John S.K Kauwe BYU undergraduates validate novel genetic variants that protect from Alzheimer’s disease Project Justification and Overview Successful enrollment in and completion of graduate programs requires a constellation of skills. Students must be prepared to plan and execute experiments, present their findings both verbally and in manuscript form and interact effectively with senior scientists […]
Combating infectious disease with enhanced T cell memory
Scott Weber Combating infectious disease with enhanced T cell memory The following two aims are from my 2014-2015 MEG. We made great progress and completed most of both Aim 1 and Aim 2. Details on the progress for each aim are described below. Mentoring Environment This MEG allowed me to expand the size of my […]
Diet, Gut Mircobiome, and Mental Health Interactions
Laura C. Bridgewater Diet, Gut Microbiome, and Mental Health Interactions Dietary patterns affect the composition of the gut microbiota, and a growing body of evidence suggests that the gut microbiota can influence mental health by means of connections between the enteric nervous system and the brain. As this project proceeded, anxiety emerged as the primary […]
Brad Berges Academic objectives achieved 6 aims were stated in the proposal: 1. Isolate phage that can kill MRSA What did we accomplish? We isolated 6 new bacteriophage that can lyse Staph aureus from areas inhabited by chickens, and we also isolated 6 additional bacteriophage from other sources. 2. Isolate new MRSA strains What did […]
Using Monkeys to Study Variation in Response to Alcohol as a Predictor of Excessive Alcohol Intake
J. Dee Higley Summary This is the final report for the MEG Grant titled: Genetic Effects on Sociality and Social Dominance Rank. The formal phase of the project ran from June 1 through August 23, 2014, with the students learning how to safely work with their research subjects and collecting their data. Following the formal […]
Emotional Regulation in Marital Therapy
Angela B. Bradford Overview Approximately two years ago we received a MEG grant to support our project Emotional Regulation in Marital Therapy. Clinical research indicates that couples therapy is effective in 30-50% of cases, and although some factors have been identified as predictors of change, there is no research into how these or other factors […]
The Cultural and Psychological Foundations of New Religious Movements in the Hmong Diaspora: China and Vietnam
Jacob R. Hickman Overview Hmong are a highland ethnic minority group that span the Southeast Asian Massif, including China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Many Hmong see China as an ancestral homeland, the origin of a two-centuries-long diaspora spurred on by conflict. The research funded by this MEG grant was designed to address questions of how […]
Alcohol and Nicotine Co-Dependence III
Scott C. Steffensen Alcohol and Nicotine Co-Dependence III Proposal Abstract Alcoholism and nicotine (NIC) addiction are chronic relapsing disorders that have enormous impact on society. Alcohol and NIC are the most commonly abused drugs, and a large body of evidence indicates that there is a positive correlation between their consumption. Today, smoking NIC-containing tobacco products […]
The Determinants and Dynamics of National Identity and Ethno-Regional Identity Salience
PI: Joel Selway Evaluation of how well the academic objectives of the proposal were met The academic objectives have been met. With the grant I was able to conduct a survey of ~1,000 subjects in Thailand. I have since presented two article-length pieces at academic conferences and am finishing off a book proposal that will […]
Economic Returns to Clean Water: Evidence from US Historical Records.
PI: Joseph Price Overview The purpose of this project was to use linked census records to evaluate the long-run effects of access to clean water. By linking individuals across census years we can specifically determine where they lived during their childhood and also have information about their educational attainment and earnings later in life (using […]