Journal of Undergraduate Research

Derrick Crawford and Dr. Jeffery Barrow, Developmental Biology Introduction: Congenital limb malformations occur in approximately 1 in 500 live births. These defects are due largely because of genetic and developmental causes. In my experiments, I have researched the source of these defects to understand how cell to cell signaling affects digit and limb formation. I […]

Brigham Barzee, Brett Gardiner, and Dr. Jon Wisco, Department of Physiology and Development Biology Introduction The purpose of this study is to analyze spatial co-localizations between amyloid beta (Aβ), tau, and iron in postmortem brains of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) patients. Iron is readily visible in T2* magnetic resonance images (MRI), and […]

Karl Andersen and Dr. David Kooyman, Physiology and Developmental Biology Osteoarthritis increasingly debilitates and causes discomfiture to millions of people worldwide. Most people over 65 years of age suffer from symptoms of osteoarthritis. There has, up to this point, been effectively no clear understanding of the processes of the body that contribute genetically or mechanically […]

Ryan Williamson and Dr. Jeff Edwards, Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology The hippocampus is the part of the brain that mediates learning and memory by altering the function of synapses within its circuitry via intracellular signaling molecules. The ability of synapses to change is called synaptic plasticity. Hippocampal synaptic plasticity can be mediated by […]

Jared Weed and Dr. Jeffrey Edwards, PDBIO Introduction The hippocampus is the area of the brain where long-term declarative memories are formed. Synaptic plasticity, the long-term strengthening or weakening of the synapse (the connection between two neurons), is the proposed cellular mechanism for the process of memory formation. The two types of synaptic plasticity are […]

Andrew Wallmann and Dr. Jeff Edwards, Physiology and Developmental Biology Until recently, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind memory has been extremely limited. However, recent studies indicate that memory formation is associated with two forms of neuronal plasticity known as long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) (Bailey & Kandel, 2008). These are physiological […]

Megan Stogsdill and Dr. Paul Reynolds, Physiology and Developmental Biology Receptors for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) are receptors that can bind a variety of ligands and are members of the immunoglobin family of cell surface receptors. RAGE is found in many tissue types during inflammatory lesions but is found most abundantly in the lung, […]

Danielle Peterson and Dr. David Kooyman, Physiology and Developmental Biology Our bodies are dynamic structures that do not operate as individual compartments, but as a whole. When something goes awry in one specific tissue or organ, specific signals from that diseased area are released affect other tissues. I received an ORCA grant last year to […]

Owen Owens and Dr. Jeffery R. Barrow, Physiology and Developmental Biology The Apical Ectodermal Ridge has been of great interest to those studying the development of the mammalian limb every since it was discovered that the AER is vital to the formation of correct limb patterning and general limb formation. The AER is a ridge […]

David Nolte and Dr. David Kooyman, Physiology and Developmental Biology Purpose The purpose of this study is to better understand how osteoarthritis develops. Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent form of arthritis, affecting more than 26 million people in the United States1. The condition decreases mobility and causes pain. Furthermore, the spending for medical […]