The Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 assay is a rapid RT-PCR test developed by Cepheid during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the emergence of novel variants, concerns have been raised about possible diminished sensitivity of RT-PCR assays that were developed using earlier strains of SARS-CoV-2. We sought to address these concerns by testing known positive Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma, and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 samples which, at the time of testing, were classified by the CDC as variants of concern (VOCs). Since these samples were stored in TE buffer, a medium not formally evaluated for use in the Cepheid Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 assay, we also tested positive controls using both TE buffer and the standard viral transport medium (VTM). All samples were run using the Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 assay per Cepheid's provided instructions. Testing of known VOC positives revealed no substantial reduction of PCR sensitivity when compared to a clinically certified RT-qPCR assay. Comparison of TE and VTM samples also revealed no reduction in performance when using TE buffer, validating the use of TE buffer to store SARS-CoV-2 samples. Our findings show that the mutations present in the current circulating VOCs do not lead to false negative patient results, indicating the Xpert Xpress assay may still be used for diagnostic testing.

Sindbis Virus (SINV) is an alphavirus that is transmitted between birds via mosquitos and causes disease in humans after spillover events. While many alphaviruses have potential to cause severe disease such as Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV), SINV is known to cause less life-threatening but still severe and debilitating chronic illness predominantly associated with fever, arthralgia, and myalgia. Given its lower morbidity, SINV often serves as a model system for infectivity and pathogenesis studies of alphavirus. Comparison of the genomes of virulent strains (AR86) and avirulent strains (Girdwood) of SINV help us to define elements in the viral genome of SINV that contribute to pathogenesis. Previous studies have identified key pathogenesis determinants within the E2 glycoprotein and 5’ noncoding regions. Additionally, SINV contains elements in the 3’ UTR that are capable of repressing deadenylation contributing to evasion of host cell mRNA decay machinery. Our recent work with VEEV has identified additional novel RNA structures in the E1 segment that contribute to replication in macrophages and serves as a basis for further exploration of the role of RNA structure in pathogenesis and immune evasion which has been largely unexplored. By exchanging a 4000bp nucleotide segment of the 3’ end in SINV strains Girdwood and AR86, we hope that important conclusions can be made about the importance of differing genomic code and underlying RNA structure between these two strains after observing virus production, replication, and pathogenesis of constructed chimeras. This in turn can be used to further discern the genomic mutations and RNA structure requirements to shift from avirulent to virulent strains and could play an important role in predicting the mutational requirements necessary for SINV and other alphaviruses to make the jump from endemic bird/mosquito hosts to the human population as well as any mutations that contribute to greater pathogenicity.

Harbor seals fill a critical role in the balance of the Salish Sea. Prey availability is known to be a strong indicator of seal presence; however, there are many more subtle environmental influences on harbor seal presence as well. This study hones in on the harbor seals of the Snohomish River Estuary and how their haul-out habits may be influenced by the unique water circulation of the area. This study analyzed data compiled by the Ocean Research College Academy at multiple log boom haul-out sites in the Snohomish River from 2015-2022. I analyzed seal data through the lens of the tide's movement of water in this estuary and compiled tide data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). I expected that there would be an increase in seals hauled-out at flood tide as well as in the beginning of the ebbing tide due to the colder temperatures experienced during high tide. Early results suggest no direct or strong correlations between tidal height and overall seal presence at sampling sites. This study seeks to better understand the presence and behavior of harbor seals at the mouth of the Snohomish River. 

Possession Sound, located in Everett, Washington, includes the second largest source of freshwater in Puget Sound from the Snohomish River. This salt-wedge estuary serves as a home to a wide selection of phytoplankton, which provide energy to a variety of organisms farther up the food chain. Water chemistry often determines where phytoplankton accumulate prior to their recycling as nutrients. Ocean Research College Academy students utilize water chemistry data (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity and chlorophyll concentration) from two sensors deployed in Possession Sound: One in the river and one two miles away at Mukilteo. While plankton samples are collected in the Sound, rarely are plankton collected in the river and compared to chlorophyll concentrations. This study will look at abundance and diversity of phytoplankton collected in the river at various tide stages and compare these to Mukilteo samples. I hypothesize that flood tide samples will be similar, while ebb tide phytoplankton and chlorophyll levels will decrease. The preliminary data revealed that chlorophyll and temperature levels did not vary significantly between the two sites despite the widely differing salinity levels. The next steps of the study are to determine the plankton density of phytoplankton species across the two most recent years of data. Results will enable us to explore further into plankton presence in relation to chemical variance in water systems. 

Combined sewer outflow (CSO) overflows are a threat to water quality, particularly in such urbanized areas as the Puget Sound. CSOs contribute to spills of untreated sewage mixed with stormwater that wash into water systems during heavy rain events. Possession Sound, fed by the Snohomish River, has 13 CSO outfalls in Everett, Washington, some of which experience CSO events fairly regularly. Contaminants in these CSO overflows can release pathogens, solids, nutrients, toxins, and oxygen-consuming pollutants into the water. These variables can in turn affect DO mg/L (dissolved oxygen) and turbidity NTU (measure of water clarity) – two important measures of water quality. Past research has found that wastewater spills cause major decreases in DO and increases in turbidity. DO and turbidity data were collected using a CTD in the Everett Marina throughout 2019. This data, in addition to the combined volume of water discharged from the CSOs during overflows, the duration of these spills, and the depth of precipitation in inches during the overflow, were analyzed using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method to find which components were most effecting the change in DO and turbidity. Using the components that covered over 90% of the variability in the data from the PCA, a Principal Component Regression (PCR) was made to be the foundation for two predictive models, one for projected DO, the other for turbidity. It is expected that a regression based on these components will make a model that covers the majority of change in DO and turbidity with a statistically significant R2 value. These models may make analysis of the effects of CSO overflows on Possession Sound a much simpler process and provide important insights into the impacts of these overflows on water quality.

Disability Services (DS) are the most common strategy for ensuring that students with disabilities have access to higher education. These offices provide accommodations for students that can apply to both physical (e.g., building) and digital (e.g., course content) accessibility. Prior work has shown that the access needs of disabled students are not always successfully provided, and if they are, they are not always accomplished in a timely manner. Consequently, there may be dissonance between when professors believe an accommodation has been fulfilled (e.g., when a PDF they posted has been made accessible by DS) and when it is actually completed. While prior work has documented the accessibility challenges faced on university campuses and with disability services, work has not yet focused on how to better support DS, student, and faculty interactions and communication. This study aims to do so by investigating how communication currently flows, the issues that arise within interactions and implementations, and whether technical solutions can better support interaction for the accommodation fulfillment process.

With the impending implications of climate change and global warming, space colonization in the near future will be necessary for the long-term survival of humans. We are examining how exposure to space affects biological aspects of humans by studying a model organism using a CubeSat. A CubeSat is a miniaturized satellite used in space research, built to a set of standardized measurements (10 cm per side), allowing small research projects to be launched simultaneously. We asked the questions: what would the experimental design look like investigating microgravity and UV radiation’s impact on the model organism C. elegans and what is a feasible experiment to design on a CubeSat? In this project we developed this research question to design a molecular biosciences project on a CubeSat. As part of this project, we conducted a literature review to determine 1) how small-scale satellites can be used for this kind of research, 2) what model organism is best suited for our project, and 3) how we can build upon the existing body of knowledge. The literature review, done in consultation with experts in the field, focused on the effects of microgravity and UV radiation on living organisms in the space environment. We didn’t limit our model organism research to C. elegans in the literature review. We used the constraints of the CubeSat to determine our data sampling methods and developed a research question. We anticipate research from our literature review will help us determine the next steps to take in designing our project. We hope to continue this research in preparation for implementing our work in collaboration with UW CubeSat. Research projects and experiments done in CubeSats like this one can advance the research and help address challenges our Earth faces with a rapidly expanding human population and ongoing climate change.

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is a sexually transmitted pathogen that is estimated to infect around 23 million people per year. Despite high global prevalence, there are not any approved vaccines that are therapeutic or preventative. Most vaccines that we use today rely on injecting antigens intramuscularly in order to elicit an adaptive immune response. However, given that most pathogens gain entry to the host across barrier surfaces, a focus on eliciting mucosal immunity may enhance protection; vaccine-induced local immunity at the site of first pathogen exposure may have the best chance at preventing the spread of infection beyond the pathogen portal of entry. We hypothesized that a mucosal immunization would prime memory T cells to reside in vaginal tissues and provide better protection against vaginal HSV-2 exposure than other routes of immunization. Our initial data suggests that intranasal immunization is effective in protecting mice from vaginal HSV-2 infection. Ongoing work focuses on characterizing the role of vaccine-elicited mucosal CD8+ T cells in preventing infection to provide insight into the mechanisms of protection induced by mucosal immunization for HSV-2. These findings contribute to the efforts to generate an effective vaccine to prevent HSV-2 infection and disease.

The NIH 3D Print Exchange is a public and open source repository for primarily 3D printable medical device designs with contributions from expert-amateur makers, engineers from industry and academia, and clinicians. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a collection was formed to foster creative submissions of low-cost, locally manufacturable personal protective equipment (PPE). To understand trends from this extraordinary occurrence of medical making, we performed a mixed-methods analysis of this collection. We used a combination of qualitative data from a thematic analysis and quantitative data from web scraped details of over 600 submissions. From this analysis, we found a disconnect between the NIH’s intention for the platform and how it was used. Instead of generating a diverse array of designs, the submission requirements and rating designations led to a rapid convergence of the design space. In this presentation, I present our findings for what we believe resulted in this disconnect and provide suggestions for how to improve upon the repository’s design. This work contributes valuable insights into the outcomes of distributed, community-based medical making and how platforms can support regulated maker activities in high-risk domains such as healthcare. Furthermore, many of our recommendations could be applied to non-health focused maker repositories such as Thingiverse and Instructables.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss for people aged 50 years and older. Variants in the complement factor H (CFH) gene are associated with an increased risk of developing AMD, making it one of the main drivers for disease progression. Rare mutations that affect the expression of CFH protein and its isoform - Factor H-like protein 1 (FHL-1), have been linked to early-onset macular drusen (EOMD), an inherited degenerative disease with similar clinical characteristics to AMD. Our lab recently found a novel CFH variant of two family members with EOMD. This single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the conserved splice site of intron 3 resulted in a frameshift with premature stop codon and no translation, causing ~50%reduction in CFH/FHL-1 production. Since CFH/FHL-1 are cofactors for C3b cleavage in the alternative pathway of the complement system, this haploinsufficiency will likely affect complement regulation in retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells, hence contributing to the development of AMD-like pathology. Using patient specific iPSC-derived RPE cells, this study aims to investigate the role of CFH/FHL-1 in maintaining complement homeostasis. I will examine the expression levels of several active complement components and multiple regulators of complement activation (RCA). ELISA and Western blots will be used to quantify protein expression, and protein localization was revealed through immunostaining. RPE cells will also be exposed to normal human serum and stained for the membrane attack complex (MAC) to assess the susceptibility of cells to complement-mediated damage. I will also examine reversal of phenotype in EOMD RPE supplemented with exogenous CFH or FHL-1, as well as in Crispr-corrected EOMD iPSC-RPE cells. Results from this study will provide insights into the role CFH/FHL-1 plays in regulating players of the complement pathway RPE cells and its contribution towards progression of AMD.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial eye disease characterized by drusen formation and thickening of the Bruch’s membrane (BrM). The BrM is a extracellular matrix (ECM) located between the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choriocapillaris, which play roles in structural support, transport of nutrients and interactions with RPE. Changes to the ECM composition and architecture, contributed partly by accumulation of basal deposits during AMD could interfere with nutrient diffusion and transport. Moreover, RPE cells perceive changes that occur in the ECM, therefore age-related changes that occur in the Bruch’s membrane can affect RPE pathology in AMD cells. Early onset macular drusen (EOMD) is an inherited retinal degeneration with similar clinical phenotype to AMD. Patients with EOMD have rare genetic variants in the complement factor H (CFH) gene that affects both CFH and factor H-like protein 1 (FHL-1) expression. We recently described a novel mutation in a EOMD family, which resulted in CFH and FHL-1 haploinsufficiency. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell were isolated from EOMD patients, reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), and differentiated into RPE cells. Preliminary results indicated the cells to have phenotypes consistent with early AMD, making it a beneficial in vitro model for the study of the disease. The ECM composition has not yet been explored in the EOMD RPE cells, therefore the purpose of this project is to examine the expression of and staining pattern of ECM components, as well as several common drusen components. RPE seeded on transwell filters were collected, sectioned and immunostaining was performed to visualize the ECM components. Expression was further validated by western blot. Results from this study will determine if CFH and FHL-1 haploinsuffiency leads to alteration of ECM, which could play a contributing role towards pathology of the RPE.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused many college courses to shift to emergency remote instruction and instructors had to alter their in-person teaching methods for an online format. For example, some active-learning instructors opted to embed questions in recorded lectures, asking students to pause the video and attempt to answer on their own, and then continue playing the video to hear the answer. We hypothesize that if a professor has a video “autopause” before the video provides the answer (instead of asking the students to pause a video themselves), then students will be more likely to try the question on their own. Further we hypothesize that if students generate their own answer, they will develop a stronger understanding of the material. We investigated these hypotheses in Introductory Biology III. Students (n=550) completed “lecture follow alongs (LFAs)” assignments as they watched the video. Half of the students were randomly assigned to the control group, in which they were asked to pause lecture videos and answer the questions. The other half were part of the treatment group, in which lecture videos autopaused, and the students had to positively affirm they answered the question before the video continued. We are investigating differences in exam performance, LFA responses, interview transcripts, Panopto video data, and pre- and post-surveys. Preliminary statistical analyses show that autopause did not impact student exam performance. However, preliminary analyses of LFAs indicate that autopausing can decrease copying behavior and increase the chance that students try to answer a question on their own. Through further analysis, our results can give insight into the effectiveness of autopause questions in reducing copying, which can help encourage independent student thinking. At the same time, our results will teach us how to adapt autopause questions, so they might improve student performance, in addition to encouraging student thinking.

Plankton species tend to have a set of conditions that make certain environments ideal for that species to thrive to its highest capability. By focusing on factors such as salinity and temperature, the health of an environment can be tracked based on the consistency of those numbers and its overall impact on marine species’. Given the importance of plankton to the entire underwater food chain, understanding the ability of plankton to survive in certain circumstances is crucial to sustaining a healthy underwater ecosystem. This study analyzes data taken from various sites around Possession Sound from vertical profiles collected by students at the Ocean Research College Academy. This data was further filtered to focus only on those sample dates with abnormally high or low salinity and/or temperature levels. These numbers were compared to plankton counts to understand if the abnormalities were associated with plankton populations. The data showed a connection between days with greater salinity deviations and higher plankton counts. This may mean that salinity fluctuations have an impact on plankton density. Similar information regarding temperature is not as clear currently, meaning that there may not be as distinct of a trend.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) in the marine ecosystem is a factor that impacts not only the quality of the water but also the health of marine life. Low oxygen in the water can lead to hypoxic conditions, which are harmful and can result in the fatality of marine organisms. The levels of DO influence primary productivity and respiration. We use chlorophyll to help us reach an estimated amount of primary productivity that is in that specific area. This study took place in Possession Sound, WA, which has rich biodiversity and is a main freshwater source from the mouth of the Snohomish River. In this study, we collected profiles of DO and chlorophyll along a longitudinal transect from the field sites of Mount Baker Terminal to Buoy in Possession Sound. Looking at data like this we are able to observe what’s happening around the course of a specified tracked area, which we can then compare to areas with different parameters or in relation to other data that has been recorded. We also looked at their correlations with salinity and temperature. With this study, we are hoping to come across direct trends that circle around these parameters and that can also be relative to spatial comparisons of the sites where our data was collected. This analysis will cover comparisons from the years before and the year after 2021, to establish concrete conclusions supported from the data over time. Learning about the DO qualities impacting organisms will allow us a further understanding of the health and productivity occurring in the ecosystem of the Possession Sound.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease affecting millions of people worldwide, characterized by thickened heart tissue, which makes pumping difficult for the heart. Since the restructuring of the heart is influenced by remodeling at the cellular level, the overall goal of the project is to investigate the mechanics of how cells sense tension in their environment and its relationship to regulating cell remodeling. The direction in which sarcomeres, the basic contractile unit in the heart, are added influences the shape of the cells and consequently the shape of the overall heart. To study this relationship, it is necessary to visualize the sarcomeres for correlating acquired tension data from FRET sensors. By attaching a fluorophore to a sarcomeric protein such as alpha-actinin, it is possible to visualize sarcomeres using fluorescent microscopy. For this project, I developed a blue fluorescent protein (BFP)-tagged alpha-actinin plasmid through molecular cloning techniques. I used restriction enzymes and PCR to isolate and amplify the genes of interest from a different plasmid, then used Gibson Assembly to insert the genes into a plasmid containing ampicillin resistance to construct the final BPF-tagged alpha-actinin plasmid. Preliminary results showed successful expression of the transiently transfected BFP construct in cardiomyocytes. The next steps are to optimize the transfection for higher efficiency, adapt an existing data analysis pipeline for analyzing sarcomere dynamics, and develop a set of parameters for efficient image acquisition. Many existing therapies for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy only address symptoms but do not solve the underlying issue of systolic dysfunction. Rather than taking a genetic or biochemical approach, which can be difficult to develop, this research project focuses on the mechanical interactions in the heart and studying the contractile forces may yield more insight into this disease and build the informational foundation for developing future therapies to prevent or treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The Ashkenazi Jewish(AJ) genome is one of the “easiest” for ancestry testing companies to recognize, but most do a poor job of categorizing geographical AJ ancestry nor provide consumers with an in-depth understanding of Jewish history. The latter is essential for individuals who were unaware of Jewish ancestors likely entering their family tree from assimilation due to persecution. Second, very few companies offer results reporting for the other major Jewish ethnicities-Sephardim and Mizrahim. The central goal of this study was to explore various mathematical and ethical discrepancies harming the consumer experience in ancestry testing. Potential conclusions would speak to larger disparities within the development and marketing of these products. I utilized multiple family members as individual case studies for assessing the computational output between 24 ancestry testing services. The individuals selected were informed on consent, usage of data, and self-reported as either Ashkenazic or Sephardic. After viewing results and analyzing differences in each company’s biobanking and algorithm processes, online forums were consulted for results reporting experiences. Initial findings indicated a significant variation in both ancestry estimation and available information on results across all companies. This was reflected in anecdotal data from online forums, with many consumers confused regarding unknown Jewish ancestry and/or what the Jewish identity entailed. I propose that an overall lack of regulation by governing bodies within the direct-to-consumer genetic testing industry is a large factor as to why this phenomenon occurs. As my hopes were to expose the weak boundaries set by ancestry testing companies by using the Jewish genome as a case study, this project provides a framework for further researching the intersection of bioethics, technology, and identity. I close by proposing possible solutions relating to research, results reporting, UX clarity, and promoting further genetics education.

The opioid epidemic is a growing challenge facing the US, and adolescents are an under-researched population susceptible to opioid addiction and overdose. After surgery, many adolescents are prescribed pain medicines such as opioids to treat severe pain they may experience, but this exposes teens to opioids which have strong addictive properties. The aim of this study is to 1) understand teens’ perceptions and attitudes about prescription pain medicines that influence opioid use decisions and behaviors, and 2) develop a measure assessing perceptions and beliefs as risk factors for adolescent opioid misuse and abuse. We performed a literature review identifying existing measures that ask children, adolescents, and young adults about their perceptions of prescription pain medicines. Next we conducted semi-structured brief phone interviews about opioid decision making with adolescents aged 12-18 years, who either had recent surgery/ICU admission or were healthy, from 3 existing studies at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. After consent, interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded to identify themes across the interviews. We conducted 15 interviews. Emerging nodes are “It’s important that I understand risks of opioids so I can balance this with helping my pain,” and “Having a support system, including family support, helps me use my opioids safely”. An example quote of the family support theme is “I just think it’s a lot easier to be able to monitor [my meds] when I had a strong support system” (15 year old participant). Once coding is complete, findings will be combined with expert input to develop a measure which will undergo pilot testing with adolescents. Understanding perceptions about prescription pain medicines will allow researchers to measure factors which place youth at higher risk for opioid addiction and to develop interventions for youth requiring opioid treatment, for example in the context of surgery.

In the cold, the energy demands for heat production increase to defend core body temperature. A hyperphagic response must balance these energy costs, or body weight cannot be maintained. However, this hyperphagia may contribute to the problem of obesity in our general population, thus raising the importance of understanding the underlying neuronal mechanisms. We recently found in mouse models that agouti-related peptide (AgRP) expressing neurons located in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC) are thermoresponsive and required for cold-induced hyperphagia. However, the afferent neurocircuit capable of driving AgRP neuron activity and modifying food intake drive in the cold is unknown. I recently assisted in identifying a novel population of tyrosine hydroxylase-expressing neurons located in the rostral paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH-TH). Using fiber photometry, we found these neurons respond similarly to AgRP neurons, increasing their activity with cold and reducing their activity in response to food-related cues. I found that hemogenetic activation of these rostral PVH-TH neurons mimics the effect of cold exposure on energy intake and elicits a modest thermogenic response. This study provides evidence for a link between thermoregulatory and food intake neurocircuitry in the mouse, setting the stage for further investigations into the role of ambient temperature on food intake drive. Because these systems are uncoupled in the setting of obesity, our findings may provide future therapeutic options for the treatment or prevention of obesity.

Corepressors are proteins that do not directly touch DNA but work with other proteins to keep the gene from being transcribed. TPL is a corepressor from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. While we understand a lot about how TPL works, there are still many mysteries remaining. The goal of my project is to identify other proteins that work with TPL to form a transcriptional repression complex at a single engineered promoter site. First, we created a synthetic repressor called dCas9-TPL that binds and represses the transcription of the RUBY reporter. The RUBY reporter is a visual marker expressed throughout the entire plant, turning the green plant a bright purple. Our engineered RUBY line also carries two guide RNAs in its promoter with sequences not found anywhere else in the Arabidopsis genome. This allows dCas9-TPL to bind to and repress this particular gene and not affect the transcription of other genes. We then crossed this transgenic plant line with plants expressing the dCas9-TPL repressor and the matching guide RNA. Visual screening of the Repressed RUBY line showed these plants turn faint whitish-pink instead of bright purple, signifying that the repression by TPL is working. I am currently on the next step which is identifying a homozygous line of Repressed RUBY to generate a mutagenesis population using the chemical EMS. Once I have these seeds, I will use visual screening to search for plants that have bright red or purple organs, which means that the repression by TPL is not working as well. By identifying regulators of corepressor function in plant biology, I hope to learn principles that can inform cellular engineering across many organisms and better understand why certain mutations associated with transcriptional repression cause developmental defects or diseases like cancer in humans.

In the United States, one-third of the adult population is considered obese. Although excessive food intake leads to obesity, a return to normal body weight is extremely difficult once established. A growing body of evidence finds that changes in the brain prevent a return to normal body weight. In particular, Agouti-related peptide (AgRP)-expressing neurons, which drive feeding and feeding-related behaviors, show blunted activity in response to food and hormonal cues in obese mice. Using a mouse model, our group found that sensed ambient temperature regulates AgRP neuron activity, such that cold increases AgRP neuron activity, and this increase in activity drives food intake, but this temperature sensitivity is lost in the obese mouse model. However, how AgRP neurons receive thermal information is not understood—owing to the speed with which AgRP neuron activity changes in response to cold sensation, thermal information is most likely relayed by an afferent circuit. Here, I report the identification of a novel population of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-expressing neurons located in the rostral paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVHTH neurons) as candidate upstream mediators of cold-induced AgRP neuron activation. As evidenced by the expression of the immediate early gene, Fos, cold activates this population similarly to AgRP neurons, and these neurons send projections to the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC), where AgRP neurons are located. I hypothesized that activation of this population, as part of a larger thermoregulatory neurocircuitry, would shift the preferred ambient temperature of mice such that they prefer warmer temperatures, as well as increase food intake to levels seen in mice housed in the cold. My findings underscore the link between thermoregulation and energy homeostasis and begin to define a circuit which, if disrupted, might underlie the perseverance of obesity.

Batillaria attramentaria (hereafter Batillaria) is a highly prolific mud snail in Padilla Bay, WA, with an estimated 8 billion plus in the bay alone. Understanding the ecology of Batillaria is important, as it is an invasive species and its ecological role within the bay is unknown. This study aims to identify Batillaria’s substrate preference when given access to bare sediment, algae, and Zostera detritus in Padilla Bay. Three experiments were developed to test the hypothesis that Batillaria prefers algae detritus over Zostera detritus, over bare sediment with organic content (hereafter mud). First, a field substrate preference experiment was set up at two locations with three plot types: algae, Zostera, and control (mud). Both sites were resampled three times over a 21-day period. A second experiment was designed to obtain a higher resolution of temporal data, for nine days. The second experiment used two plot types at one location: algae and control. A third experiment was conducted in-lab to see if and how snails would move toward specific kinds of detritus, in which Batillaria were placed in tubs and videoed with a timelapse camera for 1.5 hours. In field experiments, Batillaria highly preferred algae detritus over Zostera detritus at one location (IC) as measured by ANOVA (p<0.01), but at the other, Batillaria did not show a preference between Zostera detritus and algae (West-90) (p>0.01). At both sites, detritus was preferred over bare sediment. In the lab experiment, Batillaria oriented toward detritus, consistent with field findings, but reversed their detrital preference. The effects of Batillaria on decomposition and nutrient cycling within the bay are unknown, so understanding their detrital preferences is the first step in unlocking Batillaria’s role in the ecosystem.

Plants make their first root in the embryo, which is then called the primary root. Roots that emerge from the primary root later in development are called lateral roots (LRs). LRs are important for providing stability to the plant, and assisting in acquisition of nutrients and water. I am using LRs to understand how cell division (the cell cycle) is connected to developmental transitions. Previous studies have shown plant hormones auxin and cytokinin play important roles in cell division and LR organogenesis. Cells that have the capacity to become LRs with the right signal are called founder cells. Founder cells form when a few undifferentiated cells in the primary root respond to a pulsatile auxin signal to become ‘specified’ LR stem cells, retaining potential to proliferate and the ability to differentiate into LR. These specified LR stem cells arrest in the G2 phase of the cell cycle, respond to auxin signaling, and undergo rounds of cell division, marking the onset of LR development. In this study, I investigated whether G2-arrested cells in the specification stage are receptive to auxin and cytokinin. Specifically, I analyzed LR primordia shape, LR developmental progression, and LR density in response to treatment with auxin and cytokinin in plant lines where the cell cycle is disrupted. Preliminary results reveal an increased density of LRs in plants with a long G2/M transition when they are exposed to auxin. This suggests that progression through the cell cycle may reduce auxin sensitivity. The understanding gained from these experiments is helping build a framework for how the cell cycle contributes to LR development, allowing for future genetic modifications to improve root structure in crop plants.

Since late 2020, vaccination rates against SARS-CoV-2 have increased with 64% of the U.S. population fully vaccinated as of February 2022 [CDC, 2021]. Although vaccines are an effective method of protection, breakthrough cases have been occurring especially with variants of concern (VOC). Vaccination has remained protective against severe disease for multiple VOCs, including Delta and more recently Omicron. It is important to understand how different levels of vaccination, such as the number of doses received, impact symptom severity as additional VOCs continue to emerge. I utilized data collected from the Husky Coronavirus Testing research program, which provides testing to students, faculty, and staff at the University of Washington, to evaluate the relationship between severity of COVID-19 symptoms and number of doses received and type of vaccine received. Self-reported symptom severity data was collected from individuals who completed a follow-up questionnaire 7 days after testing positive for COVID-19. This analysis can help us to learn more about vaccination status and its impact on illness severity in those infected with the omicron variant. From this research I anticipate vaccinated individuals to report mild COVID-19 symptoms and those who are unvaccinated, or only slightly vaccinated to report more moderate or severe symptoms. 

This solo dance work explores ways in which the male gaze inhibits women's lived sexual expression and identity. As a choreographer and dancer, I will be utilizing creative and embodied research to physically interrogate the portrayal of female bodies as visual and sexual objects. I draw stylistically on the work of modern choreographer Pina Bausch, specifically exploring the way her work displays societally-recognizable misogynistic gender roles and objectified female bodies on stage, then contrasting that with powerful and deeply emotional movement expression from the female dancer, showing that she is much more than the images society places on her, and these images stifle her identity, her freedom, and her truth. I also draw on the work of writer and art critic John Berger, primarily in his examination of the culture of voyeurism and exploitation of female bodies in classical nude paintings. I incorporate bodily shapes from these "nudes'' and also from contemporary advertisements, in both of which women's bodies are often sculpted and twisted out of realistic proportion in order to better suit the male viewer's fantasy, ultimately born of a male fear of rejection from the sexually empowered and autonomous woman. My embodiment of these images exposes the effort and exhaustion behind them. The visceral emotionality in this work comes from my desire to physically challenge these ideas within my own body, as I explore the ways in which I've internalized and performed these harmful notions of desirability and femininity in my daily life.