Wildfires in Western North America have become more frequent and intense in recent years. Wildfire smoke can cause adverse health impacts creating an urgent public health concern. This study compares wildfire smoke preparedness and response plans developed by jurisdictions and institutions in western North America, including counties, cities, states, provinces, and universities. We used qualitative content analysis methods to assess the characteristics of 20 wildfire smoke preparedness and response plans. The majority of the plans included strategies related to air quality monitoring, household-level exposure reduction, and risk communication. Wildfire smoke poses a bigger risk to susceptible and/or vulnerable populations, however, 25% of the plans did not include strategies related to targeted outreach for at-risk populations. Since wildfire smoke plans are a relatively new strategy within emergency response, a “gold” standard set of components has yet to be established, therefore,  significant variations of included plan components exist. To improve these plans, it is crucial to enhance targeted outreach programs for vulnerable populations, develop a standardized framework for preparedness, and integrate plans with existing public health frameworks. Additionally, training for first responders on health impacts and investing in air quality monitoring are essential. Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of outreach strategies, conducting longitudinal health studies, and analyzing the economic impacts of wildfire smoke preparedness. By addressing these recommendations and pursuing further research, jurisdictions can enhance their wildfire smoke preparedness and response plans, ultimately protecting public health more effectively.

In the age of the internet, literature is consumed in unprecedented ways. Modern social movements often call upon those of the past through key quotes and references to influential literary works. Quotes can go viral, seen outside of their context by thousands of people and become associated with these movements or rediscovered by new communities. For instance, key figures in post-WWII literature such as author and civil rights activist James Baldwin have had their words re-immortalized within the context of contemporary movements such as Black Lives Matter. Baldwin’s era of literature was one of marked social change and evolution within the literary world that parallels our society today, making it significant to understand how quotes from this period can reappear and spread across social media. To analyze the reception of post-war literature on Twitter, we utilized a dataset of over 40 million tweets quoting or referencing James Baldwin, as well as similar datasets quoting four other influential authors of the time including David Foster Wallace and Kurt Vonnegut. We focused on the patterns of text reuse (i.e., the repetition of known quotes) in tweets from 2006-2023, examining key moments of reception and exploring the context of virality for key quotes. During this context-finding process, we also developed a novel method for conducting self-identified user demographic analysis. We implemented clustering algorithms on both tweets and user bios, supplemented the resulting clusters with manual merging processes, and experimented with various visualization strategies. Our results yielded clear quote usage patterns for certain demographic groups, demonstrating the efficacy of the novel demographic extraction method. These methods can be expanded for further demographic-focused social media research and help us understand how cultural movements evolve today.

Chiral molecule sensing has important biochemical applications for detection of disease, as well as cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders. Circular dichroism (CD) has emerged as a powerful spectroscopic tool for probing post-synthetic ligand exchanges of chiral molecules onto originally achiral quantum confined CdS morphologies, manifesting in chirality corresponding to the electronic transitions of the nanocrystals. In this work, we first describe making water soluble quantum dots (QDs) and nanorods (NRs) via ligand exchange with glycine. After this exchange, aqueous chiral thiol solutions are then titrated into glycine capped achiral CdS, and the optical properties are monitored via UV-vis, photo-luminescence (PL), and CD spectroscopies. Preliminary results show we can controllably produce measurable chirality equal to or exceeding previous literature values whilst using orders of magnitude less L-cysteine than previously reported. Moving forward, we intend to correlate growth in CD with changes in PL across a myriad of cysteine derivatives. Additionally, we plan to examine the impact of NR aspect ratio on normalized maximum CD absorption (g-factor).   

Little is known about how male and female Pieris rapae behave during territorial behaviors, making this project particularly significant. Through our previous experiment, we have uncovered intriguing insights into the unique behaviors exhibited by male P. rapae when interacting with pseudo-females (males in disguise). Our observations suggest a complex interplay between competitive instincts and courtship behaviors. Specifically, male Pieris rapae display distinct responses when encountering pseudo-females, indicating a potential recognition of the sex of the interacting butterfly. This recognition may trigger competitive behaviors like a territorial move if perceived as a rival male or foster a display of courtship if perceived as a potential mate. Additionally, we aim to study how female P. rapae interact with other females to determine if there are any behavioral differences in these interactions. By studying the intricacies of both male and female courtship and/or territorial behaviors in P. rapae, this project seeks a deeper understanding of the factors shaping mating systems and reproductive success in this species and beyond.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common mental disorders in the world. People with PTSD often have difficulty managing time or have witnessed a traumatic event in the past. PTSD is also associated with memory issues which are characterized by intrusive memories that can cause re-experience aspect of the traumatic event. Through the use of computational models, we aim to investigate the differences in memory retention in spaced vs massed practice presentations. We hypothesize that mass practice will lead to less accuracy in recognition and less intrusive thoughts during retention. Through recruiting healthy adult participants with no history of PTSD or other stress-related psychiatric disorders we get a base data avoiding discrepancies. Participants view visual stimuli as images, either neutral or triggering which are presented in pseudo-order and are asked to rate them based on their valence ranging from neutral to extremely negative. The images are presented under two conditions: mass and space presentation. For spaced presentation, different versions of the triggering image category are presented in no particular order with neutral and filler images in between. For massed presentation, all versions of the triggering image category are presented one after the other with no neutral or filler images in between. 24 hours after the initial presentation of the images, participants are tested on memory retention in the form of image recognition. Participants are asked about the difficulty of recalling the image and how often they think about the image. Having collected data during AUT 24, we were able to understand there is a correlation present between memory retention in mass and spaced recognition in terms of traumatic and non-traumatic events. By collecting data through WIN 25, we will have greater accuracy in terms of significant data.

Language mixing occurs when words and grammar from two languages combine in the same sentence, demonstrating how bilingual speakers creatively use their language skills. Understanding how bilingual children mix languages provides insight into their thinking and navigation between languages. While prior research has focused on noun mixing, fewer studies have examined verbs. Thus, this study aims to investigate how English-speaking bilingual children (ages 4-7) evaluate two verb-mixing strategies: direct insertion (using a verb directly from one language) and indirect insertion (changing the verb to match the grammar of the other language). Participants will be assigned to one of two conditions: one where both characters mix languages and another where only one character does. This allows us to examine how interlocutor context (the conversational partner's language use) and age influence children's judgments. Participants will be introduced to pairs of cartoon aliens having conversations and told that the aliens just arrived on Earth and are learning English; therefore, they may mix their own language with English words. After watching each conversation, children will rate how well the alien spoke using a scale of expressive faces. We hypothesize that children’s preferences for language mixing will be shaped by interlocutor context and age. We predict that younger children will rate direct insertion more positively, while older children will rate both strategies similarly. However, as older children may be more aware of social dynamics, they will rate strategies more negatively when only one character language mixes compared to both. This manipulation allows us to explore how children's developing social awareness influences their judgments of language mixing and expectations of conversational norms. These findings will provide new insights into how bilingual children think about and use their languages as they grow, as well as how language is tied to communication and social connections. 

Human liver microsomes, or HLMs, play a key role in drug metabolism because they contain important cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes that are critical in oxidation and hydrolysis processes. We hypothesized that the variability in CYP enzyme concentration and activity among individuals will contribute to differences in metabolic capacity. In this study, my goal was to characterize HLMs from a bank of individual donors with different genetic backgrounds. I assessed their drug-metabolizing capabilities, with an emphasis on CYP-mediated pathways. I used bicinchoninic acid assays (BCA) to quantify protein content, carbon monoxide heme spectra (P450 spectra) to determine CYP enzyme concentrations, and a cytochrome c reduction assay to measure P450 reductase activity. For conducting these experiments, we used HLM samples from five different individuals from the UW Human Liver Bank. From the first subset of samples, I found that the ratio of CYP protein to total protein content varied across individuals with different clinical presentations. The differences among individuals in our findings emphasize the importance of HLM characterization in preclinical drug trials to understand the need for the personalization of pharmacological treatments. The implementation of such characterization can have a tremendous effect on predictions of drug responses and optimization of drug dosages, ultimately improving drug efficacy and safety.

Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer’s Disease (ADAD) can result from a pathogenic variant in the PSEN2 gene, which encodes an integral membrane protein called Presenilin 2. This variant has been shown to result in a harmful change in the balance of amyloid-β types in neurons, which has been hypothesized to increase risk of dementia. The diverse capabilities of Presenilin give reason to hypothesize that there may be other effects of the variant protein that are connected to ADAD pathogenesis. Reduced spine density, a feature of ADAD pathology, may be caused by overactivity of synaptic pruning. This activity is mediated by resident innate immune cells in the brain called microglia. We sought to explore the effects of PSEN2 variants on microglia-neuronal interactions via the assessment of synaptic pruning in a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derived in vitro model. We differentiated CVIA2 isogenic and PSEN2 N141I variant hiPSCs into both microglia and neurons. Utilizing a coculture of both wild-type neurons and microglia with the PSEN2 N141I variant, we performed immunocytochemistry for synaptic proteins Synapsin 1 and PSD95a. We then imaged the microglia and neurons using confocal microscopy. We assessed differences in synaptic pruning by quantifying immunofluorescent signal of Synapsin in microglia. Specifically, we looked at the colocalization of synaptic protein expression with signal from microglia-specific protein Iba1. We hypothesized that the variant microglia would contain a significantly different amount of signal for Synapsin compared to that of a control sample of wild-type microglia and neurons, implying a change to synaptic pruning function. If altered microglial synaptic pruning activity is shown to play a role in ADAD pathogenesis, targeting microglia could become a possible therapeutic treatment for patients.

Within the field of anesthesia, the process of arousal following general anesthesia is still little understood. Of particular concern is the way a state of pain can modulate arousal, with the nucleus accumbens (NAc) as a brain region of interest as it serves many functions including controlling mood, pain states, and reward motivation. This study investigates how NAc principal cells change their firing during arousal and are influenced by a pre-existing pain state. To assess this, we leverage the partial sciatic nerve ligation model of chronic neuropathic pain to examine the influence of pain state on arousal. We then test groups of mice in their behavioral responses, including open field test, von Frey, hot plate test, and the return of righting reflex as a measure of arousal from isoflurane anesthesia-induced unconsciousness. In some mice, we record 1-photon calcium-related population activity in the NAc to analyze neural activity during arousal from anesthesia. Our findings will serve to illuminate the underlying brain circuitry involved in arousal from anesthesia and the influence of pain state, which can help improve anesthesia recovery and may reveal non-opioid or endogenous mechanisms for pain relief.

Cancer Cachexia is a condition characterized by muscle wasting, functional impairment and decreased quality of life that leads to 30% of cancer-related deaths. Cytokines, proteins secreted by both the body and tumors that drive inflammatory response, are potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers for tracking disease progression. However, their role in cancer cachexia and relationship with physical function, patient-reported quality of life, and body composition have not been fully characterized. We hypothesized that in cancer patients, inflammatory cytokines would be elevated in patients with weight loss compared to weight-stable patients and inflammatory cytokines would be negatively correlated with muscle function, patient-reported outcomes and body composition. Body composition was assessed by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and X-ray computed tomography (CT). Muscle function was assessed by stair climb power, hand grip strength and one-repetition maximum (1RM) muscle strength of different muscle groups. I assessed 55 cytokine plasma levels with Mesoscale Discovery Assay kits. Preliminary analyses show that in patients with cancer, interleukin (IL)-6 is negatively correlated with CT skeletal muscle mass (r=-0.36, p<0.05, n=53), IL-8 is negatively correlated with body weight (r=-0.40, p<0.01, n=53), body mass index (r=-0.41, p<0.01, n=53), CT skeletal muscle mass and subcutaneous adipose tissue (r=-0.49, p<0.05, n=53). Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha was negatively correlated with hand grip strength (r=-0.30, p<0.05, n=53). IL-5 was positively correlated with Anderson Symptom Assessment Scale (ASAS) fatigue (r = 0.40, N = 47, p = 0.005) and ASAS total (r = 0.45, n = 47, p = 0.002). Certain cytokines are linked to worse muscle mass and function, while others correlate with better patient-reported outcomes, suggesting inflammation’s role in cachexia is complex. More research is needed to distinguish these differences for targeted therapies treating specific attributes of cachexia.

King County’s population growth over the past two decades has significantly shifted area demographics. The influx of a large volume of highly-paid residents has led to a housing shortage, driven up housing costs and area median income, and displaced long-time residents and businesses — a process known as gentrification. Residential gentrification often coincides with commercial gentrification, where local, minority-owned businesses are replaced by high-priced specialty stores or chains. Commercial gentrification impacts residents of the surrounding neighborhood and people countywide who rely on local businesses for socialization and community building. Despite its impacts, business displacement is understudied compared to the residential effects of gentrification. The 2024 Population Health Initative’s Applied Research Fellowship project sought to close this gap and examine the scope of commercial gentrification in King County with an analysis of business-level data from Data Axle, a data analytics firm, to quantify business openings and closures by size and industry from 1997 to 2023. This research examines which of King County’s communities and industries appear to be most impacted by recent commercial gentrification. To better understand spatial trends in businesses, we used King County’s 61 Health Reporting Areas (HRAs) and also focused on unincorporated King County as a whole. For our industry-level analysis, we identified three essential services: grocery stores, pharmacies, child care providers, and four categories of third places: retail, entertainment, eating and drinking, and services establishments. Our research showed the limitations to using this data to calculate King County’s top employers by business size. Moreover, despite significant population growth in King County since 1997, grocery store and child care provider numbers remained relatively stable, with the number of pharmacies increasing; despite 8 of 61 HRAs having two or fewer pharmacies. Third place services, eating and drinking, and entertainment establishments increased since 1997, while retail establishments decreased

Neuroethics explores the ethical paradigms surrounding neuroscience as it relates to new technologies, research and improved understanding of the brain and nervous system. A study within the Department of Neurosurgery includes human participants who have experienced a stroke. Participants get brain surgery to have intracranial electrodes implanted, have time for surgical recovery, then participate in follow up study sessions to gather neural and other data as they engage in rehabilitation therapy while being recorded and stimulated via the electrodes. From a neuroethics view, there is a limited understanding of why eligible people would choose to opt in or out of participating in this or similar studies. The neuroethics research group has done prior work to explore motivations for people who choose to participate in research and understand their experiences with implantable neural device research. However, few studies explore motivations surrounding a person’s decision to decline an invitation to participate in a research trial for which they are eligible. This project presents a literature review of potential  motivating factors in prospective participants’ decision to decline or participate in research. We will present how this literature review is used to construct a survey instrument to be administered to study decliners and a data analysis framework to interpret the survey results that we will gather. The results will have broad implications for understanding how people living with neurological conditions think about the potential risks and benefits of neurotechnologies that directly modify brain activity.

Prenatal lead exposure is associated with learning and behavior problems, reduced growth, and increased risk of miscarriages. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend lead exposure screening for pregnant women due to the significant health risks lead poses to their developing fetus. However, there is no nationally recognized screening tool, leading to inconsistent practices and potential gaps in care across the country. This project aimed to address this gap by identifying state-specific screening resources for clinicians and creating a tool to help healthcare providers more easily access these resources. Through web searches, emails, and phone calls to 50 state health departments, 20 state-level screening resources were identified, along with county-level resources in three counties with childhood lead poisoning prevention programs. These resources were compiled into an interactive map directing clinicians to screening resources in their region. This tool is being reviewed for potential use by the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units, an organization that provides free pediatric and reproductive environmental health consultation services to clinicians. The tool addresses the barrier to accessing screening resources, ideally increasing lead screening rates and improving pediatric health outcomes. The findings highlight the need for a national screening tool and provide insights into regional differences in recommended screening practices.

Microbial odors are essential for attracting mosquitoes to their hosts, but their role in attraction to other nutrient sources remains unknown. Sugar sources provide nutrients that lengthen the lifespan of both male and female mosquitoes and increase the vectorial capacity in host-seeking female mosquitoes. Microbial odors have been shown to act as proxy signals for the availability and composition of certain nutrients, such as amino acids and mineral ions, found in nectar and fruit sap. As microbes are abundant in flowers and fruits, we hypothesize that Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (mVOCs) from these nutrient sources play an important role in the feeding behavior of mosquitos. To test this, we analyzed the microbial community of a known attractive fruit, Mangifera indica ‘Keitt.’ Microbial species were identified from our environmental samples through amplicon sequencing of the 16S and 26S regions. Isolates of the most abundant and relevant species were cultured for mVOC collection and chemical analysis via Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). Behavioral assays were then performed with Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to observe the effect of microbial odors on the attractiveness of nutrient sources. Through the identification of behaviorally-relevant microbial compounds, we can gain a stronger understanding of the ecological dynamics of mosquito chemoreception and microbial community signaling, which can help inform future mosquito-control measures.

Orientation Patch Count (OPC) is a method of research used by biologists and paleontologists to analyze the complexity of an animal’s feeding surface while inferring their diets; diet and tooth complexity have evolved in concert with one another, which is why this method has been used on reptilian and mammalian (denticular) species. However, it has not been extensively tested on edentulous (toothless) clades. Therefore, my research examines the OPC of an edentulous species - specifically the endangered Madagascar big-headed turtle (Erymnochelys madagascariensis) using  three CT-scanned specimens. Three primary programs were used in order to analyze the quantitative morphometricsof the species: Slicer for processing and editing CT scans from the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Lab, MeshLab for editing 3D models, and RStudio for data analysis. This research contributes to a broader study on turtle species led by paleontologist Brenlee Shipps, who will apply these findings to extinct beaked clades, specifically dicynodonts.

Soluble peptides from the HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) envelope heptad repeat-2 domain, known as HIV fusion inhibitors, can inhibit viral entry by blocking formation of the gp41 6-helix bundle required for membrane fusion and infection. However, this treatment is unfeasible because it requires twice-daily subcutaneous injections with high risk and cost. The Lieber Lab is working to engineer hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) to express HIV fusion inhibitors in vivo, potentially offering sustained protection against HIV. In my work I used SIVmac239 (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus) challenged Rhesus Macaques sera and developed viremia (from another study by Lieber lab). My goal was to test whether anti-gp41 antibodies from these animals cross-reacted with synthetic gp41-derived fusion inhibitor peptides, specifically C46-v2o, C34-SFT, and Enfuvirtide(T20). If antibodies interfered with fusion inhibitors, their therapeutic effect would be severely compromised. In my project, I developed an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) to measure antibody titers. These peptides were coated, then blocked with 3% bovine serum albumin, and incubated with diluted Macaque serum to allow antibody binding. I used anti-monkey immunoglobulin-G conjugated with Horseradish Peroxidase for detection of antibody binding. I optimized the serum dilution to 1:200 to reduce background signal and concluded SIV-challenged Macaques had detectable antibody levels against C46-v2o and C34-SFT, but not T20. Ongoing work will determine more detailed IC50 antibody titers in serum samples. Notably, animals with high viral loads exhibited higher levels of antibodies against HIV fusion inhibitors. T20 is a promising candidate for sustained HIV inhibition, as no detectable antibodies means it’s less susceptible to pre-existing immune responses. These findings provide valuable insights into how fusion inhibitors interact with the immune system and help refine strategies for HSPC-based HIV therapies, bringing us closer to a long-term, self-sustaining approach for HIV prevention. 
 

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a combination of neurological and developmental abnormalities, with 1 in every 36 children diagnosed worldwide. Brain Selective Kinase 2 (BRSK2) is one of the strongest autism-associated genes, with 35 de novo mutations reported to date. Patients harboring BRSK2 variants clinically present with neurodevelopmental disorders, including speech delay, intellectual disability, motor dysfunction, and behavioral abnormalities. Despite its strong ASD association, the molecular functions of BRSK2 and the mechanisms through which it regulates neurodevelopment remain unclear. My project aims to investigate the molecular role of BRSK2 by identifying its localization in the developing hippocampal and cortical neurons. The function of a gene is reliant upon its localization within the cell. To identify the subcellular localization of BRSK2 during early neurodevelopment, I am analyzing the subcellular distribution of BRSK2 in cultured primary embryonic rat neurons at different developmental time points, using immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy. To delineate the impact of missense mutations in BRSK2 on its localization, I am analyzing the phenotype of cultured hippocampal rat neurons with GFP-tagged engineered constructs harboring the BRSK2 mutants. My analysis found that both hippocampal and cortical neurons display mostly cytoplasmic BRSK2 localization, with a significant association with the subcellular endomembrane as well as the plasma membrane (PM). Interestingly, BRSK2 was also found at the dendritic spines at day in vitro (DIV) 12. We are currently investigating whether any of these missense mutations disrupt inter-organelle communication between the endomembranes and plasma membrane. BRSK2’s localization in the endomembranes could explain disruptions in protein processing, dendritic development, or neuronal polarity linked with the missense mutations that eventually impact neurodevelopment, leading to autism. Discovering BRSK2’s localization will help contribute toward the future development of targeted therapies for ASD caused by the dysfunction of the BRSK2 kinase.

I investigate whether combining ultra-wideband (UWB) radar with inertial measurement units (IMUs) can produce more robust human pose estimations than using IMUs alone. UWB radar yields precise distance measurements, offering positional data that standard IMUs—sensitive mainly to angular velocity and acceleration—cannot capture. To test this approach, I built an embedded system that integrates a UWB radar module with wearable IMUs, then designed a user study involving everyday movements and targeted exercises performed by a small group of participants. This setup allowed me to collect a diverse dataset under realistic conditions. I processed these data using neural network models, including long short-term memory (LSTM) and transformer architectures, to generate accurate joint angles. I then fed those angles into a 3D skeleton reconstruction model. My preliminary findings suggest that the additional distance data from the UWB radar substantially improves tracking accuracy and reduces ambiguity in limb positioning. This enhanced estimation could lead to more realistic virtual reality avatars, improved fitness tracking, and better physical therapy tools. By overseeing the hardware design, data collection, and model development, I actively demonstrate how interdisciplinary methods can advance human-computer interaction through more precise and accessible pose estimation.

Circadian clocks have evolved as a powerful adaptation in response to daily environmental changes, allowing optimally timed sleep-wake cycles. The solar light-dark (LD) cycle is the dominant zeitgeber (time-giver) for entrainment (synchronization) of sleep and wake to external cues. While our lab has found that humans sleep less and later the days prior to the full moon phase where moonlight is available in the early night, moonlight was found to be an unreliable cue in determining lunar modulation of sleep for the light-polluted city population. Thus, my project investigates whether lunar cycling on activity patterns remains present without photic moonlight exposure using a diurnal non-human primate model: captive titi monkeys (Plecturocebus). The California National Primate Research Center collected titi monkey data (n=16) between 2022 to 2024 using AX3 from Axivity, a wearable data log that measures acceleration to monitor physical activity. I am using the statistical software R to derive activity onset and sleep onset/offset as phase markers of activity. Additionally, I am fitting different cosine models to a 30/15-day period, respectively lunar and semilunar, to analyze the periodic data for activity across the lunar month. We expect to see phase markers of activity oscillate with the monthly lunar phase, showing how the lunar cycle influences circadian rhythms in diurnal non-human primates, even in the absence of moonlight. This study may reveal a novel finding on lunar rhythms on activity patterns and could incur interest on how endogenous processes have adapted to the lunar cycle. Further molecular work could elucidate the neural mechanism behind lunar modulation of sleep and provide insights on improved treatment of dysregulated sleep.

4.5 million adults in the United States are diagnosed with chronic liver disease. Over time this can lead to cirrhosis, an end-stage condition in which scarring occurs in the liver. Reduced liver function from cirrhosis results in accumulations of neurotoxic substances that induce a spectrum of neurological impairments known as hepatic encephalopathy (HE). The critical flicker frequency (CFF) test is a well-established screening test for HE. Previously we developed Beacon, a novel and portable CFF measuring device that can be administered at home via smartphone app, as an accessible alternative to current CFF measurement devices that are large, expensive, and not intended for at-home use. We found that Beacon produced a CFF measurement that aligned with commercially available devices. While the current Beacon reflects current commercial devices, the efficiency of measurement is bottlenecked by the fact that pairs of flickering light stimuli can only be presented sequentially due to the singular light source. We therefore propose a dual headed version of Beacon that gives the option of flashing two frequencies simultaneously. I designed and developed a version of this dual-headed Beacon with sliding heads as well as an accompanying user interface before conducting a series of user studies, beginning with a pilot study on healthy individuals and progressing to a clinical trial on chronic liver disease patients, to evaluate the impact of the number of light sources and the distance between them on CFF measurement time and repeatability. I hypothesize that the two-headed Beacon will produce a CFF measurement more quickly than the original Beacon and that a closer distance between heads will also produce quicker and more consistent measurements. These findings will help inform the development of future iterations of the Beacon, leading to improved outcomes for chronic liver disease patients.

The Red-legged Honeycreeper, Cyanerpes cyaneus, is a member of the passerine bird family Thraupidae (tanagers) and is part of a group commonly called Neotropical honeycreepers.  Along with other honeycreeper species, C. cyaneus is a nectarivore, meaning that floral nectar is a large component of its diet.  It is expected that C. cyaneus, like other avian nectarivores, exhibits specialized adaptations to the tongue and bill and specialized feeding mechanisms for feeding on nectar, but this remains unexplored.  This study analyzes the kinematics (movements in space) of the bill and tongue during nectar feeding in C. cyaneus to investigate how this species is adapted for nectar feeding.  The feeding kinematics of C. cyaneus are then compared to those of three frugivorous (fruit-eating), but opportunistically nectarivorous, tanager species: the Crimson-backed tanager (Ramphocelus dimidiatus), the Palm tanager (Thraupis palmarum), and the Blue-grey tanager (Thraupis episcopus).  These opportunistic nectar feeders were given access to nectar and their feeding kinematics were characterized and compared to those of C. cyaneus to determine how ancestral patterns of feeding kinematics could be co-opted for specialized nectarivory.  Birds were filmed in Panama using high-speed videography and footage was digitized using the DLTdv8 imaging tool. Data were subsequently processed in Microsoft Excel and RStudio.  By comparing the feeding mechanics of C. cyaneus with those of closely related opportunistic nectarivores, this research aims to not only uncover the nectar extraction mechanisms used by C. cyaneus, but will be the first study to examine the evolutionary trajectory of nectar-feeding biomechanics.  These anticipated findings will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the evolution of avian nectarivory.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread problem across the U.S. that typically begins in adolescence which can cause severe struggles for the impacted individuals. IPV can be mitigated through some preventative factors, such as education and understanding of IPV. The purpose of this study is to evaluate rejection sensitivity (RS)-- the tendency to strongly react to rejection, including the dismissal or refusal of ideas, people, or offers-- as a mediator between comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) and IPV. I designed this study to use a cross-sectional online survey to measure levels of RS, themes of CSE from middle and high school education, and levels of IPV that individuals have experienced. It includes a representative sample based on Unites States census data of 340 participants who range from 18-25 years and have had a romantic relationship lasting at least two months. The data is analyzed through a mediation model, with RS as the mediator, as well as testing the direct effects of CSE on IPV using R Statistical Software. Analysis models the three pathways: path a-- CSE to RS, path b-- RS to IPV, path C-- direct effects of CSE on IPV (CSE to IPV). I anticipate that RS will act as a mediator between CSE and IPV such that higher levels of CSE will be associated with lower IPV levels through the mediation of RS. Additionally, I hypothesize there will be a direct effect of CSE on IPV. This study aims to improve the understanding of potential preventative factors of IPV as well as inform future interventions, such as CSE. Keywords: intimate partner violence, rejection sensitivity, comprehensive sexuality education

During inflammation, myeloid-biased hematopoietic stem cells (myHSCs) are crucial for replenishing myeloid cells and platelets. Excessive activation of myHSC during aging and chronic inflammation results in the loss of their regenerative function. We have shown that Semaphorin-4A is a neutrophil-derived molecule that confers myHSC resilience to inflammatory stress and safeguards their epigenetic state, preserving their regenerative function. Sema4AKO mice exhibit excessive myHSC expansion and myeloid bias compared to their wild type (WT) counterparts, particularly in the context of aging. Given that myHSC are positioned at the top of hematopoietic hierarchy, we asked whether myHSC molecular defects due to the absence of Sema4A are “passed down” to mature progeny. In preliminary analysis of aged WT and Sema4AKO mice, we mapped the neutrophil maturation pathway via whole bone marrow RNA Sequencing. Notably, we found that in aged Sema4AKO mice, this process was significantly dysregulated. Moreover, the neutrophil transcriptional signature was abnormal and consistent with excessively activated, pro-inflammatory state. This suggests that neutrophils produced from KO mice may have defective function. To investigate this, we are using a murine ligature-induced periodontitis model to monitor alveolar bone loss as a readout of neutrophil function. Periodontitis is an oral disease that leads to alveolar bone loss and promotes inflammation, specifically production of myeloid cells. The ligatures are placed on the left second maxillary molar and are left on for 8 days. After this incubation period, the mice are euthanized, and bone loss is measured. Since the ligatures are only placed on one side of the mouth, the other side acts as an internal control for bone loss. In our preliminary studies in WT mice, we observed that as expected, ligature-induced periodontitis causes bone loss. Having established this model in our lab, we are starting experiments to examine the impact of Sema4AKO on neutrophil function.

Increased mitochondrial oxidative stress causes fatigue and metabolic dysfunction in muscle tissue. It is unclear whether the oxidative stress is due to elevated production or impaired consumption of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The purpose of this study is to test whether the capacity of the antioxidant defense system is impaired or the mitochondrial ROS production rate is elevated in response to chronic changes in mitochondrial oxidative stress. To experimentally manipulate mitochondrial oxidative stress, we use an inducible mouse model to knockdown superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) in skeletal muscle and heart to increase oxidative stress, and exercise training to decrease oxidative stress. Knockdowns (KD) or littermate controls (CON) performed a six-week voluntary wheel running (EX) or sedentary control intervention (SED). Following completion of the intervention, I isolated heart and skeletal muscle mitochondria using differential centrifugation. I measured mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) production rate and tested the antioxidant capacity by treating isolated mitochondria with Auranofin (AFN) or 1-chloro-2,4-dintrobenzene (CDNB), which inhibit the thioredoxin and glutathione S-transferase components of the mitochondrial antioxidant defense system, respectively. KD heart and skeletal muscle had similar absolute H₂O₂ production rates compared to CON, but normalized to oxygen consumption the KD had significantly higher H₂O₂ production. Since absolute H₂O₂ production under vehicle conditions was not different, this suggests that the antioxidant capacity adapts to meet the changes in mitochondrial H₂O₂ production. We will collect data from the exercise-trained cohort next month. I expect to see an increase in H₂O₂ production rate and antioxidant capacity in both groups due to the increased mitochondrial biogenesis from exercise training. These results demonstrate that chronic increases in mitochondrial oxidative stress decrease mitochondrial H₂O₂ production capacity from skeletal muscle.

Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD) is a fatty acid β-oxidation disease associated with severe hypoglycemia and sudden death. MCADD is caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in the ACADM gene, which codes for a dehydrogenase specific to carnitines C6 through C12. MCADD is included in newborn screening (NBS) and characterized by elevated medium-chain acylcarnitine fats, annotated as C6, C8, and C10:1. Diagnostic testing is performed in plasma. Acylcarnitine results in dried blood spots have been described to differentiate carriers from affected individuals to reduce false positive NBS. Disease sensitivity and specificity, particularly to differentiate carriers from true positive cases, has not been well described in plasma. We posit that MCADD diagnosis will be more accurate if additional ratios beyond the primary disease markers, C6, C8, and C10:1 acylcarnitines, are considered. This study is a retrospective data review of NBS cases that were positive for possible MCADD and diagnostic testing was performed at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Cases are sorted into four groups: MCADD with homozygous disease variants, compound heterozygous MCADD, carriers of MCADD, or true negative. In collaboration with the biostats core service, linear regression models and receiver operator characteristic curves will compare acylcarnitine species and ratios by group. Preliminary results demonstrate that the primary markers associated with MCADD, C10/C2, C10/C6, C8/C2, C8/C10, and C8/Free carnitine, clearly discriminate affected individuals from control cases in plasma. Analysis is in process to compare the different genotypes of affected MCADD from carriers. Uncovering the diagnostic accuracy of plasma acylcarnitine profiles may influence future testing plans and improve the cost-effectiveness of healthcare services. DNA testing remains costly and slow. Additional biomarkers that provide a conclusive diagnosis of MCADD without requiring genetic testing may lead to more equitable patient care.

In healthy cells, NRF2 is an essential transcription factor for regulating oxidative stress. However, when constitutively activated in cancer cells, it can lead to tumor cell proliferation and metabolic rewiring. When NRF2 is activated, it increases cysteine consumption in the cells through increased expression of the SLC7A11 cystine/glutamate antiporter. We discovered a dose dependent decrease in proliferation when exposed to higher cystine concentrations, unique to cells with NRF2 activation. To understand the kinetics of this proliferation defect, I am developing a tool to visualize and track cell proliferation using a live-cell imager. I will first genetically encode Nuclear Red Fluorescent Protein (NucRFP) into our NRF2-activated cells, using single-cell cloning and flow cytometry to isolate and establish clonal populations that stably express NucRFP. Then, I will use the live-cell imager to incubate cells with NucRFP expression, titrating different concentrations of cystine. Stable NucRFP expression will allow me to quantify cell growth overtime in different concentrations of cystine media to better understand cell growth. This research will generate insights into the consequences of cystine stress that inform the development of targeted treatments for NRF2 activation in cancer cells.

Tumor cell survival and recurrence remain a leading cause of death among cancer patients, and it is likely that the residual tumor cells that form the secondary tumor have distinct phenotypes from the primary tumor. The transcription factor NRF2 is thought to play a role in tumorigenesis, metabolic reprogramming, and recurrence in breast cancer. Emerging evidence suggests that NRF2 also intersects with the circadian rhythm, the 24-hour oscillatory clock present in all cells. My project investigates how NRF2 interacts with circadian rhythm genes, and how this interaction affects cancer cell growth. Mouse cell lines NMuMG, EMT6, 66Cl4, and 4T1 were cultured, treated with dexamethasone for synchronization of cellular clock, and harvested over three days. Cell pellets were collected every eight hours after synchronization, for a total of seven timepoints across 48 hours. I performed RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and RT-qPCR to analyze gene expression of  NRF2 (Nfe2l2), NRF2 target genes (Nqo1, Slc7a11, G6pdx, Gpx2, Txn1), and circadian rhythm genes (Bmal1, Clock, Per2, Cry1, Per1, Nr1d1) at each timepoint. 66Cl4 cells were further used to perform a CRISPR knockout screen for NRF2 target genes, to investigate which genes are essential for tumor cell viability. I cultured and infected cells with Cas-9 enzyme and sgRNA corresponding to 30 NRF2 targets using lentivirus, then allowed them to proliferate to 14 population doublings over the course of the screen. After the screen had completed, cells were sent for genomic sequencing to identify hit genes. Though these experiments are ongoing, we aim to identify 4-5 hit genes through the screen to direct future research on how NRF2 promotes tumor cell survival and proliferation. My data on NRF2 and circadian clock will also shed light on the intricate role of NRF2 in the cell, and open the door for new therapeutic targets.

Over the years, the relationship between universities and corporations have become more and more intertwined through research and building funding, student opportunities, and company influence on administrators and faculty. My research explores the connections between the University of Washington (UW) and Boeing, a large transnational weapons manufacturer, and the impacts these connections have on research, education, and students' future career prospects. In this project, I ask: how are student’s educational experiences and career opportunities impacted by the university’s close connection to the Boeing company? I am focusing on a potential student to Boeing pipeline–a process for where students are primed to work at Boeing through their educational experiences at UW. I address this question through a variety of methods and sources, including a comprehensive analysis of all publicly available information on UW websites, including individual websites run by UW research labs, interviews with engineering students, Public Records requests, and a review of relevant Critical University Studies literature. My findings indicate that there is significant evidence towards the existence of a student-to-Boeing pipeline at UW. Boeing has given an extensive amount of money to the university, placed employees/affiliates in professorships, and is vastly overrepresented in internship and capstone opportunities available to students through the University of Washington. Furthermore, my research found a correlation between departments with a high amount of funding from Boeing with higher rates of student employment at Boeing after graduation. I argue that the student-to-Boeing pipeline has fundamentally changed the education of UW Engineering students to better fit Boeing’s needs, and it upholds the military-industrial complex. This project contributes to broader debates in critical university studies about the mission of public universities in providing students an unbiased education and universities' role in combating the climate crisis.

Previous work has shown frequency-specific modulation of dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) neural activity during simple behavioral tasks, suggesting shifts in neural population activity during different task phases and animal behaviors. Relatively little is known about task-relevant orchestrated shifts in theta, beta, and gamma rhythms across multiple behavioral timescales during a complex task that requires repeatedly adapting behavioral strategies based on changing reward contingencies. To address this gap in knowledge, we used a spatial set-shifting task to determine whether dHPC plays a specific role in strategy switching. The task requires rats to use two spatial strategies on an elevated plus maze: 1) alternating between East and West reward locations or 2) always going to the same reward location (e.g., only East or only West). Across specific timescales (session based alignments, comparisons of trial types, within trial epochs), dHPC associates differentially with all three temporal categories. Across a session, we observe a decrease in theta and beta power before, and an increase in theta power after, the target strategy changes. Beta power is increased around the point at which rats learn the current rule. Comparing trial types, on trials before a rat has learned the correct strategy, beta power is increased. Within a single trial, after an incorrect (but not correct) choice, beta and gamma power increase while the rat returns to start a new trial. If gamma (but not beta) power was high during this return, the rat is more likely to make a correct choice on the next trial. On the other hand, low gamma power during the return is associated with incorrect trials. dHPC, therefore, appears to track task demands, with the strength of each rhythmic frequency differentially associating with specific behaviors across three distinct timescales.

Cardiac Electrophysiologists (EP) use various devices to diagnose and treat heart rhythm disorders. Unfortunately, these devices can be defective and are subject to recalls by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to protect the patient. This study aims to better understand the rates of these recalls from 2014 to 2024 and thereby evaluate the safety of these devices, compare the safety vis a vis previous decades, and assess the safety of new devices as they are introduced for clinical use. We evaluated the number of FDA advisories related to implantable cardiac devices from 2014 – 2024; total the number of devices recalled under these advisories, determining the most prevalent malfunctions, and analyzing trends compared to rates from 1990-2000. The data shows that Permanent Pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICD)  have become safer compared to the past, although more units were affected per device advisory. Newer technologies of Leadless Pacemakers, Subcutaneous-ICDs, Implantable Loop Recorders, and Cardiac Contractility Modulation have been impacted by malfunctions and their trend will be critical to follow over the years to come. The findings of this study provide information regarding the safety of these technologies that are valuable to both EP cardiologists and the millions of American patients who live with these devices.

Acute Pancreatitis (AP) is a sudden inflammatory condition of the pancreas that can lead to significant mortality. Despite its rising prevalence and associated healthcare burden, treatment options remain limited to supportive care, with mortality rates in severe cases reaching 30%. Activin A is a key contributor to AP, interacting with the ACVR2A receptor to regulate various pathophysiological processes, including inflammation through immune cell recruitment. This study hypothesizes that activin A binds to ACVR2A to activate the ERK pathway, leading to increased NF-κB expression and elevated production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-1β. Experiments were designed using the 266-6 immortalized pancreatic acinar cell line and RAW 264.7 macrophages. These cells will be cultured for western blot analysis, ELISA assays, and transwell migration assays following activin A stimulation. Lower ERK phosphorylation and reduced NF-κB expression are expected when cells are treated with ACVR2A inhibitors in combination with activin A, compared to activin A treatment alone. ELISA assays are anticipated to confirm increased TNF-α and IL-1β production in 266-6 cells following activin A treatment. Macrophage migratory capacity is expected to increase when exposed to conditioned media from activin A-treated 266-6 cells. These findings will provide insights into the role of activin A in AP pathophysiology, potentially identifying new therapeutic targets for mitigating pancreatic inflammation and immune cell recruitment.

Chlamydia, caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, is one of the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infections of the urogenital and gastrointestinal tracts. Preliminary whole genome sequencing of C. trachomatis isolates from women and men who have sex with men (MSM) identified the gene pmpE. This gene encodes for a putative membrane protein that is a key locus of genetic variation between these two populations of isolates. Here, I performed deeper sequencing and structural analysis of natural pmpE variants to better understand how these genetically distinct strains exhibit their tissue tropism differences. PCR-based sequencing of C. trachomatis isolates was conducted against pmpE and ompA to initially type the strain, and then followed by whole genome sequencing to derive complete genomic information. Bioinformatic analysis showed that the cervical and rectal strains are sorted into two distinct clades based on pmpE. To predict possible functional differences, structures of pmpE sequence variants were computationally modeled using Alphafold v3, and analysis demonstrated that variations were confined to predicted surface-exposed loops. Based on the collective data, we hypothesize that two loops may provide functional differences in the ability of cervical versus rectal C. trachomatis strains to interact with tissue-specific host attachment proteins.

The tongue base is a key structure in respiration and swallowing and morphological and functional adaptations to its volumetric changes are largely unknown. Thus, addressing this gap could enhance the understanding of breathing and swallowing disorders in the enlarged and reduced tongue base. Twelve Yucatan minipigs 8-to-9-month-old (half each sex) were analyzed. Six minipigs received a high-caloric chow pellet to reach a BMI>50 (enlargement group), while the others underwent surgical partial tongue base ablation (reduction group). Five weeks after surgery all minipigs were scanned using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) synchronized with respiratory cycle gating. Mid-sagittal cross-sectional areas of the velopharyngeal and oropharyngeal airways, and retroglossal space during inspiration and expiration were quantified using ITK-SNAP. The volumes were also calculated using segmentation techniques. These measurements were compared between the enlargement and reduction groups in the inspiratory and expiratory cross-sectional areas to determine differences. Extrapolating from one minipig from the enlarged group observed larger mid-sagittal cross-sectional areas of the interested regions compared to the reduction group. The enlarged minipig observed greater differences in range and larger averages and medians for each cross-sectional volume. The enlargement group also had slower inspiratory and expiratory rates than the reduced group. Observations from one minipig from the reduced group were observed to have smaller cross-sectional areas, medians, and averages for all interested regions. Additionally, the reduced minipig had more frequent respiratory rates. The current analysis of the sagittal views from the obese enlarged tongue base versus the reduced tongue base minipigs revealed larger volumes within the enlarged group. This pattern currently suggests enlarged tongue base minipigs with larger cross-sectional volumes, but less inspiratory and expiratory rates. However, the reduced tongue base minipigs are anticipated to have smaller cross-sectional volumes and more frequent respiratory rates compared to the enlarged group.

Presbyphonia, or "aging voice", is one of the most common voice concerns, with prevalence ranging from 19-40% in the older adult (60+) population. Common symptoms of presbyphonia are a strained, weak voice and reduced loudness, which causes communication difficulties that negatively affect mental and social wellbeing. A key factor contributing to presbyphonia is vocal fold atrophy, which is deterioration of the muscle and tissue in the vocal folds. This causes weakness and incomplete vocal fold closure during voice production. Treatment usually consists of voice therapy with a speech-language pathologist (SLP) or vocal fold injections to bulk up vocal fold volume from an otolaryngologist. Currently, the standard for viewing the vocal folds to assess post-treatment change in vocal function is via an endoscope. However, endoscopic examination of the vocal folds relies on perceptual assessment in two dimensions, restricting analysis of vocal fold volume. In this research project, I am using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to view the vocal folds in 3D, allowing for a complete analysis of volume in mm3. My goal is to use this novel method to provide new information on which treatments create the best outcomes for patients in terms of vocal fold volume and voice quality. Participants undergo a comprehensive voice assessment conducted by me and a mentor SLP, an initial MRI scan, and then complete one of two treatment pathways: either 4-6 weeks of voice therapy or vocal fold injections. After treatment, they return for another voice assessment and MRI to evaluate the effects. This research is ongoing, but I anticipate that both treatment groups will experience improvement in voice outcomes, consistent with the literature. However, it is unknown if vocal fold volume will increase in both treatment groups, as MRI has not been used to assess post-treatment outcomes in this patient population.  

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by challenges in communication, social interaction, and restricted repetitive behaviors and interests (RRBs). Studies have alluded that a relationship exists between RRBs and difficulties with emotional regulation in ASD individuals. However, a better understanding of this relationship is not only critical for improving therapeutic approaches for individuals with ASD, but also to understand the underlying mechanisms of the disorder. In this study, we aim to explore the relationship between emotional control and compulsive and ritualistic behaviors in youth aged 8–17 years with and without ASD as well as look at sex as a confounder. Emotional control will be assessed using Behavioral Rating Inventory Executive Functioning T-scores, and the presence of Compulsive and Ritualistic Behaviors were assessed from the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised subdomains. We will compare emotional control scores between participants with and without these behaviors (based on clinical cutoff). To do so, first, we will conduct an ANOVA to assess the impact of Group (ASD vs TD), Sex (M vs F), and Compulsive behavior (Above/Below Clinical Cutoff) and their interactions on Emotion Control (dependent variable). Second, we will conduct the same analyses with Ritualistic behaviors on Emotion Control.  We hypothesize that youth with compulsive and ritualistic behaviors will demonstrate lower emotional control than those without (main effect of RRBs). We also predict that males will have lower emotional control than females (main effect of sex) and that autistic youth will have lower emotional control than their typically developing peers (main effect of diagnosis). This research has the potential to reveal insights regarding the interaction between emotional regulation and RRBs in youth with ASD, highlighting the importance of interventions targeting emotional control. Such interventions can improve emotional regulation and also address compulsive and ritualistic behaviors.

Depression is one of the most commonly co-occurring mental health conditions among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for which there are not currently effective strategies to minimize onset. Given that early caregiver support in autism-specific and general areas of functioning predict the development of a range of adaptive social and behavioral patterns, leveraging caregiving processes in childhood and adolescence may represent one approach to decreasing the risk for psychological disorder. However, current research recognizes that the high levels of stress experienced by many families with an autistic child may undermine the quality of support caregivers are able to provide. As a result, there is limited understanding of caregiving strategies that will reliably confer resilience to depression and that will support the successful implementation of mental health-related interventions in autism. As such, this project assesses caregiver involvement in childhood and adolescence as a predictor of depressive symptomatology in autistic adults, and additionally to evaluate the family environment as a moderator of this relationship. It is hypothesized that there will be a negative association between caregiver involvement and severity of depression symptoms, and that the association will be stronger under conditions of high familial warmth but reversed in family environments characterized by high control or rejection. Taken together, family environment will account for appreciable variations in the effectiveness of parent involvement as protecting against the development of depression. This survey study will lay the groundwork for researchers and autism service providers to develop an informed approach to leveraging parent involvement as a preventative measure against depressive symptoms in adulthood.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects millions of people. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive stimulation typically used in psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety. rTMS works by using an electric current to generate a transient magnetic field, depolarizing neurons in a target region and creating lasting changes in brain connectivity via synaptic plasticity. Patients with AD show disruptions in the Default Mode Network (DMN), a network of brain regions typically active during rest and crucial for memory consolidation. We hypothesize that strengthening the DMN through rTMS targeted at the left Brodmann 8AV region, selected for being an easily accessible node of the DMN, will improve memory in AD patients. To test this hypothesis, we are conducting a single-blind, single-arm, randomized cross-over trial of rTMS on early-stage AD patients over a 12 week period with week 1 where we scan for the 8AV region via MRI, during week 3 and 8 being the placebo or treatment week. We measure our primary outcome of the participants’ speed of forgetting —a novel index of memory function—through an individualized, adaptive memory test. To eliminate potential confounding variables, we also measure depression and anxiety symptoms during the 1st, 8th and 12th week of the study. Additionally, functional MRI scans will be analyzed for potential structural or functional differences caused by treatment. Preliminary results from our initial participants have shown promising improvements, and we are hopeful that similar outcomes will be observed in the remaining participants. Successful results would provide a novel target for AD treatment using rTMS, and support further investigation of rTMS as a viable treatment option.

The health risks of particulate matter measuring less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5)  include: respiratory disease, cardiovascular issues, and cognitive impairments. Its presence near schools and colleges remains underexplored. This study examines the relationship between PM2.5 exposure levels and academic outcomes in community colleges located in historically redlined neighborhoods across four major West Coast cities: Los Angeles and San Diego in California; Portland, Oregon; and the greater Seattle area in Washington. Using data from the PurpleAir Network, state air quality indices, and community college governing bodies, we analyzed and compared PM2.5 levels near institutions located within historically redlined neighborhoods and institutions located outside those neighborhoods. Leveraging the Python programming language and Google Colab, we examined correlations between an institution’s demographic makeup and transfer rates relative to PM2.5 exposure. Data sets obtained were filtered between the hours of 8 AM and 1 PM during the months of January 2024 through December 2024. Our findings indicate a correlation between higher PM2.5 exposure and lower academic performance for colleges serving predominantly racially marginalized communities located within historically redlined neighborhoods. This research reinforces the role of environmental inequities in shaping educational disparities and highlights the need for targeted policies to address air quality in affected communities.

The importance of accurately identifying infections and wounds is crucial for correct medical treatment. In serious cases, misidentification of infection can cause delay in the healing process and even result in death. Thus, there is a need to simulate the physiological progression of an infection so that medical trainees are better equipped to respond to a real skin wound/infection. Through UW Medicine’s Center for Research in Education and Simulation Technologies (CREST) lab, the dynamic tissue wound modeling and infection simulation project aims to meet this need. Motivation for this research project is rooted in the lack of acceptable physical simulation models despite the educational benefit they provide. The goal of this research project is to engineer high fidelity models of skin wounds and infections that dynamically alter their appearance to create a more realistic simulation for the trainer/trainee. My specific involvement is to create a model of a skin abscess that not only simulates an infection but, when given correct treatment, changes its physiology to reflect said treatment.

Cervical spinal cord injuries (SCIs) often result in impaired locomotion and forelimb mobility. Assessed with a forelimb locomotor scale (FLS), previous research demonstrated improved forelimb locomotion with task-specific physical therapy (PT) training following a unilateral 150 kdyne C6 SCI in a rat model. Improvement in locomotion was calculated using a recovery ratio, which measures the difference in FLS scores normalized to the animal’s baseline score. There was a significant improvement in the recovery ratio (3dpi-14wpi) for animals that underwent task-specific PT training (p ≤ 0.0014). The underlying molecular mechanisms behind this improvement are still unclear. A potential explanation for these functional changes is the task-specific PT-induced increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) targeted at the injury site. Task-specific PT stimulates neurons, microglia, and astrocytes to release BDNF, promoting neuron survival, growth, and synaptic plasticity. These processes are crucial for mediating the effects of cervical SCI trauma. This study investigates whether BDNF expression in the spinal cord varies in rats that underwent task-specific PT training following cervical SCI. PT-trained rats are hypothesized to have increased BDNF within the spinal cord, especially proximal to the injury site, which would help mitigate SCI trauma and enhance forelimb locomotion and mobility. To this end, we performed immunohistochemistry staining and quantification of BDNF in the spinal cord and compared it across three groups: PT + SCI, SCI-only, and Sham. The expression levels of BDNF in neuronal cells, astrocytes, and microglia were then correlated with their FLS scores to determine if there was a positive correlation between BDNF expression and forelimb locomotion. This would indicate that BDNF supports synaptic plasticity and recovery from SCI-induced trauma.

The identification of synergistic drug combinations remains a significant challenge in oncology due to the large amount of existing drugs and complex interactions between these drugs. In this work, we propose an active learning framework applied to the NCI ALMANAC dataset to efficiently uncover promising drug pairs that conventional screening methods might overlook due to lack of time and resources to handle these nearly countless combinations. Building on established greedy sampling strategies—such as GSx, which selects samples based on maximal minimum distance in the input space, and GSy, which focuses on output diversity—we introduce modifications to potentially enhance sample selection diversity and predictive performance. First, we explore replacing the traditional greatest minimum distance criterion with a greatest average distance metric, hypothesizing that this adjustment captures the overall variability in the data differently than the traditional method. Second, we redefine the improved greedy sampling (iGS) approach by standardizing the distance metrics from both the input (GSx) and output (GSy) spaces using Z-score normalization (or alternative standardization methods) prior to their aggregation, rather than combining them multiplicatively. We conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis against traditional methods to evaluate improvements in model convergence, prediction accuracy, and the ability to identify rare but potent drug combinations. We also explore other active learning strategies as Query By Committee (QBC) and others. Our preliminary findings suggest that these tailored active learning techniques offer a promising pathway toward more efficient and insightful exploration of high-dimensional drug interaction landscapes.

The external fertilization and transparent embryos of zebrafish make them an informative model of vertebrate embryonic development from the 1-cell stage. In this study, we examine the impact of de novo GTP synthesis on the formation of the embryonic somites, which are embryonic cells which develop into segmented blocks of muscle that run the length of the body. We hypothesize the de novo GTP synthesis is required for the correct patterning of somite borders in zebrafish embryos, and that this process facilitates the formation of a vertebrate body plan. Inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 (IMPDH2) is the enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of inosine monophosphate (IMP) towards the de novo synthesis of GTP instead of ATP. To test the impact of de novo GTP synthesis on somite formation, we inhibited IMPDH2 function with mycophenolic acid (MPA) both before and after somite formation began. MPA caused stronger defects in the somite morphology and embryonic body shape when added to embryos before somite formation began, earlier in development. We performed in situ hybridization against xirp2a to assess the effect of inhibiting IMPDH2 function on the formation and patterning of the somite borders. MPA treatment decreased the definition of somite borders we could observe in the posterior tail. Inhibiting IMPDH2 with MPA produced somites with smooth, round borders instead of the chevron-shape typical of zebrafish. We next conducted immunohistochemistry against IMPDH2 to examine the expression and localization of this enzyme in embryonic cells when GTP conditions are low. In MPA-treated embryos, we observed increased expression of IMPDH2 across the entire embryo. We will next explore how GTP abundance affects activity of the clock, a mechanism which synchronizes gene expression of embryonic cells.

This research study explores the evolutionary adaptations of the TLR7 protein receptor in primates in relation to Flavivirus (Yellow Fever) recognition. TLR7, an important receptor in the immune system, is essential for recognizing single stranded RNA viruses such as Flavivirus. Given the growing prevalence of Yellow Fever in tropical climates, I hope to understand how environmental factors shape immune response. I hypothesize that ecological niches, particularly wet vs dry climates, play a crucial role in the evolution of the TLR7 receptor among primate species. Since Yellow Fever is transmitted by mosquitoes, which thrive in wet climates, these environments are likely driving the transmission of the virus. As a result, wet climates may exert selective pressure on the evolution of TLR7 to enhance immune responses against Yellow Fever in regions where mosquitoes are prevalent. To conduct comparisons of the TLR7 receptors, I will be running Blast, a bioinformatics software that compares genomic sequences across different species. This tool will allow for identification of both conserved and divergent regions in the TLR7 sequences from primate species, including humans, that inhabit wet and dry climates. These variations could reveal evolutionary adaptations influenced by ecological pressures. Through these sequence comparisons, I aim to explore how differences in TLR7 might affect susceptibility to Yellow Fever and other similar viral infections. Understanding how ecological conditions shape immune receptor evolution could also improve our ability to predict how different populations might respond to emerging infectious diseases.

Before a child says their first word, they begin to produce and practice sounds they hear. Early vocalizations play a crucial role in speech development and language acquisition. However, most research on infant vocalizations focuses on children in Western, industrialized societies. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on diverse linguistic environments, specifically examining emergent sounds in the Panãra community, an Indigenous group in the Brazilian Amazon with approximately 700 speakers. Ten infants aged 2-21 months wore recording devices that collected a recording of their language environment over a day. Alongside shared ethnographic observations, I manually annotated selected 30-second audio segments for a fine-grained analysis of child vocalizations. I am currently analyzing the frequency and types of child vocalizations (i.e. vocal play, canonical babbling, variegated babbling) in infants' speech, and I plan to explore how these vocalizations may differ across the age range studied. I predict that child vocalizations will become more complex with increasing age, following pre-speech vocal development stages broadly found across cultures. My findings will contribute to a broader understanding of how language learning varies across cultural settings, vocalization stages, and the role of the environment to language development. 

Surf smelt (Hypomesus pretiosus) are ecologically and culturally important forage fishes that rely on intertidal beach habitat for spawning. However, the combined effects of rising sea level and human modification (e.g. seawalls, bulkheads, riprap) have put this habitat at risk of coastal squeezing, which could reduce available spawning areas along Puget Sound. This research aims to assess the vulnerability of surf smelt spawning beaches to climate change by combining field data collection with quantitative analysis. We evaluated existing risk assessment methods, such as the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) to determine its applicability to Puget Sound. Additionally, we conducted beach surveys at productive spawning beaches to characterize the beach morphology. Our morphodynamic analysis included measurements of beach slope, sediment composition, pH, and water table depth from the high tide line to the waterline. Our hypothesis suggests that spawning beaches with a lower slope, smaller sediments, and a shallow water table will be more resilient to climate change impacts. Findings from this study will improve our understanding of climate-driven and anthropogenic threats to intertidal ecosystems and provide insight into habitat resilience, supporting conservation efforts for surf smelt populations.

The aim of this study was to examine the respiratory 3D deformational changes in the tongue base with normal weight and obesity in a minipig model. This study included 6 same-sex sibling pairs (3 pairs each sex) of Yucatan minipigs 8-to-9 months old. Of each pair, one minipig was normal weight with a BMI<35 and the other was fed a special diet reaching a BMI>50 (obese,). While under sedation, eight 2mm ultrasonic piezoelectric crystals with an extended skin button attached to the back were surgically implanted at the base of the tongue in a cubic-shaped arrangement. These crystals represented dorsoventral lengths, anteroposterior widths, and thicknesses. The 3D deformational changes of the tongue base were recorded during respiration using a Sonometric system together with synchronized electromyography and airflow recordings to identify respiratory phases. The amplitudes and durations of each dimensional change within the crystal-defined region concerning inspiration were calculated for 5- consecutive respiratory cycles per minipig. The total respiratory cycle duration was 1.87±0.38s in the normal-weight group and 3.2±1.01s in the obese group (p<0.05).  Similarly, the durations of the inspiratory phase in the normal and obese groups were 0.62±0.36s and 1.19±0.77s respectively (p<0.05). Deformational changes in the normal-weighted group included dorsoventral lengthening, anteroposterior ventral widening with dorsal shortening, and thickening in all dimensions. In contrast, the obese group showed dorsal lengthening with ventral shortening, widening in all dimensions, and anterior thickening with posterior shortening. Overall, larger dynamics were observed in the normal-weighted group compared to the obese group (p<0.05). These results demonstrate that obesity affects tongue base respiratory kinematics, with longer respiratory cycles and decreased deformational changes mainly ventrally and posteriorly. These findings enhance understanding of obesity's impact on the oropharyngeal function, with implications for breathing disorders.

Dynamic marine environments require long-term spatiotemporal datasets to successfully monitor and understand patterns in ecosystem composition on a decadal scale. High-resolution photography is often used to compensate for the field logistical constraints associated with marine sites, such as personnel availability or weather conditions, and works well to quickly capture data in the field. However, these photos require extensive manual analysis after the fact. As a research mentee, I asked the question: “Can image annotation with machine learning models provide enough clear data to inform community ecology studies of sessile organisms in subtidal habitats?” Using images collected through transect/quadrat sampling by the Sebens Lab’s Salish Sea Long-term Monitoring Project (University of Washington Biology and Friday Harbor Laboratories), a variation of an open-source model (CoralNet) was trained in the identification of relevant sessile flora and fauna. I then used CoralNet to continue the work of the lab by generating sessile assemblage metrics for a single site in the Friday Harbor Laboratories Biological Preserve. This site included images from transects at two different depths, with sampling from 2014 and 2024. After being uploaded, CoralNet identified 200 random points per image to the lowest possible taxon. I then reviewed all annotations for accuracy and corrected them whenever necessary. This technique greatly reduced the time spent per identification, without sacrificing accuracy. Next, I calculated species richness and Simpson’s Diversity for each quadrat and transect, comparing between depth and year. My analysis showed significant increases in both metrics from 2014 to 2024 and no significant differences between depths, demonstrating a successful report on the dynamics of a subtidal marine community. Application of this method to the entire existing dataset (7 sites, 63 transects per year), and others, provides opportunities to streamline analysis of sessile community composition.

Accurately describing a child’s language skills is difficult, but identifying children with atypical language development adds even more complexity. In an ordinary language assessment session, a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) will use both standardized, norm-referenced assessments and non-standardized assessments, like Language Sample Analysis (LSA). However, there is little research about how these different assessments relate to one another. To better understand this relationship, the language abilities of children (n=38) were assessed after turning 6-years-old and attending Kindergarten by SLPs using the following norm-referenced tests: a sound-in-words subtest from the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation, 3rd Ed. (GFTA-3); core language subtests from the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, 5th Ed. (CELF-5); and a nonverbal IQ subtest from the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, 2nd Ed. (KBIT-2). Then, a 10- to 20-minute language sample of the child’s spontaneous speech was collected for analysis. This project extends from previous research by including participants beyond clinical populations and using multiple sampling contexts to holistically capture the child’s naturalistic speech. I transcribed each language sample with Codes for Human Analysis of Transcripts (CHAT) and utilized Computerized Language Analysis (CLAN) software to automatically compute measures reflecting language skills from the language samples. I will conduct correlational analyses to inspect the associations between measures from norm-referenced tests and measures extracted from language samples. I expect to see significantly positive correlations between several CELF-5 measures and LSA measures of morphosyntactic development (i.e., grammar) that demonstrate a convergence between these two methods of assessment. Correlations between LSA measures and GFTA-3 measures are expected as well but to a lesser degree of association because they do not index identical elements of language. Overall, relationships discovered during this process will lend themselves to further understanding the information we gain from these common tools of language assessment.

Dementia, a growing global health concern, affects the nervous system and leads to severe cognitive impairment, with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) being the most common form, currently impacting nearly 7 million Americans. As life expectancy increases, the prevalence of dementia increases in corresponding fashion, driving research efforts like those of the Darvas Lab, where we study AD and other related dementias using adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) to induce neuropathologic changes. The TDP43 protein is involved in neuropathologic changes such as those in Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a primary motor neuron disorder. TDP43, primarily localized in the nucleus, plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression and RNA metabolism. TDP43 pathology in neurons involves the presence of TDP43 in the cytoplasm and its accumulation in cytoplasmic inclusions. To better understand the role of TDP43 in neurodegeneration, we use a mouse model where TDP43 proteins are introduced via AAV, a genetically engineered viral vector commonly used in research. This approach allows control over the timing of neuropathologic changes. Our prior AAV constructs included the Synapsin I promoter, which led to a severe ALS-like motor phenotype due to its expression in spinal motor neurons. However, this model could not be used to study the more subtle effects of dementia due to the extreme nature of the physical pathology. Therefore, our goal is to produce a new model to overexpress TDP43 using an AAV that is exclusive to the cortical brain regions relevant to FTD by instead including the CamKIIα promoter, which exclusively drives expression in the forebrain. I assessed behavioral phenotypes in our mouse model by conducting a Y-maze to evaluate effects on short-term memory, and analyzing neurological scoring to evaluate neuromuscular dysfunction. The development of a more dementia-focused TDP43 model will allow us to more specifically investigate its neuropathology.

Relative Risk (RR) is a highly interpretable parameter in epidemiology and biostatistics, based on both binary input and outcome. It is frequently used in vaccine development to measure the relative efficacy between two treatment groups.
Researchers are often tempted to use generalized linear models (GLMs) to estimate the logarithmic RR with respect to a set of baseline covariates. However, this approach has inherent flaws, as GLMs do not account for variation dependence in Relative Risk on its nuisance parameters. Richardson et al. have developed an unconstrained and variation-independent doubly robust nuisance model using the log Odds Product (OP).
To expand on this work, we will explore alternative nuisance models—both those developed by us and those from other researchers—and compare their computational robustness to that of the log Odds Product (OP).
Additionally, using the brm R package (which streamlines the methods proposed by Richardson et al.), we will analyze a dataset where Relative Risk serves as the target of inference and compare these results to those obtained using regression methods.

The stimulation of the genioglossus muscle may prevent upper airway collapse in breathing disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Thus, the present study was to analyze the 3D-changes of the tongue base by electric stimulation of genioglossal muscle in relation to volumetric alterations of the tongue base in minipigs. Twenty 8-to-9-month-old Yucatan minipigs were used. Of them, 8 were controls, and 12 were experimental. Each experimental same-sex sibling pair was randomly assigned: 1. Normal-weight having surgical tongue base volumetric reduction. 2. Enlargement having significant obesity, BMI>50. All minipigs received surgical implantation of eight 2mm ultrasonic crystals in a cubic-shaped array in the tongue base. The distance change between each crystal pair indicated dimensional deformations for lengths, widths, and thicknesses responding to the stimulation. Increased distances indicated elongations while decreased indicated shortenings. Stimulations to the left genioglossal muscle were ramping up in range of 10-40V to reach the maximal amplitudes (tetany). Stimulation of the genioglossus muscle in controls induced left lengthening, anterior thickening and overall widening along with posterior thinning and right shortening. In contrast, the reduction group showed thickening and widening with left lengthening and minor right shortening. Elongations in the reduction group were larger than those in the control group (p<0.05). The enlargement group showed decreased dorso-ventral lengths compared to those of the control and reduction groups (p<0.05), along with antero-posterior thickening and widening. Stimulation of the genioglossus muscle induces distinctive deformational patterns between the normal and volumetric-altered tongue bases. For instance, shortening in length in the enlarged tongue due to obesity may suggest retraction of the tongue base inducing narrowing of the oropharyngeal airway. These results may contribute to understanding kinematic adaptations in the respiratory dynamics in relation to the volumetric alterations of the tongue base, a current approach to treat moderate and severe OSA. 

Sound is a vibration that is created by an oscillating object and travels in periodic waves of pressure through a medium. Sound waves are characterized by properties such as frequency, amplitude, wavelength, and speed. The purpose of my research was to measure the effects the lower temperature and air pressure present in the stratosphere have on the properties of sound. To conduct this research I custom-designed an Arduino based sensor with a barometer and thermometer that was then attached to a weather balloon. The sensor also had a buzzer that repeated a tone at constant intervals along with a microphone that measured the amplitude of sound across various frequencies as it was necessary to consider the impact that the high wind speeds present in the stratosphere would have on the measurements. As the air becomes colder and less dense it also becomes less elastic causing it to transfer energy less efficiently which in turn leads to a decrease in amplitude. Frequency, however, did not change as it is determined by the source of the sound and does not depend on the properties of the medium. Understanding how changes in the properties of the medium affect the properties of sound opens a path to using sound to illuminate the properties of the medium. Additionally, broadening our understanding of how various atmospheric conditions present on our own planet affect the properties of sound deepens our understanding of how the various atmospheric conditions present on other planets will impact the properties of sound.

Global interest in and demand for macroalgae farms has increased due to growing interest in seaweeds as food, biofuel, a possible source for carbon sequestration, and an economic asset for small island communities. However, the presence of farms can negatively impact marine mammals, with risks including entanglement, habitat exclusion, and behavioral changes. In this study, we conducted passive acoustic monitoring over three years (2021-2024) in developing macroalgae 5-line and catenary farms at Romero and Media Luna reefs off the southwest coast near La Parguera, Puerto Rico, to assess the long-term effect on bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) movement and behavior in the region. Detections were automated using PAMguard software and manually confirmed with visual validation by trained acousticians. We observe higher interaction with farms at dawn and dusk, which corresponds with the crepuscular nature of T. truncatus. To date, we observe no entanglements, and our models indicate no significant long-term effect on the local bottlenose dolphins at low macroalgae biomass. As biomass increases, this may change. This research highlights the important trade-offs between economic development and conservation and the promise of passive acoustic monitoring as an effective, data-rich tool for managers. 

Microglia are innate immune cells in the brain that play an important role in maintaining homeostasis, carrying out immune surveillance, and modulating synaptic plasticity. Through the secretion of cytokines, along with physical functions like synaptic pruning and network refinement via phagocytosis, microglia support the health of neurons and help establish a functional neuronal network. In previous experiments, our lab demonstrated that when cultured with microglia, neurons exhibit more robust morphology and greater synaptic activity. However, it remained unclear whether the beneficial effects of microglia on neurons occur during physical contact between the two cell types, or if the supportive factors secreted by microglia are sufficient to drive this change. To investigate this, I compared the morphology and function of neurons directly co-cultured with microglia, to neurons treated with media conditioned by microglia. In the microglia-conditioned media treatment, I conditioned the microglia media for 24, 48, and 72 hours prior to treating the neurons to determine the optimal conditions for establishing a healthy neuronal environment. To evaluate these results, I conducted immunofluorescence staining for microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), both of which are indicators of neuronal health. I analyzed fluorescence intensity and neurite length to quantify morphological differences in neurons between conditions. To investigate differences in synaptic activity, I carried out micro-electrode array recordings of neurons in each condition. Using data from these recordings, I analyzed the coordinated and overall electrical activity to measure the functionality of the synaptic network in each condition. Given that microglia perform both secretory and physical functions, I expected that neurons directly co-cultured with microglia would exhibit more robust phenotypic and functional characteristics. These experiments provide insight into healthy neuron-microglia interactions and reveal possible avenues towards their dysregulation in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), potentially guiding the development of therapeutics targeting such interactions.

The research project involves designing and building circuits for a pulsed laser and photodetector for a speed of light time of flight measurement device and developing pedagogy and curricula for 200-level experimental laboratory and 400-level senior research project physics courses. We completed project-based learning on circuit principles, Kirchhoff’s Laws, RLC circuits, Thevenin and Norton equivalence, AC signal, phasors, RC filters, oscillators, impedance, diodes, transformers, operational amplifiers, metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET), and introductory optics and optoelectronics. We performed hands-on training on analog circuits logic and components, CAD design, prototyping, and practical physics applications of analog circuits. Technical lab responsibilities include learning to design analog circuits using a CAD program; ordering the printed circuit board (PCB); testing circuits for functionality, accuracy, and precision; testing the speed of light measurement device for precision with light passing through air and other mediums; and measuring the refractive index of different mediums. Physics education responsibilities include incorporating our work into BPHYS 231 Experimental Physics Speed of Light Lab; developing a pre-lab quiz and lab manual; and providing documented guidance for students on learning objectives, instructions on use of the new speed of light device, lab extensions for BPHYS 231 final projects, and research topics for BPHYS 433 Senior Project. Due to the large scope of this project, the research will continue through Autumn 2025.

Menopause is a significant life transition that is experienced differently across cultures, with each cultural background shaping unique beliefs, expectations, and responses to menopausal symptoms. Among Somali and Indonesian older adults with a uterus, cultural factors play a particularly influential role in shaping the menopause experience, potentially affecting symptom recognition, coping strategies, and interaction with healthcare providers. The purpose of this qualitative study is to 1) explore menopausal symptoms, perceptions, beliefs, and experiences of aging and menopause among Somali and Indonesian older adults, and 2) examine how cultural factors shape their understanding of menopause, as well as how they interpret and manage the symptoms associated with this stage of life. We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 5 participants with a uterus: 2 Somali and 3 Indonesian individuals. We recruited participants through community networks within Somali and Indonesian populations living in Washington state. We included individuals who are 1) 60 years or older and 2) undergoing or have gone through menopause. We chose older adults for their reflective perspective, offering holistic insight into the long-term impact of menopause and their ability to share cultural wisdom and experiences. Our findings will inform healthcare providers in delivering culturally sensitive care to support individuals going through menopause in these communities. Additionally, this knowledge can inform the development of targeted interventions and educational tools that help bridge cultural gaps in menopause understanding, thereby promoting holistic, culturally sensitive, and inclusive care for older adults with menopausal symptoms in these communities. Addressing these deficits can lead to improved care for Somali and Indonesian adults with a uterus while also benefiting women more broadly by promoting a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to menopause support.

In the paper "Planting Undetectable Backdoors in Machine Learning Models" by Goldwasser et al (arXiv:2204:06974), the authors establish the notion of "black-box undetectability" for machine learning models and prove it in many cases. This is a backdoor that is undetectable by merely looking at inputs and outputs of the model. The paper also introduces the concept of "white-box undetectability."  We aim to consider this stronger notion and outline how even with the knowledge of entire model weights, there may be undetectable backdoors in a model. More specifically, we establish an idea where one takes an innocuous model (say a Multi-Layer-Perceptron model) and enlarges it by adding "dummy" edges and using appropriate non-linear activation functions to effectively place a backdoor in the model. In our project, we establish a proof of concept by backdooring an MNIST classifier.

Indium phosphide (InP) quantum dots are a high-performing semiconductor material used in optoelectronic applications due to their tunable electronic properties and low toxicity compared to cadmium-based quantum dots. However, InP quantum dots are currently synthesized at or above 180°C because of the high energy input required for nucleation and growth of the covalent nanocrystals. This study explores the synthesis of small InP clusters at lower temperatures by investigating reaction conditions that can produce InP with reduced energy consumption. Using the precursors indium carboxylate and P(SiMe₃)₃ in a nonpolar solvent toluene, we systematically investigate the evolution of InP clusters at room temperature and 60°C via UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy. The formation of atomically precise InP clusters was observed at room temperature after 23 days. To speed up the reaction, we investigate adding a polar aprotic solvent or amines to promote the formation of InP at low temperatures. Including 20% of N-Methylpyrrolidone in the solvent mixture with toluene allows InP to be formed in 2 hours. Amine additives interact with the indium cations to modulate their reactivity, therefore we investigate adding varying equivalents both to the pre-formed atomically precise cluster, and to the indium and phosphorous precursors in toluene. We found that adding up to 100 equivalents of benzylamine per cluster did not promote the growth of InP clusters. Our findings contribute to the understanding of how InP forms at low temperatures for scalable, environmentally friendly production.

Glaciers have long been used as the bellwethers of climate change, given their ability to store gases, dust, microbes, and other environmental materials in their layers; tracking their recession has also been an important visual indicator of climate change. In this research, I examine how anions in newly exposed vary with depth. To do this, I took samples from exposed vertical ice faces on the Coleman glacier, on the north face of Mount Baker. Samples were thawed and analyzed using ion chromatography.  Trace amounts of chloride, nitrate, sulfate, and phosphate were found in each sample. The ion concentrations showed no trend with depth, and the ice itself appeared uniform. This is in contrast from vertical cores taken from solid ice in numerous other surveys, which show distinct annual layers and variation. This suggests that the ice at vertical faces has different properties from that at the top layers, including in its ability to trap environmental markers. Further research is needed to confirm this difference and examine which of these markers is most affected. Increased understanding of these markers could give more insight into how glaciers change over time and interact with their environment.

Mycobacterium abscessus is a non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) species that causes severe pulmonary infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients and those with preexisting lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis. Treating M. abscessus infections is challenging due to its intrinsic antibiotic tolerance and capacity to develop multidrug resistance. To identify novel molecules that can target this pathogen and enhance current treatments, we screened a library of FDA-approved drugs (n = 2,400). Our data shows that Netupitant, a drug commonly used to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, exhibits potent antibacterial activity against a broad range of M. abscessus clinical isolates, including multidrug-resistant strains, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 4 to 16 µg/mL. Furthermore, in combination with amikacin, a standard treatment for M. abscessus infections, Netupitant demonstrated strong synergistic interactions, as confirmed by checkerboard microdilution and time-kill assays. These findings highlight Netupitant’s potential as a novel therapeutic option for M. abscessus, particularly in combination with existing antibiotics. Future studies exploring its mechanism of action and in vivo efficacy could further advance antibacterial drug discovery for difficult-to-treat NTM infections.

Due to considerations such as dose reduction, or physical limitations of the scanner, computed tomography (CT) images must sometimes be reconstructed from sparse-view or limited-angle sinogram data, resulting in a loss of image quality. In recent years, there has been a great deal of interest in using neural networks to improve image quality in these scenarios. In this work, we implement three neural network architectures – denoising convolutional neural network (DnCNN), U-net, and transformer – and apply them to sparse-view and limited angle problems in both a post-processing and iterative, “plug-and-play” reconstruction context. In post-processing, the neural network is applied to the final image to remove artifacts, while in the plug-and-play approach, it is incorporated into the algorithm that reconstructs the image from the sparse-view or limited-angle data. Based on standard image quality metrics, the post-processing approach with the U-net is found to give the best image quality. The plug-and-play approach, while not always providing the best image quality, is able to ensure fidelity with the sinogram data.

Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) are a family of proteins that play an integral part in drug metabolism. An example is CYP3A4, a specialized protein within the CYP family, involved in the oxidation of small drugs and toxins, like cannabinoids, to allow for their removal from the body. Understanding this reaction is important in evaluating how different expression levels of CYP3A4 in different individuals affect the efficiency of drug metabolism. In this project, I studied drug binding to recombinant, purified, CYP3A4 protein. The binding assays of CYP3A4 allow evaluation of the quality of the purified protein. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) was used to quantify the protein, and spectral binding through drug titration was used to characterize the binding affinities of different substrates. Drug titration enables us to observe the amount of ligand bound to the protein at various concentrations, displayed as a binding curve from which we can determine the spectral binding constant (Ks). The CYP active site contains a heme group. Upon binding, the ligand replaces the water molecule that is originally docked in the active site. This transfer reaction shifts the heme spin state and appears on the UV-Vis spectra as an increasing absorbance at the 380 nm wavelength and a decreasing absorbance at 420 nm. Inhibitors would have the reverse spectrum. In vitro studies with purified protein have several benefits when investigating protein function, such as simplifying the experimental system and reducing the limitations of complicated sample preparations from living organisms. Having a well-defined assay to determine recombinant 3A4 protein quality will contribute to the value of further in vitro activity and pharmacokinetic studies with this protein. 

My project aims to improve sanitation in mental health and maternity hospitals in Ethiopia by introducing pressure-washing cleaning services. This initiative goes beyond routine cleaning, it restores dignity and safety to healthcare facilities where poor hygiene discourages patients particularly expectant mothers from seeking essential care. By reducing contaminants and improving cleanliness, the project will create a more welcoming environment that encourages hospital births rather than home deliveries driven by unsanitary conditions and odors. To achieve this, I am providing pressure-washing equipment to underserved hospitals and clinics focusing on four hospitals and three clinical facilities in urgent need of sanitation improvements. Additionally, I am engaging with smaller underserved clinics that play a vital role in delivering essential healthcare services to their communities. This project presents multiple challenges including identifying high-need facilities managing equipment distribution and coordinating regular cleaning schedules. I am actively involved in every aspect from logistical planning to hands-on implementation. My role requires strong project management and problem-solving skills to ensure a tangible impact with limited resources. Beyond logistics, this work demands an understanding of the experiences of vulnerable patients. Effective communication with hospital staff and government officials is crucial for building trust and aligning our efforts with their priorities. This experience is helping me grow as a leader improving my ability to mobilize communities around a shared goal while remaining sensitive to cultural and systemic challenges. Ultimately, this project is about more than sanitation—it is about transforming healthcare spaces into environments where patients feel safe respected and encouraged to seek the care they need.

The widespread use of makeup raises concerns about bacterial contamination, which can lead to acne, rashes, pink eye, and staph infections. Despite these risks, hygiene practices in cosmetic use, especially in public settings, are often overlooked. This study investigates bacterial contamination in both personal makeup products and in-store testers to assess potential health risks. Swab samples were collected from used personal cosmetics and store testers at popular beauty retailers, focusing on mascaras, foundation bottles, lipsticks, and sponges. Samples were transferred to nutrient-rich media plates, incubated at 37°C for 24–48 hours, and analyzed through colony-forming unit (CFU) counts and Gram staining for bacterial classification. Preliminary results suggest that store testers contain higher bacterial loads than personal products, emphasizing the need for improved hygiene practices in retail environments. These findings could encourage cosmetic brands and retailers to implement better sanitation protocols, such as stricter single-use applicator policies or improved packaging designs, to limit bacterial contamination and promote safer cosmetic use.

As Cannabis use is becoming more widespread there is growing concern regarding the respiratory exposures of employees working in indoor cannabis processing facilities. Employees in these occupational settings are frequently exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), other respiratory irritants, and allergic sensitizers. These exposures are linked to work related illness and disease, such as occupational asthma. Notably, a fatality, in 2022, in a Cannabis worker due to occupational asthma highlights the urgent need for improved exposure controls. Cannabis processing workers experience prolonged and frequent exposure via inhalation with little knowledge on the respiratory hazards of this work. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system to reduce exposure to airborne hazards during automated joint filling. Automated joint filling is a common process in Cannabis production facilities, using mechanized equipment pre-ground material is dispensed into pre-rolled cones. This method is preferred in the field as it increases both consistency and efficiency. Over a ~2-hour sampling period across eight batches of pre-rolled joints, we conducted gravimetric sampling for inhalable PM using two inhalable aerosol samplers (IOMs) positioned at the workbench and in the breathing zone. VOC exposure was assessed using thermal desorption tubes and photoionization detectors (PIDs), while continuous respirable PM concentrations were measured using a Nanozen DustCount monitor. Testing air concentration for PM and VOCs with and without the LEV mechanism is being conducted to determine its effectiveness at reducing exposure. We hypothesize that this may be an effective solution, as the LEV has controlled these agents significantly in other similar workplace settings. As this field grows due to recent state by state legalization of Cannabis, these findings hold great impact for workplace safety regulation and solutions. Additional research should be gathered on long-term exposure effects and preventive mechanisms.

The increasing concern over global warming has driven interest in clean energy solutions, with piezoelectricity emerging as a promising alternative. Piezoelectric materials generate electric voltage under external mechanical forces, offering an innovative method for energy harvesting. This work derives a system of partial differential equations (PDEs) and their accompanying boundary conditions that describe the coupled elastic-electric behavior of an Euler-Bernoulli piezoelectric beam. Under the quasi-static approximation for the electrical field, the assumptions of Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, and the constitutive relations for the 3-1 piezoelectric coupling mode (i.e., voltage is generated in a direction perpendicular to external mechanical force), we develop a Hamilton’s variational principle to derive the governing equations and boundary conditions for the piezoelectric Euler-Bernoulli beam. The obtained equations consist of Gauss’s law of electrostatics and the Euler-Bernoulli beam equation that are coupled due to the piezoelectric effect: apparent electric charges that depend on elastic deflection appear in Gauss’s law, while apparent mechanical forces and moments that depend on the electric potential appear in the Euler-Bernoulli beam equation and its boundary conditions. The derivation from first principles, as well as the study of the governing equations constitutes a fundamental framework for analyzing piezoelectric beam behavior, with implications to the improvement of design of piezoelectric energy harvesters.

This project seeks to investigate the viability of a multi-channel grating coupler (GC) as an approach for individual ion addressing in ion-trap architectures. A multi-channel design is desirable because it allows for one GC to be used for controllable, individual addressing of many ions. Current approaches for ion addressing include bulky optical systems or single channel GCs which both have notable shortcomings. Optical arrays employing large lens and laser systems require complex, error-sensitive setups, challenging the scalability of those systems. Single channel GCs reduce the complexity and footprint of the optical setup, but they are unsuitable for individual addressing of ions within a chain. Single channel GCs provide the ability to globally address N ions using one integrated structure, or individually address N ions using N integrated structures. Both of these solutions are not optimal as global addressing lacks the specificity required for complex quantum operations, and using one grating structure per ion entails a massive footprint for large ion chains, much larger than the chain itself. A multi-channel GC allows many ions to be individually addressed by one compact integrated structure and, with optimization, multi-channel GCs can achieve high coupling efficiencies and low insertion losses, allowing for accurate and reliable addressing of ions. To design a multi-channel GC for this purpose, we first develop an idealized analytical model by deriving the relationship between the incident angle of guided light into a grating structure and the output angle of diffracted light into free space. Using this analytical model, a conceptual design for a multi-channel GC is formulated. Finally, the GC design is optimized using finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation software. We will present the results of our idealized analytical model and results from optimization of a full FDTD simulation of our structure.

The hearing aid experience is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Rather, each hearing aid user and their environment is unique. This project aimed to customize the listening experience of hearing aid users by reconstructing daily sound scenes based on real-world data during hearing aid fine-tuning. Older adults with mild to severe hearing loss were recruited and randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. All participants were fitted and sent home with hearing aids for an initial field trial of two weeks. During this period, they were instructed to collect information on the sound scenes that they identified as most important to their communication needs, including communication intent, listening effort, and acoustic recordings of the scenes. Following the initial field trial, participants were invited back for hearing aid fine-tuning. Participants in the experimental group conducted self-directed adjustment of their hearing aid gain for the individualized sound scenes reconstructed in the lab based on the audio recordings collected during the initial field trial. In contrast, participants in the control group made adjustments in two non-individualized, generic acoustic environments. Following fine-tuning, the participants were sent out again for three weeks, before returning for final outcome assessments. These included speech recognition performance in background noise and questionnaires on the subjective benefits of the hearing aids. For my role, I conducted detailed analyses of the survey data collected during the two field trials and the final outcome questionnaire results. Additionally, I managed the equipment inventory to support the field trials. It is anticipated that the experimental group will demonstrate greater clinical outcomes based on speech recognition testing and subjective questionnaires than the control group. If this is confirmed, it would provide the first evidence for leveraging real-world data in individualized hearing aid fine-tuning.

Most human activities engage multiple brain regions simultaneously, but our ability to study this is limited by our capability to run experiments. Electrophysiology is the data-collecting technique of placing electrode probes into the brain to record the electrical activity of neurons. Currently, researchers performing electrophysiology use one or two probes. However, to record activity across many regions, researchers must use multiple probes which introduce new kinds of challenges such as ensuring accurate and reproducible positioning of several probes to target specific areas in the brain, managing probe movements to avoid collisions with each other, and preventing probes from breaking during insertion. Brain-wide coverage will require five, ten, or more probes, amplifying the challenges researchers face with just one or two probes at a time. Over the past two years, I have been developing an automation platform that can solve these challenges in electrophysiology. A key innovation is the integration of a computer-vision-based probe tracking system being developed in collaboration with the Allen Institute. This probe tracking system ensures probes can be accurately positioned on brain regions repeatably and detect when probes fail to insert into the brain, so movements are stopped before damage occurs. The automation platform will also route and manage electrode probes during experiments, preventing collisions with each other and the rig. Together these improvements ensure that electrophysiology experiments can be performed in a reliable, safe, and reproducible manner, but perhaps the biggest improvement the platform provides is efficiency. On average, it takes 15 minutes to insert one probe into the brain, meaning brain-wide experiments using eight probes may need two hours to insert manually, increasing stress on subjects unnecessarily. With automation parallelizing the process, we can reduce insertion times from 15 minutes per probe to 15 minutes flat making brain-wide electrophysiology a viable tool in neuroscience.

Liver fatty acid binding protein (FABP1) is highly expressed in the liver, kidney, and gut and is known for its role in binding endogenous lipids. FABP1 has also been shown to bind drugs and modulate metabolism in the liver. A high frequency single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP T94A) in FABP1 is shown to correlate with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. We hypothesize that this SNP also affects drug binding. To evaluate drug-FABP1 binding, I measure equilibrium dissociation constants (K_ds) by fluorescent displacement assays for both FABP1 wild-type and T94A using two fluorescent probes, 11-(dansylamino)undecanoic acid (DAUDA) and 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS). FABP1 has a large binding pocket that can accommodate 2 ligands simultaneously in a ‘high affinity’ and ‘low affinity’ binding site. When DAUDA-FABP1 or ANS-FABP1 are titrated with a drug, a drug-FABP1-probe ternary complex is formed rather than the probe being fully displaced. This complicates data analysis and suggests that endogenous lipids may change the affinity of drugs for FABP1. Therefore, I use multiple fluorescent probes with different binding affinity to obtain drug K_d values. I use singular value decomposition (SVD) to isolate individual fluorescent components from the overall observed fluorescence spectra. I then estimate drug and probe K_ds for FABP1 T94A and T94T by fitting the fluorescent change due to binding to dynamic models in COPASI software. From forward and reverse titrations, DAUDA K_d for FABP1 wild-type was found to be 0.194 µM while ANS binds more weakly (K_d = 1.38 µM). From DAUDA displacement assays, diclofenac was found to have a K_d of 3.90 µM for wild-type FABP1 and 3.78 µM for T94A. I anticipate measurement of K_ds for 8 other drugs using both DAUDA and ANS in the coming months. The developed methods will enable evaluation of FABP1’s role in drug disposition.

Wildfires are capable of altering landscapes, devastating forests, and communities, and are increasing in frequency and intensity. However, the hazard extends well past the burn phase as burn scars are at high risk for the generation of debris flows and flooding in the days, weeks, and years after a fire. Conconully, WA, experienced severe post-fire debris flows and flooding in 2022 following the 2021 Muckamuck fire. Witnessing the effects of both the fire and the subsequent debris flow on my community motivated me to explore why these events occur, to investigate how they initiate, and help inform future warnings or mitigation strategies to increase resilience in the face of these hazards. Whether these floods and debris flows were initiated by shallow landslides, or storm runoff remains unknown, and could alter how post-fire hazard or evacuation warnings are issued. In this study, we employ geospatial analysis to identify areas affected by the fire and correlate these with the origins of the debris flows and flooding. Additionally, we use meteorological data and historical records of similar incidents over the past century, to identify thresholds for flooding initiation both before and after fires. By focusing on this topic, we hope to shed light on the long-term consequences of fires on communities and initiate a dialogue about the ongoing risks they face.

The Sensors, Energy, and Automation Lab (SEAL) aims to gamify undergraduate research by instituting a leaderboard, awarding points for tasks, assigning ranks for accomplishments and published papers, and framing research directions as Quests. Individuals receive a character sheet with a health bar, while groups compete against one another in Racetrack- a software for team challenges. Gamification in educational settings is well-studied: gamifying learning can boost students’ motivation, retention, and challenge appraisal. However, research indicates that the efficacy of gamification varies dramatically, particularly personality traits like extraversion, which correlate more positively with success in software with leaderboards. Significant gaps exist in gamification literature; existing research primarily studies gamification in classrooms, not workplaces or research environments. Further, the studies fail to incorporate modern approaches to psychology. The socio-psychological model suggests personalities and behaviors differ depending on the environment, meaning people may exhibit different personality traits in gamified environments. Moreover, gamer motivation, a personality test tailored to predicting player personality with strong correlations to the Big Five (psychological scale for key personality traits), has yet to be tested in gamification studies. By accounting for contemporary psychological theory, SEAL aims to rigorously test the hypothesis that gamification is an effective structure in lab organizations through multi-year longitudinal study on a scale never seen in gamification literature. SEAL’s large cohort and gamified structure offer a perfect platform to analyze the role of demographic and personality type in gamification outcomes. Our preliminary results explored collected qualitative and quantitative data on demographics, gamer motivation personality, and perceptions of the SEAL system by anonymously surveying 81 associates. Our longitudinal study contributes to the growing literature on gamification; a solution potentially improving productivity in research ecosystems.

Societal industrialization and post-industrialization are associated with birth rate reduction. This decline coincides with the increase in accessibility to education, contraception, and employment for people with capacity for pregnancy. In a post-industrial society such as the United States, more people are electing to not parenting. However, an individual’s choice to remain childfree is still deviant from the expected social norms of female-presenting individuals. The mounting stresses of finances, political restrictions of bodily autonomy, and lifestyle lead many individuals to seek community and kinship outside the traditional understanding of family. We aim to describe the experiences and conceptualization of family of cisgender women, a demographic with presumed capacity for pregnancy, as well as a societal expectation of pregnancy and motherhood. Cisgender women of reproductive age, navigate the crux of societal expectation to reproduce while also experiencing factors that disincentivize traditional family-making and the increased accessibility to choose to remain childfree. Existing literature has looked into the reasoning of electing to not parent, however, there is a lack of research into understanding the individual’s schemas about family and their perceptions about their own autonomous decisions. The boundaries of societal expectations of kinship are evolving alongside the societal and political pressures that discourage people from having children. Therefore, we are conducting qualitative semi-structured interviews with cisgender women in Seattle to describe the conceptualization of kinship in a population with reduced barriers to remaining childfree and increased stresses that discourage people from having children. This research will illuminate how they understand and live the paradoxical pressures between the expectation of family-making and their decision not to parent and raise children.

Plasma, a fluid consisting of highly charged particles, is the single most abundant state of matter in the universe, yet our understanding of its properties remains incomplete. One common method of generating plasma is by inducing a large voltage difference between two charged electrodes in a low-pressure environment, referred to as direct current (DC) plasma. Understanding the relationship between plasma temperature and spectral line intensity as a function of external parameters, such as voltage, pressure, and position, is crucial to optimizing plasma-based processes. This study analyzes these dependencies systematically to help build a further understanding of the spatially dependent properties of DC plasmas. We extract electron temperature from spectroscopic measurements by analyzing line intensities assuming a Maxwell-Boltzmann electron energy distribution. The intensity of spectral lines is related to electron energy via the Boltzmann factor, allowing for temperature determination through a logarithmic plot of intensity ratios versus upper energy levels. By varying voltage and pressure, we identified trends in intensity and temperature, providing insights into plasma behavior. Our results suggest that higher discharge voltages correspond to an increase in electron temperatures, indicating a direct relationship between voltage and temperature. These results provide a greater understanding of plasma-based processes, paving a path toward greater efficiency in applications such as semiconductor manufacturing, surface treatment, and materials processing.

Formalization is the process of translating human-written mathematical proofs into a form that can be verified by a computer. A popular tool for this is Lean, a proof assistant that represents proofs as code. However, the process of formalizing proofs in Lean can be slow and time-consuming. Our research explores so-called "autoformalization" strategies, which aim to automate the generation of Lean proofs. We propose a tree-based search framework to formalize mathematical theorems in Lean using Language Models. This approach explores potential proof steps as branches in a tree, using AI models to suggest "tactics" at each node. This has the benefit of avoiding hallucinations by rigorously checking that AI suggestion represent valid Lean code. We employ both Large Language Models such as Claude Sonnet 3.5 and specialized fine-tuned Small Language Models such as Lean-Dojo. We use Pantograph to interact with Lean, leveraging its native support of Monte Carlo tree search. We assemble a small set of simple and medium-difficulty mathematical theorems to benchmark against, called nanoF2F. Additionally, we benchmark our system on the well-established miniF2F benchmark created by OpenAI.

Erbium(III) doped cerium oxide nanocrystals are promising candidates for spin qubits in quantum computing and information science applications. Our goal is to tune the synthesis and composition of Er-doped CeO2 nanocrystals for monodispersity and desirable optical properties, particularly the intensity and lifetime of near-infrared emission features unique to Er3+. We optimized previously reported methods for making Er-doped CeO2 by altering the concentration of erbium, presence of water, and the amount of time allowed for the reaction to progress. These nanocrystals were then analyzed using several techniques, including transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Our results indicated that by omitting water from the synthesis, the sizes of the nanoparticles decreased significantly. Additionally, smaller concentration of erbium(III) dopant in the nanoparticles correlated with a longer lifetime of photoluminescence intensity.

The electron transfer energy and the voltage of solar cells can be changed by tuning the energy band gap of photovoltaic materials. In lead perovskites, this is mainly controlled by the particular halides around lead atoms, with the best materials often having mixed halide compositions. Iodide substitution and identification in lead chloride APOSS perovskites to generate mixed-halide perovskites for control of light absorption in solar cells is creatively proposed in this project. In my previous work, I investigated new methods of bromide substitution and found that highly controlled substitution was achieved by heating copper chloride APOSS perovskites, (APOSS)[Cu₄Cl₁₆ ], in the presence of more stable organic bromides as normal methods, which includes highly reactive liquid bromine or trimethylsilyl bromide. Based on this preliminary research, proper experimental procedure and aims are put forward in this project as follows: lead chloride APOSS perovskite is first synthesized according to the synthesis method of copper chloride perovskite, which has already been published. After that, the iodide substitution is performed by exposing (APOSS) [Pb₄Cl₁₆ ] to a solution of relatively stable organic iodide reagents like carbon tetraiodide or diiodoethane at different temperature and concentration. In order to get more understanding about the substitution process on atom level, NMR and Gas Chromatography are performed to identify where the substituted chlorine atoms go.

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) contains dopamine (DA) expressing neurons, which are critical for reward processing in the brain. DA neurons are tightly regulated by inhibitory GABA-expressing neurons; these GABA neurons have recently been found to be present in distinct subpopulations in the VTA. Opioids disrupt this regulation by inhibiting VTA GABA neurons via mu-opioid receptors (MORs), leading to increased DA activity and reinforcing drug-seeking behavior. However, the distribution of MORs across distinct VTA GABA subpopulations remains unclear. This study uses multiplexed in situ hybridization to map MOR (Oprm1) expression in genetically distinct GABA populations characterized by their expression of Pnoc, Crhbp, and Cbln4. Preliminary findings suggest differential Oprm1 expression, with Pnoc and Cbln4 populations showing high Oprm1 expression patterns, while Crhbp contains little Oprm1 expression. These results highlight the heterogeneity of VTA GABAergic neurons and provide insight into the mechanisms underlying opioid addiction, which may inform future therapeutic strategies.

Social expectations are constantly changing, and even subjects typically considered “taboo” are changing as well. Though sex is often seen as a private, maybe even secretive, discussion, this lack of public eye to the true nature of sex can lead to many difficulties in an individual's personal and intimate life through misunderstandings and social expectations. This literature review focuses on possible correlations between behavioral sex therapy treatment (such as guided open communication, and sensate focus) and aspects of unsustainable romantic relationships (such as stonewalling and criticism). Some sexual dysfunctions can arise from emotional difficulties, such as anxiety during or before sexual encounters, lack of enjoyment from one or both partners, or different perceived ideas of what is supposed to happen during sex. These difficulties can translate into daily life in the relationship outside of sex. By treating these dysfunctions there may be a domino effect which impacts the relationship outside of sexual relations, which can improve the relationship overall and lead to a relationship that is more sustainable for all parties involved. Through comparisons of articles on treatments typical in behavioral sex therapy and articles defining aspects of unsustainable relationships, like those published by John Gottman, initial findings support connections between the topics. These positive correlations indicate an innate connection between sexuality and relationships, which could lessen the social stigma that surrounds discussing sex or sexual topics

All mammals experience a slowdown of cardiac pacemaker rate with aging. The main mechanisms to explain that phenomenon are related to alterations in the ionic currents that underlie the diastolic depolarization phase of the action potential. We have previously reported that pacemaker cells from old mice have reduced L-type calcium currents. We further explore the mechanism underlying that reduction, testing cell hypertrophy and alteration in the scaffolding of L-type calcium channels as potential mechanisms. To test for cell hypertrophy, we combined immunostaining and high-resolution imaging to map the HCN4-positive pacemaker region of isolated upper heart explants from young and old mice. We compared cell length, width, and area between young and old cells. We also determined these morphological parameters in HCN4-positive enzymatically dissociated pacemaker cells. We found no significant difference in cell dimensions or area between ages, ruling out hypertrophy as a potential mechanism. We used mass spectrometry to identify expression changes in scaffolding proteins essential for calcium channel organization at the plasma membrane. Through this approach, we identified a large reduction of caveolin 3 as a possible mechanism. Caveolin is a protein essential to forming signaling microdomains between calcium channels and other proteins. Using western blotting, we confirmed a 50% reduction of caveolin 3 in isolated pacemaker tissues from old animals. Using proximity ligation assay and super-resolution microscopy, we showed altered recruitment of L-type calcium channels into caveolae. Our findings suggest that the age-associated decrease of L-type calcium current is caused by a reduced insertion of these channels in caveolae.

The obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the leading causes of sexually transmitted bacterial infections. Despite its great prevalence and systemic impact on women's reproductive health, no vaccine has been developed. As an obligate intracellular parasite, Chlamydia trachomatis infection occurs within a host-derived vacuole, and Chlamydia have evolved numerous pathways for evading cellular immune defenses. Recent work has highlighted a mechanism through which intracellular Chlamydia interferes with a cell-intrinsic, interferon-gamma (IFN_γ) activated pathway. Our lab discovered a secreted CT virulence factor (GarD) that is important of preventing the IFN_γ -dependent recruitment of ubiquitin to CT-containing vacuoles, and we hypothesize that a gene of unknown function (ct134) immediately upstream of garD may also play a role in this immune evasion pathway. In this project, we used a new genetic system to produce a double knockout mutant for these genes, and we investigated in a cell culture model the fitness and susceptibility of mutants in cell stimulated with human IFN_γ. We expect this work to either define a broader role of this gene locus in mediating chlamydial anti-IFN_γ defenses. In addition, we generated a homologous double knockout lesion in the mouse-tropic pathogen Chlamydia muridarum, and we hypothesize that the C. muridarum homologs of ct134 and garD fulfill this phenotype will support future studies focused on investigating the in vivo role of these genes in Chlamydial infection and virulence in the upper genital tracts of infected female mice.

Certain species exhibit the remarkable ability to regenerate their appendages, a process that requires complex metabolic pathways to facilitate the cellular proliferation needed to regrow tissue. Among these species, Xenopus tropicalis, the Tropical Clawed Frog, serves as a great model for regeneration studies because of its transient regenerative capacity. X. tropicalis tadpoles exhibit the ability to regenerate their tails, but this capability is gradually lost after metamorphosis. This unique characteristic allows for direct comparison of regenerative and non-regenerative processes within the same species. Previous work from the Wills lab indicates that genes encoding the enzymes of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), which generates precursors of biosynthetic molecules such as nucleotides and lipids, are highly expressed during tadpole tail regeneration. Although tail regeneration has been well studied, the variation in hind limb regenerative capacity across developmental stages and the metabolic pathways involved remains unclear. Hence, I performed a live imaging study to determine the developmental progression of hind limbs and assess their regenerative potential. This data suggests a decrease in success as the tadpole gets older. Immunohistochemistry staining of mitotic cells in developing limbs shows that proliferating cells decline as regeneration competency decreases. I hypothesized that genes for the PPP enzymes would also be expressed during successful limb regeneration, which was confirmed by in-situ hybridization. Together, these findings indicate that the regenerative capacity in limbs of X. tropicalis is stage-dependent and that PPP genes are expressed during all stages of regenerative capacity. This provides insights into the role of metabolic reprogramming in appendage regeneration, with the potential for translating it into non-regenerative species like mammals.

Stiffness measures derived from MR Elastography have shown value in guiding treatment decisions and monitoring effectiveness of therapies for liver disease but it requires extra hardware, longer scan duration and is susceptible to motion and breathing artifacts. Recent studies have revealed a strong linear correlation between water diffusion and tissue stiffness, demonstrating that Diffusion Weighted MRI (DWI) can be used to estimate stiffness values in liver tissue. DWI-derived stiffness values may help evaluate treatment-induced changes in breast cancer but to our knowledge, this has not yet been tested. The purpose of my ongoing study is to calibrate DWI estimates of tissue stiffness for the breast by optimizing DWI parameters (diffusion weightings, or ‘b-values’) and  calibration coefficients (a, b), evaluating the potential of stiffness measures for monitoring response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer. We collected baseline and early treatment MRI exams from 25 patients undergoing NAC in this IRB approved study along with their treatment outcomes based on pathologic response post completion of NAC. I evaluated  the stiffness values obtained from different b-value pairs (low b-values: 100/200; high b-values: 800,1500,2000 s/mm²) and calibration coefficients(a,b=-9.7,13.9:-10.8,17.5:-8.8,21.2) and compared it to the invasive breast cancer stiffness values reported in literature. I also evaluated the performance of the optimized parameters to predict treatment response. The optimal b-value pairing (b=200,1500s/mm²) and coefficients a=-9.7,b=13.9 produced stiffness values consistent with literature. Using this approach, the performance for predicting treatment outcomes between responder and non-responder groups was AUC=0.84. These preliminary findings suggest that DWI based virtual elastography could serve as a non-invasive tool to assess tumor stiffness and track treatment efficacy, potentially improving breast cancer management.

Aquacultures are an environmentally responsible way of breeding and harvesting a variety of marine organisms. Challenges to aquacultures include the introduction of nonnative pathogens and parasites to wild fish as well as intense changes to the physical environment. Monitoring the environment for impacts of aquaculture is costly and time-consuming, so finding a cost-effective rapid monitoring solution is important. This project tests the feasibility of monitoring the diversity of meiofauna species present in the sediment via DNA sequencing. Meiofauna species are marine organisms between 0.06 mm and 1 mm in size that live in marine sediment. DNA sequencing is quicker and cheaper than current monitoring practices, and since changes to the physical environment affect meiofauna species diversity, observing the change in species diversity is a potential alternative to monitoring aquaculture health. Through samples taken before and after the introduction of a sablefish net pen aquaculture, analysis of both physical sediment samples and meiofauna samples will determine the feasibility of implementation. By looking at the total organic carbon content and grain size distribution of the sediment samples, we can determine the physical changes to the environment caused by aquaculture. Suppose the DNA sequencing results show shifts in species diversity that match the physical changes. In that case, we can confirm there is evidence supporting the feasibility of implementing monitoring via meiofauna DNA sequencing. 

Protein kinases have been found to regulate cellular processes such as growth and stress response. Thus, they act as excellent targets for drug treatment. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) genome encodes 11 serine/threonine protein kinases. Our lab has previously found that two of these kinases, PknF and PknL, show a large survival deficit when induced. They phosphorylate similarly throughout central carbon metabolism (CCM), a process known to be involved in cellular survival. To test kinase regulation of different pathways in CCM, I tested the growth of avirulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (aMtb) strains expressing PknF or PknL using two different carbon sources: propionate and succinate. Propionate is broken down into propionyl-CoA, a toxic co-intermediate, which passes through the methylmalonyl or methylcitrate pathway to enter the citric acid cycle at succinate. The methylmalonyl pathway requires vitamin B12 to proceed and prevent toxic propionyl-CoA build up. Thus, propionate + B12 was tested to further elucidate regulation of these pathways. I measured colony-forming units (CFU) to quantify aMtb survival in these growth conditions. I compared survival measurements of the PknF and PknL induced strains relative to an empty vector control strain. I found that PknF induced grown with propionate showed a greater survival deficit by day 7 compared to the strain grown in succinate. Interestingly, the addition of B12 did not rescue growth as it did in the empty vector control. PknL induced grown with propionate shows a greater survival deficit compared to succinate; however, the addition of B12 decreased the survival deficit experienced in propionate. Due to this difference between B12 phenotypes, we hypothesize that PknF induction is regulating the methylmalonyl pathway, resulting in no rescue of the survival deficit. These findings can be used to inform future studies on PknF and PknL as potential targets for tuberculosis treatment during infection.

This investigation is based on the famous intermediate axis theorem, often called the tennis racket theorem. This theorem describes why objects with three distinct moments of inertia, around three different axes, have an unstable rotation around the intermediate axis (the axis with the intermediate moment of inertia) while the axes that have the largest and smallest moment of inertia have a stable rotation. This phenomenon can be observed in rotations of everyday objects like tennis rackets and phones. By videotaping rotations of different objects with three distinct moments of inertia around three axes, and visually examining the intermediate axis, one can notice the instability of the intermediate axis compared to the stability of rotations about the other two axes. We mathematically analyzed the motion around three axes using Euler’s equations of rotations, the equations governing the dynamics of a rigid body undergoing rotational motion. We solved the differential equations demonstrating the instability around the axis with the intermediate moment of inertia. This behavior was also simulated in MATLAB using Euler’s equations of rotations. Our graphs of velocity as a function of time for rotation around the three axes, demonstrated and justified the visual observations from the videos. These experimental and computational approaches can lead students to a comprehensive understanding of the intermediate axis theorem.

The University of Washington’s Center for Global Health Nursing (CGHN) promotes and advocates for the role of nursing in global health by expanding nursing research and providing educational opportunities to students that bridge global and local perspectives. The CGHN’s three research pillars encompass Global2Local, Innovative Methods, and HIV/AIDS. We aim to clarify the global health interests and priorities of UW School of Nursing (SoN) students and increase the visibility of the CGHN. By increasing the CGHN's visibility, our goal is to increase the number of students participating in study abroad, scholarship opportunities, related coursework, and research to further engagement upon graduation. We developed a 19-item survey through RedCAP to identify nursing students’ knowledge, attitudes, and experiences related to global health and the CGHN and administered it at baseline and end line (after six months). Students across all UW SoN programs participated. Baseline data allowed our team to identify areas of focus (study abroad, scholarships, research) and optimal modalities to deliver information (annual Go Global event with global health (GH) nursing speakers, new social media account to amplify opportunities, and pop-up events to bolster enthusiasm). The center’s targeted efforts to meet the dynamic interests of students and the impact of this were informed and documented by our surveys. Surveying the priorities of students and using that information to disseminate services and opportunities effectively helps contribute to a robust community of GH nursing students, researchers, and practitioners.

Fluoride intake is essential for dental health, yet excessive consumption can lead to fluorosis, a condition negatively affecting teeth and bones. Tea, one of the most widely consumed beverages globally, naturally accumulates fluoride, making it a significant but often overlooked dietary source. Black tea is the most popular type of tea consumed in the U.S. In this study we compared fluoride levels across six brands of black tea and investigated how brewing conditions and water sources affect fluoride concentrations in tea. We brewed black tea from six locally popular brands (Lipton, Tazo, Fortnum & Mason, Twinings, Tetly, and Harney & Sons), using two water sources (distilled water and Seattle tap water), with four samples for each brand using both water sources. We brewed 50 mL of water at 100°C, then we let each sample of the tea sit for 5, 10, and 20 minutes. Ion chromatography was used to measure fluoride concentrations at each time interval. We compared these values to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recommended fluoride level of 4.0 mg/L. Our results help characterize the variation between brands and the influence of brewing duration on fluoride release. These findings contribute to a better understanding of fluoride exposure from tea consumption, helping consumers make informed choices about their dietary fluoride intake.

Beaver dams can function as natural filters helping decrease pollution in streams, creeks, and rivers. Beaver dams slow down the water flow in a creek or river, forming ponds that help trap excessive nutrients. An excess of nutrients such as phosphate and nitrate can cause eutrophication, leading to increased algal blooms that can produce toxins and ultimately deplete oxygen in the water. This study investigates the ion levels of chloride, fluoride, phosphate, nitrate, sulfate, and bromide upstream and downstream of the major beaver dam at Pipers Creek in North Seattle's Carkeek Park over the course of a year to better understand the long-term impacts of the dam. We collected three water samples at each of eleven sites along the creek, eight upstream from the dam, and three downstream. Ion chromatography was used to measure the concentrations of anions at each site. The results of this study help elucidate the role of beavers in moderating water quality and provide important baseline data documenting seasonal variations in the nutrient load at Pipers Creek. These findings can also be used to better understand the impact of new beaver dams in other freshwater systems.

Low-income communities are often disproportionately exposed to air pollution. High concentrations of pollutants such as particulate matter under 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and human aerosol emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), have been linked to various health and cognitive issues. Performance arts, including singing and playing instruments, produce human aerosol emissions and are considered high risk for airborne disease transmission. Our study evaluated the accumulation of CO2 and PM2.5 in high-risk environments (band classrooms) in low-income public schools in King County (WA), to determine whether there is a correlation between accumulation rates and Title 1 designation. Title 1 designation, which provides government funding for schools with a high percentage of students from low-income households, was used to represent low-income communities. We compared four middle schools that qualified for Title 1 designation to one school that did not qualify. Concentrations of CO2 and PM2.5 were measured using the Aranet4 Home CO2 sensor and a PurpleAir Classic sensor for PM2.5. We took a baseline measurement of both concentrations when the classroom was unoccupied. We then analyzed the change in concentration rates when classes were in session, taking into account classroom size and number of students. Our data showed concentrations above recommended levels at 1,370 ppm (parts per million) for CO2 in one of the Title 1 schools suggesting that Title 1 schools may be at greater risk of poor indoor air quality, though additional studies are needed. This additional exposure to pollutants and human aerosol emissions in already high-risk environments like band classrooms may lead to increased airborne disease transmission, highlighting the disparity in healthy learning environments. These classrooms require additional measures to maintain healthy concentrations of CO2 and PM2.5 to reduce the risk of airborne disease transmission particularly in low-income communities. 

As climate change increases temperature, Pieris rapae caterpillars' feeding habits may be affected. As their feeding habits are altered, P. rapae may begin to migrate to different plants; this can be detrimental for agriculture because these defoliating caterpillars are pests. P. rapae caterpillars are known to feed on Brassica species, including collards and kale. It is also shown that caterpillars increase their feeding rate at higher temperatures (Kingsolver 2000). However, little is known about how temperature influences their feeding preferences. In this experiment, we find the consumption rate of P. rapae 4th instar larvae eating kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) and collards (Brassica oleracea var. viridis) to find consumption preference between these two plants at 14°C, 23°C, and 35°C. Larvae were placed on a moist filter paper in petri dishes containing 2 collard and 2 kale leaf disks placed in an alternating fashion. Petri dishes were placed in three separate incubators set to the three temperatures. We predicted that P. rapae would have a preference for collards since they are reared on collards in the lab and they would increase their consumption of the preferred plant. We also examined the percentage per hour of each leaf eaten and compared this data between types of leaves and temperatures. The data showed that as temperatures increased, the consumption rate of P. rapae caterpillars also increased. Though, there was no change in preference as the P. rapae caterpillars consistently preferred collards over kale. This suggest that higher temperatures from climate change will increase the rate at which caterpillars eat, but will not affect preference. It is important to consider the change in consumption rate of caterpillars with temperature when aiming to prevent crop damage in the face of climate change.

Safe drinking water in schools is crucial for children's safety and academic performance. While Seattle Public Schools has tested for some contaminants, such as lead, the district's responsibility for ion-specific testing for anions such as phosphate, bromide, nitrite, nitrate, chloride, sulfate, and sulfite is less clear. High concentrations of anions pose potential health risks, including reduced oxygen in red blood cells, higher risks of tumors in children, and diarrhea. This research investigated the anion concentration in water fountains across seven high schools in the Seattle Public Schools. Twenty-one water samples were collected from seven public high schools and analyzed for anion concentration using ion chromatography. Results were compared to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL). All test samples were below the EPA's MCL. These results suggest that the drinking water in these schools does not pose potential risks to students from anion contamination. While regular monitoring and management are still necessary to maintain safe drinking water, Seattle Public Schools have met the safety requirements for anion concentration in their drinking water. 

As individuals experiencing homelessness age, their healthcare needs become increasingly complex. People over age 50 are the fastest-growing group experiencing homelessness, yet there is little knowledge about specific subgroups, particularly older homeless veterans. The aim of our study was to explore the experiences of older veterans and non-veterans experiencing homelessness, with a focus on contextualizing the unique barriers to accessing healthcare and maintaining stable housing in each group to better understand how these factors impact healthy aging. Using a qualitative research design, we developed a semi-structured interview guide in collaboration with key informants from Compass Housing Alliance. We recruited participants aged over 50 who have recently exited homelessness and are living in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH). We conducted forty-five-minute interviews with veterans (6-10 participants) and non-veterans (6-10 participants). The questions focused on daily living, work, healthcare, connection & community, access to structural support services, and perceived impact on aging well. We recorded and transcribed these semi-structured interviews, which we coded to identify key themes. Additionally, all participants completed a basic survey to capture demographics such as length of time homeless, age, and gender. After the initial thematic analysis, we had a second session with participants to check the accuracy of the identified themes. The qualitative approach of this study provides new data directly from those with lived experience. This study offers critical insights into the unique challenges faced by aging veterans in comparison to non-veterans in PSH, exploring gaps in healthcare access, limitations of healthcare services, and the role of housing stability for older adults. This research is significant to policymakers, healthcare providers, and housing organizations seeking to tailor support to the heterogeneous groups within the aging homeless population.

Antibiotic resistance is an increasingly critical concern for the treatment of bacterial infections, rendering new therapy options progressively more necessary. Gram positive bacteria are common infectious agents in skin and soft tissue infections, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, bacteremia, and more. A novel antibiotic candidate, MRS-2541 has been demonstrated to inhibit Gram positive methionyl-tRNA synthetase and decrease bacterial loads of both methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Streptococcus pyogenes in mouse thigh infections to the same degree as currently recommended therapy. This study aims to further characterize the activity of MRS-2541 against Gram positive bacteria including Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Streptococcus salivarius. I conducted this study by first determining the preliminary minimum inhibitory concentration of MRS-2541 in growth media against each of the aforementioned organisms. I then use these results to guide time kill assays that characterize MRS-2541’s synergy with another antibiotic often used to treat Gram positive infections outside of the United States. Preliminary results demonstrate that MRS-2541 inhibits the above-mentioned organisms. Synergy experiments with MRS-2541 and existing antibiotics will be performed and results will be presented at the symposium. These results will further define the spectrum of activity as well as synergy of MRS-2541, allowing new insight into its candidacy for clinical trials. As a novel antibiotic candidate, the development of MRS-2541 will help address the increase in antibiotic resistance among Gram positive bacterial infections.

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients can still experience a recurrent stroke due to platelet-rich thrombi despite being on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) consisting of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and a P2Y12-inhibitor. One pattern these patients have was an elevated von Willebrand Factor level (VWF), a blood clotting protein that tethers platelets to the endothelium. VWF unfolds under shear, exposes its A1 domain to which surface receptor GPIb-IX-V of platelets can bind. DAPT targets platelet activation by inhibiting thromboxane A2 synthesis and blocking ADP binding to P2Y12, but it does not directly address shear-mediated activation of platelets via VWF. Even with DAPT, platelets can still bind to VWF via GPIb-IX-V under a high shear rate. To understand the interplay between elevated VWF levels, DAPT, and platelet thrombus formation under shear flow, we used a microfluidic device to analyze platelet-rich plugs for (1) platelet activation, (2) aggregation size, and (3) contractile versus drag forces to withstand embolization. Those characteristics are measured in a healthy platelet-plug control and a platelet-plug doped with 6-fold VWF level, both with and without DAPT. We found platelet-plugs with DAPT still maintain activation, and activation level becomes higher when DAPT is combined with elevated VWF level. Platelet-plugs with DAPT and/or elevated VWF have larger aggregate size than control, and aggregate size is highest when DAPT is combined with elevated VWF level. While contractile force dominates in control, it becomes similar to drag force with DAPT and/or elevated VWF. We suspect the large size, reduced contractile force and maintained activation of platelet-plugs with elevated VWF can make the plug prone to embolization caused by the drag force. This result can shed light on the limitations of DAPT when VWF level is elevated, and introduces the possibility of screening patients for high VWF to tailor antiplatelet therapies. 

The focus of this research was to test the effectiveness of a silicone-based paint in the marking of Pieris rapae in a manner that was non-invasive and durable. Previous studies have tested other marking methods but have faced challenges such as harm to the organism. By using a paint made from red cabbage (Brassica oleracea), I aim to minimize the harm to larvae in current marking methods while retaining durability under moist conditions. This experiment examined both the durability and health effects of cabbage-based paints on P. rapae caterpillars. Preliminary experiments tested a water-based version, which did not appear to affect survival but faded under moist conditions, and a silicone-based version, which withstood moisture but raised concerns about potential effects on health due to the additional ingredients required for the silicone base. My research continued testing the cabbage paint with a cosmetic-grade dimethicone base and aimed to determine the extent that the cabbage paint may have on caterpillar health and survival. Survival experiments were conducted on 4th and 5th instar caterpillars to determine larva mortality rates when exposed to the pigment. Weight change experiments were conducted from the 4th instar to pupation to be used as a metric of the overall health of the larvae. I conclude that the silicone-based cabbage pigment is a promising marking method for larger caterpillars, offering improved durability and minimal impact on overall health compared to many conventional methods. These findings contribute to the development of safe durable marking techniques suitable for ecological research on soft-bodied insects.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a severe neuromuscular disease caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene and characterized by progressive muscle wasting. Dystrophin protein is essential for the stabilization of muscle fibers; without it, continuous muscle damage eventually has devastating consequences in the skeletal, cardiac, and respiratory systems. While prior AAV-mediated editing strategies have been effective in targeting these mutations, there are significant immunological concerns from the uninterrupted expression of bacterial gene editing components. This project utilizes the mdx mouse model of DMD to address these concerns by developing methods to turn gene editing on and off using novel drug-responsive pA regulator vector constructs. I have been part of this project from the start, contributing to the assembly of the expression constructs using bacterial cultures and standard cloning techniques relying on restriction enzymes and high-fidelity cloning kits to piece together our editing constructs. Initial data was acquired from cell culture tests where I helped perform quantitative dual-luciferase reporter assay analyses. Subsequent in vivo experiments were performed by delivering adeno-associated viral vectors, carrying our constructs, into mdx mice via retro orbital injection. Activation of editing activity was achieved via three intraperitoneal injections of Tetracycline.  During analyses, I played a significant role in processing muscle tissues to extract proteins, DNA, and RNA for quantitative assays. Ultimately, our cell culture tests identified two lead pA regulator sequences exhibiting favorable activation levels at therapeutically relevant Tetracycline doses. Initial in vivo tests are promising, showing drug responsive editing and dystrophin expression in mice. We anticipate that our follow up tests will restore sufficient dystrophin expression and improve muscle function, without persistent editing activity. Overall, the outcomes of these studies could have significant implications for a multitude of genetic conditions amenable to genome editing and may help accelerate translation of effective methods towards clinical trials.

Viral evolution theory hypothesizes that specialist strategies increase fitness by reducing interspecific competition, while generalist viruses increase fitness by accessing multiple hosts. However, specialism may come at the cost of infecting few hosts, while generalism may reduce fitness in any single host. These tradeoffs have been demonstrated in Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), an aquatic rhabdovirus infecting multiple salmonid species. High rates of viral replication have been observed for specialized subgroups in their respective hosts, while lower rates of replication across multiple hosts have been observed for the generalist subgroup. However, the host-virus mechanisms underlying these replicative differences are unknown. Here, I aim to characterize the early innate immune response of sockeye salmon, the ancestral host of IHNV, to specialist and generalist subgroups at target tissues. Specifically, I seek to test whether sockeye salmon display distinct transcriptomic responses to IHNV specialist and generalist subgroups in the kidney 2 days post-exposure (dpe). To accomplish this goal, RNA was extracted and sequenced from kidney tissue of individuals 2-dpe following exposure to specialist (n=9), generalist (n=9), or control (n=4) IHNV treatments. Overexpressed and underexpressed genes will be identified between each subgroup and control samples. These genes will then be used for pathway enrichment to compare differences in transcriptomic response. Replicative rates have shown a difference between specialist and generalist subgroups of IHNV 2-dpe in the kidney; therefore, we expect to observe differences in the number and magnitude of over- or underexpressed genes and enriched pathways between hosts exposed to specialist and generalist subgroups. Results from this study will aid in characterizing evolutionary mechanisms underlying viral specialism and generalism, understanding host innate immune response and evasion strategies, and identifying biological markers associated with response to viral exposure. This knowledge will be critical in predicting future disease outbreak and informing disease mitigation strategies.

Transcriptional repression plays a critical role in the regulation of various biological processes, including developmental pathways and disease progression. Corepressors are proteins recruited by partner proteins to negatively influence the transcription of genes. TPL is a corepressor from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, and is known to play a pivotal role in transcriptional repression. My project aims to identify other proteins that work with TPL to form a transcriptional repression complex at a single engineered locus. To further understand the function of corepressors, we built a synthetic repressor system, dCas9-TPL, designed to specifically repress the transcription of the RUBY reporter gene. When expressed, the RUBY reporter turns Arabidopsis thaliana pink. In previous phases of this research, we utilized the EMS (ethyl methanesulfonate) mutagenesis protocol to create a population of plants containing many random mutations. Screening these plants for increased RUBY expression, I successfully Identified promising homozygous lines where plants demonstrated bright pink flowers and unique phenotypes such as early flowering, light avoidance, and small stature. Last quarter, I sent five lines to be sequenced and each line displayed distinct mutations that I can further explore to pinpoint the exact TPL interactor responsible for its unique phenotype. I am also investigating known TPL interactors such as SPT4, SPT5, and MED21 by creating transgenic lines within my control dCas9-TPL + RUBY line. Through genetic screening, I have validated the phenotypes among these control experiments. By investigating the intricate network of interactions between these regulatory proteins, I aim to gain a deeper understanding of how gene expression is coordinated across different cell types and how this process controls complex developmental pathways.

Industrial presence has increased in the Ecuadorian Amazon over the past several decades, in the form of lucrative monoculture cultivation and petroleum extraction. Simultaneously, large quantities of land have been deforested. Using a combination of GIS and remote sensing tools such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and supervised classification, this study assesses the changes in vegetation, land-use, and petroleum infrastructure in the surrounding area of the Kichwa community of Loma del Tigre, between the years 2011-2024. The interactions and connections between these three landscape factors are also considered. The study region encompasses growing urban areas, African palm plantations, pasture, petroleum infrastructure and forest, among other land-use types. Forest presence was found to decrease, while the other mentioned factors increased. These results suggest that ecosystem services have been reduced, while water and soil contamination has worsened. The findings of this study may be beneficial in the advocacy for the expansion of land protection programs, such as Socio Bosque. The resulting maps from this study may also be beneficial to the community of Loma del Tigre, in pinpointing the sources of contamination in their surroundings.

Plants' defense mechanism against herbivory is integral to both resistance in nature and the global food supply. Glycine max or soybean, is one of the most widely grown crops in the world, and suffers substantial losses from pests, including many Lepidopteran species. Related legumes, including cowpea, and common bean, can respond to Lepidopteran herbivory by detecting Inceptin-11 (In11), a short peptide found in larval oral secretions. The protein responsible for this ability, Inceptin Receptor (INR), is not found in soybean. The aims of this project are two fold, firstly introducing INR into soybean lines and testing for improved resistance to Lepidopteran herbivory, and secondly studying the effects of INR on defense gene expression in soybean, in order to better understand mechanisms of herbivory resistance. The first step in this project was to create soybean lines which consistently express INR. This was done by sending our INR construct to collaborators, who used it to inoculate multiple soybean lines, then breeding the corresponding lines until response to In11 was seen in all offspring. We will then test larval beet armyworms (Spodoptera exigua) on both INR- and INR+ lines. We expect the INR+ lines to have significantly lower S. exigua growth, indicating an improved immune response. We are also infiltrating INR- and INR+ lines with both In11 and flg22 (a well studied bacterial elicitor) for RNA sequencing of the early immune response. We expect genes involved specifically anti herbivory mechanisms being upregulated when compared to flg22. These two prongs allow us not just to demonstrate the viability of stable transgenic herbivory resistant lines, but to uncover the molecular mechanisms involved in that resistance, allowing for future scientists to better engineer the next wave of pest resistant crops.

Essentialist beliefs about gender modality, which conceptualize being transgender as an inherent and unchanging aspect of an individual, stand in contrast to perspectives that emphasize the social construction and fluidity of gender identity. These contrasting beliefs about the transgender identity are meaningful, as they shape the attitudes and behaviors among and towards trans individuals, who historically and currently face discrimination. To understand how trans people make sense of both cisgender and transgender individuals’ beliefs about the trans identity, I am conducting 12 semi-structured interviews with University of Washington students ages 18-25 who identify as transgender and/or non-binary. I analyze how specific assumptions, expectations, and cognitive worldview perspectives impact experiences and identity formation through a double consciousness perspective, a concept that has adapted from the writings of W.E.B. Du Bois about the impacts of racism. Double consciousness is an instinctive social awareness to uphold two identities, one that is “true” to oneself, and one that is constructed to conform in accordance to societal expectations in an act of self-protection. This can lead to feelings of inauthenticity and loneliness in a society that has rigid expectations for how gender should be represented. Therefore, certain assumptions and essentialist explanations about the social category of transgender, may motivate trans people to hold an additional social awareness to anticipate how cis people will react to their identities under the cis gaze. My data provides insight into the forces behind trans prejudice and offers transphobia mitigation recommendations, while centering transgender and non-binary voices in the research. Additionally, this research provides theoretical contributions, important for understanding the processes motivating essentialism and double consciousness. I conclude with directions and suggestions for future research.

Injustice has permeated the criminal legal system and its punitive regime for as long as this society has existed. The rapidly expanding American carceral state arose from a myriad of retributive policies and legislation that became prevalent throughout the last quarter of the twentieth century. There is currently an abundance of research focused on the effects of incarceration on people of diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. A crucial gap in prison reform research remains the effects of this system of punishment on LGBTQ+ people. My research endeavor aims to address that fact and reveal how individuals with queer sexual or gender identities have been impacted by this system within Washington State. The institutions that exact punishment in this state operate both on a heteronormative apparatus and a gender binary. My thesis involves placing formerly incarcerated LGBTQ+ people at the forefront of prison reform research to highlight their distinctive adversities and establish policy proposals to ameliorate them. I conducted interviews with people who fit this demographic to bring to light their lived experiences and discover what practices, policies, and changes they want to see implemented. The findings illustrate a need for reform in areas including programming opportunities, support systems, healthcare accessibility, gender-affirming care, therapeutic services, housing assignments, reentry assistance, and equitable treatment overall. Incarcerated LGBTQ+ individuals are subjected to exacerbated punishment from correctional staff and other incarcerated individuals, which leads to difficulties with interpersonal dynamics and an overall suppression of identity. Faced with heightened vulnerabilities while incarcerated, LGBTQ+ people maintain resilient attitudes as they reenter society and positively transform their lives. The voices of this community in this research illuminates the necessity of addressing LGBTQ+ rights within prison reform efforts.

Determining the genus of a graph—the smallest surface on which it can be embedded without edge crossings—is a fundamental problem in graph theory with applications in circuit design, transportation networks, and data visualization. Existing genus computation methods often require extensive case-by-case analysis, and the problem is NP-hard in general. To address this, we developed and analyzed PAGE, a novel algorithm that efficiently determines a graph’s genus by enumerating non-backtracking closed directed trails and optimizing search iterations. We established an upper bound on its runtime as O(n(4m/n)^(n/t)) for graphs of girth t and implemented performance optimizations using hash sets for cycle tracking and adjacency list storage for rotation systems. We then conducted empirical comparisons against existing methods, including SAGEMath and MULTI_GENUS, demonstrating PAGE’s superior scalability, particularly for large 3-regular cage graphs. These results suggest PAGE’s potential to improve genus computation, contribute to open problems in topological graph theory, and enhance applications in fields requiring efficient graph embeddings.

In this work, we present two new geometric properties of ellipses that emerged while studying problems related to mass transportation. The first property states that if we shrink the ellipse proportionally and consider any tangent to the smaller ellipse, the two points where this tangent intersects the original ellipse always sum to the point of tangency. This reveals a fundamental symmetry in how ellipses scale and interact with their tangents. The second property describes a special set of interior points that arise by tracing how tangents from a fixed boundary point behave across a family of smaller ellipses. We prove that this set forms another ellipse, exactly half the size of the original, centered at the midpoint between the origin and the fixed boundary point. These findings offer new insights into classical geometry and may have potential applications for problems in mathematics and other fields. 

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social-communication differences and restricted, repetitive behaviors (American Psychological Association, 2013). While racial disparities in autism prevalence have been documented, not much research has examined how these differences appear in autism screening measures. This study investigates racial differences in Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) scores among non-autistic Asian and White adults to assess potential biases in autism screening. Using data from three NIH-funded studies (COBRA, BEAM, and The Korean Study), AQ scores from 166 participants (n=102 White, n=64 Asian) will be analyzed through t-tests and Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to compare total and subscale scores. Preliminary observation suggests that non-autistic Asian participants may be more likely to score higher on the AQ, raising concerns about false positives in autism screenings. Understanding these differences will help improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce disparities, and promote equitable access to neurodevelopmental resources.

Asian Americans are victims of anti-Asian racism, but recent studies have also shown that they have a different role in perpetuating anti-Blackness and White supremacy. Our research aimed to specifically examine whether White and Asian Americans perceive a difference between anti-Blackness and White supremacy. We ran a qualitative study where anti-Blackness and White supremacy were defined for Asian and White American participants, who were then asked to write about their racial group’s relationship with those phenomena. We defined anti-Blackness as the belief that Black people are inherently inferior to others, and the corresponding practice of them being given insufficient power. Similarly, we defined White supremacy as the belief that White people are inherently superior to others and the corresponding practice of them being given disproportionate power. A few research assistants and I rated the similarity between the responses on anti-Blackness and White supremacy on a Likert scale from 1 to 7, with 1 indicating “not similar at all,” and 7 indicating “very similar.” We then performed a two-sample t-test (a type of statistical data analysis in psychological research) on this data to compare the responses between the Asian and White American participants. As expected, we found that the Asian American participants rated anti-Blackness and White supremacy as being more distinct than the White Americans did. The p-value for this data analysis was a statistically significant 0.004. These findings establish a foundation for future studies on the Asian American role in anti-Blackness and White supremacy. I have also conducted data analysis and ran participants for two such studies, which examined whether reminders of anti-Blackness caused Asian Americans to take more responsibility for anti-Blackness and show more solidarity with African Americans more than reminders of White supremacy.

How do we move beyond basic aid to truly support the mental well-being of displaced communities? Jordan, a growing nation in the Middle East, is globally recognized as a leading host for refugees. During my five-week Fall 2023 internship at the Institute for Family Health (IFH) in Jordan, I conducted a research project exploring how mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) programs address the needs of refugees and vulnerable populations, to fulfill requirements of my program on Psychology, Mental Health, and Well-being in Conflict-Affected Contexts. I employed participatory observation, analysis of material culture, and formal interviews to gather data. At IFH, I worked in both clinical and administrative settings, gaining firsthand insight into a healthcare model that prioritizes accessibility by ensuring high-quality mental health services regardless of wealth or citizenship status. I examined IFH’s use of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) intervention pyramid, which balances specialized and community-based care to bridge gaps in mental health services. Through my research, I found that the most common mental health complaints are anxiety, depression, and PTSD. To address these complaints effectively, my research suggests that transformative care requires a holistic approach to MHPSS programs—integrating mental health practices, promoting illness prevention, building strong community bonds, and empowering future generations. This experience reshaped my understanding of global mental health challenges and led me to explore key questions, such as how organizations can expand MHPSS programs to meet growing demand and what role cultural and systemic factors play in shaping mental health interventions. My findings suggest that expanding MHPSS programs requires both increased resources and culturally responsive strategies. By sharing insights from Jordan, I aim to highlight scalable approaches and contribute to ongoing conversations about sustainable mental health interventions for displaced populations.

Eating disorders increase the risk of co-occurring mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety. Asian Americans are an underrepresented population in eating pathology research; they may be under or misdiagnosed and often do not seek services because interventions do not align with their culturally specific needs. The existing literature often neglects the impact of acculturation and acculturative stress on disease presentation and etiology. Acculturative stress arises from balancing the dominant culture's values with one's culture of origin, leading to psychological distress and disordered eating as a coping mechanism. Acculturation, the process of culture change, can increase the pressure to conform to Western thin beauty standards. People who ruminate may be particularly at risk for using disordered eating as a maladaptive coping mechanism against stress. Examining the critical roles of acculturation, bicultural stress, and rumination as unique and interactive determinants of eating pathology can lead to culturally relevant knowledge about its etiology and enhance utility and effectiveness of interventions. This study is aimed to examine acculturation orientations and bicultural stress as predictors of eating pathology symptoms, and rumination as a moderator. We hypothesize that higher levels of acculturative stress will be linked to greater eating pathology symptoms, over and above acculturation orientations. Rumination—particularly brooding—is expected to exacerbate the association between eating pathology symptoms and acculturative stress. Data are from the baseline measurement occasion of an existing longitudinal survey study that examined associations among mental health, personal and sociocultural risk and protective factors. Asian American undergraduate students (N=313; Mage=19.89; 72.5% U.S.-born; 55.6% female and 32.9% male) completed the baseline survey. With the anticipated support of the Mary Gates Scholarship, we will complete hierarchical regression analyses to test the hypotheses. Regression coefficients and effect sizes, model statistics, and p-values will be reported. 

Overgeneral Autobiographical Memory (OGM) is a common symptom of depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Instead of remembering specific details, individuals with OGM can only describe past events from their lives in general terms. The "trauma hypothesis" suggests that OGM emerges because individuals suffering from PTSD tend to reduce the number of details they retrieve about their memories to avoid remembering their trauma. However, this hypothesis does not fully explain how this avoidance is learned, or why avoidance spreads from traumatic memories to all autobiographical memories. To this end, we propose a computational model of OGM that integrates theories of memory retrieval and trauma with reinforcement learning. In this model, multiple episodic memories are nodes in an interconnected network, and memories are retrieved when visiting that node in the network. The more nodes that are visited, the more detailed that autobiographical recall will be. On the other hand, visiting more nodes comes with an increased risk of encountering a traumatic memory, which comes with negative emotional valence. The decisions about whether to visit another node or terminate the retrieval process are made using reinforcement learning, which takes actions based on predicted outcomes. By obtaining a greater understanding of OGM through this model, we hope to improve treatments for PTSD that specifically targets its effects on memory. 

The King County Brightwater Treatment Plant includes a marine outfall pipe anchored to the seafloor that discharges highly treated effluent from the Seattle metropolitan area into Puget Sound, Washington. Since 2009, as part of an eelgrass survey study, King County biologists have collected annual video footage of the outfall pipes from which they witnessed the abundance of organisms colonizing the pipe at all depths. Consequently, in 2012, King County biologists launched a ten-year project assessing the effectiveness of the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) outfall pipe at providing habitat for marine organisms and the composition of organisms it houses. Using a  remotely operated vehicle (ROV), they placed thirty plates of HDPE material adjacent to the outfall pipe at 100ft, 300ft and 600ft depths. Sets of replicate plates were then retrieved after 2, 5, and 10 years of deployment, at which time King County staff immediately took photos of each plate for analytical assessment. In this study, we analyzed the photos for percent live cover and composition of marine organisms inhabiting the pipe material, all across depths and time intervals. We hypothesized that the wastewater outfall pipe can function as a habitat; and the extent to which different organisms, their identifications and abundance, likely vary by depths due to the environmental conditions at different levels of depths. We found that percent live cover increased over time but did not vary across depths, and that certain phyla consistently dominated cover on the plates but dominant groups varied across depths. These findings allow experts in the field to consider using outfall pipes to provide additional habitats for marine organisms, and to assess communities of organisms at depths that are less accessible. 

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are threats to a number of species in marine environments. One hypothesis states that excess nutrients in water lead to accumulations of certain plankton species that produce toxins. This can explain some illnesses such as paralytic shellfish syndrome in humans who consume impacted shellfish. HABs can be identified directly, but given the delays involved in analyzing results, other indicators may be used to predict presence of HABs as well. Possession Sound is an inlet of the Puget Sound located between Whidbey Island and the coasts of Everett and Mukilteo, Washington, connecting to the Snohomish River, as well as Saratoga Passage and Port Susan to its North and the main Puget Sound basin to its South.  Since HABs can occur in freshwater and saltwater for different reasons, Possession Sound’s status as a salt-wedge estuary makes it notable as a study site. To investigate the nature of HABs in Possession Sound, I analyzed plankton density data, chlorophyll-a levels, and phosphorus concentration data I collected in 2024 as well as data collected by the Ocean Research College Academy from 2016-2024. Chlorophyll-a concentrations were measured with a YSI EXO Sonde. Phosphorus concentrations of water samples were collected using a Niskin bottle and measured by the University of Washington Marine Chemistry Lab. I analyzed the progression of each parameter temporally and spatially. I expect to see clear spikes in certain plankton species, especially dinoflagellates, that align with similar-timed chlorophyll-a and phosphorus spikes. However, I predict that trends will be the least prominent in phosphorus concentrations due to its greater prevalence in freshwater than in saltwater. Understanding which plankton species are most responsible for HABs and temporal alignment of potential drivers can allow for better prediction of HABs in Possession Sound.

Zostera marina (eelgrass) is one of the many important biological features of Possession Sound, acting as a substrate for many microorganisms, a filter of greenhouse gases, and as protection for many species. The Possession Sound has been marked as a Seagrass Sanctuary by the Department of Natural Resources, which protects and monitors nearshore eelgrasses within the basin. By looking at what kinds of species are found in a marine environment, researchers can assess an ecosystem's overall health. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a data capture technique used by researchers that picks up DNA traces left behind by organisms, and shows their presence/absence in a given area. The study site, Mount Baker Terminal, lies inside the Possession Sound basin near Everett, Washington, and contains a large eelgrass bed. I collected 10 samples using passive filters submerged at various depths inside and outside the eelgrass bed in 2024 and processed at a WDFW lab. I analyzed these data and 40 additional samples collected by the Ocean Research College Academy from 2021-2024 using similar methods. I hypothesized that there would be more species such as crustaceans, fish, and other plants inside the eelgrass because of its ability to protect and maintain a nutrient-dense environment. These data will help shed light on species richness in each environment, which has potential implications for understanding the overall health of the ecosystem and the critical role eelgrass plays in the estuary.

Possession Sound, located between the city of Everett and Whidbey Island, is a part of both a key economic area and a bustling marine environment. Because of the marine activity, scientists study all sorts of parameters involving the water including noise. Numerous studies have assessed ambient noise in marine environments to investigate the influence of tidal forces on ambient noise. These reports found that tidal noise or “flow noise” is observed around the 0-100Hz range with the most significant impacts observed centered around 25hz. The Ocean Research College Academy operates a SoundTrap ST400 STD hydrophone mounted to Mount Baker Terminal that takes recordings daily for most of the year. Mount Baker Terminal is a small marine terminal operated by the Port of Everett, located just north of the town of Mukilteo. Using data collected from the hydrophone, I took measurements of ambient noise in root mean square amplitude centered around the 25hz range and compared that to NOAA tidal data at Everett, Washington. Using these data I investigated the potential presence of a relationship between the tides and ambient noise. When the initial measurements of root mean square amplitude were compared to tidal data from the area the results showed that tides had no significant impact on the ambient noise at Mount Baker Terminal. Investigating the effects of tides on ambient noise can be crucial to future acoustic research done by researchers in the area as results could be affected by noise created or affected by tides. Future analysis should investigate the impacts of other natural contributors to the soundscape such as rain and wind.

The Eastern North Pacific gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) have a long migration from their breeding grounds in Mexico to their feeding grounds in Alaska. A subgroup of the Eastern North Pacific stock, nicknamed the Sounders, deviate from the migratory path most gray whales follow to feed in the Salish Sea, typically between the months of March and May. Other studies show that gray whales feed on benthic organisms such as ghost shrimp. Studies conducted in the Arctic area of the gray whale migration route have seen sea ice playing an important role in the gray whales being able to enter the areas where they feed. One working hypothesis is that gray whale shifts in migration patterns are the direct result of climate change; this could explain why some of the Eastern North Pacific gray whales enter and feed in Possession Sound. I analyzed sightings data, shared by the Whale Museum and recorded in Possession Sound, WA from 2000-2022. These data, most of which were compiled by the Orca Network, were filtered to identify the number of visitations each month over the study period. Early analysis shows a phenological shift in the time of the gray whale's arrival and departure from Possession Sound. The shift shows an increase in the number of months gray whales are present in Possession Sound, from a March to May visit to a year-round presence. Although these results cannot explain the reason for the phenological shift, future research must look into related shifts in the Arctic ice formation as well as ambient air and water temperature shifts. Future research calculating density of ghost shrimp in Possession Sound will also indicate why this location is favored.

Ocean acidification is the reduction of pH in seawater due to increased carbon dioxide from fossil fuels in the atmosphere and other anthropogenic factors. Ocean acidification causes shellfish such as oysters to experience difficulty building their shells. Acidification trends in the North Pacific Basin are well documented, yet pH trends in Possession Sound, a salt-wedge estuary located in the Salish Sea is less documented. Possession Sound receives discharge from the Snohomish River and has human activity along the shoreline. In this study, the average change of pH in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean was measured and compared to the average change of pH in Possession Sound since 2016. I analyzed data collected from ARGOS Floats located in the central North Pacific Ocean. For Possession Sound, I used data collected from a  YSI EXO Sonde in partnership with the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA). I collected data on 12 research cruises in 2024. I expect to find a slightly greater decrease in pH within Possession Sound than the North Pacific Basin due to the additional anthropogenic factors present in the Sound. Preliminary analysis shows a slight seasonal change in pH in Possession Sound, but little to no change yearly. I expect the data to show a steady decrease in pH for Possession Sound and the North Pacific Ocean basin every year since 2016. Calculating acidification rates and learning how they differ in various geographical locations, with separate factors, will increase understanding of the impacts of ocean acidification, which may be used in conservation efforts. 

A physiological response to acute stress, called anxiety, is thought to be an adaptive feature that allows us to adjust our behavior to better approach the situation causing stress. However, in anxiety disorders this response is maladaptive, leading to excessive anxiety. A key neural circuit is the projection from the locus coeruleus (LC) to the basolateral amygdala (BLA), and activation of this circuit produces anxiety-like behavior. However, little is known about how this alters the activity of BLA neurons. My Mary Gates research project seeks to utilize machine learning to understand how neuromodulatory input from the LC to the BLA alters the correlated activity of BLA neurons and their encoding of anxiety-like behavior. Mice expressing the excitatory opsin ChrimsonR in the LC and the calcium indicator GCaMP6s in the BLA received tonic (5hz) stimulation of LC terminals within the BLA through a GRIN lens to mimic stress-like release of norepinephrine into the BLA. LC terminals were stimulated while recording individual BLA neuron activity during a conflict-based test of anxiety-like behavior, the Elevated Zero Maze (EZM). To evaluate the correlated activity of BLA neurons as a function of stimulation, I used caGraph, a Python package that utilizes graph theory approaches to test the correlation of neurons from calcium imaging data. I investigated how stimulation affects graph theory communities (densely connected clusters) and clustering coefficients (strength of clustering) and found that stimulation causes an increase in the clustering of BLA neurons. To test the functional consequence of these ensemble shifts, I am using classification algorithms to assess the population encoding of the BLA neurons. I expect that stimulation of the LC terminals will increase the encoding of anxiety-like behavior. The findings of this project deepen our understanding of how the LC-BLA circuit mediates anxiety-like behavior, and may uncover novel treatment strategies.

Dopaminergic signaling within the striatum plays a crucial role in modulating reward and aversion, shaping behaviors such as food-seeking and consumption. While striatal dopamine release has been implicated in reinforcement learning and decision-making, the spatial and temporal dynamics of dopaminergic activity along the anterior-posterior axis of the striatum during consummatory behavior remain poorly understood. We investigated the role of dopamine in the striatum during the consumption of multiple solutions by employing a trial-based multi-spout behavioral paradigm with head fixed mice. To record the dopamine activity in the ventral and dorsal striatum, we utilized multi-site fiber photometry to record the fluorescent biosensor GRAB-DA2m along the anterior-posterior axis. Food restricted mice were given varying concentrations of sucrose as rewarding stimuli, while water restricted mice were given varying concentrations of sodium chloride as aversive stimuli. Our results revealed that dopamine responses scaled more across concentrations in the anterior regions of the striatum compared to the posterior regions. Additionally, we found more distinction between dopamine responses for the various concentrations of the aversive solution compared to the rewarding solution. Lastly, posterior striatal dopamine responses had a more rapid onset upon stimulus consumption, whereas anterior regions exhibited delayed responses, highlighting region-specific temporal differences in dopaminergic encoding. These findings refine our understanding of dopaminergic circuitry within the striatum and how dopamine-mediated responses to rewarding and aversive stimuli regulate feeding behaviors. By exploring this pathway, we offer potential insights into the mechanisms underlying disorders characterized by dysregulated reward including eating disorders and obesity.    

The locus coeruleus (LC) is a major neuromodulator source with widespread projections to distinct functional targets that influence arousal, anxiety, learning, and other behavioral states. Our lab has previously shown LC excitation triggers the release of norepinephrine (NE) into the basolateral amygdala (BLA). Recent studies suggest LC terminal stimulation may release DA into the dorsal hippocampus (dCA1) enhancing novelty-associated spatial learning. Our recent data show LC stimulation evokes DA release. Previously, release across regions, paradigms, and behaviors typically associated with LC have not been characterized, due to difficulty in separating DA from NE using traditional sensing methods. Due to this, the relationship between the LC and other DA systems remains unclear. To understand the mechanisms by which the LC may release DA independently of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a major DA source, we have employed optogenetic stimulation to evoke release from neuron terminals and quantify the release dynamics of NE and DA. We used fluorescent biosensors to detect NE and DA, captured by a fiber optic cable and amplified to observe the relative dynamics of DA release. These sensors have tuned affinity and selectivity for NE and DA and use fluorescence as a proxy for neuromodulator release. In this project, we aim to elucidate how and under what conditions the LC is releasing DA across regions with different functions during aversive and appetitive behaviors. These data will enhance our understanding of the LC neuromodulator signaling that can become maladaptive and afflict anxiety, addiction, and more, and also demonstrate that the release of DA from the LC is dependent on the behavior induced.

In mammals, the primary mechanism regulating circadian rhythms is the central circadian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The 24-hour light-dark (LD) cycle is the primary environmental cue, or zeitgeber, that entrains the SCN and sets its phase by adjusting its timing via phase advancing or delaying. Our laboratory has demonstrated that when mice are foraging outside of their safe nest, cyclic fearful stimuli can act as a nonphotic zeitgeber, entraining circadian rhythms and shifting activity from nocturnal to diurnal. However, the mechanisms of this so-called “fear entrainment” and phase-specific properties of cyclic fear remain unclear. This study examined whether cyclic fear via footshocks differentially entrains activity depending on the circadian phase of exposure. Mice were housed under a 12h:12h LD cycle and divided into three groups based on shock timing: the first six hours of the dark phase, the last six hours of the dark phase, and the middle of the light phase. Both dark phase groups showed delayed activity, with only the early dark phase group exhibiting evidence of entrainment. The mid-light phase group remained nocturnal. To further investigate the interaction between light and nonphotic entrainment, we conducted a follow-up experiment in which mice were placed under constant laboratory conditions (constant darkness) before undergoing cyclic footshock exposure. We hypothesized that, in the absence of light cues, the phase shifts induced by fear would differ from those observed under LD conditions, potentially revealing a distinct mode of nonphotic entrainment. Our findings so far suggest that entrainment to cyclic fear may only be achieved through delays, and that circadian oscillators may use different mechanisms of entrainment in response to photic vs. nonphotic zeitgebers.

In mammals, circadian rhythms are regulated by a hierarchy of oscillators governed by a central circadian pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is principally entrained by the light-dark (LD) cycle. Recent experiments in our lab have revealed that cyclic 24-h fearful stimuli can act as a potent nonphotic zeitgeber, entraining circadian rhythms of behavior in mice and rats. This discovery utilized a naturalistic rodent cage with a safe nesting area separated from a foraging area where feeding and drinking occur. While foraging behaviors naturally occur at night, when the foraging area is rendered dangerous by nocturnal aversive stimuli (footshocks), animals entrain behaviors to the shock schedule by shifting activity to the daytime. Under conditions of fear-entrainment, SCN clock gene expression remains loyal to the LD cycle and the SCN is necessary but not sufficient for sustaining diurnal activity. Therefore, we propose the existence of extra-SCN fear-entrained oscillators capable of overriding SCN output and influencing behavioral timing. Here, we subjected 40 mice to either diurnal shocks (DS; control) or nocturnal shocks (NS) under a 12:12 LD cycle. Following confirmation of fear-entrainment, animals were released into constant conditions and sacrificed between 24-36h after the last presentation of footshocks, either CT 1 or CT13. Brains were dissected, sliced, prepared for immunohistochemistry processing, and c-FOS and PER2 protein quantification is currently underway in the SCN, basolateral amygdala, paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, and dentate gyrus. We hypothesize that c-FOSs and PER2 expression within the SCN will align with the LD cycle, while centers involved in fear processing and memory will exhibit altered levels of c-FOS and PER2 expression in response to time-specific fear. Results from this study may be useful for identifying putative brain regions containing fear-entrainable oscillator(s).

The ability to pattern three-dimensional microscale cultures opens new avenues for examining the effect of nonplanar mechanical environments on mammalian cells and tissues. Our lab has developed a method for generating suspended tissues with spatial control using open microfluidic principles called Suspended Tissue Open Microfluidic Patterning, or STOMP. STOMP utilizes spontaneous capillary flow and capillary pinning to pattern suspended, multi-region tissues. Using similar microfluidic principles as STOMP, we have developed a method to pattern large (cm-scale) models via semi-open microfluidic channels called Suspended Nonplanar and Planar, or SNaP, geometries. I design these devices with computer-aided design, fabricate components on stereolithography 3D printers, pattern devices with standard pipettes, and culture resulting tissues for short- and long-term time periods to model biological scenarios. With the broad statement that human tissue is generally nonplanar in mind, my research focuses on three different geometries of tissue, 1) a sinusoidal wave, 2) a transwell-like mogul, and 3) a multi-region dome, where each nonplanar geometry enables a different biomedical investigation. The sinusoidal wave construct allows us to ask if cells embedded in tissues with varying frequencies of undulation experience changes to cell morphology due to the topology of their environment; the transwell-like mogul enables investigation of cell proliferation of cells grown at or within an air-liquid interface; and the multi-region dome facilitates the study of tissue interfaces where a diseased region of cells meets a healthy region of cells, all within a single contiguous tissue. I am currently exploring these questions through multiple cultures where different device versions and/or multiple cell types are engaged to collect biological readouts which demonstrate SNaP as a translatable platform for the investigation of questions in biomechanics and regenerative medicine.

Electrochemical water splitting is an effective method for generating hydrogen gas (H2) and an attractive means for energy storage. During this process, hydrogen and oxygen bubbles form on the electrode surfaces often lower the efficiency of gas production. The overarching goal of this study is to probe and better understand the nucleation process of small H2 and O2 nanobubbles on the electrode. To do this, we use ultrasensitive fluorescence microscopy to monitor the transient adsorption and desorption of single fluorophore molecules, such as Rhodamine 6G (R6G), on the nanobubble surface. My project aims to study how different fluorophores interact differently with the bubble surface and how they may interact with each other when multiple fluorophores are co-adsorbed on the bubble surface. This research may help us better understand bubble-molecule and molecule-molecule interactions at confined spaces for enhanced chemical labeling of the nanobubble surface. Moreover, it may also help us better understand the chemical nature of the gas/water interface, which has direct implications for more efficient gas productions and energy conversion and storage.

Biodiesel, "an alkyl ester of fatty acid" and type of biofuel, can be used for fueling vehicles and can be produced via transesterification, the process of using the alcohol methanol along with a base catalyst (usually sodium hydroxide) to break down oils and fats that have many triglycerides into fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) and glycerol. The viscous triglycerides are broken down into ester bonds and free fatty acids (FFAs), which are not ideal for biodiesel synthesis because FFAs have high melting points, unlike FAMEs. Thus, biodiesel synthesis should be conducted in a manner that reduces the number of FFAs while having a high breakdown of triglycerides into ester bonds. Transesterification that involves alkali/alkyl (like the bases sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and potassium hydroxide (KOH)) as a catalyst can cause soap-FFA reactions, resulting in "emulsification" challenges (Cheng et al 2013) (Hasan et al 2017). KOH and NaOH both can cause soap formation if they interact with triglycerides and esters. Furthermore, KOH produces more soap that NaOH, but KOH also helped produce more biodiesel than that from NaOH at 0.2 mol concentration (Van Gerpen et al 2006). What are the effects of NaOH and KOH on the fuel value of the biodiesel produced over the course of eight weeks? If KOH is used to synthesize biodiesel, then the biodiesel's fuel value form KOH will be higher than that form NaOH. Although the research project is currently in progress, the anticipated result is that KOH better catalyzes transesterification (via causing more heat combustion of ethanol) than NaOH for producing biodiesel. The results' significance determines which catalysts are used to produce more biodiesel. This is because the amount of biodiesel produced can be used for daily life purposes like faster transportation without having to refuel automobiles as frequently.

Members of the gut microbiota produce an array of bioactive metabolites that impact many aspects of host metabolism, immunity, and behavior. However, the mechanisms by which these metabolites are generated remain poorly understood and the biosynthetic enzymes are largely understudied. Recently, our laboratory discovered a family of gut microbial amidases that were found to affect hunger-related biological pathways in malnourished children. These amidases hydrolyze N-acyl ethanolamines (NAEs), lipid messengers with known roles in satiety, visceral pain, and inflammation. Using one of these family members as a model amidase, I am exploring and defining the catalytic mechanisms that are responsible for NAE hydrolysis and the production of a new class of gut microbial metabolites, N-acyl amino acids (NAAAs). I used computational models to predict specific residues that might be important for the amidase activity. I then cloned mutant enzymes into an E. coli expression vector, induced recombinant protein expression, and tested the ability of the purified mutant enzymes to hydrolyze labeled NAEs using liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). These analyses have pinpointed residues that are important for substrate recognition and binding. My work is advancing our understanding of the selectivity of these intriguing gut microbial enzymes and the regulation of NAAAs in the gut lumen. These efforts are expected to generate the knowledge required to engineer more selective enzymes that produce metabolites of known bioactivity.

This study utilizes design research to explore how storytelling informs the design, usage, and knowledge production of a digital archive repository housing digitized memory objects. Ranging from ao dai to math booklets, these memory objects are grounded by narratives of Vietnamese diasporic identity and experiences shared by community researchers as part of Sarah Nguyen’s Sharing Stories, Sharing Trust (SSST) workshop series. To understand how story-driven approaches translate and transform digital archive design, I draw upon multiple methodologies such as case study analysis of existing community-based applications of digital archives and thematic analysis of SSST workshop discussions (formatted as observational memos). I also draw from user interviews with community researchers using a semi-structured, narrative-driven protocol. These analyses inform the design of a digital repository prototype that foregrounds story-driven design whilst exploring possibilities for the preservation and sharing of Vietnamese diasporic experiences.

“In Africa, whenever an old man dies, a library burns down.” –Amadou Hampâté Bâ. Malian writer, historian, and ethnologist Amadou Hampâté Bâ’s quote underlines elders as keepers and purveyors of knowledge, culture, and wisdom. As “libraries” worth prioritizing and preserving, Black grandmothers’ stories and cultural inheritances (material possessions, cultural traditions, rituals, language, etc.) have been integral to the matriarchal traditions and culture characterizing people of African descent. Yet, at key periods, African Americans have experienced threats to our collective ability to document, preserve, and pass down our “libraries” because of a lack of financial resources and technological support. Black grandmothers experience multidimensional oppressions and rarely have a chance for self-representation. What are the ways black grandmothers experience erasure in the digital age, and within their communities through displacement? How are we responding? How can researchers mitigate, document, and disrupt their erasure? To conduct this work, we collect oral histories, document cultural inheritances, and create data visualizations to digitize their "libraries." We document, preserve, and amplify Black culture and history by sharing the lived experiences of Black grandmothers. The Black Grandmother Worldmaking Library is a collaborative, community-based model for gathering, archiving, and digitizing distinct aspects of our “libraries” beginning with the stories and cultural inheritances of Black grandmothers experiencing mass displacement in Seattle’s Central District and along the Gullah Geechee Corridor. The project offers a readily accessible digital resource for Black grandmothers to contribute to and control the stories we tell about their lives. The Black Grandmother Worldmaking Library aims to repair what we are taught about Black grandmothers, to reclaim their narratives and culture using firsthand accounts, and to preserve their legacies.

I am currently assisting PhD student Jessica Luo in her research of the Sanmen Wu sound system, a language of the Wu family found in Southeast China. As Jessica writes an article that summarizes the sound structure of Sanmen Wu, I analyze utterances produced by speakers of the language. In my self-guided research, I focus on the sound quality of the consonants and their variations to determine underlying pronunciation. I also connect these variations to historical sound changes from Middle Chinese, its ancestor, into Sanmen Wu. I observe that Sanmen Wu speakers tend to freely alter pronunciations of certain consonants. For example, a speaker may say 部 [pu] or [bu] meaning ‘part,’ the latter only appearing after another spoken word. These two syllables contrast only in voicing, where [p] is voiceless and [b] is voiced. I use Praat, an industry-standard speech-analysis program, to read diagrams that depict the acoustics of these consonants to verify my findings. I am also creating a set of rules that predicts this alternation. One of the conditions is as follows: words with alternating voicing in their consonants change when pronounced within a sentence (‘medially’). Eventually, I will explain these rules, and I predict my explanation is related to the evolution of Sanmen Wu into its current stage. I reason that because the Wu language family stems from Middle Chinese, both of which require contrastive voicing to create distinct words, Sanmen Wu also contains the original underlying variation that exists in Middle Chinese. As such, I attribute this variation to an inherent part of the language rather than random circumstance. Ultimately, I intend to foster a thorough understanding of Sanmen Wu phonology and provide a foundation for further exploration of this topic.

The title of this project references Stuart Hall’s memoir, Familiar Strangers and encapsulates the experience many artists have when portraying family members they have never met but feel like they know through photographs. Drawing from Tina Campt’s definition of the haptic–how viewers touch or are touched by family photos–I look to Black artists’ uses of photos to express their relationship to themes of family, diaspora, memory, and history. How do Black artists use hapticity and embodiment to engage with family photos and produce alternative ways of conceptualizing identity? How do they view family photos as sites of memory activation? Why and when have these artists returned to family photos as source material?  This focus on hapticity reveals how Black visual artists recreate, re-enact, and revise family photos in their work to produce micro-histories that might otherwise be lost. I analyze artist statements, arts and culture literature, and academic articles to identify individual artists’ approaches to family archives. The featured 19 artists span the African diaspora, and I use Safia Elhillo’s home is not a country as a framework to situate the socio-political contexts of their work, which include the legacy of transatlantic slavery, transnational migration, diaspora, colonialism, racial apartheid. Many of the artists have gained significant attention as they portray family history and collective memory in their practice. This work can guide future exhibitions and continue the ongoing conversation on family photography in Black visual art.

Preterm birth is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, with intra-amniotic infection and inflammation being major contributors to early preterm labor (PTL). Despite ongoing research aimed at reducing inflammation in neonates, most studies have focused on post-delivery while few have been done prior to delivery. IL-1 is a central upstream mediator of inflammation in the amniotic cavity and the neonate. IL-1 is a key cytokine that is responsible for induction or propagation of the cytokine cascade responsible for PTL. Rytvela, an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist made up of seven D-amino acids, acts as a selective antagonist of IL-1 signaling, which could be used to act as a therapeutic approach to reduce inflammation and prevent PTL. The purpose of this experiment is to determine if interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a key molecular target for the development of antenatal therapeutics to prevent PTL and fetal injury. We hypothesize that Rytvela administered intravenously to the mother will cross the placenta and be detectable in the amniotic fluid and fetal plasma, suggesting that Rytvela could effectively block IL-1 signaling in the fetus and therefore reduce fetal inflammation. Maternal blood plasma samples were drawn at Day 1, 2, 6 and 10 post infusion. To confirm the transfer of Rytvela to the fetus, we used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to detect the drug, looking at integration, peak identification, and backlog pressures to see if Rytvela is detectable in maternal plasma. Rytvela was detected and luminex plates were run to measure cytokine levels. After GBS infection, Il-1 beta and Il-23 concentrations increased. After Rytvela administration, the concentration of the pro-inflammatory cytokines decreased. Future directions will involve measuring cytokine levels at these time points and correlating them with Rytvela infusion to evaluate the drug’s impact on maternal-fetal inflammation

Given a set of goods and a set of individuals, one might ask what the optimal way to divide the goods among the individuals is. This is known as a bargaining problem. Bargaining theory is a set of mathematical tools which can help us answer these sorts of questions. Assuming that the individuals’ preferences can be represented numerically, a bargaining solution concept tells us the optimal division of goods, called the solution to the bargaining problem, among the individuals. In some cases, solutions to bargaining problems involve randomly choosing how some or all of the goods are distributed. Of interest to us is the fact that the solutions to these bargaining problems may fail to be continuous, in a certain sense. If the strengths of the individuals’ preferences are changed even slightly, it may be the case that the optimal division of goods changes drastically. Broadly speaking, the goal of this project is to understand when and why this phenomenon occurs. I begin by formally defining what it means for the preferences of the individuals, as well as the sets of solutions to the associated bargaining problems, to be close to one another. I then prove that under certain conditions, small changes in individuals’ preferences cannot result in large changes in bargaining solutions. I am currently still working on proving that if these conditions fail to hold, then one can slightly modify the individuals’ preferences in such a way that the associated bargaining solutions change quite substantially. We hope that these results can be applied to justify randomization amongst options in collective decision making problems, particularly those related to experimental design.

The project examines how geopolitical competition affects the security of global subsea cable infrastructure, which carries 99% of intercontinental internet traffic. We investigate two key questions: how have patterns of cable disruptions changed since 2005, and how do different regions face distinct security challenges? Through analysis of cable incident reports, government documents, and industry data from 2005-2025, combined with detailed case studies of three maritime regions, we examine evolving threat patterns and protection strategies. For instance, our analysis of cable incidents demonstrates a significant shift in both frequency and attribution patterns, there are distinct regional vulnerability patterns, and the private sector companies responsible for this infrastructure are going through a major transformation. Technological competition between major powers has also shaped this infrastructure—with Western nations increasingly restricting Chinese companies' participation in cable projects. Our findings contribute to understanding critical infrastructure protection by demonstrating how geopolitical competition shapes global communications security. We suggest the need for enhanced international cooperation mechanisms, standardized incident response protocols, and balanced approaches.

What explains variations in how ports are acknowledging and responding to the challenges of climate mitigation and climate adaptation?  This research project examines the response of the top 100 global ports (in terms of tonnage) across the world to the growing challenges posed by climate change. Ports face challenges such as reducing emissions from ships and port operations, and adapting to changes like sea level rise, irregular water flows (crucial for ports on river estuaries), shifts in cargo composition, and changing water dynamics. I will explore whether these ports are acknowledging climate challenges and the extent to which they are establishing clear targets and addressing them in their operational strategies with clear timelines. Moreover, how they are preparing for the eventual decline in global fossil fuel trade. In particular, I will pay special attention to coal-exporting and importing ports, analyzing if they continue to make investments in coal infrastructure and whether they have initiated plans for diversifying their revenue streams to prepare for the eventual phase-out of coal. I have already started collecting data by closely examining the websites of these ports. I will create a database of whether these ports have developed climate statements that identify environmental issues, set clear targets with timelines, and outline strategies to mitigate and adapt to these challenges.  I will combine the scores on these dimensions to create a climate score for each port. In addition to my quantitative analysis based on a dataset created by website research, I will conduct interviews with port officials and union leaders at the Port of Seattle, Tacoma, Everette, and Bellingham.

Older adults recovering after hospitalization in an intensive care unit (ICU) are at high risk of functional decline. Older adult ICU survivors often report symptoms of cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, and pain, which can complicate functional recovery. In addition, certain social determinants of health (SDoH) are associated with worse cognitive and physical outcomes that lead to functional decline in older adult ICU survivors. Little is known about the relationships between patient-reported symptoms (e.g., cognitive function, sleep quality, and pain intensity), selected SDoH, and functional recovery for older ICU survivors during hospitalization. This project has two overall aims: 1) explore associations between patient-reported symptoms of cognitive function, sleep quality, pain, and SDoH; and 2) explore associations between these variables and successful participation in physical therapy and/or occupational therapy (PT/OT). We collected and utilized data from two ongoing randomized controlled trials. Older ICU survivors hospitalized at University of Washington Medical Center or Harborview Medical Center were recruited and enrolled. Participants answered the PROMIS Cognitive Function Abilities, Sleep Disturbances, Sleep Related Impairment, and Pain Intensity questionnaires to evaluate self-reported cognitive function, sleep quality, and pain intensity. We did chart review of electronic health records to gather relevant information regarding SDoH, and length of PT/OT participation in minutes. We examined the differences using t-tests, Chi-squared tests, and ANOVA for binary, categorical, and/or continuous variables, respectively. We used descriptive analysis to explore trends between self-reported pain, sleep quality, and selected SDoH on self-reported cognitive function and participation in PT/OT. Results from this project will inform the design of subsequent clinical trials, which could aid in the development of personalized interventions aimed at reducing functional decline in older ICU survivors. 

Xylazine is a veterinary sedative that has become a common adulterant in fentanyl products due to its ability to prolong the euphoric effects of fentanyl. Adulterated drug mixtures containing xylazine have been linked to an increased risk for respiratory depression and fatal overdose. Existing treatments for overdose such as naloxone do not work against xylazine and there is currently no FDA approved reversal agent for xylazine toxicity. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are a promising therapeutic option to reverse drug overdose and can be used to target small molecules by sequestering them in the bloodstream and preventing their passage into the brain. Previously, we made a series of xylazine haptens and formulated them into vaccines where they were found to induce strong antibody responses, reduce brain to serum ratio of xylazine, and mitigate respiratory depression in Sprague-Dawley rats. Based on the protective effects of our xylazine conjugate vaccines, we hypothesized that we can create an effective reversal agent by isolating xylazine specific mAbs. In this study, we immunized mice with xylazine conjugate vaccines to generate antibodies specific against xylazine. We then used the secondary lymphoid organs of the vaccinated mice to establish stable mAb producing cell lines using hybridoma technology. Hybridomas were screened with ELISA and lead candidates were selected and sequenced for further characterization. We will conduct in-vitro characterization assays to quantify binding affinity, functional activity, and thermostability of our lead mAbs. Furthermore, in-vivo studies will assess the efficacy of our mAb lead candidates in rodent models.

TBC domain containing kinase (TBCK) is an understudied protein with three domains: a pseudokinase; Tre-2, Bub2, and Cdc16; and rhodanese, and is highly expressed in the brain. Homozygous mutations in TBCK cause a rare neurodegenerative disorder in children, which clinically presents as syndrome infantile encephalopathy, brain atrophy, cerebellar hypoplasia, and muscle hypotonia. Two mutations in particular, Arg126Stop and Arg511His in the pseudokinase and TBC domains respectively, are commonly found among TBCK patients. The progression of the disease is characterized by a global regression in brain development, severe intellectual disability, and premature death in acute cases. The pathogenic mechanism underlying TBCK syndrome is unclear, but past studies show that TBCK patient neurons demonstrate aberrant metabolite buildup in the lysosome likely resulting from abnormal lysosomal activity. Immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry was performed for wild type TBCK in both N terminal and C terminal tags, revealing a preliminary list of both known and unknown interactors for TBCK. To further investigate the early developmental implications of mutant TBCK, CRISPR/Cas9 directed mutagenesis is being used to generate two induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines harboring the Arg126Stop and Arg511His mutants for subsequent differentiation into neural progenitor cells (NPC) and neurons. Immunofluorescent imaging of the mutant NPCs will confirm the recapitulation of growth and lysosomal defects present in patient cells. To analyze the effect of TBCK mutation on lysosomal function/content, we will immuno-isolate lysosomes through lysosome immunoprecipitation (Lyso-IP) and identify proteomic changes through mass spectrometry. While providing a crucial in vitro cell model of two common patient mutations, these experiments will offer critical insight into cellular dysfunctions that contribute to TBCK disease states.

Frontline communities across and beyond the United States are continuously affected by the US nuclear legacy: from mines to test sites to radioactive waste disposal and beyond. Activists advocating for reparations and community safety often have to engage in their own research to provide the evidence the government requires as proof of radioactive harm. Most of this evidence exists only within physical documents that are behind multiple barriers, sometimes only recently declassified, and scattered across US nuclear sites. My research goal focuses on the creation of a living digital archive to help facilitate the digitization and sharing of important documentation among frontline communities. I use GitHub’s Collection Builder platform to create the foundation for an archive that can grow over time: including the first collection, the metadata schema, and information regarding the archive and how to get involved. My work includes selective digitization of documents of the now defunct UW Radiation Ecology Department, which was primarily funded by the US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and involved in a multitude of nuclear operations. These materials are housed in the UW Libraries Special Collections. Based on preliminary findings, I expect to find important evidence in this material of neglect to the harm of long-term exposure to low levels of radiation, and the specific testing done and results produced by the UW Radiation Ecology Department. My research also prototypes an archive that community researchers can continue to build and involves community feedback that helps shape the design. It is a step in the process of achieving necessary safety measures that protect people and ecosystems from continued radioactive harm.

Copepods are an essential link between micro- and macroscopic trophic levels in Salish Sea food webs. The distribution of copepods across spatial and temporal scales is well-known and is partially attributed to physical oceanic processes. However, few studies have characterized copepod densities at different tidal heights in the San Juan Channel. This study investigates copepod densities at depths of 0-25m and 0-50m during high and low slack tides when tidal currents are at their lowest velocity. Higher overall copepod densities were expected during slack high tide due to the influx of oceanic water from the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Samples were collected over four days in the northern San Juan Channel during September 2024. Twelve vertical plankton tows were performed with six replicates for high and low tides respectively. Samples were diluted and randomized using a plankton splitter, creating 5ml aliquots to calculate copepod density. Copepod densities from 0-50m depth during slack high tide were significantly higher (p-value < 0.001) than all other samples. No difference in copepod density was found between 0-25m and 0-50m depths during slack low tide. Increased tidal height resulted in higher copepod densities for low and high slack tides. Our findings suggest the physical processes within the San Juan Channel, such as the influx of colder, saltier waters during slack high tides increase copepod densities in the top 50m of the water column. These shifts in copepod densities may impact the feeding behavior of higher trophic levels in the San Juan Channel food webs.

Washington State is known for its progressive policies and support for transgender and nonbinary (trans) populations (i.e., trans-progressive). However, some studies suggest that there are still barriers to healthcare access. This study explored trans Washingtonians’ perspectives of these policies and experiences in access to non-discriminatory healthcare. The Priority Assessment in Trans Health Study conducted semi-structured interviews in August 2023 – March 2024 trans adults (n=24) living in Washington State. Interview topics included access to sexual health services, policy awareness, and community resilience. Themes were identified via inductive thematic analysis using Dedoose. Participants were more willing to visit hospitals that have anti-discrimination policies over those that do not, citing safety as a main contributing factor. Although, many were not aware of the anti-discrimination policies that their clinics had in place.  Some noted the presence of pride flags and trans health posters were signals of safety for trans individuals in these settings. However, some participants believed these endorsements feel performative without actionable follow through and described their personal discriminatory experiences in these hospitals. Additionally, participants noted that the lack of necessary training for trans healthcare makes obtaining care, particularly emergency care or intersectional care  difficult. Lastly, participants emphasized that the national structure of the American healthcare system as a barrier to accessing trans-specific care (e.g. need for multiple referrals). While Washington’s state-level policies supporting trans healthcare create an initial sense of safety, they often fail to address the root structural inequities which perpetuate healthcare inaccessibility. To bridge the gap between performative action and genuine inclusion of trans adults, accountability must be prioritized at all levels: from hospitals holding their employees accountable for discriminatory behavior to reforming medical education.

Pregnant women infected with influenza A virus (IAV) are at higher risk of morbidity, mortality, and poor fetal outcomes. However, the difference in the pathogenesis of IAV between pregnant women and non-pregnant women remains inadequately understood, primarily due to the lack of animal studies that use a translational model of infection. I hypothesized that higher IAV viral load and Type I interferon concentrations would be observed in the lungs and bronchoalveolar lavage of pregnant pig-tail macaques compared to non-pregnant macaques, and that correlating these metrics would yield different results across groups. We inoculated pregnant (n=11) and non-pregnant female (n=18) pig-tail macaques (Macaca nemestrina) with IAV H1N1 (A/California/07/2009) and euthanized them at 5 days post-inoculation, when we expected to observe peak lung pathology. We tested pulmonary function at baseline and study endpoint and conducted clinical assessments daily. I extracted RNA and performed quantitative polymerase chain reactions on the samples to calculate viral load. I also performed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to quantify concentrations of Type I interferons (IFN-α, IFN-β). Lastly, I analyzed pulmonary physiology data and clinical assessment scores as a reliable measure of disease severity. A bi-modal distribution of viral load was observed in the lungs of pregnant animals (high>9e5 copies/mg; low<2e4 copies/mg), which was not observed in non-pregnant animals.  When correlating viral load at 5 days post-inoculation with Type I IFN in the lung of the pregnant animals, I found a significant positive correlation between IFN-β and viral load in both the lungs (ρ=0.8, p=0.03) and BAL (ρ=0.9, p=0.02). These results suggest that despite a strong IFN-β response in the lung, a high viral load persisted in the pregnant animals. Next steps could explore whether the kinetics of the pulmonary innate immune response is delayed in pregnancy, which impairs viral clearance. 

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are a powerful framework that enables the analysis of spatial data, or information connected to a location, that can be applied to a variety of fields, such as public health, policy, agriculture, and environmental management. With these frameworks, we can create maps to convey specific data or general information, make comparisons between data sets, and quantify spatial characteristics. In this study, I utilized a GIS framework together with Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS RTK) methods to collect spatial data regarding hiking trails throughout Saint Edward State Park in Kenmore, Washington. I hypothesize that the positional accuracy of data collected via GNSS RTK is significantly better than positions collected via methods that do not incorporate differential correction. To test this hypothesis, I will collect differentially corrected positional data along trails in the park and compare them to uncorrected data gathered between 2013 and 2015 from the same trails. Comparisons will be made using a t-test to determine whether there is a statistically significant difference between the mean differences of each data set. Furthermore, I will use this spatial data to visualize more accurate trail locations, indicate areas requiring maintenance, and decommission unofficial trails that are harmful to the ecology in the park.

The Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO) (17-14 Ma) represents the most recent significant global warming event and provides valuable insights into the future of our planet with higher CO2 levels and warmer temperatures. The Mascall Formation in central Oregon contains a fossil plant assemblage that reflects the vegetation present during the height of the MCO. Despite over 50 years of research in this formation, there is still much to learn about the ancient plant community. For instance, a fossil specimen, consisting of several leaves, that was collected recently exhibits similar trait to bamboo, which represents a new fossil finding in this formation. This project seeks to confidently assign this specimen to the bamboo subfamily Bambusoideae. By analyzing morphological and vein architectural features of the leaves using various microscopic techniques and digital photography. In addition to studying the specimen itself we explore the fossil plant silica bodies (phytoliths) also present in the surrounding substrate to provide independent evidence that bamboo was present in the region. The phytoliths can then be compared to those of current Native American bamboo to find evidence for relatedness or if it was part of some other lineage of bamboo, whether extinct or still present in South America or Eastern Asia. If the specimen turns out to be bamboo, it would have implications for the climate and ecology of eastern Oregon during the MCO as bamboo was not assumed to have previously been present.  

This research project aims to investigate the perceptions of physical disability among able-bodied college students, with a focus on how the duration of the disability influences these perceptions. Despite increasing awareness and advocacy for disability rights, stigmatization and misconceptions persist within educational environments, potentially affecting the social integration and academic experiences of disabled students. Furthermore, individuals with permanently disabling physical impairments may experience different treatment than individuals who are temporarily disabled by acute injuries. Though anthropological mixed methods research on the perception of disabilities is not uncommon, my research is focused on the difference in the perception of congenital (e.g. cerebral palsy) or acquired permanent physical disabilities (e.g. traumatic limb loss) compared to that of temporary disabling acute injuries (e.g. traumatic fracture). I hypothesize that there is a difference in the treatment of people with permanent versus temporary disabilities; students with permanent disabilities are regarded as “more disabled” than those with temporary disabilities and are considered “less capable” and “less threatening”, and therefore more likely to receive pity and unsolicited help from abled students. They may also be perceived as “less intelligent” despite having no mental impairment. This study's findings fill the gap in the existing body of knowledge on the effect that the duration of physical disability has on its perception. My research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining anonymous surveys and qualitative interviews to explore the attitudes and beliefs of students at UW regarding their peers with physical disabilities. By understanding how the duration of disability affects perceptions, universities can better address the specific needs and challenges faced by disabled students, promoting a more equitable and empathetic academic community.

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) occurs when the brain receives insufficient oxygen and blood supply before or during childbirth. HIE is a leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity that may also affect later brain development, specifically gyrification - folding of the cerebral cortex creating gyri and sulci. The nonhuman primate (NHP) brain is gyrified, similar to humans, making NHPs a highly translatable model to examine brain development after injury, which has not been well-studied in HIE. In our nonhuman primate (NHP) model of neonatal HIE, we induced injury through in utero umbilical cord occlusion (UCO) for 20 minutes, mimicking the cause of HIE in humans. Twenty-two term-equivalent pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) underwent UCO and were randomized to no treatment (n = 11) or treatment with therapeutic hypothermia and erythropoietin (TH + Epo [5x1000 U/kg]; n = 11), while non-UCO animals served as controls (n = 7). All animals were delivered via cesarian section. Injury severity was determined by physiological parameters (Apgar score), lactate, and pH levels after resuscitation. To evaluate the impact of injury on gyrification, we will utilize magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) taken 6-months post-injury to measure the gyrification index (GI). GI will be calculated by taking brain’s inner-to-outer hemispheric ratio; the inner trace following the contours of the gyri and sulci, and the outer trace following the circumference of the cerebral cortex. We hypothesize that global and regional GI will be altered in animals exposed to UCO, corresponding with decreased brain volume and greater injury. We also hypothesize that treatment will mitigate some of these changes, leading to a GI closer to control. These results will help determine whether hypoxia-ischemia alters the trajectory of cortical development, as well as the association between injury severity, brain volume, and gyrification.

Overdose deaths in the United States have rapidly increased in the past few years accounting for over 107,000 deaths in 2022 with more than half being attributed to the co-usage of opioids and stimulants. Despite the prevalence of polysubstance use, research has predominantly focused on single substance use, leaving a gap in knowledge regarding its neurological effects. Addiction-associated behaviors such as drug-seeking, drug-taking, and relapse vulnerability has been attributed dysregulation of the striatum. We recently found that polysubstance exposure to methamphetamine and fentanyl leads to behavioral differences in methamphetamine-seeking but not fentanyl-seeking relative to single-substance rats, suggesting that polysubstance use causes distinct changes in striatal circuitry. Our overarching objective is to determine to what extent pursuit of methamphetamine and fentanyl involves shared neural pathways. How do distinct striatal neuron subpopulations responsive to either methamphetamine or fentanyl regulate drug-seeking in animals exposed to both substances? To investigate this, rats are placed into self-administration boxes and undergo two phases of daily intermittent access drug self-administration. In the first phase of self-administration, lasting 10 days, a novel targeted recombination in active population (TRAP) technology and recombinant viral vector is used to target inhibitory designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) to striatal cells that are activated during fentanyl- or methamphetamine-seeking. For the second phase of the experiment, lasting 28 days, rats are then divided into groups for either self-administration of methamphetamine, fentanyl or a polysubstance model. Using chemogenetic manipulations in polysubstance rats, we will test the hypothesis that inhibition of the striatal neuron subpopulations active during fentanyl-seeking will decrease methamphetamine-seeking whereas inhibition of methamphetamine activated neurons will have no impact on fentanyl-seeking. These experiments will provide important insights and lay the groundwork for future studies into how striatal circuits regulate behavior during single and polysubstance use of opioids and stimulants.

In genomics, large-scale experiments commonly exploit DNA libraries, transforming them into a biological system to assay their effects. In these experiments, smaller DNA constructs provide increased transformation efficiency, such that larger libraries can be screened. Previously, we observed a 3-fold increase in the DNA transformation rate in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster when we reduced the size of the DNA construct to approximately 1/6 its initial size. Further improvement of this transformation rate will be dependent on a number of features, including the ease of production of tens of micrograms of minicircles, the ability to create a library of minicircle constructs, and the presence of a PhiC31 attB site to allow integration into the D. melanogaster genome. There are no existing minicircle production methods that address all these needs; thus, we are developing a DNA minicircle production approach that should address them. We use asymmetric PCR to produce single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) that is then circularized. We use these ssDNA circles as templates for rolling circle amplification to generate large quantities of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Following debranching and digestion of the DNA, we use a serine recombinase PhiC31 and its recombination directionality factor gp3 to recombine small dsDNA fragments into dsDNA minicircles. To date, we have produced linear single-stranded DNA using asymmetric PCR, ligated the linear ssDNA into circular ssDNA, and performed in vitro recombination using PhiC31 and gp3 to make minicircles from small dsDNA sequences. We are now working to combine all parts of the procedure into one continuous workflow and to measure the method’s efficiency and yield. This procedure will be vital for large-scale genomic manipulations of D. melanogaster, and should thereby improve the scale of these experiments. The approach should ultimately increase our understanding of genetic variation as we can assay it in D. melanogaster.

Dynamics of activity across the cerebral cortex at the mesoscopic scale – coordinated fluctuations of local populations of neurons — are essential to perception and cognition and relevant to computations like sensorimotor integration and goal-directed task engagement. However, understanding direct causal links between population dynamics and behavior requires the ability to manipulate mesoscale activity and observe the effect of manipulation across multiple brain regions simultaneously. Here, we develop a novel system enabling simultaneous recording and manipulation of activity across the dorsal cortex of awake mice, compatible with large-scale electrophysiology from any region across the brain. Transgenic mice expressing the GCaMP calcium sensor are injected systemically with an adeno-associated virus driving expression of the ChrimsonR excitatory opsin. This strategy drives expression of the blue-excited calcium indicator, GCaMP, in excitatory neurons and red-excited Chrimson opsin in inhibitory neurons. The light channels of the imaging and the opsin do not interfere. We demonstrate widefield single-photon calcium imaging and simultaneous galvo-targeted laser stimulation over the entire dorsal cortical surface and find that the spatial and temporal resolution of the stimulus is suitable for targeting many specific cortical regions in short periods of time. The calcium indicator responded to the laser within 30 ms, and the activity returned to baseline within 100 ms after laser offset. The area of effect was as small as 3 mm² for the lowest laser power or as large as 10 mm² for the largest laser power. Moreover, the preparation is stable over many months and is thus well-suited for long-term behavioral experiments. The ability to stimulate and measure anywhere on the dorsal cortical surface of the brain will allow us to design computational models describing how causal manipulation impacts neural dynamics, especially in the context of designing closed-loop systems to control neural activity and behavior. 

This research aims to enhance the food literacy of volunteers at the University of Washington (UW) Food Pantry by providing foundational knowledge on food security, food policy, nutrition, dietary needs, and allergies. Many pantry volunteers lack a background in nutrition or public health, which limits their understanding of the complex issues surrounding food insecurity and food literacy. Through the Winter 2025 Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Capstone project, my team and I will create a comprehensive brochure that will be incorporated into the pantry’s volunteer training materials. The brochure will include sections on the pantry’s background and goals, the scope of food insecurity among college students both at UW and across the nation, food policies that affect access to nutritious foods, and basic nutrition education. Our objective is to foster empathy and understanding among volunteers, encouraging a deeper connection to the shoppers they serve and the challenges faced by people who rely on the pantry. At the end of the quarter, my team will present the brochure along with other deliverables to community stakeholders. In Spring quarter, I will administer a pre-survey to pantry volunteers to assess their current food literacy and knowledge of food insecurity. Following the brochure’s distribution and review, volunteers will complete the same survey, allowing for an analysis of any changes in their understanding. The study will evaluate whether the brochure improves volunteers' knowledge of food insecurity, ultimately testing if this intervention leads to better food literacy outcomes. If the brochure proves effective in this regard we also hope it will foster increased empathy among pantry shoppers and volunteers.

The ability to recognize that others have mental states, separate from us, and that these states are not always accurate portrayals of reality, is central for theory of mind (TOM). This capacity becomes particularly crucial when children explain causal relationships, as they must integrate their understanding of causality with their awareness of other's knowledge states. Skills like this are essential for effective communication and reflect a key developmental milestone in both cognitive and social reasoning. This study examines how children process causal scenarios while considering and tracking the knowledge states of multiple people. We will examine how children (ages 4-7) perform with conjunctive causal relationships, where two separate effects must combine to produce an outcome (e.g., watering a plant and giving it fertilizer causes it to bloom). Children are asked to explain how the outcome happened, and what knowledge each character has. The children will be given four causal events, varying in content, and follow the same causal structure, where each character is only aware of one cause (A or B). After the scenario, children will answer open-ended questions to assess their recall of what each character knows and test their understanding of how the outcome (C) occurred. We predict that younger children will recognize the causal outcome but struggle to differentiate knowledge states, while older children will demonstrate an improved ability to tailor their explanations based on other's perspectives. This study extends beyond previous studies that primarily focused on children's passive evaluation of explanation as our study will investigate children's active role in generating explanations tailored to different character's knowledge states. Our findings will contribute to the understanding of how the development of TOM shapes children's ability to understand and reason about causal relationships.

Approximately 18% of older adult intensive care unit (ICU) survivors with delirium are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia (ADRD) within three years of hospitalization. The constant, 24-hour ICU care can cause disruptions to sleep quality and the biological circadian rhythm. These disturbances, which affect up to 80% of ICU patients, can decrease the efficacy and benefits of interventions to manage delirium and improve cognitive function. We aim to explore the roles of individual chronotypes (morning, afternoon, or evening preference) and self-reported cognitive function on acceptability and adherence to a computerized cognitive training (CCT) intervention for older adult ICU survivors.  Data from two ongoing randomized controlled trials (the SLEEP-COG Study and OPTIMIZE Study) are utilized for this project. Older adult ICU survivors hospitalized at University of Washington Medical Center or Harborview Medical Center are enrolled based on the following eligibility criteria: ages 60 and older, functionally independent prior to hospitalization, and within 48 hours after transfer from intensive care to acute care. Participants who are randomized to CCT complete 30-minute daily sessions for up to 7 days or until discharge. Participants answer the Composite Scale of Morningness questionnaire to determine their individual chronotype and complete the PROMIS Cognitive Function & Cognitive Function Abilities instruments to examine self-reported cognitive function. Upon completion of the CCT intervention, participants answer Likert-type surveys and open-ended questions about feasibility, acceptability, and usability.  Analyses will explore trends between chronotype, self-reported cognitive function, and acceptability.  Differences will be described using t-tests, Chi-squared tests, and ANOVA for binary, categorical, and/or continuous variables, respectively. Potential future directions may include the development of personalized interventions that integrate individual chronotype and perceived cognitive ability to minimize delirium and cognitive decline associated with ADRD in older adult ICU survivors. 

Cancer immunotherapy, specifically Adoptive Cell Therapy (ACT), has revolutionized treatment approaches using genetically modified T cells to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. However, tumors combat this by creating an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) blocking effective antitumor immune responses.  Dendritic cells (DCs) are innate immune cells that act as messengers between the innate and adaptive systems.   In the Oda lab we have designed Dual Costimulatory Receptor (DCRs) that combine a FLT3L or CD40L ectodomain with different costimulatory endodomains (e.g. CD40, 4-1BB, OX40), to provide both T cell-extrinsic and -intrinsic costimulatory signals.  These DCRs are expressed on the surface of antigen specific T cells, and the combination of these signals allows for enhanced tumor antigen presentation and dendritic cell activation, leading to an increase of the immune response to target and destroy cancer tumors. I will investigate how incorporating DCRs on T cells will enhance ACT effectiveness. I hypothesize these DCR signals on T cells will enhance dendritic cell function in the TME, allowing for increased T cell activation and antitumor immune responses. To test this, I will conduct in vitro coculture experiments to determine how DCR-T cells, dendritic cells, and pancreatic cancer cells interact together. I will study the interactions of these immune cells using live cell imaging technology such as the Incucyte. Additionally, I will analyze the phenotypes of our distinct cell populations via flow cytometry.  This research aims to enhance the development of immunotherapy for Pancreatic and all solid cancers by improving the recognition of cancer cells from the immune system. These results could help pave the way for improving solid tumor cancer treatment.

Westfield Southcenter Mall, located in Tukwila, Washington, is one of the largest malls in the nation, and like many malls, its aging retail spaces and surrounding strip malls are becoming less viable. With rising housing costs and a growing regional population, it is clear that spaces like Southcenter must be transformed into affordable, mixed-use districts that can provide housing, vibrant community spaces, and accessible transportation options. This project explores how Southcenter Mall can be redesigned using New Urbanist principles to foster a thriving community. Using site visits and global case studies of recent successful mall redevelopments, it analyzes the current shortcomings of Southcenter Mall and proposes a more successful mixed-use alternative. The final deliverables include a 3D model mock-up of a revitalized Southcenter that includes affordable housing, ground-level retail, and an overhauled transportation framework prioritizing pedestrians and cyclists.

There is an existing ideology prevalent in our culture that radicalized, and gendered subjects are expected to endure copious amounts of pain when it pertains to their menstrual cycles. I call this into question and aim to explore alternative methods of alleviating dysmenorrhea beyond hormonal contraceptives and SSRIs. Focusing specifically on BIPOC menstruating populations, I have been the primary investigator of a study examining the effects of community dance and affinity spaces on menstrual pain management. Participants come into the dance studio weekly to engage in various open dance practices with others, in addition to journaling, guided massage, and discussion. The dance practices range from traditional Chinese practices like Qigong to local community dance practices like Dance Church. In addition to weekly sessions, I host quarterly BIPOC Jams open to the public, to share the knowledge with the wider community, cultivating a space for BIPOC to engage in freedom dreaming, community building, and collective healing. I will explore what a future of community healthcare would look like, moving away from Western models of healthcare that focuses solely on the individual. Drawing from practices like community acupuncture where the healing experience happens with others rather than in isolation, I am curious to investigate how having a shared dancing experience impacts and shifts the emotional and physical well-being of participants. I am exploring the care relationships that form in BIPOC affinity spaces and how dance as a language facilitates a different type of embodied healing. I will be presenting the structure that I have used for weekly sessions and the BIPOC Jams. I will also share excerpts of participant experiences and reflections from both spaces. I am drawing upon existing theories around care work, somatic abolition, and pain management to develop a practice of community care that builds upon existing discourse. 

The effectiveness of a drug candidate depends on its ability to distribute to its target site of action after administration. Thus, a primary concern for drug delivery labs like the Pun lab is preventing drugs from being cleared from the bloodstream by the body's renal system before they are able to accumulate to therapeutic levels at their site of action. In short, one important goal in drug delivery research is to find ways to extend a drug's blood circulation half-life. Conjugating drugs to the large molecular weight molecule polyethylene glycol (PEG) to slow their clearance kinetics is the current gold-standard method, but a crucial drawback is that PEG's large size leads to its potentially toxic buildup in tissues like the liver. To get around this problem, my project aims to develop a drug delivery platform that will allow small molecule drugs to reversibly bind, or in other words "hitchhike" onto human serum albumin (HSA), an abundant protein in blood plasma with an extraordinarily long half-life. At this point in my project, I have successfully synthesized a novel fatty acid monomer with a methacrylate functionality that can be used to copolymerize the monomer with therapeutic small-molecules or peptides to improve their circulation half-life. The next steps will be to copolymerize the fatty acid monomer with pGmMA, a water-soluble polymer, and use biolayer interferometry to test the fatty acid monomer's ability to coordinate to albumin, which will confirm its efficacy as a drug delivery platform. If successful, this project has the potential to provide a generalizable improvement to the pharmacokinetics of various kinds of small-molecule drugs or peptides, enhancing their potency and overall ease of treatment. 

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an oncogenic gammaherpesvirus known to cause Kaposi sarcoma (KS), a cancer of the soft tissues, and several other diseases. KSHV has two distinct replication cycles: a latent and lytic cycle. During latent infection, only a small section of the viral genome, the KSHV latency-associated region (KLAR), is expressed. Spindle cells, the main proliferating cell type in KS tumors, are thought to be of endothelial origin and are primarily latently infected. Due to lowered viral gene expression during latency, these cells have few viral factors to target therapeutically. Cellular factors required for infected cell survival, like altered metabolic pathways, are potential therapeutic targets for latently infected cells. One metabolic pathway altered by latent infection is fatty acid synthesis (FAS). My research focuses on understanding how KSHV infection induces FAS in cells. Since previous research has shown that expression of KLAR is sufficient to increase lipid droplet formation, a measure of FAS induction, I hypothesize that expression of one of the four genes present in KLAR is likely what upregulates this metabolic pathway. To test this hypothesis, I infected telomerase-immortalized microvascular endothelial (TIME) cells with lentivirus containing a viral plasmid overexpressing one of the four KLAR genes. I then measured lipid droplet formation across each transduced cell population using a flow cytometer. This project is still in progress; however, if the increase in lipid droplet production in transduced cells is similar to the increase observed in cells latently infected with wild-type KSHV, then I will conclude that the over-expressed gene was sufficient to up-regulate FAS. Identifying which viral gene induces FAS in infected cells will provide a new direction for future mechanistic studies and aid in identifying potential therapeutic targets for KSHV-associated diseases.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) results from a blow to the skull that causes shearing forces in the brain. Elevating intracranial pressure (ICP) at the moment of impact may protect the brain from TBI by stiffening the brain tissue and decreasing shearing. When they expect an impact, humans naturally brace and perform a Valsalva maneuver (exhaling against a closed airway), which momentarily elevates ICP. In a ferret TBI model, we conducted abdominal compression using a blood pressure cuff to induce a Valsalva-like response (VLR) and determine whether VLR resulted in neuroprotection. The ferret model was chosen for its gyrified brain structure and white to grey matter ratio that closely resembles the human. TBI was induced using a CHIMERA (Closed-Head Impact Model of Engineered Rotational Acceleration) device, which is designed to deliver high-energy, controlled skull impacts. Initial work showed that the abdominal compression procedures increased ICP. The TBI study involved a total of 36 adult ferrets of both sexes randomized into three groups: (1) a sham control group exposed to isoflurane with a cuff but no compression, (2) a TBI group with a cuff but no compression, and (3) a TBI group with a cuff and abdominal compression. Baseline behavioral assessments (CatWalk, Novel Object Recognition, Swim Test, and Open Field) were conducted one week prior to injury. Post-injury behavioral testing, using the same assessments, was performed at 24–48 hours and 8 days post-TBI to evaluate functional outcomes. On day 8, ferrets were euthanized, and their brain tissue was collected and assessed for neuropathological outcomes. We hypothesize that abdominal compression will mitigate deleterious TBI outcomes. If these findings are supported, this intervention could improve the lives of those at risk of TBI and contribute to ongoing research in the field.

Tau protein is highly expressed in neurons and other neural cells, including astrocytes. The accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates, known as neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While tau aggregation is thought to advance AD through toxic gain of function, the loss of tau physiological function may also contribute to the adverse progression of the disease. However, how the lack of tau physiological functions in neurons contributes to AD progression remains understudied.  Studies have shown that tau depletion results in minimal phenotypic differences and may even mitigate cognitive decline in AD mouse models. Here, we investigate the molecular consequences of tau loss in both neurons and astrocytes. Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, we generated tau knockout (Tau KO) human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines, which were subsequently differentiated into neurons and astrocytes. We first focused on assessing how Tau depletion affects the hiPSC-derived neurons. Our findings indicate that tau depletion does not impair neuronal differentiation or increase cytotoxicity and cellular stress. However, preliminary data suggest that Tau KO neuronal cultures—composed of 95% neurons and 5% other neural cells—exhibit reduced synaptic firing activity and network burst frequency. These results suggest that tau loss in neurons and glial cells negatively impacts neuronal activity, providing new insights into the functional consequences of tau depletion in AD pathology. To gain deeper insight into how tau depletion negatively impacts neuronal activity, we performed transcriptomic analysis on Tau KO hiPSC-derived neurons using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). We are currently analyzing and validating the results, which may further elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying tau loss-of-function in neuronal regulation and AD pathology. In the second phase of this investigation, we will also differentiate the Tau KO hiPSC into astrocytes and assess how tau depletion impacts astrocytic viability and functions.

Parents play a significant role in shaping adolescent alcohol use. The specific role of adolescent decisional freedom—the extent to which adolescents independently make decisions— has yet to be examined. I conducted a brief literature review on adolescent decisional freedom, and this study explores its links with alcohol use within distinct developmental periods. Data from baseline to year 6 follow-up of the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence study (N=831) were tested for cross-sectional associations between decisional freedom and alcohol use phenomenology (i.e., drinking days per average month, past month alcohol consumption, quantity of drinks during average drinking period, and binge drinking days in the past year and month). Separate models were tested for early adolescence (ages 12-14), middle adolescence (ages 15-17), late adolescence (ages 19-20), and emerging adulthood (ages 21-24). Adolescent decisional freedom was measured using a self-report 5-point Likert scale across distinct domains (e.g., spending money, drinking alcohol, time spent with friends). Gender and age of first drink were covariates, and each model examined associations between decisional freedom and gender. Regression results consistently linked lower decisional freedom to lower alcohol use across all phenomenology in early adolescence (bs ≤ −.41, ps < .01). For middle adolescence, the protective effect of limiting decisional freedom only emerged for drinking days per average month (b = −.29, p < .01) and quantity of drinks during average drinking period (b = −.46, p = .001). In early and late adolescence, the association between lower decisional freedom and fewer past month binge drinking days was stronger for boys (bs ≥ 0.43, ps < .05). These findings suggest that increasing control over early adolescents’ decisional freedom, particularly for boys, and flexibly granting greater decisional freedom over time may protect adolescents from harmful decisions associated with alcohol use.

Can early adverse experiences possibly enhance cognitive functions? The current literature pertaining to children and youths with adverse experiences suggests that they often present extensive deficits, potentially showing less working memory, later language disorders, and lower impulse control (Ellis et al., 2020; Dannehl et al., 2017; Dixon et al., 2023; 2016; Snow, 2021). However, this deficit-based perspective is incomplete – the hidden talents framework suggests that children possess adaptive strengths of unique skills that emerge under stress and in particular, adverse environments. Children and youths with experiences of adversity show social and cognitive adaptations, revealing enhancements in certain domains (Ellis et al., 2020). Here, we examine a facet of their adapted strengths: cognitive flexibility in adulthood as a response to childhood unpredictability, defined as the rate of alterations or instability in the individual’s childhood environment. We propose that adults with prior experiences of childhood unpredictability develop enhanced cognitive flexibility to adapt to unpredictable environments. In this experiment, we will recruit a normative sample of 180 adults and measure their cognitive flexibility along with experiences of childhood harshness and unpredictability using the Perceptions of Childhood Harshness and Unpredictability scale and the Number-Letter Task. We predict that participants who experienced a high level of unpredictability will demonstrate more cognitive flexibility compared to those who experienced high general childhood harshness. Preliminary analyses from the UW psychology participant pool indicate similar trends, suggesting that higher childhood unpredictability correlates with increased cognitive flexibility, while higher childhood harshness is associated with lower cognitive flexibility. Framing cognitive flexibility as a form of adaptation from unpredictable environments is imperative to pivot the current narrative toward children’s hidden talents – revealing that children are resilient, adaptive individuals with unique abilities to overcome adversity. 

Individuals with Stage II/III severe periodontal disease were recruited from the Graduate Periodontics Clinic at the University of Washington School of Dentistry using an approved IRB (STUDY00016871). Subgingival plaque samples were collected from four tooth sites: an active inflamed site, two adjacent tooth sites, and a distant healthy tooth site. Sterile paper points were inserted into the gingival sulcus for 30 seconds. DNA was isolated and extracted using the Qiagen AllPrep DNA/RNA Mini kit (Cat. #80204), then purified and concentrated using the Zymo Clean & Concentrator (Cat. #D4014) kit. 16S rRNA libraries were generated and sequencing was performed on the MiSeq platform (Illumina, San Deigo, CA, USA) using 300bp paired-end chemistry. Raw reads were processed and analyzed using Qiime2 and the DADA2 algorithm to generate amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), which were then classified using the expanded Human Oral Microbiome Database (eHOMD). Differences between tooth sites were assessed within and across individuals. Correlation between taxonomic levels and clinical data was also assessed. Data analysis is still being performed at this time. Based on previous literature (Pawolski et al, 2005, Kerns et al. 2023), we expect that a subgingival community gradient radiates from tooth sites affected with periodontal disease toward distant healthy sites. We aim to resolve this within individuals using ASVs for the first time. Additionally, we anticipate an increase in disease-associated bacteria within actively inflamed tooth sites, such species within Porphyromonas, Tannerella, and Treponema genera. Furthermore, we anticipate a gradient of perio-pathic disease-associated bacteria will decrease in relative abundance the further away from active diseased sites. We expect that results from our study will highlight the presence of a subgingival microbiome composition and enrichment of specific gram negative perio-pathic disease-associated species within clinically healthy tooth sites in patients with active periodontal disease despite the absence of clinically observed inflammation.

Background: Premature infants or those with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy are at high-risk for cerebral palsy (CP). Early detection of CP can significantly improve outcomes, however, inconsistent attendance at developmental follow-up after UW NICU discharge puts infants at risk of missed diagnoses. Objective: Implementing a process for early detection of CP in the NICU to increase high-risk infant follow-up (HRIF) rates at 3–4 months from 51% to 80% within 10 months. Design/methods: A single-center Quality Improvement initiative. Baseline data included patient characteristics, comorbidities, and CP risk factors. Process mapping and stakeholder meetings began June 2024, informing changes implemented beginning in August 2024. Process measures included % of eligible infants receiving a General Movements Assessment (GMA) and % of infants with a 3-4-month follow-up scheduled before NICU discharge. Outcome measures include % of infants seen at HRIF by 3-4 months corrected gestational age (cGA) and number diagnosed with High Risk for CP or CP before 12 months. Balancing measures addressed % of clinic No-Shows or appointment cancellations. Results: At baseline, 67 infants, discharged from UW NICU between Dec 2024 and July 2024 and met criteria for HRIF; 66 (99%) were very premature, GA ≤ 32 weeks and/or birthweight ≤1500g, 3(5%) were extremely premature, GA 22 to 24 weeks 6 days. 65(97%) infants had a GMA before discharge. No infants had cramped synchronized movements. 97% received referral for HRIF and none were scheduled for a 3–4-month appointment before NICU discharge. Monthly follow-up rate (number of infants seen at 3-4 months cGA / number of eligible infants discharged per month) was 51%. By January 2025, 57/62 (92%) eligible infants were scheduled for HRIF before NICU discharge. Process changes are ongoing. Conclusion: A standardized pathway for high-risk infants in the NICU can improve local follow-up rates, enabling earlier CP detection and intervention.

The activation of inflammasomes is a crucial component of the early immune response to pathogens and initiates a form of inflammatory programmed cell death called pyroptosis. During infection, a cytosolic inflammasome-forming protein sensor detects a pathogen to assemble the inflammasome complex, which subsequently activates the protease Caspase-1 (CASP1). CASP1 processes Gasdermin D (GSDMD), inducing pyroptosis through pore formation in the plasma membrane, while also facilitating the release of proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β and IL-18. Adenovirus (AdV) is a common pathogen that causes inflammatory symptoms by infecting multiple mucosal epithelial tissues in the respiratory tract and intestinal tract such as the nose, mouth, and eyes. We wanted to test whether AdV infection could activate one of the main inflammasome sensors in human conjunctival epithelial cells (hCjE cells), which is NLRP1. However, we found that upon AdV infection, NLRP1-mediated cytokine release is absent, suggesting that CASP1 signaling is suppressed. Interestingly, despite the loss of IL-1β and IL-18, pyroptosis remains unaffected. Recent studies indicate that in the absence of CASP1, inflammasomes can activate Caspase-8 (CASP8), leading to the cleavage of Caspase-3 (CASP3) and Gasdermin E (GSDME), resulting in an alternative, incomplete form of pyroptosis. Thus, I hypothesize that during AdV infection, host cells are still able to induce pyroptosis by activating the alternative CASP8-GSDME pathway. To test this hypothesis, we generated and validated genetic knockouts of CASP8, GSDMD, GSDME, and CASP3 in hCjE cells to assess their roles in pyroptosis during AdV infection. These findings will provide new insights into viral immune evasion strategies and inflammasome regulation in epithelial cells.

Recent research shows the lux operon utilized with in-vivo bioluminescence imaging to detect infectious diseases in animal models. Modifications to this operon led to the development of enhanced bioluminescence in Escherichia coli cells. However, expression of this operon has not been optimized for expression in other bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus. This study aims to optimize the lux reporter gene expression for Staphylococcus aureus, so luminescence is bright enough to register without specialized equipment. To date, the research has explored Gibson Assembly for cloning the gene sequences into a shuttle vector and efforts to modulate gene expression to reduce toxicity in E. coli.

Behavioral flexibility is the ability of an animal to adapt to environmental changes, crucial decision making and goal directed behaviors. Impaired behavioral flexibility has been linked to psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Emerging research suggests that psilocybin, a psychedelic drug that acts on serotonin receptors, may improve behavioral flexibility by promoting adaptability in responses to new information. Given the growing literature exploring the impact of psilocybin as a therapeutic treatment for psychiatric disorders, this study aims to explore the effects of psilocybin on the use of behavioral strategies on a complex spatial set-shifting task. Long-Evans rats were trained on an elevated plus maze with two start arms, north and south, and two reward arms, west and east. The task requires rats to alternate between two strategies: alternation and place. The alternation phase required rats to switch between reward arms (go West, then go East), and the place strategy required choosing the same arm (e.g. go West) continuously. Rats must determine the correct strategy and implement it; once 12 out of 15 trials are accurately completed, an uncued switch in the correct strategy will occur, requiring adaptation to a new strategy. Once animals were well-trained on the task, a single dose of psilocybin (1mg/kg) or saline was administered 10 minutes prior to a session and their behavior was analyzed. Metrics such as performance, and flexibility scores were assessed to determine the impact of psilocybin on behavior. Preliminary findings suggest psilocybin improves behavioral flexibility compared to the saline group, though overall performance remains relatively stable. These results provide insight into the potential of psilocybin as a therapeutic tool for conditions characterized by behavioral rigidity; even in wild-type animals, psilocybin improves flexibility, indicating the possibility for mitigating more severe impairments in flexibility seen in psychiatric disorders.

Adaptive algorithms used in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) adjust to user strategies by dynamically adjusting how BCIs decode neural data throughout an experiment. Current adaptive algorithms continuously update the decoder using all available data during training. However, if users are unfocused or inattentive, it is likely that some of the training data is unhelpful towards decoder training and could lead to poor decoder performance. Unfortunately, determining attentiveness in a subject is difficult. Non-human animals cannot self-report attention levels, and even in human trials, self-reporting often leads to subjective data that varies between subjects. A non-invasive estimate of subject attentiveness could improve data selection for decoder training. Pupil size is correlated with a participant’s perception of task difficulty, and participants involved in attention-grabbing tasks display blinking rate-inhibition (Kucewicz et al., 2018; Maffei et al., 2019). I hypothesize that these eye data could be used to estimate a subject’s task engagement. I explored data from a novel task where both human and non-human primate subjects controlled a cursor on a 2D screen with 3D hand motions through some unknown mapping. Due to the unknown 3D-to-2D mapping, this task required constant cognitive attention in order for subjects to succeed. I looked at the subjects’ data to identify trends in pupil size and blink frequency across multiple days of task performance. In the future, I aim to build engagement classification models to better select training data for adaptive algorithms and apply these algorithms to realtime BCI experiments.

South Thurston County's car-dependent and low-density built environment can affect the health and economic wellness of its residents. This research investigates the barriers that residents face in getting to work, their daily needs, and things-to-do. What are the best strategies to improve the built environment that provides access to employment, necessities, and entertainment for people in south Thurston County’s SR 507 and Old Highway 99 corridors? A process of observations, community surveys and interviews with government and other agency officials will allow for an understanding of current conditions in the study area, personal viewpoints of community members, and constraints that the government agencies and other organizations might face in making improvements. This project will include investigation into design, policy and economic practices. A free or low-cost guide that would allow rural governments to make economically smart design and planning changes, and help make towns more self-sustainable, will be created after understanding this research. As innovation in planning and re-urbanization occurs increasingly in the United States’ larger metropolitan areas, rural and tribal communities, too, deserve an opportunity at urban core making, simplifying the daily lives of its residents, and maintaining health and wellness for all.

This project aims to compare and contrast Little Free Pantries (LFPs) and Community Fridges (CFs) as models of micro pantries for those facing food insecurity. The primary focus is on the ability of each to safely provide nutrient-dense food. There is extensive research on what a nutrient-dense diet is and its importance on a person's health as well as budding research detailing the quality of food provided by food pantry organizations. However, this research is limited in the scope of donation programs being researched. Furthermore, there is a lack of understanding how different donation programs differ in their ability to provide nutritional food to those utilizing their services. This project compares five CFs to five geographically matched LFPs within the City of Seattle. To assess the nutrient-density of food donated to CFs and LFPs two dimensions of food nutrition are analyzed utilizing the FAST score and NOVA categorization methodologies. Each micro pantry is briefly assessed on its food safety standards as well. CFs are expected to provide food with higher nutritional quality than LFPs, and in a safer manner. This is due to their ability to be temperature controlled, allowing for a wider variety of foods to be collected and stored safely. This research will be presented in a final paper and poster detailing the findings of the project as well as any recommendations drawn for the City of Seattle. This project is significant because it addresses the nutrition of food made available to those facing food insecurity. Understanding the difference in quality of food offered between the CFs and LFPs will allow for an assessment regarding how accessibility to nutrient dense food for all residents of Seattle falters and how it can be improved.

Load carriage is a human universal used to transport children and other resources (e.g., water). Load placement (e.g., back or side) can vary, which influences an individual's gait. Previous studies have assessed the energetic cost of center-of-mass placement  (COMP) and head-load placement (HLP), but the kinematic changes during combined loads are less understood. Lumbar bending and arm swing amplitude were collected from participants (N=19) using OpenCap as they walked for four load conditions: unloaded (UL), back-loaded (BL), back-loaded-with-empty-bucket (BEB), and head-loaded (HL). All loaded conditions were 7.3kg, approximately 10% of the participant's mass. Conditions were differentiated as COMP (BL) or HLP (BEB and HL). Participants were not habitual head load carriers and used one arm to support HLP (one arm swing). Normal arm swing was maintained for COM conditions. Using a multifactorial ANOVA, COM induces lumbar flexion while HLP induces lumbar extension (p=0.011). Additionally, a difference in arm swing amplitude was found (p=0.058). Normal arm swing (COM) had low swing amplitude while one arm swing (HLP) had a high amplitude, with the highest arm swing occurring during BEB. These findings imply that even when loaded mass is the same, different load positions are associated with kinematic changes that will have important energetic impacts and the potential for changes in skeletomuscular changes particularly via lumbar extension. These data are specifically relevant to understanding the demands placed on individuals around the world who carry water and/or children for long distances, particularly in places experiencing extreme drying during climate change.

The Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous (84–72 million years [Ma]) was a dynamic interval for North American ecosystems and included the zenith of dinosaur diversity and the regression and transgression of the Western Interior Seaway (WIS). Most studies that investigate vertebrate biodiversity during this interval focus on dinosaurs, whereas few focus on changes in herpetofauna (lizards, frogs, and salamanders). Herpetofauna are important indicator species of ecosystem dynamics, because they are fragile to ecosystem change. Vertebrate microfossil sites are ideal for studying herpetofauna diversity dynamics through time because they can produce large sample sizes, sample aquatic environments, and are plentiful through stratigraphic intervals. The Judith River Formation (JRF) of north central Montana is rich in vertebrate microfossil sites, preserving ~4 Ma of the Campanian (~79–74 Ma). Here we aim to document patterns of herpetofauna diversity change in the JRF by quantifying herptile taxonomic richness and relative abundances using specimens from three temporally separated microfossil sites: Makela-French 1 (~77.5 Ma), Milkshake (76.5 Ma), and Clamfetti (~75.2 Ma). We collected sediment samples from these sites over four years and processed them via underwater screen-washing techniques. Presently we have studied 470 herptile microfossils (600 planned). Our preliminary results show changes in the taxonomic diversity across the sampled sites. Taxonomic richness of herptiles varies through the formation, first increasing and then decreasing. Salamanders have the highest relative abundance, lizards decrease in relative abundance, and frogs fluctuate. We hypothesize that taxonomic patterns are influenced by the impact of WIS cycles on water supply in ecosystems: amphibians thrive in wetter environments, whereas lizards are more terrestrial. These preliminary results reflect a connection between diversity patterns and extrinsic drivers not observable through the analysis of dinosaur fossils. Our continued analysis will provide more fine-scale resolution of herptile diversity during the Campanian.

Chloroplasts are central to plant immunity and act as a hub for immune signalling and defence-related hormone synthesis. The essential chloroplast-localized protein FtsHi1 is a component of the FtsHi import motor and is vital to translocating proteins across the chloroplastic membrane. Viral-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of FtsHi1 in Nicotiana benthamiana results in a bleached phenotype, indicative of decreased translocation of essential chloroplastic proteins and decreased chlorophyll synthesis. Previous work identified herbivore-induced kinase 1 (HIK1) as a potential interactor of FtsHi1. HIK1 is a receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK) implicated in the immune response to caterpillars. FtsHi1 contains a predicted RLCK phosphorylation site, indicating possible phosphorylation of FtsHi1 by HIK1, which could promote defence signalling over photosynthesis. This project aims to test the impact of phosphorylation on FtsHi1 function and its role in protein translocation across the chloroplastic membrane. This work utilises engineered FtsHi1 variants, which mutate the serine phosphosite to either mimic FtsHi1 phosphorylation (Ser→Asp), prevent it (Ser→Ala), or recapitulate the wild-type protein sequence. To test the phosphosite mutation effects, FtsHi1 VIGS knockdown of N. benthamiana leaves will be transiently modified using Agrobacterium tumefaciens bacteria to express WT or phosphorylation-modified FtsHi1 constructs. The resulting colour phenotype for each construct will then be compared to the bleached phenotype of TRV2:FtsHi1 plants and the phenotype of wild-type plants. I hypothesise that the FtsHi1 phospho-null mutant will result in a rescue phenotype similar to wild-type FtsHi1, whereas FtsHi1(phospho-mimic) will retain the bleached phenotype.Examining FtsHi1 phosphorylation enhances our understanding of its potential interaction with HIK1 in herbivory-induced plant defences. Future studies will explore FtsHi1's role in defence mechanisms, with implications for engineering herbivory-resistant crops. 

Prostate cancer has a significant heritable component. It is estimated that 10-15% of patients with advanced prostate cancer carry an inherited predisposing genetic mutation, and these patients generally present with a younger age of onset and a strong family history of cancer. The standard in the field of oncology is to conduct short-read DNA sequencing on such patients to find predisposing mutations. While short-read sequencing does well to identify simple mutations that cause disease in many families, our lab concluded that short-read sequencing misses critical mutations in many prostate cancer susceptibility genes. We hypothesized that prostate cancer in many families is due to complex inherited mutations such as genomic deletions, inversions, and mobile element insertions that are not detectable by conventional genomic technologies such as short-read sequencing. To test this hypothesis, our lab specifically recruited prostate cancer patients who, despite having family histories of cancer, did not have any mutations detected via conventional genetic sequencing methods. This project utilizes Nanopore long-read DNA sequencing, which reads DNA in longer fragments and can reliably detect complex mutations. My role is to conduct long-read sequencing on DNA samples from these patients, then analyze the DNA sequence for mutations. I have sequenced 32 patients so far and identified 4 complex mutations through long-read sequencing which were missed by other approaches. These complex mutations include insertions of repeat sequences and duplications which disrupt gene function in BRCA1 and BRCA2. This suggests that, consistent with our hypothesis, some patients who do not have mutations found via conventional sequencing methods do indeed carry causative mutations in well-established prostate cancer risk genes. By finding these mutations, patients can receive more targeted and effective cancer treatment, and undiagnosed family members stand a better chance of catching cancers at earlier stages.

The proximal tubule (PT) and glomerulus are vital blood-filtering components of the nephron, the functional unit of the kidney. The components’ micro-scale sizes and intricate three-dimensional structures are critical to kidney function, although accurate in vitro modeling has proven difficult. Limitations in fabrication techniques have forced size scaling and imprecise morphology in models. In this study, we addressed fabrication limitations using multiphoton ablation to etch intricate, three-dimensional proximal tubule and glomerulus vessels in collagen hydrogels. We sought to demonstrate model viability by introducing human proximal tubular epithelial cells (hPTECs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), respectively, through cell perfusion. However, we encountered a significant challenge: due to the small diameter and high curvature of the micro-scale channels, the cells tended to aggregate, disrupting cell profusion and cellularization throughout the vessels. Cell aggregation was especially prominent in the glomerulus model due to the more tortuous and complex geometry. While our cellularization trials on native-scale models proved it is feasible to perfuse cells throughout the vessel, we still need to refine cellular profusion and cellularization. To improve cellular profusion and cellularization, we are first studying a 1.5-scale glomerulus model. The scaled model's increased vessel diameter and lower curvature demote cell aggregation and enhance the ease of cell profusion. We anticipate that cellularizing the 1.5-scale model will provide a deeper understanding of the variables facilitating cell profusion that we can use to improve native-scale vessel cellularization. Fabricating native-scale, accurate in vitro PT and glomerulus models is crucial for developing a deeper understanding of hemodynamic influence on kidney function. These findings contribute to the fabrication of more biomimetic in vitro PT and glomerulus models that will pioneer therapeutics and the understanding of kidney physiology and pathology.

Since the discovery of DNA in the 19th century, biochemists have been elucidating not only the structure, but unique biochemical environment of each loci. Protein-DNA neighborhoods govern chromatin structure and cellular functions (transcription, replication, etc.). To investigate which proteins and oligonucleotides compose these microenvironments, our lab and collaborators developed DNA oligonucleotide-directed proximity-interactome mapping (DNA O-MAP), a locus purification method using oligo-based ISH probes to recruit horseradish peroxidase (HRP) activity to specific DNA intervals (Liu & McGann et. al. 2024). Once these secondary, HRP-conjugated probes are localized to loci of interest, hydrogen peroxide is added with biotin-tyramide. Hydrogen peroxide activates HRP, forming biotin-tyramide phenoxyl radicals that biotinylate proteins and nucleic acids within 10-75nm. This allows for a scalable, versatile method to investigate these microenvironments. Large scale DNA O-MAP, tiling across several genomic sites, can elucidate insights into biological questions. However, the upstream protocol remains a barrier to its throughput, sensitivity, and reproducibility. In order to ensure this for analysis of tagged proteins, we sought to automate the streptavidin affinity purification protocol onto the Opentrons OT-2 robot. This is where streptavidin-coated magnetic beads capture biotinylated species from lysate. Coupled beads are recaptured with a magnetic rack and pipetting-off of flow-through. Subsequently, several washes cleans up these beads before peptides are digested off via Trypsin/LysC, dried-down, resuspended, and loaded onto a Orbitrap Eclipse LC-MS for proteomic analysis. Purification of streptavidin beads is manually intensive, inherently leading to variation between runs. The Opentrons OT-2 is an open-source liquid handler, allowing our lab to easily transfer methods to others interested in DNA O-MAP. Automating this protocol launches us from technology development to biological application. Here, I present an automated protocol for streptavidin affinity purification and evaluation of its effectiveness via comparison of the automated protocol to our lab's current, manual methods.

In the wake of the Trump and Biden administrations, during which movements such as Christian nationalism and religious deconstruction brought civil religion into the public eye, scholarship regarding religion as it interacts with politics becomes increasingly relevant. My thesis aims to investigate the role of Christianity in the political communication of our two most recent presidents, arguing that public religiosity is not diminishing in America -- rather, it is in a constant state of evolution to fit an ever-changing nation. This content analysis compares Trump's and Biden's usages of Christian language to one another as well as to former presidencies, addressing the question of how religious rhetoric is shifting in American political discourse. Through creation of a codebook of more than one hundred Christian keywords, which are then applied to presidential communication such as State of the Union addresses (accessed through The American Presidency Project), I determine the frequencies and contexts of religious mentions within Trump's and Biden's communication. Using programs such as Atlas.ti, I measure, analyze, and visualize Trump's and Biden's individual invocations of Christian talk. I hypothesize that Donald Trump's use of religious language increased over the course of his presidency as well as being significantly concentrated in self-referential contexts. Meanwhile, Joseph Biden's religious language is expected to be concentrated in contexts of national crisis, mainly taking the form of Biblical quotations. Overall, findings are expected to demonstrate that Christian language in the American presidency is not broadly declining, but rather used in more niche contexts. This project contributes to the vast field of religious and political scholarship by comprehensively analyzing not just the frequency but also the context of religious language in these presidencies, supporting the notion that public religion is a living entity that functions as a sociological and cultural phenomenon.

Remembering ‘when’ things happened is difficult relative to ‘where’ things happened. One reason for this may be because time is an abstract concept while locations are concrete. Many cultures worldwide use space to represent time to get around this problem. A common representation is a mental timeline: a linear mental model of time. For most Western adults, the mental timeline flows from left-to-right: representing the past on the left and the future on the right side of space. Previous research suggests that U.S. adults recall the order of events more accurately when items are presented from left-to-right, rather than nonlinearly or from right-to-left, indicating that adults spontaneously organize temporal order in terms of a mental timeline. However, it is unknown what memory processes influence this benefit. We examine the relation between the mental timeline and temporal memory by assessing both encoding (committing to memory) and recall (remembering) phases. In this study, adults first view triplets of images arranged from left-to-right, right-to-left, or nonlinearly (encoding). Then, images are shown individually, and participants identify whether the image appeared first, second, or third within the triplet (recall). We record participants' responses and their pupil dilation. We predict that item location will affect participants’ errors. For example, they might be more likely to incorrectly remember an image as ‘first’ if it appeared on the left, even if the triplet was presented right-to-left. Additionally, we expect adults to exert greater mental effort when encoding triplets presented nonlinearly or from right-to-left, indicated by increased pupil dilation. These results will provide insight into how the mental timeline interacts with temporal memory beyond memory accuracy measures. The pupil dilation measures will reveal the role of mental timeline in the encoding process, and errors will reveal its role in the recall process.

The Kodiak Archipelago in southern Alaska has a rich archaeological heritage that has fascinated archaeologists and local communities for decades. Despite the presence of many archaeological research projects, archaeobotanical remains found during excavation have yet to be analyzed. The archaeobotanical remains recovered from the Kodiak Archipelago have often gone overlooked by archaeologists who considered preservation too poor in the wet climate and focused instead on fauna from shell-midden sites or other cultural artifacts. The Tanginak Spring site on Sitkalidak Island in southeast Kodiak was excavated by University of Washington field schools between 1994 and 2003. It is considered one of the oldest identified sites on the archipelago, dating to 7500-6000 cal BP. Sediment samples taken during these excavations were retrieved, floated, sorted, and identified by the archaeobotany class at the University of Washington. This poster presents the initial results of the analysis of wood charcoal and other preserved plant remains from the site, providing evidence to develop new insights into plant use by Kodiak’s earliest settlers.

Unlawful behavior by both the government and its civilians in Mexico has developed into a crisis of violent crimes and corruption. There is a culture of high disregard of the law that is fueled by distrust in the government, subcultures such as Narco-culture, as well as institutional weakness. The aims of this study are to learn of the experiences Mexican citizens have with unlawful behavior and corruption in their government as well as understand the motivations behind this kind of behavior. For the purpose of this study, unlawful behavior will be defined as any behavior or action that violates Mexican law. Through semi-structured interviews of adult Mexican citizens I will gain insight on their thoughts and experiences. They will be asked questions regarding their participation and experiences with unlawful behavior. Due to travel limitations, the Mexican citizens interviewed for this study will be residents of Washington state. It is Mexican citizens that are facing the consequences of the high crime and corruption which makes it imperative to amplify their stories and understand their experiences and perceptions. The information collected through this research may aid in finding a solution to Mexico's crisis of crime and corruption in hope of providing Mexican civilians with a better quality of life. 

Acetaminophen (APAP) is a widely used over-the-counter drug known for its analgesic and antipyretic properties. Several clinical factors can influence how APAP is absorbed, distributed, metabolized and excreted from the body (i.e., its pharmacokinetics (PK)). APAP is metabolized into several metabolites, including APAP-glucuronide, APAP-sulfate, APAP-cysteine, and APAP-N-acetylcysteine. Therefore, accurately determining plasma concentrations of APAP and its metabolites is crucial for understanding how individuals metabolize APAP and environmental influences on APAP PK. To address this, I am reproducing a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay to determine concentrations of APAP and its metabolites in plasma. I analyzed plasma samples collected from seven healthy volunteers following oral administration of 500 mg of APAP. To prepare the samples, I added 70 μL of diluted internal standard mix into the tubes containing 30 μL of plasma. Samples were centrifuged and the supernatants were transferred clean tubes and dried down with nitrogen gas. Samples were reconstituted in mobile phase for analysis using LC-MS/MS. I analyzed the LC-MS/MS data to calculate the plasma concentration vs. time curves for each analyte. I used Phoenix WinNonlin to estimate key PK parameters, including peak concentration (Cmax), time of peak concentration (Tmax), clearance, half-life, volume of distribution, and area under the curve (AUC). This LC-MS/MS assay provides a platform for precise quantification of APAP and its metabolites, and will be essential for our lab’s future studies on the impact of the gut microbiome on APAP’s PK.

My project intends to discover a DNA aptamer, a single stranded DNA oligonucleotide, that binds selectively to the protein Interleukin-6 (IL-6). IL-6 has an important role in the immune system response and in excess it is known to cause inflammation. Aptamers exhibit binding affinities like that of antibodies but are ~50 times cheaper to produce. The method of aptamer discovery is through SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) which involves the selection from an aptamer library that contains 52N random nucleotide region and constant 5’ and 3’ 18 base pair regions for PCR amplification. Positive and negative selection are completed by incubating aptamer libraries with IL-6 or random protein immobilized on magnetic beads respectively. After each round selected aptamer sequences are amplified with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers that anneal to the constant regions. Reverse primer has biotin on 5’ end that is used later for strand separation with streptavidin agarose. After each round aptamer pool is going to be sequenced using nanopore sequencing platform till the enrichment of IL-6 specific sequences is observed. Binding will be tested through an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the fam on 3’ end. The end goal of this project is to design a cost-effective method of IL-6 depletion from patients blood, allowing for cost-effective method of treatment for overactive immune system inflammation in sepsis patients.

Organs maintain consistent shape, form, and volume through complex processes, one of which is cell-cell adhesion. E-Cadherin, a key cell-cell junction protein, is critical for cell shape, arrangement, and tissue structure. In this study, I investigate the role of E-Cadherin in the morphogenesis of the Drosophila Malpighian tubules, a model system where I can manipulate E-Cadherin expression and use fluorescence microscopy to observe the effects on organ growth. Previous work involved fixing and staining embryos to track E-Cadherin localization using fluorescent imaging to measure its intensity. I will further analyze E-Cadherin localization spatiotemporally by constructing a fluorescent fly line for live imaging during development. I expect E-Cadherin concentration to increase during elongation and to be enriched in looped regions of the tubules. To assess the requirement of E-Cadherin in organ formation, I will reduce its expression using RNAi and degradFP, expecting significant developmental defects due to the protein's vital role in morphogenesis. These defects will be quantified by comparing changes in cell and organ shape in control and E-Cadherin-reduced tubules. Additionally, I will help develop Python tools for 3D image analysis, including cell segmentation, creating a 3D model of E-Cadherin in tubular cells, and extracting protein intensity. Developing these tools not only enables our work in these tubular organs but also allows for comprehensive image analysis of other tubular 3D organ forms. Elucidating the precise mechanisms behind cell behavior, shape, and cell-cell interaction has important human health implications and will enable work in many other fields such as cancer, regenerative treatments, tissue growth, and organ synthesis. 

Neonatal tracheal intubation (TI) is a high-risk procedure requiring careful coordination to minimize complications and improve outcomes. The Personalized Intubation Neonate Safety (PINS) Bundle was developed to enhance team communication and optimize intubation practices for neonates at risk. The bundle incorporates five key domains: patient risk assessment, treatment threshold for intubation, premedication plan, equipment specification, and provider selection with escalation strategies. At the University of Washington Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, eligibility criteria for the PINS bundle include neonates requiring non-invasive respiratory support with >30% FiO₂, those meeting surfactant administration criteria (≥30% FiO₂ and PEEP 6 on NCPAP), already intubated and mechanically ventilated infants, those with difficult airway diagnoses (e.g., craniofacial anomalies, large tongue, micro/retrognathia), and extremely preterm infants (<1000g or <4 weeks old). We will evaluate the impact of PINS implementation by comparing intubation attempts and adverse events before (January – June 2024) and after (July – December 2024) the bundle’s introduction. Data was adjusted to exclude ineligible patients, ensuring comparable cohorts. Primary outcomes include the number of intubation attempts before success and the incidence of tracheal intubation adverse events (TIAEs). We hypothesize that PINS implementation will be associated with a reduction in intubation attempts and TIAEs, reflecting improved preparation and procedural success by the healthcare team. By standardizing an individualized pre-intubation plan, the PINS bundle aims to enhance neonatal safety and streamline team response during intubation. Findings from this study will inform future clinical protocols and may support the broader adoption of personalized intubation strategies in the NICU. Further assessment of long-term outcomes for infants will strengthen the bundle’s clinical utility.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences in social-communication and the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests. Many autistic individuals engage in “camouflaging” to hide or change their behaviors associated with autism to avoid social stigma. This study aims to explore neurophysiological characteristics underlying camouflaging. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a popular psychophysiological tool that measures brain activity through oscillatory patterns, reflecting various cognitive and emotional processes. Specifically, during “resting state” (when the brain is exposed to minimal external stimuli), theta waves have been shown to have increased activity during periods of increased cognitive load, attentional demands, and task difficulty – mental states that all relate to camouflaging based on qualitative research.  Participants included autistic (n=108) as well as non-autistic adults (n=85), between the ages of 15 and 31 years. Participants completed the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) which measured three domains of camouflaging in autism: compensation, masking, and assimilation. EEG recordings were taken during resting state and oscillatory activity in the theta frequency band (4-8 Hz) will be analyzed. Our hypothesis is that camouflaging traits will be positively correlated with theta wave activity.  Camouflaging can lead to various challenges for autistic individuals, including depression and anxiety. Thus, identifying the proposed analyses could provide valuable insight into the cognitive and emotional processes of camouflaging, ultimately contributing to a better understanding and potential treatment for mental health challenges faced by the autistic community.

The Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous (~84–72 million years [Ma]) was a dynamic interval for North American ecosystems including the evolution of angiosperm plants and the regression and transgression of the Western Interior Seaway (WIS). These dynamics likely impacted terrestrial fauna across the continent. Most studies investigating biodiversity in western North America during the Campanian focus on a single group (e.g., dinosaurs or herpetofauna), whereas few investigate diversity patterns of multiple taxa. This approach is imperative because comparing diversity patterns among taxa can provide rare insight into the synecology of animal communities. Vertebrate microfossil sites are ideal for such a study because they preserve large sample sizes, multiple taxonomic groups that likely coexisted, information about environmental conditions, and they sample multiple stratigraphic intervals. The Judith River Formation (JRF) of north central Montana preserves ~4 Ma of the Campanian (~79–74 Ma) and large regressive and transgressive cycles of the WIS. This formation, which is contemporaneous with the Dinosaur Park and Two Medicine formations, is also rich in vertebrate microfossil sites. To examine vertebrate diversity patterns through this critical interval, we compared taxonomic richness and relative abundances of Dinosauria, Squamata, and Lissamphibia from the JRF from three temporally distinct microfossil sites: Makela-French 1 (~77.5 Ma), Milkshake (~76.5 Ma), and Clamfetti (~75.2 Ma). Over four years, we collected and screenwashed fossiliferous, bulk-sediment samples from these sites. Thus far, we have recovered 998 and aim to recover 1,200 specimens total. We use our data and knowledge from the literature to evaluate the extrinsic factors (e.g., seaway regressions) that drove diversity changes in the JRF fauna.  Our preliminary results suggest a connection between diversity patterns and WIS cycles. We observe shifts in relative abundances and richness near the onset of the WIS transgressive cycle.