Initial work from our lab has demonstrated that decision-making in OCD patients varies along the approach-avoidance behavioral axis depending on their response to deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment. Patients who do not respond to DBS exhibit heightened risk aversion and consistently make avoidant decisions, while responders balance risk and reward in their decision-making process. In contrast, patients who receive excessive stimulation display disinhibited behavior, making choices that maximize reward regardless of potential risk. While this 2D task has provided valuable insights into approach-avoidance behavior in OCD, it does not fully capture the naturalistic behavioral responses observed in daily life. To address this limitation, we are developing a virtual reality (VR) task designed to quantify approach-avoidance behavior in a dynamic 3D environment. Participants complete probabilistic decision-making trials while wearing a VR headset, allowing for precise tracking of eye movements, hand positioning, and body dynamics. This project aims to provide a naturalistic task to analyze movement velocity and behavioral trends to identify neural biomarkers associated with approach-avoidance tendencies. This work will act as a stepping stone, enabling deeper insights into how neuromodulation regulates these behaviors. We are currently finalizing the development of this VR task and will demonstrate the feasibility of using this task to collect unique behavioral data on approach-avoidance behaviors. In the future we hope to use this task to identify biomarkers of approach-avoidance behavior and use that information to further refine neuromodulation treatment for psychiatric disorders.

Carpels are invaluable floral organs that have undergone myriad innovations in flowering plant evolution, providing fruits and seeds. Carpels consist of a pollination site (stigma), pollen growth area (style), and a region containing ovules (ovary) which become the fruit after fertilization. Understanding carpel development and evolution is fundamental for efforts to increase food production. A decreased abundance of insect pollinators due to anthropogenic climate change has made this pursuit all the more urgent. The plant genus Thalictrum comprises perennial herbs in temperate regions that have repeatedly transitioned from insect to wind-pollination in their evolutionary history. Hence, they are ideal to investigate the adaptations and genetics that decrease reliance on insects for reproduction. A key feature of wind pollination is a longer stigmatic surface that increases pollen capture. I am taking a candidate gene approach, examining homologs of the stigma development gene families STYLISH (STY) and NGATHA (NGA). I am characterizing the role of NGA and two STYLISH gene copies in our model species, Thalictrum thalictroides. Previous work has found that silencing one of the STY gene copies results in the loss of stigma development, while the function of the other copy remains unknown. In other genera, altered NGA expression has been shown to alter stigma development. To characterize the function of both NGA and STY, I am implementing Virus-Induced gene Overexpression (VOX) by infiltrating tubers with Agrobacterium transformed with Tobacco Rattle Virus (TRV) carrying an overexpression construct. STY genes will be overexpressed, and NGA will be both overexpressed and silenced using Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS). I will characterize the phenotypes resulting from these treatments to determine the functionalization of STY and NGA. By dissecting the genetic basis of floral adaptations to wind-pollination in this system, I hope to contribute solutions to enhance crop production in the face of pollinator decline. 

The transcription factor LEAFY (LFY) controls the development of flowers in angiosperms, but it is found in all lineages of land plants, including those that do not flower. In the non-vascular plants like moss, LFY promotes the first cell division in the zygote, and in early vascular plant representatives like ferns, LFY controls stem cell activity. Ferns are the sister lineage of seed plants, making them an ideal model to study the evolution of LFY. The model fern Ceratopteris richardii has two copies of the LFY gene, while most angiosperms have one, and the two genes are expressed at different levels across development, suggesting the possibility of sub- or neo-functionalization. In this study, we use transgenic C. richardii plants overexpressing one or both LFY genes to determine their function across development. Since LFY is expressed in sperm cells, I set up assays to observe C. richardii sperm cells during fertilization and determine the role that LFY may be playing in fern sperm development and reproduction. To test whether the two fern LFY proteins interact with each other, I perform yeast two-hybrid assays, which will provide insight into whether the genes play independent roles or share overlapping functions. Determining the function(s) of LFY in ferns will help uncover the evolutionary history of this important plant transcription factor and how it came to control the crucial role of initiating flower development.

Flowering plants are important sources of agricultural crops and are diverse in flower and fruit structures. To study how this diversity has evolved, I am developing a new plant model system in the order Ranunculales, an underrepresented clade that will help bridge the knowledge gap within dicotyledonous plants, where most of the angiosperm diversity is found. A key tool in model system development is the ability to transform plants to study gene function, therefore, I aim to develop a method for genetic transformation. Specifically, I am implementing the tried and true  “floral dip” transformation method of Arabidopsis using Agrobacterium tumefaciens in Myosurus minimus, tiny mousetails. This is a small, fast-growing plant that produces many seeds, making it feasible to generate and propagate stable transformants. As proof of principle, I am expressing fluorescent proteins (GFP and YFP) and a visual reporter called RUBY, which causes transformed plants to produce red pigment. I found red color on the petals of treated plants, suggesting that transformation is working in Myosurus. I am currently validating this phenotype by planting the seeds on antibiotic selective media. I expect to see that certain individuals are resistant to antibiotics, while others die, which will allow me to identify the genetically transformed plants. By developing this transformation method, I will be able to test the function of candidate genes of interest in this new model plant species, which will further enable the investigation of gene network evolution in flowering plants. Increased understanding of gene function provides opportunities for engineering crop species to have beneficial traits for agricultural purposes. 

Social norms are informal, shared rules that dictate people’s behavior, influenced by social expectations and potential consequences. Teachers' social norms can influence their willingness to adopt evidence-based practices (EBP) in schools. Although previous research has shown that social norms affect teachers’ behavior with decision-making and prioritization of tasks, less is known about how these norms impact successful implementation of EBP. Understanding how social norms affect teachers’ ability to adopt EBP in the classroom is important in understanding the barriers and facilitators in the school environment, which can in turn guide more effective implementation strategies. These strategies are crucial, as these planned approaches help to promote the adoption and integration of EBP into school settings through training, support, and other resources. This study investigates the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of social norms and their fidelity in implementing EBP. Data were drawn from a larger randomized control trial. Perceptions of social norms were collected via self-report surveys from 324 teachers and observed fidelity was collected via trained school personnel from 39 observers across 25 schools. In future analyses, we will examine the relationship between teachers’ perceived social norms and observed fidelity through Pearson’s correlation coefficient using data from timepoint 7, collected two months post-training. Successful EBP implementation can benefit both the teacher and the overall school environment, which in turn may contribute to positive student outcomes. Findings will contribute to the understanding of how social norms influence EBP implementation in school settings.

The fidelity of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for social-emotional learning in education is influenced by the attitudes of teachers. Teachers who believe an EBP is valuable are more likely to follow its guidelines and implement it as intended. However, the impact of years of teaching experience on these attitudes remains unclear. While experienced teachers may resist EBPs in favor of familiar methods, others may be more flexible and willing to use their experience to implement EBPs effectively. Experience may also foster positive attitudes towards EBPs as teachers feel more confident in their ability to implement them. To address the gap in understanding how years of experience influence teacher attitudes and EBP fidelity, this study will explore the role of experience as a moderator. Data were collected from a larger randomized control trial with a sample of 276 K-8 teachers from 46 elementary schools. This study focuses on three timepoints: 4, 7, and 9 months after training on Positive Greetings at the Door (PGD), an EBP designed for all students. At each timepoint, teachers completed online surveys, and their attitudes were measured using the Evidence-Based Practice Attitudes Scale (EBPAS). Fidelity of PGD delivery was assessed through observations of teachers by trained school personnel. Pearson’s correlation will be conducted to examine the relationship between teacher attitudes and PGD fidelity, while multiple regression analyses will assess how years of teaching experience moderates this relationship. The findings will provide insight into factors that may act as facilitators or barriers to EBP delivery, particularly implications for addressing barriers through selection and tailoring strategies used to improve integration of EBPs, as well as developing teacher training to support high EBP fidelity in schools.

Variations in floral structures influence how plants are pollinated, showier flowers are more attractive to pollinators, while wind-pollinated plants benefit from having smaller, inconspicuous flowers that produce increased amounts of pollen, and have the appropriate morphology to receive pollen from the wind. The genus Thalictrum contains species that range from insect-pollinated to wind-pollinated. Certain transcription factors are known to affect the stigma, the area of pollen reception that consists of papillae, and to increase stigmatic papillae length. By better understanding the genes that influence stigma morphology, this gene could be used in economically important crops to increase their stigmatic surfaces and consequently the likelihood of pollination. In this study, we use in situ hybridization to analyze gene expression of candidate genes for stigma development in the genus Thalictrum, which has had multiple transitions from insect to wind pollination in its evolutionary history. We selected three species representing the range of stigma morphologies found in Thalictrum. I will test the hypothesis that expression of my candidate genes will correlate with stigma morphology, such that the short (capitate) stigmas characteristic of insect-pollinated species will exhibit restricted areas of gene expression just prior to stigma development, while the more elongated stigmas of the wind-pollinated species will show an extended temporal and spatial domain of expression, with mixed-pollinated species lying in between. Thus, this work will provide a connection between developmental genetics and morphology to improve understanding of the wind pollination syndrome.

This study examines the extensive destruction of Gaza’s key sectors—including healthcare, education, economy, agriculture, and cultural heritage—and assesses the long-term implications for Palestinian society. First, it provides a detailed analysis of the damage, highlighting immediate humanitarian consequences and broader impacts on Gaza’s future stability. Next, it contextualizes this destruction within the history of failed peace processes, emphasizing recurring obstacles to Palestinian sovereignty. Additionally, it explores competing visions for postwar Gaza from Palestinian, Israeli, and American perspectives, analyzing their viability and implications for future governance. By assessing both the devastation and the political trajectories shaping Gaza’s fate, this study underscores the urgent need for a sustainable resolution to prevent the repetition of past failures.

Young children are highly vulnerable to wildfire smoke, especially those in historically marginalized communities where environmental and health disparities persist. This research examines 2023 survey data on childcare facilities in different Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) zones—particularly Grade B (more desirable), Grade C (working-class), and Grade D (historically marginalized)—to prepare for and respond to wildfire smoke. Childcare providers in historically redlined areas (HOLC Grade D) are more affected by wildfire smoke compared to those in more desirable HOLC zones (Grades B and C). I conducted data cleaning and standardization, renaming columns, binary-coding responses, and categorizing each response by HOLC zone. I classified communication methods into media (e.g., phone, TV), person-to-person (e.g., parents, supervisors), and unknown/other. Wildfire response actions were grouped into behavioral changes (e.g., bringing children indoors), temporary physical changes (e.g., closing windows, air cleaners), and permanent modifications (e.g., installing air filtration systems). I structured the dataset in Python to analyze trends and generate visualizations, including pie charts, bar graphs, and tables, to explore response patterns across roles, facility types, and zones. Preliminary findings suggest disparities in preparedness and response strategies. Childcare providers in historically redlined areas reported higher levels of children affected by wildfire smoke exposure, both indoors and outdoors, compared to those in less marginalized zones. While media alerts were the most commonly reported information source, teachers relied more on “unknown” sources, highlighting gaps in communication. This research aims to understand smoke inhalation risks for young children, provide childcare settings with feasible risk management options, and influence policy strategies to make adaptation measures more accessible for vulnerable communities.

The purpose of this research is to provide a nuanced understanding of a nation that struggles with insecurity and inequality, ultimately calling for a policy reform, aimed at promoting ethical resource extraction, and sustainable development. This research will analyze the root causes of the resource exploitation and decades long of turmoil the Democratic Republic of Congo faces. This research will look at how the issue is being resolved and if any improvements to a prosperous nation have been made in recent years. I will also talk about US intervention and its foreign policy reforms to uphold companies, countries and individuals accountable. This paper will also take a look at the migration crisis, along with the extreme human rights abuses being done to the Congolese people.

While flocculation is a desirable trait for brewing yeast because it eases the removal of cells from beer after fermentation, other modes of cell-to-cell adhesion can be detrimental to the brewing process. Mother-daughter separation defects cause cells to form large aggregated clusters which use more oxygen, produce a lower fermentative yield, and require more head space during fermentation. These defects can be caused by mutations to a number of genes, which makes a targeted genetic approach challenging. In this work, we used experimental evolution to eliminate mother-daughter separation defects present in a widely used brewing strain. Cells with this defect are less buoyant and settle faster than non-adhering cells. We used this property to select against cells with this defect by letting the cultures settle and propagating only cells present in the top layer of the media. We propagated top-layer cells for approximately 300 generations (about two months), collected daily optical density measurements, and conducted settling assays. Over time, we found that large, branched cell clusters decreased in frequency in our top-layer samples while the amount of single cells increased, which we confirmed through microscopy and optical density measurements. We characterized the mutations that drive this strain’s separation defect using whole genome sequencing of the evolved and ancestral populations. This project demonstrates how experimental evolution can be used to select against less desirable traits in commercially important yeast strains. Future research could implement similar or reciprocal methods to evolve for decreased or increased flocculation respectively.

The topic of abortion has been heavily debated throughout countries, with many religious groups being for or against the medical procedure. From there, the movements "Pro-life" and "Pro-choice" have been constantly tossed around in the media, portraying one group as wrong while the other group is right. Pro-choice arguments stem from how women globally have been denied abortion rights. In contrast, Pro-life arguments stem from religious beliefs and focus on the morality of murdering a potential life. Unfortunately, stances around this subject become increasingly unfair when authorities favor one side. An example is The Global Gag Rule (GGR), the "Mexico City Policy". This policy is a governmental policy that states how NGOs and non-US territories will lose US health funding if they have any information promoting abortion. What occurs is that once a Republican president is in office, this policy is reinstated. Reinstation of this policy means that NGOs, governmental agencies, and health clinics will be ineligible to receive funding, meaning that they have no choice but to give up their abortion services to continue receiving monetary aid from USAID. On the other hand, revoking this policy, which a Democratic president typically does, means that abortion support has no part in the eligibility for US foreign aid. While this may seem like sometimes there should not be an issue when it is reinstated or revoked, the constant back and forth in this policy causes a human rights regression.

Approximately 500 million people worldwide live with osteoporosis, a disease of low bone mineral density (BMD) and bone fragility caused by a disequilibrium between osteoblasts, cells that build bone, and osteoclasts, cells that reabsorb bone. Existing osteoporosis treatments are single-action anti-resorptive or osteoanabolic (bone-promoting) drugs, which make them insufficient for individuals with severe disease or those at high imminent risk for fractures. RANK is a receptor on osteoclastic progenitor cells that, when activated by RANK ligand binding, induces osteoclast formation and spurs the translocation of a transcription factor, NFATc1, into the nucleus, where it initiates RANK transcription. The available literature on the topic has traditionally only acknowledged RANK to be present in osteoclasts. Contrary to this view, our lab recently identified Rank in osteoblasts. Thus, my project examines how Rank acts in osteoblasts to regulate bone formation. I hypothesize that in osteoblasts of developing bone, Rank signaling is regulated by Nfatc1 via a positive feedback loop, similar to what occurs in osteoclasts. Using in situ hybridization chain reaction, I found that nfatc1 is expressed strongly and specifically in the same developing skeletal structures as rank+ osteoblastic cells in 3, 5, 12, and 14 day post-fertilization zebrafish, supporting my hypothesis. My ongoing studies focus on identifying the Rank and Nfatc1 interactions that may promote osteoblast differentiation. I am achieving this by analyzing the skeletal phenotypes of a rank loss-of-function mutant I am crossing with a reporter transgene line that fluoresces when Nfatc1 signaling is activated, as well as analyzing fish chronically subjected to FK506—a pharmacological inhibitor of calcineurin, which is required for NFATc1 translocation. My preliminary data suggest that the proposed positive feedback loop between RANK and NFATc1 is conserved across osteoclasts and osteoblasts, revealing potential targets for dual-action (anti-resorptive and osteoanabolic) osteoporosis therapies.

Research indicates that how parents respond to their child's pain can impact the child's experience of abdominal pain during childhood. To better understand how the parental responses influence abdominal pain, a systematic literature review was conducted to examine recent research into parent responses to illness behavior and the influence on child functional abdominal pain. A search of the electronic databases PsychINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science was administered of articles published from 2015 to 2025 using the search terms unexplained abdominal pain, child*, psychosocial, assessment, disorders of gut brain interaction, and somatic. Searches were also administered of articles by authors Rona Levy, Tonya Polarmo, and Miranda Tilburg published from 2015 to 2025. The criteria for the studies were that the participants must include participation from parents/caregivers of children with abdominal pain, the pain must not be linked to an organic cause and children must be from the U.S.. Ten studies met criteria and were included in the review. One of the studies had participants of U.S. military families which meant some of the participants were living outside of the U.S., but the exact location is not included in the study. The literature found that parental perception of pain, parental catastrophizing, and parental protectiveness all had an impact on the pain of the child. However, the number of children in a family did not influence the parental perception of pain, parental catastrophizing, and parental protectiveness in the parent. Additionally, positive effects were found for CBT(cognitive behavioral therapy) treatment involving parents and children.

Past research has shown that microorganisms can dissolve insoluble metal phosphates found in soil, such as tricalcium phosphate. Because plants struggle to use these forms of phosphate, microbial communities are invaluable to their survival. However, iron phosphate, found primarily in weathered soils, resists common mechanisms of dissolution such as soil acidification. Therefore, identifying other solubilization mechanisms is crucial to understanding plant nutrient uptake in such highly weathered soils. To identify potential phosphate solubilizers, we isolated endophytic microbes from plant hosts such as ferns and mosses collected from plants growing in the Bogacheil Rainforest, and plated them on mineral phosphate plates. One strain isolated from Isothecium moss (cat tail moss) produced red halos on iron phosphate plates, indicating possible iron sequestration and phosphate solubilization. Subsequent ITS sequencing identified it as a yeast of the species Metschnikowia pulcherrima. Members of this genus are known for their production of the red pigment and chelator pulcherrimin. Pulcherrimin has been shown to confer antimicrobial properties through iron precipitation and sequestration and we hypothesized that it could dissolve iron phosphate. To evaluate our strain’s ability to solubilize iron phosphate, we inoculated phosphate-free media supplemented with iron phosphate and allowed cells to grow for 48 hours. We then measured the change in free phosphate concentration using a molybdenum blue colorimetric assay. On average, we found that inoculated cultures achieved an average change in concentration 34 times greater than background dissolution (p < 0.05). This finding suggests that endophytic M. pulcherrima may improve phosphate availability and uptake by plants in highly weathered soils.

Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease in the United States and worldwide. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous loci associated with bone mineral density (BMD), however, the target genes at most of these loci remain unknown. Multiple GWAS have identified the TNFRSF11B-COLEC10 locus to be associated with BMD. TNFRSF11B, tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 11B, is a gene that encodes for osteoprotegerin (OPG), a key regulator of bone resorption. COLEC10, collectin subfamily member 10, encodes a C-lectin family protein involved in neural crest cell migration, endocrine function, and the nervous system, though its role in bone remains unknown. While TNFRSF11B is presumed to be the target gene at the TNFRSF11B-COLEC10 locus, we have obtained preliminary data that loss of COLEC10 in zebrafish results in altered bone morphology. However, these animals were mosaic for mutations in COLEC10, preventing a uniequivocal determination of its role in bone. The purpose of my study is to map genotype-to-phenotype relationships in COLEC10 and TNFRSF11B germline mutant zebrafish. Mutants for COLEC10 were generated by ENU mutagenesis as part of the Sanger Mutation Project. Mutants for TNFRSF11B were generated by our lab using CRISPR. I will genotype both mutants using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis. I will scan the adult fish (90 days post fertilization) using micro-computed tomography (microCT), and then utilize FishCuT for the segmentation and analysis of the vertebral column of each zebrafish. The primary outcomes will be the tissue mineral density (TMD), volume (Vol), thickness (Th), and length (Le), in the centrum, haemal arch, and neural arch of each vertebra. By determining whether COLEC10 is a gene of major effect compared to TNFRSF11B, my research will help to elucidate COLEC10’s skeletal function and its potential role as a casual gene underlying genetic risk for osteoporosis.

Phosphorus is often used in agriculture as a fertilizer because it is a critical nutrient for crop growth that is required for biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, and ATP. However, phosphorus is often a limiting nutrient during primary ecological succession because it only becomes biologically available after it has been weathered from phosphorus rich rocks. Generally, this means that phosphorus is poorly available in rocky soils; however, some plants such as the O’hia Lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) and ‘Ae fern (Polypodium pellucidum) are able to thrive in rocky, nutrient poor conditions such as Hawaiian lava flows. We hypothesize that these plants associate with phosphate-solubilizing endophytes that aid in plant-phosphorus acquisition. Primary colonizing plants growing on the 2018 Pahoa Lava Flow on Hawaii’s Big Island were collected in July of 2024. The plants were ground to create extracts that were plated on media containing only the mineral phosphate, meaning that the bacteria would need to dissolve the phosphate in order to grow. Endophyte strains isolated from the extracts were tested for their ability to dissolve different mineral phosphates. The strains that are successful in dissolving phosphates will be able to have broad applications in agricultural practices by allowing a greater uptake of phosphorus for plants, and potentially decreasing the need for expensive and environmentally damaging fertilizers. These endophytes also have application in space biology, where they may help plants uptake mineral nutrients from Martian and Lunar regolith.

The 4-letter genetic alphabet found in Nature is the fundamental basis of biological information storage. As synthetic biologists continue to manipulate the genetic alphabet, they have begun to push against the boundaries of nature itself. Unnatural base-pairing xenonucleic acids (XNAs) are synthetic nucleotides that can pair orthogonally with the standard bases. By increasing chemical and structural diversity, XNAs are poised to enable a plethora of next-generation biotechnologies, including XNA-containing nucleic acid therapeutics (XNAptamers), catalytic nucleic acids (XNAzymes), and an expanded genetic code through a larger codon table. Although the potential of XNAs is near-limitless, the infrastructure required to study XNAs, notably sequencing, is antiquated. Previously, the Marchand Group leveraged commercial nanopore sequencing devices from Oxford Nanopore Technologies to sequence XNAs. This process outputs characteristic current signals that need to be decoded or “basecalled.” The first XNA basecallers used statistical k-mer models to decode XNA containing current signals, yet, their basecalling accuracy is a far cry from commercial basecallers (k-mer: 60-80%, commercial: >95%). Modeling our approach after commercial DNA basecallers, we have built a binary classification training pipeline that leverages long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks and commercial nanopore sequencing to achieve more precise sequencing of XNAs. Thus far,  we have built models to effectively basecall three XNA base pairs with varying motivations: B≡Sⁿ for studying XNA replication fidelity in PCR due to high error rates, and P≡Z/Ds:Px for their unnatural functional groups (e.g. nitro groups and hydrophobicity) making them useful for applications such as XNAptamers. Currently, our binary classification models have testing accuracies as high as around 95% and we look to further improve our training methods through new model architectures such as transformers. Moving forward, we look to expand our basecaller to perform multi classification, allowing for generalized, de novo basecalling similar to commercial basecallers.

Sulfate aerosols cause pollution and affect climate by influencing cloud properties and incoming solar radiation. Emissions and abundances of sulfur-containing aerosols are one of the largest sources of uncertainties in global climate modeling. The largest biogenic and most uncertain emission source of sulfur aerosols is from phytoplankton in the form of dimethyl sulfide (DMS). In the atmosphere, DMS is oxidized to methanesulfonic acid (MSA) and other compounds that can form sulfate. Historical emissions of DMS are studied by measuring MSA concentrations in ice cores as a proxy for DMS oxidation. Declining levels of MSA have been found in ice core records, implying that production of DMS has also been decreasing; however, anthropogenically driven changes in atmospheric chemistry have altered the ratio of MSA to sulfate produced from DMS over time. To better understand DMS oxidation mechanisms and its relationship to the production of MSA and sulfate aerosols, we need more recent ice core records of MSA and sulfur isotopes of sulfate (δ³⁴S(SO₄^2–)) at higher temporal resolution. To measure δ³⁴S(SO₄^2–) at seasonal resolution in an ice core, rather than an annual resolution, the measurement size is smaller than previously measured by an order of magnitude, at about 1 µg S per sample. We will develop a new method to isolate samples containing less than 1 µg of sulfur from an ice core sample by separating SO₄^2– from other major ions in the sample using an ion chromatograph. We will quantify the isotopic ratio of sulfur in our samples by using an Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Quantifying sulfur isotopes at this resolution will provide information about the seasonality and change in phytoplankton sulfate production.