First Annual Synapse + SAGES Research Symposium Program
April 28th, 2022 | 2-6 p.m. | NHB 1.720
Synapse Linktreee | RSVP here!
Novel Carbon Fiber Electrode Arrays for Deep Brain Recording and Stimulation
Megan Baker, 2:00 - 2:10
The understanding and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders is of great importance as the burden of these disorders increases. Using novel materials, such as Carbon Nanotube Fibers, we can develop better electrodes that allow for chronic recording and stimulation, opening new doors for understanding and treating disorders in deep brain regions.
Focused Ultrasound (FUS) Modulation of Amygdala Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) fMRI Signal in Humans
Lauren Enten, 2:10 - 2:20
Low-intensity focused ultrasound (FUS) has been demonstrated in animals and in a small number of human studies to reversibly change the function of cortical and subcortical brain substrates. A small pilot study, applying an FUS device specifically designed to target subcortical brain structures in humans, examined two sets of FUS parameters administered during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for the potential to attenuate amygdala blood oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) signal in humans. The goal was to provide feasibility of target engagement for a clinically-relevant brain structure, thereby setting the stage for future investigatory studies of FUS as a potential neuromodulatory probe and intervention tool.
The Effect of Chronic Stress on the Structure of Hippocampal Circuits
Jade Wollenberg, 2:20 - 2:30
Our experiments explore how chronic stress impacts the structure of hippocampal microcircuits, which have been implicated in psychiatric disorders.
Mutagenesis of a highly conserved and invariant interaction site between TRPV1 subunits
Taylor Mott, 2:30 - 2:40
After applying variance data to structure data, we identified a potentially important interaction site in TRPV1. Performing Ca2+ imaging experiments on channels with mutations at this site revealed the existance of an electrostatic interaction.
TRPV1 Subunit Interface and Gating Kinetics
Jordan Ibarra, 2:40 - 2:50
Presentation will cover electrophysiology results collected on TRPV1 in the Senning lab that demonstrate changes in the channel's gating kinetics with site-directed mutagenesis at a subunit interface. There may also be an epistle to former professors and future students describing what a journey electrophysiology has been.
Longitudinal Epigenetic Stability in the Texas Twin Project
Abby deSteiguer, 3:00 - 3:10
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major psychosocial and economic stressor, particularly for families with children, who experienced disruptions in regular schooling. A massive environmental exposure like the onset of a global pandemic allows a unique avenue for exploring change and continuity in the methylome. We will assess (1) whether the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with greater longitudinal instability of children’s DNA-methylation patterns, and (2) whether longitudinal change in DNAm is socially stratified by family socioeconomic status.
The Speed and the Structure: Auditory Neuroscience
Natalie Osterlund, 3:10 - 3:20
The sound localization neurons of the auditory system, known as the Medial Superior Olive (MSO), is characterized by bipolar neurons that utilize the inputs from both ears to generate action potentials on a scale of milliseconds. The region within neurons responsible for unique firing patterns, the Axon Initial Segment (AIS), depends on specific channel densities and distributions to generate neuronal firing profiles. My research utilizes immunohistochemistry to determine the potassium channel density and length distribution along the AIS within MSO neurons, pairing a structural analysis to the functional experiments previously performed in the Golding Lab.
Sex Differences in Neuropathic Pain after Mouse Spinal Cord Injury
Paul Oancea, 3:20 - 3:30
Ouch! That hurts! Men and women experience neuropathic pain differently so understanding sex differences is vital. My presentation covers the sex differences found in neuropathic pain found in a mouse model of spinal cord injury.
Keynote Speaker Nicole Johnson | Targeting Viral Fusion for Immunity and Therapeutics Against Infection
3:30 - 4:00
The isolation and characterization of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 has been vital for the development of therapeutics that treat COVID-19. This research also provides information into how we may treat other coronaviruses that circulate now and may emerge in the future. This presentation will provide insight into how these antibodies are found, and what we can do with the knowledge we gain from studying them closely.
Past is Prologue: Developmental Differences in Using the Past to Imagine the Future
Ashley Humphries + Neerul Gupta, 4:30 - 4:40
This study examined the content children (7-12 years) and adults use when constructing future-oriented stories based on past events. Age-related differences were found in the degree to which content was taken from - or a natural extension of - past events. Results provide new insight into the development of future-oriented cognition and its relation with episodic memory.
Decision-making speed and confidence in wild great tit (Parus major) parents: Urgency and constraint matter for real world decisions
Rebecca Moreno Vilarreal, 4:40 - 4:50
Bird parental decision-making is highly complex. We know what choices parents make, but we do not know how they make those choices. Our study used a non-invasive naturalistic experiment on great tits (Parus major) to better understand how parents choose which chick to feed.
Lessons from Recording Marmoset Visual Cortex with High-Density Probes
Trevor Nguyen, 4:50 - 5:00
The in-vivo electrophysiology recording techniques are constantly getting better. Notably, the Neuropixels platform is a commercialized technology that enables high-density recording on a silicon probe. While these techniques have been pioneered in rodents, adapting them to non-human primates is not without challenges.
Visualizing the CRUMBS Complex in Mammalian STEM Cells
Lauren Ohler, 5:10 - 5:20
We are working to visualize the interactions and localizations of various proteins associated with the CRUMBS complex in mammalian STEM cells. This leads to more in depth understanding of how cell polarization attributes to mammalian development, beginning from the single cell stage.