Human Rhinovirus (HRV) is one of the primary causes of mild upper respiratory infections and is the most common infectious agent which affects billions of humans globally. To most healthy individuals, this illness causes mild symptoms. However, in populations who have immunosuppression, comorbidities, or predisposition health issues, this virus can cause severe symptoms which can lead to possible hospitalizations and even an increased mortality rate. Given the lack of approved therapeutics for this disease, our project aims to prepare a target Phenylpropenoid, which is an organic molecule that has been previously isolated from the plant Bupleurum fruticosum and has reported antiviral qualities against HRV. Our synthetic approach toward the target compound involves a three-stage process: synthesizing a phenylpropenol fragment, preparing a bis-enoate fragment, and combining the two through esterification to access the target phenylpropenoid. We have successfully prepared the phenylpropenol fragment and are working toward accessing the bis-enoate fragment for examination in the final esterification.  Our findings will enable preparation of derivatives to assess in bioactivity studies that may provide valuable insights for future target design.

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 study aims to understand users’ needs in designing a mobile application that assists Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). This study is designed through a two-stage online interview, beginning with a screening survey that asks about participants’ occupations and experience with CPR, followed by the main interview that asks about their challenges when performing CPR and their opinions on the most efficient type of feedback. Eight participants who completed the survey included CPR instructors, paramedics, firefighters, and medical students with experience ranging from 3 to 20 years. The participants rated maintaining compression depth as more challenging (7.63 out of 10) compared to maintaining compression rate (5.25 out of 10) when performing CPR, with 10 representing the highest level of difficulty. Participants also reported that visual feedback would be more beneficial for compression depth and auditory feedback for compression rate. Therefore, these findings suggest that an effective assistive CPR device should have real-time visual feedback to aid in-depth consistency while auditory cues support rhythm accuracy similar to a metronome. By leveraging these findings, the proposed application has the potential to enhance CPR effectiveness, improve user confidence, and ultimately increase patient survival rates.

Advancements in HIV prevention include pre-exposure prophylaxis strategies (PrEP), which are not as effective for women due to poor partitioning of antiretrovirals (ARVs) to the female reproductive tract. Integrating ARV-releasing reservoirs with intrauterine devices (IUDs) offers a strategy for local sustained delivery to overcome the partitioning issue. Our lab investigates reservoirs containing polymer-drug conjugates (drugamers), where the HIV integrase inhibitor raltegravir (RAL) is covalently attached to a polymer through a hydrolyzable linker. A previously characterized RAL-polymer exhibited release over 30 days, which is insufficient for the targeted 1-3 years of IUD-mediated delivery. To address this kinetic problem, the drugamer linker chemistry was modified from an ester to an acetal carbonate. Since the rate-determining step of the acetal carbonate linker hydrolysis does not depend on the acidic RAL hydroxyl (pKa = 6.6), it was hypothesized that this acetal carbonate linker will slow the RAL release rate as opposed to the ester linker. An acetal carbonate-linked monomer of RAL was synthesized and led to a 30-fold reduction in hydrolysis rate. The corresponding drugamer was then synthesized via RAFT polymerization and characterized via NMR. In hydrophilic media, RAL released from the novel polymer significantly slower than in the current lab polymer, showing potential for lengthened duration of action in in vivo models. Future work includes measuring release from RAL-polymer in a matrix device for future IUD incorporation, assessing potential polymer cytotoxicity, and evaluating release rates in mouse models. These findings lay the groundwork for the development of long-acting formulations for sustained HIV prevention.

Previous literature has identified the relationship between the incidence of concussion and sports played. Further delineations occur between collision versus non-collision sports, contact versus non-contact sports, and athlete gender. We aimed to examine the relationship between incidence of concussion and sport played, and if incidence correlated with increased level of contact or with differences in gender. We undertook this study to better understand why there may be a rise in concussion incidence, especially in non-contact sports and any differences in concussion incidence in sex comparable sports. The cross-sectional study design uses a large data set collected on collegiate athletic teams at universities within the PAC-12 Conference between 2016 and 2022. Each concussion was diagnosed based on the clinical assessment of the evaluating sports medicine physician. The uniqueness of this data is due to diversity in population, broad location of subjects, and sport. I will analyze concussion incidence data from all PAC-12 athletes using descriptive statistics to describe the population and incidence rates to measure differences across the various groups. We believe that our findings will show women’s sports have a higher rate of concussion than men’s. Athletes participating in collision sports such as football may not necessarily be more likely to sustain a concussion than those who play limited or non-contact sports. There has been an increase in reporting, although it is unclear whether the rise is due to an increase in reporting, actual incidence, or a little of both. The information from this study will be useful in determining where additional concussion education and prevention measures should be directed. 

An estimated 4.3% of children in the United States have disabilities, a prevalence that has been steadily rising in recent years. Children with motor disabilities often face significant delays in achieving independent mobility, with many lacking access to powered mobility devices during critical early developmental stages. Early access to these devices fosters exploration, social interaction, and cognitive development, highlighting the need for timely assessment and intervention strategies. Discussions with practicing pediatricians highlight their strong interest in data-driven tools to better inform clinical decisions to support mobility, independence, and timely care. This study leverages the Permobil Explorer Mini, a powered mobility device for young children, to evaluate motor, cognitive, and social-emotional development through the Assessment for Learning Powered Mobility (ALP). Preliminary data collected from nine participants reveal correlations between key parameters and developmental progress, demonstrating the potential of data-driven approaches to enhance therapeutic outcomes. A classification model is being developed to predict ALP scores by identifying relevant features and refining model performance. Current accuracy is 50%, with efforts underway to address data sparsity through expanded data collection and validation. Additionally, a diagnostic interface is being designed to integrate the classification model, providing data visualization and tracking for pediatric clinicians. Built using React and optimized for tablets, the system incorporates AWS for secure storage and Python for preprocessing and model application. Iterative feedback from clinicians ensures usability and clinical relevance, aiming to improve diagnostic accuracy and inform therapeutic decision-making in pediatric care. The final product will undergo real-world testing in pediatric hospitals to evaluate the effectiveness of the interface and classification model.

As the effects of climate change continue to worsen, plant species face environmental challenges such as heat stress and drought. Research in plant physiology and how it can be affected by climate change is becoming extremely important, especially when it comes to planning for future conservation efforts. Xylem, a vascular plant tissue that transports water and minerals from the roots up throughout the plant, is a crucial part of plant physiology, particularly when it comes to studying the effects of a changing climate and limited water availability. Xylem staining is a simple and effective way to examine the structure of the xylem by severing plant stems, placing one end in dyed solution, and placing the other end into a staining manifold system made up of pressurized tubing that will draw the solution up the xylem much like a living stem would draw water up from the ground. The dye solution stains the stem and make it clear how fast the xylem is moving water up the stem, or how many active xylem there are, which is extremely useful when observing drought stress effects or potential resistance. However, most xylem staining methodologies were created years ago and are complicated to construct and use, which keeps many labs, including ours, from being able to access them. I am taking an existing xylem staining design and streamlining it using more affordable parts, then writing up a standard operating procedure for the lab on how to use it. Using my manifold, I expect to stain samples from ongoing projects in the lab, take and analyze images, and observe any potential changes in xylem physiology due to drought conditioning or other treatments. Overall, my project makes xylem staining more accessible for my lab and other labs to use for research projects in the future. 

Vigilance refers to one’s sustained attentiveness over time. While the conceptual model and the measurement of vigilance decrement has been identified in laboratory settings, limited studies have focused on vigilance decrement within the healthcare field, specifically on medical residents tasked with providing quality care to patients over the course of long shifts and often with little sleep. We aim to investigate the effect of sleep deprivation in medical residents using data recorded from physiological sensors. Twelve medical residents enrolled at the University of Washington Medical Center completed two tasks: the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), in which participants press a button when a red dot appears on a screen, and the Electrocardiogram (ECG) Reading Task, where participants view ECG readings and determine if they display signs of Myocardial Infarction (MI). They completed each task twice; once with more than 6 hours of sleep, and once with less than 5 hours. Over each 15-minute task, we measure the participant's eye movements and physiological signals including heart rate and skin conductivity.  Additionally, we surveyed participants on the quality of their sleep from the previous two nights and their general anxiety levels through multiple questionnaires including the Pittsburgh sleep quality index. This project is currently in its data collection and analysis phase; our next steps include understanding and analyzing the relationship between variables. The findings from this study will eventually help create an intervention to alert residents when their vigilance is too low to encourage taking a break to retain better focus. 

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is characterized by Amyloid β (Aβ) plaques, clumps of misfolded proteins which interfere with neural function, leading to cognitive decline. Despite being the most common form of dementia, exact causes and accessible early markers for AD remain elusive. Recent literature has suggested that deficits in risky decision-making appear before memory loss, making them a potential early marker. My project investigated how risky decision-making and corticolimbic circuit activity is impacted by Aβ pathology in 5XFAD mice, an established model of AD. Mice were lowered to 85% weight for motivation to forage, and then habituated to a rectangular nest area separated with a sliding door from the foraging arena. This was followed by baseline trials over four days where mice foraged for a short, medium, and long-distance pellet each day. On the fifth day, mice procuring the long-distance pellet encountered a weasel on wheels which surged forwards, simulating a predatory threat. Mice were given three minutes to procure the pellet. Ninety minutes after the encounter, mice were euthanized and brains extracted. Brain tissue was immunostained for c-fos, a molecular indicator of neural activity, to compare neural "snapshots" of control and 5XFAD mice who encountered/did not encounter the weasel. Brain regions to compare included the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus, responsible for processing fear, decision-making, and spatial information, respectively. The study ended when mice were eleven months old. In line with previous studies, it is expected that 5XFAD mice will have more weasel trial pellet retrieval attempts and exhibit differences in c-fos activity in brain regions of interest. These findings could help confirm deficits in risky decision-making as an early marker of AD, significant due to the scarcity of early markers.

This research explores the effects of water deficit treatments on the leaf structure and efficiency of photosynthesis of Miscanthus sinensis 'Bandwidth,' a grass popular in landscaping and known for its variegated leaves, an alternating green and yellow banding pattern found along each leaf blade. Previous research on Miscanthus suggests that leaf variegation can influence the efficiency of photosynthesis, however, the impacts of variegation in Miscanthus under water stress remains underexplored. By measuring chlorophyll concentrations, leaf areas, and photosynthetic efficiency in both the green and yellow regions of the leaves, this research evaluates how water stress affects the plant’s overall performance. Measurements are compared between the green and yellow portions of the leaves across high and low water treatment groups to better understand the impact of water deficit on the plant's overall performance. The preliminary results indicate that water availability affects total leaf area, the ratio of green to yellow area, chlorophyll content in both yellow and green sections, and photosynthetic performance, as measured by stomatal conductance of gas exchange and the performance of photosynthetic components in the leaves under both high and low water treatments. This research is part of the University of Washington’s Climate Ready Landscape Plants project, which aims to promote sustainable landscaping practices and urban resilience strategies in response to climate change. The results from Miscanthus can continue to encourage sustainable landscaping, urban resilience, and maintaining biodiversity by examining plant adaptability under drought-like conditions.

Polymer networks, materials comprised of interconnected polymer chains, have been the subject of research interest for decades and have, particularly in recent years, found use cases in a variety of applications. Despite their broad use cases these materials are limited by their inherent tendency toward brittleness. One strategy for increasing the toughness of polymer networks is to introduce mechanochemically reactive groups in the crosslinks of a network instead of in the load-bearing primary polymer chains. Previously reported scissile crosslinkers have typically relied on strained ring structures or unusually weak covalent bonds for selective bond scission, introducing challenges such as difficult synthetic procedures and high design complexity. My collaborators at Johns Hopkins University have developed a novel, synthetically accessible crosslinker design that allows for selective mechanochemical bond scission via the replacement of a single carbon atom with silicon. They demonstrated that this scissile crosslinker doubles the toughness of a polymer network prepared by controlled polymerization. In my project I incorporated this crosslinker into a liquid resin compatible with free radical vat photopolymerization, 3D printed this new material, and mechanically characterized it through tensile testing. My work demonstrated that the same toughening effect occurs on polymer networks that are much less controlled and that this strategy for network toughening is compatible with 3D printing, which allows for the fabrication of more complex constructs. In conjunction with the expedient synthesis of this new crosslinker my project demonstrates that this approach to network toughening has the potential for large-scale applications.

A microclimate is a relatively small area wherein temperature, humidity, and sunlight differ significantly from the surrounding macroclimate. Though there is a broad assumption of microclimate variation in greenhouse environments, there is little formal data quantifying this variation. Additionally, in the service of scientific rigor and productive efficiency, plants are often placed together at high density, but there is a lack of research on the impact of plant spatial density within the greenhouse environment. To assess greenhouse microclimate variation, I am investigating how climatic variables such as temperature, humidity, and light vary over the length of one table. In quantifying these variables, I am measuring photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), relative humidity, and temperature data from 11 sampling points. To quantify the effect of density on plant physiology, I am measuring stomatal conductance of Populus trichocarpa over four different density treatments. I am also measuring relative humidity and temperature within and above each experimental setup. Treatments include high, medium, low, and zero density. I expect to see considerable variation in light and humidity within the greenhouse, as fading lights and an evaporative cooling system create very heterogeneous conditions. I expect plant density to have a small effect on stomatal conductance as climate control likely has a larger effect on variables like CO2 and light availability than plant density alone. The findings of this research have the potential to uncover useful insights into microclimatic variation with applications in the horticultural, agricultural, and forest product industries.

Fat, oil, and grease (FOG) in residential wastewater presents significant environmental challenges, contributing to the formation of fatbergs that disrupt wastewater systems, increase treatment costs, and heighten public health risks. Traditional methods, like commercial enzymes, are only temporarily effective and require constant maintenance. The goal of this research is to develop Engineered Living Materials (ELMs) comprising a yeast strain, Yarrowia lipolytica, within polymeric matrices for sustained FOG degradation. Y. lipolytica is known for its ability to efficiently degrade hydrophobic FOG components due to its diverse lipase enzyme expression. I encapsulated engineered Y. lipolytica strains in UV-cured poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels. The findings showed sustained lipase activity and robust cell growth, confirmed by enzyme assays and confocal microscopy. However, over 28 days, significant degradation of the PEGDA-based ELMs occurred, likely due to the breakdown of ester bonds by lipolytic enzymes. To address this, I switched to a thiol-ene polymer network composed of tetra-PEG-allyl and PEG-dithiol, which is expected to resist degradation more effectively. I confirmed the viability and lipase production in these thiol-ene ELMs using the same methods. Varying polymer chain lengths in the thiol-ene network influenced Y. lipolytica growth patterns and morphology, including a shift toward hyphal growth—a filamentous form typical of its dimorphic nature. These changes were influenced by the polymer network’s architecture and material stiffness. Moving forward, I will investigate how hyphal growth impacts FOG degradation and assess the long-term mechanical properties of these thiol-ene ELMs. I expect these ELMs to remain stable over time and reduce FOG concentrations in simulated wastewater. Ultimately, this research aims to provide a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment, addressing the environmental, economic, and infrastructural impacts of fatbergs.