropathology in the P497S UBQLN2 Mouse Model of ALS/FTD"

1/14 - Annica Harriot (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Ward) - "Investigating the relationship between myofibrillar malformation and the disease-altered microtubule network"

1/21 - Makenzy Mull (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Martin) - "Oncogenic KRas alters mechano-induced calcium response via ATP signaling in breast cancer cells"

1/28 - Katia Matychak (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Meredith) - "Characterization of Novel BK Channel Mutation D965V"

December 2021

12/3 - Kevin Herold (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Ivy Dick) - "Using induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons to evaluate the role of CaV1.2 in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder"

12/10 - Jenna Leser (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Stains) - "Characterizing conditional deletions of cam/calmodulin dependent kinase 2 delta and gamma (CaMK2d and CaMK2g) in mouse bones"

12/17 - Rob Brown (Molecular Medicine Program/Zalzman - "A ZSCAN4-RNF20 interaction mediates ZSCAN4's effects on chromatin structure and potency gene expression in cancer"

Dec. 24-Jan. 3    No meeting:  Xmas and New Year’s

November 2021

11/5 - Maria Traficante (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Bloch) - "SLC34A2 as a Potential Biomarker for FSHD"

11/2 - Alli Mancini (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Rizzo) - "Calcium-dependent signaling via gap junctions drives RhoA/ROCK activation during collective cell migration"

11/19 - Kaila Noland (Toxicology Program/Mentor-Bloch) - "Physiological Changes in Response to Skeletal Muscle Specific Overexpression of mu-Crystallin Following High and Low-Fat Diets"

11/26 - No meeting: Thanksgiving

2019-2020

2019-2020

February 2021

2/07 - Kalia Noland (Program in Toxicology/Mentor-Bloch) "Cellular, physiological and metabolic effects of skeletal muscle specific overexpression of mu-crystallin"

2/14 - Vishnu-Prak Rao (Molecular Medicine Program/MSTP/Mentor-Rizzo) "TBA"

2/21 - Nicole Gould (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Rizzo) "TBA"

2/28 - TBA (XXX/Mentor-XXX) "TBA"

January 2020

1/10 - No meeting: Biochemistry Program Retreat

1/17 - Alyssa Grogan (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-tanni) "Deletion of obscurin domains Ig58/59 leads to maladaptive responses in the heart in a sex-dependent manner"

1/24 - Talia Guardia (Molecular Medicine Program/MSTP/Mentor-Kontrogianni) "Investigating the tumor suppressor function of obscurins in breast cancer"

1/31 - Charlie Dean (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Benavides) "Synaptic Signaling in anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis"

December 2019

12/06 - Jack Hussey (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Ivy Dick) "Novel L-type Calcium Channel Variants: Characterization of Functional Consequences"

12/13 - Eryn Dixon (Program in Toxicology/Mentor-Woodward) "Novel PC2 regulation of ezrin in renal epithelia reveals insight into ADPKD cystogenesis"

12/20 - 01/03/20 - No meetings: Winter Holiday

November 2019

11/08 - Quinton Banks (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Schneider) "Optical Recordings of Voltage Sensor Domains"

11/15 - Manasa Srikantha (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Feldman) "Elevated levels of glucosylsphingosine cause mTOR hyperactivation and deregulate the lysosomal compartment in neuronopathic Gaucher disease"

11/22 - Amanda Labuza (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Bloch) "Small ankyrin 1 interacts with phospholamban to regulate SERCA1 in skeletal muscle"

11/29 - No meeting: Thanksgiving

2018-2019

2018-2019

May 2019

5/03 - No meeting:  Membrane Program Retreat

5/10 - No meeting:  Muscle Program Retreat

5/17 - Seminar Canceled

April 2019

4/05 - Poorna Dharmasri (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Blanpied) "Glutamate Receptors as Directors of Synaptic Nanostructure"

4/12 - Patrick Bailey (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Martin) "Down the rabbit hole: Adventures with mammospheres"

4/19 - No meeting:  Good Friday/Passover

4/26 - Nicole Gould (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Stains) "Understanding osteocyte mechano-sensing and mechano-transduction" 

March 2019

3/01 - No meeting:  Inclement Weather

3/08 - No meeting:  Inclement Weather

3/15 - Vishnu-Prak Rao (Molecular Medicine Program/MSTP/Mentor-Rizzo) "The impact of beta cell heterogeneity on glucose sensing and oscillatory activity"

3/22 - No meeting:  Spring Break

3/29 - Jackie Highland (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Gould) "Characterization of ketamine’s hydroxynorketamine metabolites and their antidepressant-relevant synaptic properties "

February 2019

2/01 - Nicole Snell (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Rizzo) "Regulation of Non-Muscle Myosin II dynamics by MLCK during cell movement"

2/08 - Amanda Labuza (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Bloch) "Small ankyrin 1 interacts with phospholamban to regulate muscle SERCA1"

2/15 - No Meeting

2/22 - Jennifer McFarland (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Rizzo) "Regulation of Glucokinase by S-Nitrosylation"

January 2019

1/04 - Anthony Cole (Program in Neuroscience/MSTP/Mentor-Thompson) "Rapid hippocampal regulation of the neuroendocrine stress response"

1/11 - No meeting: Biochemistry Program Retreat

1/18 - Lace Riggs (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Gould) "Novel synaptic mechanism underlying the rapid hippocampal plasticity induced by the (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine metabolite"

1/25 - Alyssa Grogan (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Kontrogianni) "Expression of truncated obscurin leads to maladaptive responses in the heart"

December 2018

12/07 - Janelle Geist (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Kontrogianni) "Implications of novel tremor mutations in Myosin binding protein-c slow (sMyBP-C)"

12/14 - Eryn Dixon (Toxicology Program/Mentor-Woodward) "Disruption of apical compartment organization in ADPKD cystogenesis"

12/21 - No meeting: Winter Break

12/28 - No meeting: Winter Break

November 2018

11/02 - Amber Mueller (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Bloch) "Muscle Xenografts Reproduce Key Molecular Features of FSHD"

11/09 - Natalie Hesselgrave (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Thompson) "Uncovering the role of hippocampal projections to nucleus accumbens in depression and the antidepressant response"

11/16 - Amber Plante (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Meredith) "Ca2+ sources contributing to circadian rhythms in action potentials and Ca2+ in central clock neurons"

11/23 - No meeting: Thanksgiving

11/30 - Courtney Chandler (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Ernst) "Role of lipid A hydroxylation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa persistence and infection"

2017-2018

2017-2018

June 2018

6/01 - Canceled

6/08 - Manasa Srikanth (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Feldman) "Gaucher disease iPSC-derived osteoblasts have developmental and lysosomal defects that impair bone matrix deposition"

May 2018

5/04 - Poorna Dharmasri (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Blanpied) "Glutamate Receptors as Directors of Synaptic Nanostructure"

5/11 - No meeting: Muscle Program Retreat

5/18 - Quinton Banks (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Schneider) "Optical recordings of action potential initiation and propagation in mouse skeletal muscle"

5/25 - Alyssa Grogan (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Kontrogianni) "Expression of truncated obscurins leads to maladaptive responses in the heart"

April 2018

4/06 - No meeting: Spring Break

4/13 - Jackie Highland (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Gould) "Group II metabotropic glutamate receptor blockade promotes stress resilience"

4/20 - Sarah Russell (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Schneider) "Understanding the regulation of muscle atrophy at the cellular level"

4/27 - Nathan Hardenbrook (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Krantz) "Structure of the Anthrax Toxin Protective Antigen Pore Bound by Lethal and Edema Factors"

March 2018

3/02 - Jennifer McFarland (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Rizzo) "Post-translational activation of glucokinase in glucosensing hypothalamic neurons"

3/09 - Kendra Seckinger (Toxicology Program/Mentor-Rizzo) "Glucokinase Regulation in Pancreatic Beta Cells"

3/16 - Devin Snyder (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Kaetzel) "Utilization of CRISPR for the Generation of Endogenous NME1-EGFP in Melanoma Cell Lines"

3/23 - No meeting: Spring Break

3/30 - Anthony Cole (Program in Neuroscience/MSTP/Mentor-Thompson) "Glucocorticoids rapidly modulate hippocampal neuronal activity through membrane-bound receptors"

February 2018

2/02 - Allison Gerber (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Singh) "Dendritic cell derived IL-12p40 binds extracellular proteins to make heterodimeric cytokines"

2/09 - Dan Garman (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Bloch) "Dysferlin Mutants: Defects in Trafficking and Association with Proteins of the Transverse Tubule"

2/16 - Courtney Chandler (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Ernest) "Novel model of Francisella novicida intradermal infection using microneedle arrays"

2/23 - Nicole Snell (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Rizzo) "Regulation of Non-muscle Myosin II in Spreading Cells"

January 2018

1/05 - Janelle Geist (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Kontrogianni "Myosin Binding Protein-C Slow (sMyBP-C) Function, Regulation, and Disease Implications"

1/12 - Amanda Labuza (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Bloch) "Understanding the role of small ankyrin in calcium regulation in excitable cells"

1/19 No meeting - Biochemistry Program Retreat

1/26 - Amber Plante (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Meredith) "Ca2+ channels in SCN neurons and their role in intracellular Ca2+ and AP rhythmicity"

December 2017

12/01 - Christian Kinney (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Bloch) "Crym Expression and Function in Skeletal Muscle"

12/08 - Eryn Dixon (Toxicology Program/Mentor-Woodward) "Disruption of the apical compartment in ADPKD cystogenesis"

12/15 - Michael White (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Mathur) "The role of the claustrum in top-down cognitive processing"

12/22 - No meeting: Winter Break

12/29 - No meeting: Winter Break

November 2017

11/03 - Amber Mueller (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Bloch) "Xenografting human myogenic cells into mice for studies of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy"

11/10 - Steve Pratt (BiochemistryProgram/Mentor-Martin) "Real-time scratch assay reveals mechanisms of early calcium signaling in MCF-7 cells in response to wounding"

11/17 - Andrew Wescott (Molecular Medicine Program/MSTP/Mentor-Lederer) "Regulation of ATP Production by Mitochondrial Calcium Signals in Heart"

11/24 - No meeting: Thanksgiving