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.

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.

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 the Berndt lab, we develop genetically encoded fluorescent indicators (biosensors) by attaching a naturally occurring sensing domain to a fluorescent protein. When the ligand of interest, such as dopamine or calcium, interacts with the sensing domain, the protein will undergo a conformational change that induces a fluorescent response. The change in fluorescence can be measured and used to quantify biochemical activity. Applications of these biosensors span a wide range of research topics in neuroscience and behavior, providing insights into the neuronal network activity correlated with addiction, pain perception, emotion, and reward signaling. The current project that I am working on is optimizing the red dopamine sensor, GRABrDA2m. I developed a genetic library, mutating the linkers that connect the sensing domain and fluorescent protein. The behavior of proteins is highly dependent on structure and orientation, which is why I have chosen the linkers as a target region to explore. I have cloned in degenerate codons that randomize the nucleotides at specific positions on these linkers, with the linker locations having been recently identified in published literature. After sequencing the DNA to validate that the sites of interest were mutated appropriately and that the remainder of the sensor is intact, I will transfect these plasmids into human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells and screen for promising variants by employing OptoMASS, an cell array technique developed in the Berndt Lab that allows for the testing of hundreds of mutations simultaneously. I will pick out the cells whose sensors performed better than the parental variant, looking for improvements in baseline fluorescence and sensitivity to dopamine, then conduct reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reactions to extract the sequences of the high-performing sensors.

In the Puget Sound region, some lowland lake ecosystems have been contaminated with metals from the former ASARCO copper smelter located in Ruston, WA. Arsenic, a toxic metalloid, has accumulated in various parts of lake environments from this contamination. Chinese Mystery Snails (CMS) are a ubiquitous freshwater snail species that feed on periphyton, an environmental compartment found to hyperaccumulate arsenic (Hull et al., 2023). This feeding could be a key entry point of arsenic into our food chain. Our research has utilized CMS to test the hypothesis that trophic transfer of arsenic occurs through consuming periphyton and their gut microbiome is altered as a result. To test this hypothesis, our lab conducted a feeding-based arsenic exposure with lab acclimated reference lake CMS. These CMS were either fed algae wafers (control) or periphyton obtained from a high arsenic concentration lake. Trophic transfer of arsenic and gut microbiome alterations were not observed in the food-based arsenic exposure. This led us to hypothesize that waterborne arsenic exposure is an important route for bioaccumulation in CMS, with arsenic concentration correlating to gut microbiome changes. To test this, we conducted a comparative waterborne experiment, exposing CMS to arsenic concentrations of 0, 20ppb and 200ppb. At the end of the exposure, 16S amplicon sequencing was performed on CMS gut contents to assess how the varying arsenic concentrations affect microbiome composition. Whole-body arsenic quantification was conducted using ICP-MS to determine the degree of arsenic bioaccumulation that occurs at different concentrations. 

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative bacterium that is a major contributor to periodontal disease. It is also linked to the development of systemic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) modulate cell-cell interactions between P. gingivalis cells and export cargo to the cell’s surroundings, but their biogenesis mechanisms remain unclear. Peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) is an OMV cargo protein that catalyzes the post-translational citrullination of many P. gingivalis proteins. Others have reported that inhibiting PAD in P. gingivalis decreases OMV production and increases biofilm density. A study from our lab found that the deletion of lpxF was also affecting biofilm formation and OMV production in a similar manner. The inclusion of the C4’ phosphatase on lipid A inhibited OMV production, reducing biofilm dispersal. This is presumably due to the reduced delivery of OMV cargos that drive dispersal. We hypothesized that strains with different lipid A structures will have different OM proteomes because of the differences in trafficking and stable interactions with membrane lipids. To begin investigating these potential interactions between outer membrane proteins and LPS, I optimized an outer membrane (OM) isolation protocol so that I can consistently isolate OM from P. gingivalis regardless of strain. I followed up the isolations with Western blots as a quality check so that the samples could be prepared for comparative proteomics analysis. OM, OMV, and whole cell fractions from strains 33277 WT/ΔlpxF and 381 WT/ΔlpxF were sent to a core facility for the comparative proteomics analysis by LC-MS-MS. Our preliminary results suggest that PAD activity is reduced in ΔlpxF because the citrullination of proteins decreased versus WT in whole cells. This led us to our hypothesis for future studies; that lipid A structure influences PAD activity.