Current Students

Undergraduate Institution: Washington University in St. Louis
Graduate Department: N/A

Research: My previous research focused on modeling mutational specificity in Neurofibromatosis Type 1 using human iPSC-derived cerebral organoids. Broadly, I am interested in using humanized models to understand the mechanism and uncover treatment options for neurological disease.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Oklahoma
Graduate Department: N/A

Research: With a background in Mechanical Engineering, I am extremely interested in applying biomechanics principles to understand how the human body functions. Previously my research focused on heart valve biomechanics, and I am excited to further my understanding of the cardiovascular system through the integration of non-invasive imaging. Additionally, I wish to develop a better knowledge of cell growth and mechanics. Having worked as a data scientist prior to medical school, I also hope to integrate my knowledge of data analytics and computational modeling into biomechanics.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Notre Dame
Graduate Department: N/A

Research: My research interests lie at the intersection of oncology, pediatrics, neurology, and immunology. Throughout undergrad, I was involved in translational and clinical breast cancer research. I also have experience in immunology research and am especially excited about cancer immunology and immunotherapies, neuro-oncology, and targeted cancer therapeutics. I am interested in becoming a physician-scientist to improve treatment options for patients I will see in clinic through discoveries in the lab.

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering 

Research: As an undergraduate, I strived to better understand cancer pathology and pharmacology by working alongside two scientific mentors: Dr. Sophie Lelièvre and Dr. You-Yeon Won. My work on breast cancer therapeutic resistance and chemo-nanoparticle design gave me great insight into the challenges of treating cancer both at an intracellular and extracellular level. I am interested in a career as a physician-scientist to be better positioned to help elucidate and address cancer's many mechanisms of immune-evasion and treatment-resistance.

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University-Bloomington
Graduate Department: N/A 

Research: My undergraduate research focused on analyzing food access disparities in Indiana and communication errors in nutrition education materials. My primary graduate research interests lie in the connection between chronic disease and the gut microbiome. I hope to investigate how the microbiota are involved in the pathogenesis of obesity and long term illness such as chronic kidney disease. I also seek to explore how modulation of the microbiome can affect patient outcomes/prognosis.

Undergraduate Institution: Brigham Young University
Graduate Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Research Mentor: Amelia Linnemann, PhD

Research: My primary research interest is studying the mechanisms of autoimmune targeting of beta cells in Type 1 Diabetes. Particularly, I am interested in studying how defects in the autophagy pathway of beta cells alters the immunopeptidome presented to cytotoxic T cells.

Undergraduate Institution: The Ohio State University
Graduate Department: Microbiology & Immunology
Research Mentor: Martin Richer, PhD
Contact Information: almocart@iu.edu 

Research: I am currently conducting research in the Microbiology and Immunology Department at IUSM with Dr. Martin Richer. Having curated research experiences in molecular biology, global public health, epidemiology, and clinical infectious diseases, I strive to combine these research disciplines to understand and counteract global emerging viral pathogens. Specifically, I am investigating the viral immunopathogenesis of Zika virus infection and elucidating methods Zika virus utilizes to evade and counteract host immune responses. By uncovering the immunopathogenesis of Zika virus, I hope to improve our clinical understanding of Zika infection and provide developing nations with the knowledge to counteract Zika outbreaks.

Undergraduate Institution: Stanford University
Graduate Department: Microbiology and Immunology
Research Mentor: Mark Kaplan, PhD

Research: My research focuses on the characterization of cell surface targets in hematological malignancies, primarily acute myeloid leukemia and multiple myeloma. I am working to delineate the mechanism of these target antigens which were identified using mass spectrometry and RNA sequencing. We hope to use these targets to develop and test chimeric antigen T cell receptor (CART) therapies and/or other T cell driven therapies such as bi-specific T cell engagers (BITE).

Undergraduate Institution: North Park University
Graduate Department: Medical and Molecular Genetics
Research Mentor: Karen Pollok, PhD

Research: My undergraduate research and publications focused on growing health awareness of dietary supplements derived from plants and marine sources. My current interests are in personalized medicine from studying human genes in different cancers. Pollok lab aims to build upon the standard-of-care therapy for sarcoma by modulation of dysregulated signaling networks and focuses on developing novel curative and maintenance therapies for pediatric sarcomas.

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University-Indianapolis
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentor: Bruce Lamb, PhD

Research: My current research interests involve using mouse models and human data to better understand genetic contributions to Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Specifically, we are investigating novel variants of PLCG2, a phospholipase which, in the brain, is found exclusively in microglia and has important functions in immune receptor signaling and microglial activation in AD. This work could reveal novel targets for therapeutic intervention through up- or downregulation of PLCG2 in patients with AD.

Undergraduate Institution: Washington University in St. Louis

Research: My undergraduate research focused on the neurobiology and psychology of speech comprehension, working toward a model of cochlear implant speech adaptation. I am broadly interested in the neurobiological diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders. My current research utilizes neuroimaging to evaluate the brain basis for the development of risky drug use and sexual behaviors in adolescents.

Undergraduate Institution: Earlham College

Research: My PhD work in Dr. Xiongbin Lu's lab focuses on the identification of therapeutic targets for treating Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Specifically, we intend to exploit the immune defense mechanisms against cancer and to identify biological targets that may improve T-cell cytotoxicity towards solid tumors.

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University

Research: I have always been intrigued by the role that molecular pathways play in the progression and metastasis of cancer. For my undergraduate thesis, I conducted pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma research characterizing a signaling pathway receptor and molecular mutations that contributed to malignancy. In my PhD research, I hope to continue to identify novel therapeutic targets in molecular pathways that can contribute to personalized treatment strategies and improved survival outcomes in cancer patients.

Undergraduate Institution: Milwaukee School of Engineering  

Research: I am interested in researching functional imaging techniques to greater understand organ function in-vivo. I want to research the application of these imaging techniques so they can be used to detect organ dysfunction and disease progression. My goal is to combine my passion for both engineering and medicine to answer pertinent clinical questions.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Colorado – Boulder

Research: My graduate project looks to describe how the microbiome provides protection against severe malaria in Ugandan children. I assess bacterial sequencing data as well as immune cell sequencing and functional tests to reveal what impact the microbiome has immunological outcomes. 

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University-Indianapolis
Graduate Department: Microbiology and Immunology
Research Mentor: Rachel Katzenellenbogen, MD

Research: My research interests are focused on elucidating the cellular mechanisms involved in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 infections. HPV is responsible for a range of clinical manifestations and is the cause of nearly all cervical cancers; however, there are currently no therapeutics available that target the virus specifically. My research aims to understand how HPV 16 utilizes cellular machinery and alters gene expression to establish and maintain infection.

Undergraduate Institution: North Carolina State University

Research: I am investigating the role of AXL receptor tyrosine kinase in tumor initiation and maintenance of tumors of Neurofibromatosis Type I, a cancer predisposition syndrome.

Undergraduate Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Graduate Department: NCI: Department of Oncology, University of Oxford

Research: My work evaluates the properties of myeloid cells in metastatic solid tumors which can exhibit dichotomous roles of immune surveillance or suppression. Through functional and transcriptional studies, I am evaluating various mechanisms involved in myeloid-tumor interactions. Ultimately, I seek to identify targets that can help reprogram the immune compartment of the tumor microenvironment and increase anti-tumor activity.

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
Graduate Department: Medical and Molecular Genetics

Research: I am interested in experimental design, data science, biostatistics, and oncology. I want to organize clinical trials that take advantage of big data and machine learning technologies. My background is in translational research, focusing on pathogen detection in food systems. My current research is on histopathological image analysis for melanoma metastasis prediction and the use of transfer learning to map patient-level clinical characteristics onto cell-level data.

Undergraduate Institution: Washington University in St. Louis

Research: My research interests revolve around leveraging computer and data science to investigate methods of modeling tumor evolution and response to improve timing and outcomes of clinical intervention. Previously, my research has been focused on tumor monitoring through genomics and other biomarker compartments which has ranged from evaluating the predictive and prognostic potential of KRAS in liquid biopsies of pancreatic cancer patients to deconvoluting heterogeneity within both epithelial and tumor microenvironment populations by digitally micro-dissecting single cell sequencing data.

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Carmella Evans-Molina, MD, PhD (Indiana University) and Fang Huang, PhD (Purdue University)

Research: My research interests lie in diabetes, specifically in gaining a better understanding of how the pancreatic beta cells fail to try to slow or halt the progression of diabetes as well as create new therapeutics targeted at beta cell health. I am currently researching how estrogen may play a role in beta cell identity and function and how it may therefore contribute to the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. Additionally, I am applying super-resolution microscopy to the beta cell in order to characterize the ultrastructural architecture of the organelles of the β-cell under healthy and diabetic conditions to correlate the relationship between structure and function and potentially identify new treatment options for this disease that targets organelle health.

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University
Research Mentor: AJ Baucum, PhD

Research: My prior research in Ken Mackie’s endocananbionid lab at IU Bloomington consisted of both basic (localizing endocannabinoid proteins FAAH and Crip1a) and applied science (investigating effects of perinatal exposure to WIN 55,212-2). This background has given me a driving curiosity to answer basic science questions and the motivation to export such findings from lab for clinical application. I am broadly focused on psychopathology with particular focus on mood disorders, autism, and addiction. In addressing these disorders I hope to contribute to the development of novel therapeutics as well as a growing of the fundamental cognitive processes (e.g. affective regulation, social cognition, motivational processes) that are aberrant in such disorders.

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University - Indianapolis
Graduate Department: Medical and Molecular Genetics

Research: My prior research experiences have mostly centered around neuroscience, including the role of inflammatory pathways in depression, addiction, and traumatic brain injury. My current research involves modeling Alzheimer's Disease using an in vitro human stem cell model. Specifically, I am working to determine the impact of a single nucleotide variant in the CX3CR1 gene on microglia function and possible neurodegenerative effects related to Alzheimer's Disease.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Dayton
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience 

Research Mentor: David Kareken

Research: My current research interests center around functional reward circuitry imaging of the human brain and how it relates to common human vices.

Undergraduate institution: University of Michigan
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Jacqueline Linnes, PhD / Natalia Rodriguez, PhD (Purdue University)

Research: I am interested in designing methods and devices for the sustainable, scalable management of infectious diseases, particularly in resource-constrained environments. Many people suffer due to a lack of proper treatment for very preventable and/or treatable conditions (such as STIs, Cholera, respiratory infections etc…) while at the same time antibiotic resistance is becoming a formidable complication to treatment around the world. Accessible technologies for rapid, accurate screening and diagnosis allow health departments to mount effective responses, connecting patients to the right care. Much of the required technology for these tools already exists in hospital labs but require many resources like trained personnel, expensive equipment, highly processed samples, sterile conditions, and time. I am interested in adapting these technologies to make diagnostic and screening tools for health departments/ministries without these resources to still offer effective care to patients and populations dealing with infectious diseases.

Undergraduate institution: Grove City College
Graduate Department: Microbiology & Immunology
Research Mentor: Mark Kaplan, PhD

Research: Current research interests involve discerning the roles that tissue resident memory T cells, particularly ones that secrete the cytokine IL-9, play in allergic airway responses.

Undergraduate Institution: Brigham Young University
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Craig Goergen, PhD (Purdue)

Research: My research interests and ambitions are to help the pediatric patient population by using cardiovascular imaging to better characterize the complex mechanisms of disease and pathology that underly heart conditions. Recently, I have been working with Dr. Larry Markham at Riley Children's Hospital to develop biomechanical and machine learning methods to detect and track cardiomyopathy progression in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Undergraduate Institution: Ithaca College
Research: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentor: Woody Hopf, PhD / David McKinzie, PhD  

Research: My work examines the relation of autonomic nervous system function, measured through heart rate variability, in promoting alcohol drinking and anxiety behavior. I also look at how chronic alcohol drinking may alter the balance of the two opposing branches of the autonomic nervous system. Finally, I aim to determine the role of the anterior insula-- a brain region critical for motivated behavior, interoception, and emotion-- in these contexts. My overall career goals are to practice psychiatry and further our scientific understanding of psychiatric disorders and neuroscience.

Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Vitaliy L. Rayz, PhD (Purdue University)

Research: My research interests involve leveraging date from current imaging techniques to create and determine parameters that allow for risk stratification in a given patient population. I am attempting to use machine learning methods to augment 4D flow MRI data in cerebral aneurysms. The ultimate goal is to be able to accurately determine parameters that influence rupture of these aneurysms.

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Elsje Pienaar, PhD (Purdue)

Research: My current research interests involve computational modeling of infectious diseases. I am currently working on agent based simulations of an in vitro tuberculosis granuloma model. I hope to incorporate data from many sources into a multiscale model to help elucidate pathophysiology of TB to assist in drug and regimen design.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Michael Heinz, PhD

Research: I am utilizing my background in engineering, signal processing, and music to study the processing of pitch by the auditory system-- particularly in sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). By leveraging controlled animal models of SNHL, I can better interpret our behavioral and electrophysiological findings in human listeners, hopefully leading to an improved understanding of pitch processing and better diagnostics and assistive technology.

Undergraduate institution: Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Graduate Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology/Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentors: Amber Mosley, PhD / Jungsu Kim, PhD

Research: My undergraduate and post-undergraduate research focused on transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of different systems. My first lab experience focused on the effects of RNA-binding proteins on the development of the neocortex. Afterwards, I joined a bioinformatics lab focusing on the RNA translation of Dengue virus infected cells and, on a different project, colon cancer. I hope to integrate multi-omics (proteomics, transcriptomics, genomics) studying relevant genes and proteins to neurological diseases.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Nevada-Reno
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Luis Solorio, PhD (Purdue University)

Research: My research interests are broadly in tissue engineering. My current projects include investigating the role of fibronectin and wound healing on dormant breast cancer cells and metastasis.

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University-Bloomington
Graduate Department: Microbiology and Immunology
Research Mentor: David Nelson, PhD

Research: My research focuses on the sexually transmitted bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, and its pathogenesis in the male and female reproductive tracts. Specifically, I am interested in understanding the virulence strategies by which C. trachomatis establishes and maintains human infection and evades detection by the innate immune system.

Undergraduate Institution: Ball State University
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentor: Jungsu Kim, PhD

Research: My work explores the function on microglia in regulating and responding to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology, and in metabolic dysfunction. Particular focus is given to rare coding variants that lead to increased AD risk. Our lab uses various genetically modified mouse models, in vitro systems, and human samples to explore these areas of interest.

Undergraduate Institution: DePauw University
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Gary Hutchins, PhD (IU)/Craig Goergen, PhD (Purdue)

Research: In the surgical excision of prostate cancer, postsurgical complications could be avoided by improved presurgical risk stratification for extraprostatic tumor extension. Nathaniel's research aims to develop and validate image analysis methods to improve presurgical definition of the location and extent of disease with the tumor-targeted PET agent, [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11. These analysis methods will allow PSMA-targeted PET to better inform treatment decisions and improve quality-of-life for high-risk prostate cancer patients.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Sherry Harbin, PhD (Purdue University)/Carmella Evans-Molina, MD, PhD (Indiana University)

Research: Interests include tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, and current projects are focused on the field of diabetes. More specifically, Emma will be developing an advanced microphysiological system for pancreatic islets featuring dynamic perfusion and 3D culture to provide a pro-survival microenvironment for evaluation of beta-cell function over time. Oligomeric collagen will be used to encapsulate the islets and provide critical extracellular matrix support and signaling. Furthermore, electrochemical sensors will be integrated into this device to immediately detect hormone secretion, reducing the time and cost associated with evaluating glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. After validation of device functionality, different applications at the forefront of diabetes research will be explored.

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University-Indianapolis
Graduate Department: Medical and Molecular Genetics
Research Mentor: Stephanie Ware, MD, PhD

Research: My research in Dr. Stephanie Ware's lab regards understanding the genetic causes of heterotaxy, a syndrome caused by disturbed specification of left-right asymmetry during embryonic development. This abnormal left-right patterning leads to severe congenital heart defects as well as abdominal and/or thoracic organ abnormalities. Currently, mutations in Zinc finger of the cerebellum 3 (ZIC3) are the only known cause of X-linked heterotaxy. In one family with X-linked heterotaxy without a coding mutation in ZIC3, we identified a novel ZIC3 intronic variant predicted to result in abnormal RNA splicing of ZIC3. Therefore, we hypothesize a subset of X-linked heterotaxy cases may be caused by noncoding mutations in ZIC3 altering its RNA splicing. In addition, we hypothesize that non-coding mutations in enhancer regions controlling the expression of ZIC3 during early development may also cause X-linked heterotaxy. We are working to characterize these potential enhancer regions using multiomic approaches.

Undergraduate Institution: Bowdoin College
Graduate Department: Medical and Molecular Genetics
Research Mentor: Reuben Kapur, PhD

Research: I am interested in the factors driving cancer pathogenesis and the development of novel therapies. Previously, I investigated the mechanisms underlying the cancer predisposition syndrome neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) and developed potential therapies for NF2 patients with Dr. Long-Sheng Chang and Dr. D. Bradley Welling at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University. Studying NF2 inspired an interest in the genetic alterations that influence cancer development and progression and the aspects that make each patient’s disease process unique. To further explore the factors that promote oncogenesis, I am conducting my graduate research in the lab of Dr. Reuben Kapur. Using genetically-engineered and transplant mouse models, I am investigating the contributions of inflammatory signaling pathways to leukemogenesis and exploring the possibility of targeting these pathways for therapeutic intervention.

Undergraduate institution: Indiana University-Bloomington
Graduate Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Research Mentor: Dr. Shannon Hawkins, MD, PhD

Research: Interested in pathologies of the female reproductive system, specifically, reproductive cancers. In my work with Dr. Hawkins, I plan to study ovarian cancer in models with concurrent endometriosis. Previously, my research focused on the effects of stress on the brain with a particular interest in sex difference of neuronal and microglial morphologies in the orbitofrontal cortex of Sprague Dawley rats. In my future career, I aspire to help determine better modalities for ovarian cancer detection, target treatments, and improvement in patient quality of life.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentor: Fletcher White, PhD

Research: Jared worked with Dr. Fletcher White for the year prior to the start of MS1 on the role of carbamazepine in treating oxaliplatin-induce peripheral neuropathy. Jared also works on other projects dealing with  electroacupuncture as a therapy post nerve injury and  neuropathic pain as a result of TLR4 downstream signaling in response to endogenous inflammatory mediators and cytokines.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Michigan
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Joseph Wallace, PhD

Research: My research utilizes a combination of in vitro and in vivo models to understand the effects of mechanical stimulation and pharmaceuticals on bone quality. In particular, I am interested in applying multiscale biomechanics to study how calcimimetic drugs alter bone architecture, composition, and material properties in animal models and patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). My long-term goal is to translate these findings into novel approaches for reducing fracture-related mortality in CKD patients, an urgent medical need in this population.

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentor: D. Wade Clapp, MD 

My long-term goal is to be an independently funded pediatrician-scientist using computational neuroscience approaches to better understand neurodevelopmental disorders. I completed my PhD in medical neuroscience with Dr. Anantha Shekhar and Dr. Wade Clapp studying Neurofibromatosis type 1, a genetic disorder which often presents with neurocutaneous lesions and developmental disorders. My research uses optogenetics and awake-behaving neural recordings to investigate neural mechanisms underlying impulsivity and social memory, examining how these preclinical phenotypes relate to ADHD and autism spectrum disorders. 

Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
Graduate Department: Microbiology and Immunology
Research Mentor: Chandy John, MD

Research: Interested in studying infectious diseases, especially those that have the greatest impact in developing countries, I work with the John Lab to study the pathogenesis and immune response to P. falciparum, a species of the parasite causing malaria.  The lab obtains samples from children in Kenya and Uganda with different clinical manifestations of malaria to better understand the variation in both humoral and cellular immune responses of infected children.  The lab also looks at pathogenesis of the parasite by looking at antigen variation in the PfEMP1 protein and changes in var gene expression between various study groups.

Undergraduate Institution: Bowling Green State University
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentor: Brady Atwood, PhD

Research: My research examines the impact of prenatal opioid exposure on neurobehavioral outcomes including the susceptibility for addiction-related behaviors and drug-induced neuroadaptations.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentor: Michelle Block, PhD

Research: Hendrik's work focused on how components of air pollution impact the neurodegenerative process in Alzheimer's disease through the lung-brain axis. This work focused on how pulmonary insults impact the peripheral immune system leading to circulating signals that then impact the microglia, the innate myeloid cell of the brain parenchyma, leading to exacerbated Alzheimer's pathology.

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University-Bloomington
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentor: Bryan Yamamoto, PhD

Research: Interest in the development of addiction in adolescent females, specifically, the comorbidity between methamphetamine and alcohol use. I approach addiction from a behavioral perspective with a foundation in pharmacology, producing a well-rounded understanding of drug dependence and adolescence. I previously studied thermoregulation and methamphetamine abuse, music and alcohol dependence, the physiology of addiction and heart failure, nicotine and methamphetamine comorbidity in c. Elegans worms, and depression and anxiety phenotypes after isolation. I hope to identify changes that drug use can produce in the adolescent brain to promote long term craving and addiction to the substance. By expanding our medical and scientific understanding of addiction, treatment can be improved and adjusted to suit the needs of the patients.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas at Austin
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Sarah Calve, PhD (Purdue)

Research: Sarah Lipp is excited to reenter medical training and aspires to be a pediatric nephrologist aiming to improve the care of patients with kidney disease by researching renal development and pathophysiology. Sarah Lipp's thesis work involved an investigation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the kidney and musculoskeletal system. The ECM, a network of proteins and glycosaminoglycans, is a critical but understudied component of development. Using 3D imaging and proteomic techniques developed in the Calve lab, Sarah Lipp studied how ECM changes in kidney development and the role of kidney stromal cells. Additional studies included investigating the implications of the presence of muscle, muscle contraction, and muscle patterning on myotendinous junction development. This information can be used to tailor tissue engineering scaffolds.

Undergraduate Institution: Central Michigan University
Graduate Department: Microbiology and Immunology
Research Mentor: Stacey Gilk, PhD

Research: The Gilk lab studies the intracellular human pathogen Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever. Inside the host cell, Coxiella lives within a specialized organelle called a parasitophorous vacuole. I am working to characterize membrane contact sites between the parasitophorous vacuole and the host endoplasmic reticulum. Previous work in our lab suggests that these membrane contact sites may play a role in the manipulation of cholesterol trafficking by the pathogen. The elucidation of mechanisms by which Coxiella manipulates its host cell has the potential to yield therapeutic targets.

Undergraduate Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Hari Bharadwaj. PhD (Purdue)

Research: I utilize single neuron recordings, scalp EEG recordings, and behavioral data to investigate temporal coding and sensory binding in the auditory system. By better understanding fundamental sensory mechanisms, I hope to develop tools to improve treatments for those with sensory impairments. Another application of my work I am pursuing is leveraging understanding of sensory neuroscience to better understand neuropsychiatric diseases. Physiological and behavioral assessment of sensory abilities can serve as a window to selectively test for certain disabilities in the brain providing the potential to improve diagnostics for neurological diseases."

Undergraduate Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentor: Dr. Karl Koehler

Research: I am interested in developmental biology questions about the patterning of the cranial nervous system. I am currently investigating the development of inner ear sensory epithelium using human pluripotent stem cells in 3D culture.

Undergraduate Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Graduate Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Research Mentor: Thomas Hurley, PhD

Research: The aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) 1A subfamily of enzymes has a critical, albeit poorly defined role in cancer stem cells in several cancer types. Cancer stem cells promote disease recurrence, metastasis, and treatment resistance, representing a major challenge in cancer therapy. My research utilized small molecule ALDH1A inhibitors in conjunction with global transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses to identify pathways that could potentially link ALDH1A activity and cancer stem cell survival in a triple-negative breast cancer model. A greater understanding of cancer stem cell biology and the functional role of ALDH1A therein could aid the development of more effective cancer therapies in the future.

Undergraduate Institution: Washington University-St. Louis
Graduate Department: Pharmacology and Toxicology
Research Mentor: Bryan Yamamoto, PhD

Research: Methamphetamine (Meth) is a highly addictive psychostimulant with no effective treatments for Meth use disorder. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors have shown some promise in reducing drug-taking behaviors in pre-clinical models, but most studies have focused on reducing the learning of drug-taking behavior, and few studies have addressed their efficacy against an established substance abuse disorder and relapse to drug-taking. Our work seeks to address this major clinical challenge by using known and novel pharmacological tools in this class to better understand the mechanism of Meth addiction and discover new treatments.

Steven Chen is a fourth-year medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 2015 where he studied Biology, Mathematics, and International Relations. He plans to apply to Otolaryngology (ENT)-Head and Neck Surgery for residency. Steven has a commitment to research and completed his dissertation with Yunlong Liu, PhD, in the field of genetics and bioinformatics. He studied alternative splicing regulation in Alzheimer's Disease and cancer. His research resulted multiple publications in journals such as Human Mutation and Nature Communications. Steven also served as part of the Dean's appointed Student Research Committee to promote research opportunities for students in the summer between their first and second years and beyond. Steven is a dedicated leader, having served as chair of the Council of Student Members for the American College of Physicians in addition to representing medical students on ACP's Board of Regents, Board of Governors, and Education Committee. He also represented ACP in the House of Delegates for the American Medical Association. Locally, Steven was chair of his school's internal medicine and technology in medicine interest groups. Steven is an avid hiker, runner, and snowboarder. He has trekked to Everest base camp through Tibet and summited Mt. Kilimanjaro. He also finished several races, including the Berlin Marathon and the New York City Half Marathon.

University of Oklahoma
Graduate Department: Medical and Molecular Genetics
Research Mentor: Bryan Schneider, MD

Research: As a graduate researcher in the Schneider laboratory, Geneva focused on characterizing the impact of SBF2 on taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy in breast cancer patients. Her work culminated in establishing the foundation for a major National Cancer Institute-sponsored clinical trial for female patients of African descent being treated with taxanes. Geneva is passionate and committed to pursuing a career as a physician scientist in the field of oncology to uncover novel therapeutic genetic targets and to identify predictive biomarkers with the potential to aid in assessing a patient's responsiveness to treatment versus the risk of adverse effects.

Undergraduate Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Craig Goergen, PhD(Purdue)

Research: Working in the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Laboratory (CVIRL) under Dr. Craig Goergen at Purdue University, Frederick's research revolved around the development of novel imaging techniques to better characterize cardiovascular disease. His thesis work specifically focused on the development and application of four-dimensional ultrasound techniques to better understand cardiac dysfunction progression in mouse models of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Since completing his PhD training, Frederick has further expanded his research endeavors to study pediatric aortopathies through advanced analysis of routine echocardiography data.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Missouri
Graduate Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Research Mentor: Quyen Hoang, PhD
Research: Objective of research project is to understand the mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease to aid in the development of therapeutics. Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a major neurodegenerative disease, affects about one million people in the United States and the prevalence is expected to triple by 2050 due to a global increase in life expectancy. Currently there is no cure or effective therapy, thus there is a desperate need for novel treatment development which requires a detailed understanding of the disease mechanism.

The molecular etiology of PD remains unknown, however, it is associated with the presence of abnormal alpha-synuclein-rich inclusions known as Lewy bodies, which are the pathological hallmark of PD. In addition, oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of PD for decades, and chemicals that generate mitochondrial ROS, such as the neurotoxin MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine), have been shown to directly cause Parkinson’s disease. Moreover, mutations in different mitochondrial proteins are associated with the pathogenesis of familial PD. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which mitochondrial ROS cause PD and alpha-synuclein aggregation remain unknown, and Victoria Alexe’ Engel’s project is to investigate inflammation and alpha-synuclein aggregation and to determine the structure of a mitochondrial-associated kinase to isolate which interactions are responsible for disease-associated effects.

Undergraduate Institution: Northwestern University
Graduate Department: Medical Neuroscience
Research Mentor: Anantha Shekhar, MD, PhD

Research: Interested in unearthing the roots of and developing treatments for diseases affecting the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Previous research focused on signaling in neural stem cells and worked on spinal cord injury recovery. Rotating in the lab of Jinhui Chen, MD/PhD, Sotirios Karathanasis is discovering methods to prevent neuronal death following traumatic brain injury. Sotirios would like to learn about the immune system in greater detail, especially how its activity impacts the nervous system in both health and disease.

Undergraduate Institution: Dartmouth College
Graduate Department: Cellular and Integrative Physiology
Research Mentor: Carmella Evans-Molina, MD, PhD

Research: Associated with insulin resistance and inflammation, obesity is an ever-increasing metabolic disorder reaching epidemic levels worldwide. Further, insulin resistance is associated with type II diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension and other vascular complications. Paul Sohn is interested in the link between obesity, inflammation, lipid metabolism and diabetes at molecular, biochemical and physiological levels.

Undergraduate Institution: The Ohio State University
Graduate Department: Biomedical Engineering
Research Mentor: Sherry Harbin, PhD (Purdue)

Research: Completed his PhD thesis work on the engineering design of collagen dermal replacements for treatment of difficult to heal wounds. Used in vitro biophysical analysis, animal models, and computational studies to understand the effect of scaffold mechanics and microstructure on tissue regeneration. Our long term goal is to develop and translate new therapies for injuries and degenerative disease. Interests in biomaterials, stem cells, continuum mechanics, computational modeling.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Gradate Department: Microbiology and Immunology
Research Mentor:  Hal Broxmeyer, PhD

Research: As an undergraduate, I studied the effects of biotinylation on one of the key glycolytic enzymes, Enolase 1. It is well-known that cancer cells rely heavily on hypoxic glycolysis for their energy sources, hence we hypothesized that down-regulation of Enolase 1 epigenetically by biotin binding might restrict cancer cell growth. During my first year in PhD, I joined Dr.Maria Grant’s Lab in which I was assigned two different projects – 1) Ex vivo expansion of acupuncture-mobilized mesenchymal stem cells for arthritis treatment using equine models; 2) The potential therapeutic effects of SIRT1-LXR axis in reversing bone marrow dysfunction in murine diabetic mice. Upon Grant’s Lab relocation, I transferred to the laboratory of Dr.Hal Broxmeyer and focused my PhD thesis on the functional roles of Leptin-Leptin Receptor axis in both human and murine hematopoiesis.