Student Research Seminar Series
2021-2022
2021-2022
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
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
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"
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"
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
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"
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
2019-2020
2019-2020
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
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
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"
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"
2018-2019
2018-2019
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"
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
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"
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"
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 "
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"
May 2019
5/03 - No meeting: Membrane Program Retreat
5/10 - No meeting: Muscle Program Retreat
5/17 - Seminar Canceled
2017-2018
2017-2018
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
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
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"
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"
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"
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"
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"
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"
2016-2017
2016-2017
November 2016
11/04 - Michael White (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Mathur) "The claustrum mediates cross-cortical communication for top-down attention"
11/11 - Andrew Wescott (Molecular Medicine Program/MSTP Program/Mentor-Lederer) "Mitochondrial Calcium Signaling"
11/18 - Atum Buo (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Stains) ;"The intersecting function of Connexin 43 and Runx2 in bone"
11/25 - No meeting: Thanksgiving
December 2016
12/02 - Lindsay Pickett (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-McCarthy "Mast Cells in the Developing Brain Determine Adult Sexual Behavior"
12/09 - Amber Plante (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Meredith "Single nucleotide polymorphisms alter currents from human BK channels"
12/16 - Spencer Todd (Toxicology Program/Mentors-Randall, Periera "The effects of continuous exposure to the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos on the differentiation of the SHSY5Y neuroblastoma cell line: implications for developmental neurotoxicity"
12/23 - No meeting: Winter Break
12/30 - No meeting: Winter Break
January 2017
1/02 - No meeting: Winter Break
1/06 - Kendra Seckinger (Toxicology Program/Mentor-Rizzo "Regulation of Glucokinase in Pancreatic Beta Cells"
1/13 - Mary Patton (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Mathur "TrkB-dependent disinhibition of the NAc core is under metaplastic control by ethanol"
1/20 - No meeting
1/27 - Elise Ma (Program in Neuroscience/MSTP Program/Mentor-Faden "Bidirectional Brain-Gut Interactions and Intestinal Pathology during Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury"
February 2017
2/03 - Sarah Russell (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Schneider "Monitoring FoxO1-GFP and atrophy of adult mouse skeletal muscle fibers in culture: effects of altered FoxO1 regulation"
2/10 - Natalie Hesselgrave (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Thompson "Do hippocampal projections to the nucleus accumbens mediate the antidepressant effects of GABA-NAMs? Preliminary data"
2/17 - Bishal Tandukar (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Hornyak "Characterization of Melanocyte Stem Cell Sub-populations at Bulge and Secondary Hair Germ Region of Murine Hair Follicle"
2/24 - Eryn Dixon (Toxicology Program/Mentor-Woodward "Identification of ezrin in a novel 3D in vitro model for ADPKD as a new target in cystogenesis"
March 2017
3/03 - Lain Hostelly (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Zaghloul) "Interaction of Exocrine and Endocrine Pancreas in Obesity Ciliopathies"
3/10 - Megan Moorer (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Stains) "Connexins as Active Regulators of Signal Transduction in Bone"
3/17 - Nina Klimova (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Tibor) "Effect of nicotinamide mononucleotide on NAD+ metabolism and mitochondrial dynamics following global cerebral ischemia"
3/24 - No meeting: Spring Break
3/31 - Jonathan Van Ryzin (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor/McCarthy) "Enduring effects of microglia function: Implications for sexual differentiation of the amygdala and establishment of fear, anxiety, and social behaviors"
April 2017
4/28 - Janelle Geist (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Kontrogianni) "Myosin Binding Protein-C: A multifaceted regulator of muscle structure and function in health and disease"
4/21 - Libet Garber (Bioengineering/UMCP/Mentor-Lederer) "Relationship between Action Potential and Excitation Contraction Coupling in Atrial Myocytes"
4/14 - No meeting: Good Friday
4/07 - No meeting: TPIMB Retreat
May 2017
5/05 - Jin Xu (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Qiu) "Overcoming drug resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer"
5/12 - James Lyons (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Stains) "Microtubule-dependent regulation of a signaling relay that tunes the osteocyte mechanical load response"
5/19 - Jennifer McFarland (Program in Neuroscience/Mentor-Rizzo) "Ligand-mediated Regulation of Glucokinase-mediated Glucosensing in Hypothalamic Neurons"
5/26 - SaiSachin Divakaruni (Program in Neuroscience/MSTP Program/Mentor-Blanpied) "The role and regulation of dendritic mitochondrial fission during long-term potentiation"
June 2017
6/02 - Sausan Jaber (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Polster) "Targeting Mitochondrial Bioenergetics for Neuroprotection"
6/09 - Nicole Snell (Molecular Medicine Program/Mentor-Rizzo) "Triple FRET imaging of non-muscle myosin II in spreading cells"
6/16 - Nathan Hardenbrook (Biochemistry Program/Mentor-Krant) "Cryo-EM Structure of the Anthrax Toxin Protective Antigen Pore Bound to Lethal Factor"