Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative illness responsible for 60-80% of dementia cases in the United States. Studies have shown that the formation of two primary pathologies, amyloid plaques and tau tangles, are present prior to neuronal death that results in this loss of memory and worsened motor function. Our research focuses on understanding the role of tau in disease progression. Tau stabilizes microtubules in the cell, which function to maintain cell structure and assist in intracellular transport. To successfully regulate microtubules, tau is modulated by site-specific phosphorylation. Evidence points specifically to the hyperphosphorylation of tau by certain kinases in playing a key role in neurodegenerative dieases such as AD. One kinase that has been identified as a tau-phosphorylating agent is tau-tubulin kinase 2 (TTBK2). To understand the role of TTBK2 kinase activity in the context of tau, we created double transgenic C. elegans lines expressing both human tau and TTBK2. We assessed behavioral abnormalities in our subsequent populations using locomotor assays of the homozygous crosses. From the data that was generated, we observed a significant difference in the movement of the double transgenic tau/TTBK2 strains as compared to their controls. The crosses moved substantially less than the other strains, and exhibited a more uncoordinated phenotype. These results support the hypothesis that the abnormal phosphorylation of tau by TTBK2 results in worsened motor control and general health of affected individuals. Additional testing of protein levels within the double transgenic lines will enable us to determine the mechanisms underlying this effect, and could eventually lead to information that might inform treatments counteracting the activity of kinases such as TTBK2 involved in hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins. Furthermore, this research has the potential to aid in finding a cure for a currently incurable disease and providing a hopeful future for Alzheimer's-affected individuals.

Changing developmental patterns is an essential strategy for plants to survive environmental stressors, and the hormone auxin coordinates much of plant development. In the auxin signaling pathway, Aux/IAAs are co-repressors that block expression of auxin target genes. When auxin is present, Aux/IAAs are ubiquinated by an E3 ligase and then degraded via the proteasome. This results in an increase of auxin response gene expression. Past research in the Nemhauser lab found that a dominant mutant in the Aux/IAA known as IAA28 alters the placement of lateral organs around the stem (a process called phyllotaxy). IAA28 loss-of-function mutants show no phenotype, so we hypothesized that another gene or genes could be acting in a redundant manner. IAA28 is closely related to two other Aux/IAAs called IAA18 and IAA26. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, I am making triple mutants that lack function of IAA18, IAA26, and IAA28. Once I have these mutants, I will measure phyllotaxy and other developmental phenotypes to look for differences when compared to wild-type plants.

Drumlin formation in the Puget Lowland occurs at varying scales ranging from tens of meters to a few kilometers both in length and width. There is no unifying theory to explain drumlin formation, but Boulton (1987) contends that drumlin features comprised of stratified sediment overlain by till, such as those observed in the Puget Lowland, are formed by differential erosion and deposition of a heterogenous, deformable bed. According to Boulton’s model, deformable sediment under high ice-pressure, coupled with high pore water pressure, flows around cores of less-deformable sediment. As pressure around the obstruction (i.e. less deformable sediment) increases from the converging ice, the ice starts to erode and deform. Deposition occurs where pore water can drain from the bed, such as into permeable outwash. Till would then accrete incrementally, increasing the drumlins height and length over its development history. Drumlinoid features bisected by wave erosion and channel incision on Whidbey Island provide an excellent opportunity to empirically quantify the thickness of till deposition in relation to position on the drumlin, as well as the underlying sedimentological properties of the substrate units underlying the till. Numerous well logs recorded on drumlinoid features complement the field measurements. A detailed assessment of the drumlin’s substrate geology, specifically the thickness of the overlying till will provide important quantitative data relevant to assessing the validity of Boulton’s model to explain the formation of larger-scale drumlinoid features in the Puget Lowland.

Since the implementation of health insurance provider policies that mandate opioid painkillers as the first line treatment for chronic back pain in the 1990s, opioid prescriptions and subsequent opioid poisoning related deaths have quadrupled. In the U.S., the second leading cause of physician visits and disability is back pain symptoms. The decision to assign opioid painkillers as the first line treatment is due to current cost containment efforts of health insurance providers. The method of research used is a literature review of available clinical studies, research reports, news archives, and legislative policy examining the origin these first line treatment policies and the impact they have on communities in the United States, as well as, the ethical implications of this method of treatment. Further, I explored the safety and utilization of chiropractic spinal manipulation, a non-pharmaceutical treatment for back pain. To assess the influence of non-pharmaceutical treatment on the occurrence of opioid overdose, my research analysis compares public accessibility and utilization of chiropractic treatment in each of the 50 states. While painkillers are the current first treatment for chronic pain, chiropractic treatments are a form of preventative care that specifically focuses on spinal conditions and hold significantly less risk for the patient. My research indicates that communities which have increased accessibility to chiropractic care also have lower instances opioid overdose. My analysis concludes that as the number of opioid prescriptions rises, there is also an increased probability of patients with painkiller prescriptions developing a drug dependency. This correlation calls into question the ethics and morality of the decision to designate opioids as the first line treatment for chronic back pain, as patient suffering is highly influenced by designated treatment options, and that a non-pharmaceutical treatment should be considered as a replacement for the currently mandated first line treatment.