Jennifer Lipsmeier-Guy | CCSFP
“Méliès and the Modern World” uses the affordances of new media to support the creation of new knowledge about early filmmaker Georges Méliès, who pioneered special effects and story films during the late-nineteenth to early-twentieth centuries. Ten years in the making, two books about Méliès are now about to move into production. One is an English translation of Méliès’ biography written with firsthand knowledge by the subject’s granddaughter, the late Madeleine Malthête-Méliès. The other is a research monograph written by the research mentor which examines the material culture of Méliès’ multimedia career.
2021 Powertrain Strategies for the 21st Century
Zackery Robinson | Intel SRC
My Research Project pertains to Powertrain Strategies for the 21st Century survey project of the Automotive Futures Group. This survey of automotive industry experts including manufacturers, suppliers, government, NGOs, academia, and consultants looks to forecast the percentage of different powertrains that will be sold in 2025 and 2030 as well as asking experts about their expectations for the Biden Administrations CAFÉ regulations impacts, how will the industry use its credits to meet their goals, will manufacturers be able to meet aggressive state goals for eliminating gas fueled vehicle sales, and how will the auto industry make the transition to EVs, including questions on charging infrastructure. Our analyses will address these questions and report differences, if any, among the three groups of respondents (manufacturers, suppliers, and the group of government, NGOs, academia, and consultants). A unique characteristic of our analyses will be our weighting of responses by the confidence respondents report about their answers. Our results will be a continuation of this survey that dates back to 2007 that has tracked powertrain expert responses to the future of powertrains in the US.
826michigan
Lillian Grantham | DCERP
826michigan inspires school‐aged students to write with skill and confidence in collaboration with adult volunteers in their communities. Our writing and tutoring programs uphold a culture of creativity and imagination and support students in establishing strong habits of mind.
Through publication and community engagement, we provide students with an authentic and enthusiastic audience for their writing. Our programs provide an energizing creative outlet for students and meaningful volunteer opportunities for community members. We believe that with one‐on‐one attention from caring adults, students improve their academic performance, develop a sense of belonging, and discover the unique value of their voices. With this understanding in mind, we provide drop‐in tutoring, field trips, after‐school workshops, in‐schools tutoring, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications.
826michigan
Raymond Ugaz-Carhuavilca | DCERP
826michigan inspires school‐aged students to write with skill and confidence in collaboration with adult volunteers in their communities. Our writing and tutoring programs uphold a culture of creativity and imagination and support students in establishing strong habits of mind.
Through publication and community engagement, we provide students with an authentic and enthusiastic audience for their writing. Our programs provide an energizing creative outlet for students and meaningful volunteer opportunities for community members. We believe that with one‐on‐one attention from caring adults, students improve their academic performance, develop a sense of belonging, and discover the unique value of their voices. With this understanding in mind, we provide drop‐in tutoring, field trips, after‐school workshops, in‐schools tutoring, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications.
A Literature Review of Sex Differences in fMRI tasks used in MTwiNS Study
Claire Goods | WAGSFP
In previous clinical studies, males and females complete the same tasks; however, only a subset of those studies focus on sex-based differences in task interaction (Uhl et. al. 2007). Failure to look at sex differences in outcome and response may lead to aggregation of sex-related responses, causing neither sex to be accurately characterized (Institute of Medicine 1994). This presentation reviews the existing literature on sex differences for the following fMRI decision based tasks: Wack-A-Mole go no-go, Emotional go no-go, Event Related and Gender Rated Faces, Blocked Faces vs. Shapes, MID Reward, and Card Reward. All of these tasks are done at the Michigan Neurogenetics and Developmental Psychopathology (MiND) lab for their twin study (MTwiNS). MTwiNS aims to understand how antisocial behaviors are expressed in the brain. Antisocial symptomatology is more often present and studied in males, leading to many questions about how females with antisocial behaviors may differ (P Moran 1999).
A mobile contraceptive decision support tool for people with health conditions: A pilot feasibility study in primary care (The My Health, My Choice Study)
Freda Frimpong | WAGSFP
Background: Finding the right birth control can be difficult. It can be especially challenging for people with chronic conditions who may have contraindications to hormonal methods and disease-specific concerns related to reproductive health and contraception. Aims: 1) To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a novel mobile contraceptive decision tool (My Health, My Choice); 2) to explore associations between use of My Health My Choice and contraceptive use, contraceptive satisfaction, person-centered contraceptive counseling, and contraceptive self-efficacy.
A Virtual Reality Game for Radiation Protection
Emmanuel Hernandez | Engineering
Background: Virtual Reality (VR) is largely the result of immersive game evolution, which strives to make players feel like they are really “in the game”. Many software and hardware companies have been creating the next best immersive experience to make the not real, very real. Despite this, many of the most popular games only serve the player as entertainment and don’t supply any additional value. Applying the VR gaming concept to education could encourage students to learn, create, and think critically while having fun. When VR is applied to radiation safety, the resulting accrued experiences could ultimately even save lives. Specialized software platforms, such as Unity and Unreal, allow individuals with only basic skills to create games. Three-dimensional (3D) object modeling tools like SolidWorks and Blender permit the creation of objects which may not already be readily available in digital libraries.
Accreting Black Holes: Near & Far
Matt Michalski | CCSFP
4U 1755-388 and AT2020ocn, though these may seem like incongruous codes, they in fact mark the names of two differing, accreting black holes. 4U 1755-388 was discovered lying near the center of our Galaxy in 1971 as a stellar mass black hole and remained very active until 1995 when it entered a quiescent, or dormant, stage for 25 years until April of 2020 when a new X-ray outburst was recorded. On the other hand, AT2020ocn is a much more distant super massive black hole, and was discovered more recently in the same month that 4U 1755-338’s outburst occurred, and created an unexpected tidal disruption event, which occurs when a super massive black hole destroys a star that got too close for comfort due to incredible gravitational field of the black hole.
African Futurist Greenhouse
Muhammad Masood | CCSFP
Colonialism may be in the past, but its legacies live on today, with populations still marginalized by income and still “primitivized” by the colonial view. New movements like AfroFuturism resist these stereotypes by combining technological sophistication with an anti-primitivist view of Black culture. In the book African Fractals, Dr. Eglash makes the case for scaling geometries–the nonlinear shapes found in nature–as a tradition in African design. Together with professor Audrey Bennett at UM’s Stamps School of Art and Design, and Olayami Dabls, the owner of Dabls’ MBAD African Bead Museum, they have developed a proposal to create an African Futurist greenhouse that will utilize the scaling geometry traditional to African homes, jewelry, and sculptures. Funded by Stamps and Poverty Solutions, this greenhouse will grow plants that furnish seeds for Dabls’s beadwork, food for local consumption, and more generally embody a decolonial approach that combines the circular economy of Indigenous traditions with the beauty and utility of culture-technology hybrids.
African Futurist Greenhouse
Noah Winkler | Engineering
Colonialism may be in the past, but its legacies live on today, with populations still marginalized by income and still “primitivized” by the colonial view. New movements like AfroFuturism resist these stereotypes by combining technological sophistication with an anti-primitivist view of Black culture. In the book African Fractals, Dr. Eglash makes the case for scaling geometries–the nonlinear shapes found in nature–as a tradition in African design. Together with professor Audrey Bennett at UM’s Stamps School of Art and Design, and Olayami Dabls, the owner of Dabls’ MBAD African Bead Museum, they have developed a proposal to create an African Futurist greenhouse that will utilize the scaling geometry traditional to African homes, jewelry, and sculptures. Funded by Stamps and Poverty Solutions, this greenhouse will grow plants that furnish seeds for Dabls’s beadwork, food for local consumption, and more generally embody a decolonial approach that combines the circular economy of Indigenous traditions with the beauty and utility of culture-technology hybrids.
Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccine-associated Blood Clot Adverse Event Case Reports
Jessica DeGuise | CCSFP
Background: While COVID-19 vaccines are generally safe, they are occasionally associated with various adverse events (AEs). Recently the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine (i.e Johnson and Johnson vaccine) has been reported to be significantly associated with blood clot, or thrombosis. The CDC/FDA Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has continuously collected various vaccine adverse events reported from the USA.
Analyzing Readability of COVID-19 Biomedical Literature
Aaron Zheng | Engineering
Reading scientific literature such as preprints and papers is different from reading ordinary English novels. The average American reads at the 7th- to 8th-grade level, according to the Literacy Project [1]. The COVID-19 pandemic is unique in a way that not only scientists but also the general public actively seek for scientific information that would help to understand the new viral infection and fight its spread. The COVID-19 related literature has been read by the public, government officials, and people who had no prior biomedical education but it is questionable how much was understood. The goal of this project is to understand how readable the COVID-19 biomedical articles are and whether they could be easily understood by an average American.
Apoptotic Effect of Deoxycholic Acid and Ursodeoxycholic Acid on Human Colon Cancer Cells
Crystal Sanchez | Engineering
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Current treatments for colorectal cancer include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy; however, the five-year survival rate for distant CRC is 16%. Due to the ineffectiveness of standard treatments, especially at distant CRC, new therapeutics are needed to provide more effective treatment options at all stages.
Assessing the Affective, Cognitive, and Behavioral Consequences of Men Recognizing Subtle Gender Bias Against Women in STEM
Udoka Nwansi | WAGSFP
Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) frequently encounter gender bias (e.g., questioning of their STEM ability, assignment to secretarial roles). Given the subtle and ambiguous nature of contemporary sexism, people vary in their likelihood of recognizing subtly sexist interactions. Past research demonstrates that women are more sensitive to gender bias and more likely to perceive it. However, there remains a dearth of research related to men’s experiences in witnessing bias. In the present research, we ask: what are the (1) affective, (2) cognitive, and (3) behavioral consequences of perceiving subtle gender bias during group tasks?
Assessing the Affective, Cognitive, and Behavioral Consequences of Men Recognizing Subtle Gender Bias Against Women in STEM
Paige Nalli | CCSFP
Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) frequently encounter gender bias (e.g., questioning of their STEM ability, assignment to secretarial roles). Given the subtle and ambiguous nature of contemporary sexism, people vary in their likelihood of recognizing subtly sexist interactions. Past research demonstrates that women are more sensitive to gender bias and more likely to perceive it. However, there remains a dearth of research related to men’s experiences in witnessing bias. In the present research, we ask: what are the (1) affective, (2) cognitive, and (3) behavioral consequences of perceiving subtle gender bias during group tasks?
Binge Drinking Behaviors Among Sexual Minority Youth
Greta Kruse | WAGSFP
Sexual minority youth (SMY), defined as youth who are not heterosexual or cis gendered, disproportionately engage in alcohol use behaviors, namely binge drinking, current alcohol use, and younger age of first consumption. Despite these disparities, research focused on alcohol use behaviors among SMY is limited. Because alcohol consumption is linked to sexual and other risk behaviors, there is a critical need to expand on this body of research to inform the development of interventions to decrease alcohol use behaviors among SMY. The purpose of this study was to explore whether SMY are more likely to report binge drinking than sexual majority groups in Michigan.
Black holes: Near & Far
Shannon Flores | CCSFP
4U 1755-388 and AT2020ocn, though these may seem like incongruous codes, they in fact mark the names of two differing, accreting black holes. 4U 1755-388 was discovered lying near the center of our Galaxy in 1971 as a stellar mass black hole and remained very active until 1995 when it entered a quiescent, or dormant, stage for 25 years until April of 2020 when a new X-ray outburst was recorded. On the other hand, AT2020ocn is a much more distant super massive black hole, and was discovered more recently in the same month that 4U 1755-338’s outburst occurred, and created an unexpected tidal disruption event, which occurs when a super massive black hole destroys a star that got too close for comfort due to incredible gravitational field of the black hole.
Characterization of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Sarcoma
Daeyoung Kim | CCSFP
Intro: In recent years, the advancement of technology and science has led to better cancer treatments, which subsequently has resulted in increasing the chance of cancer patient survival. Immunotherapy, one of the more recent promising treatment options, works by enhancing one own’s immune system to fight cancer. Immunotherapy using anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 checkpoint blockade has been very successful in treating patients with some malignant tumors such as melanoma, which previously did not have a clear effective systemic treatment option. Sarcoma is an overarching category of rare tumors that originates from soft tissues or bones at various parts of the body. Liposarcoma is one of the most common types of sarcoma, with the most common biological type being well-differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS and DDLPS respectively). WDLPS and DDLPS are most effectively treated by surgery, yet even after a complete resection of DDLPS, 60% of patients develop local recurrence and 25% develop distant metastasis (secondary phase of malignant growth) within 5 years of diagnosis. The response rate to conventional chemotherapy is low so that 60% of patients with DDLPS eventually die from the disease. Despite the promising developments in immunotherapy, research focusing on the immune biology of sarcoma has been slower than other tumor types. Recently, there have been some promising reports of response to immunotherapy in a small number of liposarcoma patients, hence, there is an unmet need to better understand the tumor immune microenvironment in liposarcoma.
City of Hamtramck
Gabrielle Lilly | DCERP
“Leadership for a Fresher City: How adolescent engagement creates inclusive, equitable and clean public spaces”
The purpose of the Leadership for Fresher Cities project is to understand the purpose, challenges and vision of the City’s parks and public spaces according to the youth of the community.
Community Development Advocates of Detroit
Yasmine Elkharssa | DCERP
Community Development Advocates of Detroit (CDAD) is Detroit’s membership organization for community development organizations, block clubs, neighborhood associations, and others engaging in place‐based work that supports equitable development in neighborhoods. With close to 200 members, CDAD staff work with our members on a variety of initiatives that support our mission of building neighborhood power, including community and youth engagement, collaboration, public policy advocacy, capacity building, and support for neighborhood planning.
Creative Writing & Publishing
Haley Hall | CCSFP
Our creative writing and publishing project focuses not only on creating pieces of work, for our respective forms of writing, but also the meticulous process of getting that work published.
Creative Writing & Publishing
Kalani Olatunji | CCSFP
Writing is a personal, growing, and revealing experience that represents freedom and relief. Through the process of understanding other writers’ works by reviewing literary journals, magazines, and online literary journals (websites), a writer comes to interpret a style of writing of one’s own design and interpret the ideas of other writers to produce work that can be seen as an adventure.
Cultural Cybernetics: Merging Artisanal Tradition with Digital Fabrication
Andres Garcia | Engineering
Colonialism may be in the past, but its legacies live on today, with populations still marginalized by income and still “primitivized” by the colonial view. New movements like AfroFuturism resist these stereotypes by combining technological sophistication with an anti-primitivist view of Black culture. In the book African Fractals, Dr. Eglash makes the case for scaling geometries–the nonlinear shapes found in nature–as a tradition in African design. Together with professor Audrey Bennett at UM’s Stamps School of Art and Design, and Olayami Dabls, the owner of Dabls’ MBAD African Bead Museum, they have developed a proposal to create an African Futurist greenhouse that will utilize the scaling geometry traditional to African homes, jewelry, and sculptures. Funded by Stamps and Poverty Solutions, this greenhouse will grow plants that furnish seeds for Dabls’s beadwork, food for local consumption, and more generally embody a decolonial approach that combines the circular economy of Indigenous traditions with the beauty and utility of culture-technology hybrids.
Data Mining for Modeling Drivers’ Response to a Leading Vehicle’s Merging/Demerging Maneuver
Beverly Liu | Engineering
Although there have been many recent strides in automated vehicle features (e.g., lane-keeping assist or automatic emergency braking) and autonomous vehicles (e.g., Cruise), there is still a significant need for research on human drivers’ behavior and decision-making. One larger goal of this research is to increase users’ acceptance and comfort with these driving technologies by helping align the technology’s actions / warnings more closely with human behavior and expectations. This research project, in particular, applies data mining (including statistical and machine learning methods, primarily via MATLAB code) to naturalistic driving data in order to model drivers’ behavior in response to two specific scenarios: cut-ins and cut-outs of the lead vehicle on US freeways.
Data Mining for Modeling Drivers’ Response to a Leading Vehicle’s Merging/Demerging Maneuver
Laura Bartz | Biomedical and Life Sciences
Although there have been many recent strides in automated vehicle features (e.g., lane-keeping assist or automatic emergency braking) and autonomous vehicles (e.g., Cruise), there is still a significant need for research on human drivers’ behavior and decision-making. One larger goal of this research is to increase users’ acceptance and comfort with these driving technologies by helping align the technology’s actions / warnings more closely with human behavior and expectations. This research project, in particular, applies data mining (including statistical and machine learning methods, primarily via MATLAB code) to naturalistic driving data in order to model drivers’ behavior in response to two specific scenarios: cut-ins and cut-outs of the lead vehicle on US freeways.
Design of a Do-It-Yourself Geiger-Muller counter with smartphone mapping application
Pablo Garcia Acuna | CCSFP
A Geiger-Muller survey meter is a device for measuring radioactivity by detecting and counting ionizing particles. Antique Geiger-Muller (GM) survey meters recovered from fallout shelters were gifted to teachers by several nuclear scientific societies to demonstrate radiological principles. Although these GMs accomplish some educational objectives, they fail to engage students with modern technology to motivate nuclear careers, develop students’ electronic or software skills, or provide individuals with a more hands-on approach when it comes to exploring radiological sciences. This is why the Do-It-Yourself Geiger-Muller (DIYgm) project was created. This project has as its objective to expose students to STEM topics such as computer programming, circuit-building, and soldering, while maintaining a special emphasis on radiological and nuclear science disciplines.
Detroit Food Academy
Myla Lyons | DCERP
DFA formed in 2011 to connect young people to Detroit’s vibrant and inspiring food business community. Our program uses the principles and power of business to engage young people in building mission‐driven, triple‐bottom‐line food products. Beginning as a one‐day‐a‐week summer program and developing to now serve 13 Detroit schools and community centers and to reach over 1,000 young Detroiters year‐round through programming and workshops, DFA consistently grows through our students’ leadership.
DFA co‐creates with young Detroiters year‐round through high quality leadership development programming rooted in schools, our food community, and our
neighborhoods. Through food entrepreneurship, students become creators of their own food business projects – inviting all the self‐discovery, innovation, growth that process generates. Through our afterschool, advanced, summer, and business‐launch programs, young Detroiters gain a solid foundation in culinary arts, health and wellness, food systems, and business essentials. Students’ ownership over their food project makes leadership come alive as an exciting and powerful way to change the world. DFA’s project‐based learning model invites students to work as individuals and as teams to apply their learnings, engage with community, and launch a food‐based business project with tangible impact. Students gain the confidence, community connections, and hard and soft skills for professional, academic, and personal wellbeing.
Detroit Public Schools Community District – Office of the Superintendent
Monica Khalique | DCERP
Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is Michigan’s largest public education system. It is governed by a locally‐elected, seven‐member board with Dr. Nikolai Vitti serving as superintendent. The District’s mission is to provide every student with a beneficial and rightful educational experience, preparing students to be career and college ready, and qualified to compete in the global market. We champion a whole child approach that combines superior academics with socio‐emotional, extracurricular, and health services tailored to each individual student’s needs. The District has 106 schools and educates 50,000 children.
Detroit Public Television’s Great Lakes Now
Noah Bock | DCERP
Great Lakes Now is a regional initiative from Detroit Public Television that covers water issues in the eight Great Lakes U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. Our goal is to provide news and information on pertinent issues, both serious and light‐hearted. We have a monthly show and a daily website.
Developing Novel Methods to Study the Longitudinal Effects of Chronic Stress in Mice
Deniz Kirca | Biomedical and Life Sciences
Mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety affect millions of Americans every year, and have been known to be related to stress exposure. To examine the link between the development of these disorders in mice and stress, prior research primarily examines the correlation between exposure to various stress paradigms, such as Chronic Social Defeat Stress (CSDS) and Chronic Unpredictable Stress (CUS), on various metrics collected shortly after exposure to these paradigms. Because the majority of this research has focused on acute impacts of stress exposure, however, there is a gap in the literature regarding the longitudinal effects of this stress in mice, which could help create a better model of how stress influences the development of mental disorders in clinical settings.
Development of automated photogrammetry system for measuring biological tissue geometry in situ
Michael Beltramo | Engineering
In determining engineering stress, a shape’s cross section is estimated and then the stress is calculated from there. For engineering materials, a general idea of the stress a part undergoes is usually all that is needed. However, when calculating stress on biological tissues, such as mouse tendons, it is more difficult due to the irregular shape, size, and precision needed. My research has been to develop a photogrammetry set up that automatically acquires pictures from multiple angles and in conjunction with a secondary software, calculates the cross sectional area of mouse tendon (or other object) in order to improve the accuracy of data for research.
Dream of Detroit
Brooklynne Gabrielle Bates | DCERP
Founded in 2013, Dream of Detroit combines community organizing with housing and land development to build a healthy community and empower a marginalized
neighborhood on the westside of Detroit. The neighborhood is anchored by several key organizations and institutions such as the Muslim Center, a mosque and community
center that serves one of the largest and oldest African American Muslim congregations of Detroit. The neighborhood also contains the HUDA Clinic, a free, Muslim‐run,
comprehensive community health clinic serving the healthcare needs of nearby uninsured communities.
Elucidating the Physiological function of human B12 trafficking protein CblD
Nia Jones | Biomedical and Life Sciences
Mutations in the mmadhc gene are responsible for the cblD-type defect in vitamin B12 metabolism. To better understand the role of the CblD chaperone protein in the B12-trafficking pathway, we propose to transfect human cells with expression vectors for epitope-tagged wild-type or mutant CblD to study how patient mutations impact localization and affects B12 metabolism. My short-term goal has been to generate the expression vectors and help establish the cytoplasmic versus mitochondrial localization of CblD.
Establishing Forster Resonance Energy Transfer Protocol for Extracellular Matrix Proteins
Bianca Hernandez | Engineering
Understanding protein interactions is important as it could serve as a basis for designing extracellular matrices (ECM) in-vitro to mimic in-vivo characteristics which would help elicit better biological responses from cells and be useful for disease modeling and drug testing. The purpose of this research is to create Forester Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) technique for a protein called fibronectin to study its conformational changes and molecular interaction with other proteins.
Evaluation of Myelinating Schwann Cells in CHARGE Syndrome
Ashley Gorris | Biomedical and Life Sciences
CHARGE Syndrome is a multiple malformation condition that is characterized by congenital abnormalities including coloboma of the eye, heart defects, atresia choanae, retardation of growth, genital abnormalities, and ear abnormalities. A hallmark feature of CHARGE is ear abnormalities which manifest as conductive and sensorineural hearing loss and balance disorders. The primary cause of CHARGE is pathogenic variants in the gene CHD7 (Chromodomain Helicase DNA binding protein 7), which encodes an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling protein. Loss of Chd7 disrupts development of the neural crest, a transient migratory cell population that gives rise to a variety of cell types including sensory neurons and myelinating Schwann cells of the inner ear. Given that proper myelination is essential for peripheral auditory system function, we hypothesized that pathogenic variants in CHD7 disrupt sensory neurons and myelinating Schwann cells in the cochlear spiral ganglion.
Experiences of side effects due to COVID-19 vaccination among rheumatic disease patients: a qualitative analysis.
Nina Nguyen | Biomedical and Life Sciences
Background: Although rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) are fairly common, individuals with RMDs were not included in the randomized control trials for COVID-19 vaccines, resulting in a lack of knowledge about the possible side effects they may face. Side effects may play a role in whether or not members of this population want to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and may highlight differences in vaccine response between these individuals and the general population. We aimed to describe patients’ self-reported experiences of side effects and other treatment burdens related to COVID-19 vaccination.
Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping of the Food System in Flint, MI
Madie Czajka | Engineering
The food system in Flint, MI lacks the ability to serve the needs of all community members. The goal of this project is to map the Flint food system to identify and explore opportunities for positive change.
Gene Editing for Combating Disease
Brett Silber | Biomedical and Life Sciences
The APP (amyloid precursor protein) is particularly relevant in the investigation of neurodegenerative diseases, notably Alzheimer’s, as a result of rare mutations in APP protein coding gene. Quantifying cell mRNA levels is crucial to the determination of cell genomic status: mRNA is transcribed from cell DNA, and ultimately translated to cell proteins. In this project, we will administer the CRISPR/Cas9 complex in neuroblastoma cells, and confirm the alteration of APP gene expression.
Great Lakes Water Policy
Gina Anger | CCSFP
As climate conditions worsen, natural freshwater supplies of ground and surface water are depleted for a variety of uses and water becomes an increasingly sought-after resource. Policymakers have responded to this situation with several documents that govern how water can be withdrawn, diverted, distributed, and reallocated to different basins. This research compares the strengths and weaknesses of two different water resource management agreements: the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact that governs the eight Great Lakes states and two provinces of Canada and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act which was recently passed in California. Both documents aim to disarm future water controversies, but they deal with seemingly polarized water supply scenarios. The research brings together several different sources of information about water policy and identifies gaps between the policy and its application. The contexts and purposes of these documents hint at how they will hold up to debate in terms of environmental, economic, and social sustainability.
HOPE Village Revitalization
Josephine Anna Croce | DCERP
HOPE Village Revitalization is a community‐led, community driven organization whose mission is to move the HOPE Village neighborhood forward in a way that mitigates
disparities in wealth, privilege and educational resources. HOPE Village Revitalization envisions a sustainable, equitable, healthy neighborhood with a high quality of life for all, where neighbors have access to fresh and local food and affordable, quality housing with energy solutions that reduce utility costs and build resilience against climate change. HOPE Village Revitalization also envisions a community where individuals have access to the opportunity to be productive and creative citizens. HVR works in the areas of fresh and healthy food access, sustainable, affordable housing and community connection.
Impact of COVID-19 on Latinx Households
Jacqueline Lopez-Bravo | CCSFP
COVID-19 has impacted individuals in many different ways. In this project, we focus on how the pandemic has impacted the Latinx community. Oftentimes it is difficult for individuals in Latinx households to follow procedures such as social distancing or staying home as many come from low-income families and need to keep working, thus highly increasing the risk of spreading the virus. These living arrangements are associated with communalist cultural values such as familism. Within this project, the goal is to understand and explore how familism has impacted Latino’s individual beliefs.
Investigating the role of glucose metabolism in oncogenic STAT3 signaling in colorectal carcinoma
Noora Aabed | CCSFP
Via the article Colorectal cancer statistics, 2020, approximately 147,950 individuals were diagnosed with Colorectal Carcinoma (CRC) and 53,200 died from the disease in 2020. CRC, like many other cancers, activates signaling pathways to become more aggressive and deadly. STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription) is a signaling pathway that promotes cell growth during normal development and cancer. The Shah lab has previously discovered that the STAT3 pathway plays a major role in promoting CRC growth. Interestingly, some CRC cell lines, like SW480 and HCT116, have high levels of p-STAT3 (a marker of STAT3 pathway activation) at baseline (without ligand stimulation). The Shah lab also found that glucose deprivation, but not the removal of amino acids or serum, decreased the activation of the STAT3 pathway in HCT116 and SW480 cells. We wanted to further explore the STAT3 signaling pathway in CRC cells and the interactions between signaling and metabolites in the CRC environment.
Lasers: Optical Tweezers for Medicine
David Pulido | Engineering
Using laser beams as a means of manipulating and trapping particles on the nanoscale has been proven extremely beneficial to the fields of chemistry and biology. These “optical tweezers” are highly useful for their non-invasiveness and precise delivery of nano-objects such as metal nanoparticles. In this study, we will optimize a two phase ligand exchange process to develop stable metal nanoparticles. This two phase ligand exchange technique is a reliable and relatively straightforward method of producing stable metal nanoparticles capable of being used in a variety of biological applications.
Lasers: Optical Tweezers for Medicine
Kailee Conley | CCSFP
Using laser beams as a means of manipulating and trapping particles on the nanoscale has been proven extremely beneficial to the fields of chemistry and biology. These “optical tweezers” are highly useful for their non-invasiveness and precise delivery of nano-objects such as metal nanoparticles. In this study, we will optimize a two phase ligand exchange process to develop stable metal nanoparticles. This two phase ligand exchange technique is a reliable and relatively straightforward method of producing stable metal nanoparticles capable of being used in a variety of biological applications.
LGBT Detroit
Lillith Jackson | DCERP
LGBT Detroit, founded in 1994, commits to furthering its mission, increasing the prominence and visibility of Detroit’s LGBT culture, and building a strong, healthy and
vibrant community, with a focus on youth and young adult development, sexual orientation and gender identity education and advocacy, and emotional and physical
well‐being. LGBT Detroit envisions a Michigan in which all of its citizens are treated fairly and equitably under the law and works to increase awareness of and support to Detroit’s dynamic LGBT culture through education and advocacy with integrity and pride.
Locally Charged: Centering Community Voices In Public Power
Nyia George | CCSFP
The effects of climate change will require a change in the tools needed to support the health of planet earth. One of the biggest changes needed is the switch from fossil fuels to using renewable energy for electric generation. Although climate change will impact everyone on earth in some ways, the impacts on low-income and minority communities are more likely to be severe. Residents in these communities already experience disproportionately high energy burdens and exposure to air pollution from fossil fuel sources.
Lung Repair
Ali Farhoud | CCSFP
There are two alveolar epithelial cell types in lung. Type II and Type 1. Upon lung injury, Type II cells serve as progenitors and differentiate into type 1 cells to heal the tissue. Our lab had had recently identified a novel transitional cell state assumed by type 2 cells as they differentiate into type 1 cells during normal regeneration after lung injury. We want to understand whether the transitional cells are related with ineffectual type 1 cell differentiation which may cause critical regenerative defect in pulmonary fibrosis. We set out with the goal of investigating the molecular mechanism of physiological and pathological alveolar repair in mouse model.
MATLAB Programming for Data Packaging
Megan Brooks | Engineering
Research is being conducted within the University of Michigan Direct Brain Interface (UM-DBI) Laboratory to develop an option for people with physical impairments to access communication devices without physical movement through brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Currently, the majority of the BCI data from the laboratory is stored in a BCI2000 file format which is raw data and cannot be edited or modified after it is obtained. The MATLAB Programming for Data Packaging Project focuses on improving the data storing and editing process for a custom Data Packaging Graphical User Interface (GUI) within MATLAB.
Méliès and the Modern World
Rose Albayat | CCSFP
“Méliès and the Modern World” uses the affordances of new media to support the creation of new knowledge about early filmmaker Georges Méliès, who pioneered special effects and story films during the late-nineteenth to early-twentieth centuries. Ten years in the making, two books about Méliès are now about to move into production. One is an English translation of Méliès’ biography written with firsthand knowledge by the subject’s granddaughter, the late Madeleine Malthête-Méliès. The other is a research monograph written by the research mentor which examines the material culture of Méliès’ multimedia career.
Mental Health in Islamic Texts: Putting an end to the Stigma
Zainab Mroue | CCSFP
Growing up in Dearborn’s largely Muslim community, the idea of mental health was extremely stigmatized and was believed to bring great shame to an individual or family involved in it. When the topic of mental health is brought up, I would often hear people say “as long as I have my religion, I do not feel any emotional or mental challenges” or “anybody who experiences emotional or mental turmoil is being punished by the almighty for not having a strong Iman (faith)” or is simply told that they should pray more. When we analyze original islamic texts though, we find that these diseases should not be treated as punishments for weak iman but as a simple bump in the road. Prophet Muhammad stated in the Sahih Al-Bukhari hadith collection, “There is no disease that Allah has created, except that he also has created its treatment” (Hadith 582). Given that disease is a natural part of life, why is it that people tend to stigmatize mental health? This paper will analyze primary and secondary sources on Islamic mental health. This will allow us to integrate contemporary methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and bring about ways to develop a more culturally competent therapy for people within the muslim community struggling with mental health and eliminating the stigma surrounding it.
Muller glia reprogramming and retina regeneration in zebrafish
Sarah Gargouri | Biomedical and Life Sciences
Although the zebrafish and mammalian retina share structure and function, only zebrafish can regenerate a damaged retina. Key to this regenerative response are Muller glia (MG) that undergo a reprogramming event allowing them to divide and produce multipotent progenitors for retinal repair. Previous studies suggested that thousands of genes are associated with MG reprogramming and retina regeneration. Key among these are Ascl1a (a proneural transcription factor) and Lin28a (an RNA binding protein). Combinatorial induction of these two factors in a damaged retina causes an expansion in the zone of injury-responsive MG; thus, allowing normally quiescent MG near the injury site to engage in a regenerative response. In this project, we aim to understand the mechanism by which Ascl1a and Lin28a stimulate MG reprogramming. We anticipate that these studies will suggest novel strategies for stimulating retina regeneration in mammals.
Neighborhood Service Organization
Kirsten Birman | DCERP
Neighborhood Services Organization (NSO) has served our most fragile neighbors in the metropolitan Detroit community in nine locations since 1955. NSO was established as a non‐profit health and human service agency focused on “being within reach” through accessible programs designed to strengthen and empower individuals in their
communities, support families, and help those in need. NSO has evolved the depth and breadth of our services to meet the changing needs in our community by providing
comprehensive, safety‐net solutions for vulnerable populations in the area of housing, health, and well‐being. NSO collaborates with many organizations to strengthen the
metro‐Detroit community.
Neighborhood Service Organization
Abigail Young | DCERP
Neighborhood Services Organization (NSO) has served our most fragile neighbors in the metropolitan Detroit community in nine locations since 1955. NSO was established as a non‐profit health and human service agency focused on “being within reach” through accessible programs designed to strengthen and empower individuals in their
communities, support families, and help those in need. NSO has evolved the depth and breadth of our services to meet the changing needs in our community by providing
comprehensive, safety‐net solutions for vulnerable populations in the area of housing, health, and well‐being. NSO collaborates with many organizations to strengthen the
metro‐Detroit community.
News Juicer Foundation
Maia Jackson | DCERP
News Juicer Foundation develops and implements professional development training for Social Studies and English Language Arts teachers to foster news media literacy and civic engagement in high school students. We are a new foundation and we will be implementing our first teacher training this summer.
Nortown Community Development Corporation
Malak Kalasho | DCERP
Nortown was established in 1992 and works as a coalition of residents, businesses, institutions and affiliate nonprofits. Its mission is to foster economic revitalization of its service area through promote safe and affordable housing,historic preservation,environmental, recreational, job creation, zoning/land use planning and social justice, equity programs.
Ontological Representation and Machine Learning Prediction of Drugs for COVID-19 Treatment
Zalan Shah | Engineering
Background: SARS-CoV-2 is a human coronavirus that has caused COVID-19 and is able to rapidly mutate and spread throughout the world. While the usage of COVID-19 vaccines has drastically reduced illness, new variants of the virus continue to show up and reduce vaccination efficiency. Given the continuous spreading of the disease, effective drugs for treating COVID-19 are urgently needed; however, very effective drugs for COVID-19 have not yet been approved for public use. Drug repurposing is a strategy to discover new uses for thousands of approved drugs previously used for other illnesses. It is possible to use the drug repurposing strategy to find drugs for effective COVID-19 treatment. This study aims to analyze drugs and their effects on the human body to further predict effective drugs for COVID-19 using machine learning algorithms.
Ontological Vaccine Adjuvant Knowledge Presentation and Application in Adjuvant Design for Vaccine Development
Amogh Madireddi | CCSFP
Many adjuvants (substances that increase immune response) are used in vaccine development. Some of their mechanisms have been studied extensively, others unknown. One challenge is how to collect and logically represent them so patterns can be identified and AI ready. Another challenge is how to use the patterns and information for machine learning.
Optimizing a Daily Mindfulness Intervention to Reduce Stress from Discrimination among Sexual and Gender Minorities of Color
Maddie Peskin | CCSFP
This multiphase optimization study evaluate the effectiveness of different components of a mindfulness-based intervention to reduce stress from discrimination among sexual and gender minorities (SGM) of color. Researchers have found that sexual and gender minorities of color are discriminated against based on race and/or sexual orientation status and/or gender.
Optimizing a Daily Mindfulness Intervention to Reduce Stress from Discrimination among Sexual and Gender Minorities of Color
Olivia Jayakar | WAGSFP
This multiphase optimization study evaluate the effectiveness of different components of a mindfulness-based intervention to reduce stress from discrimination among sexual and gender minorities of color. Researchers have found that sexual and gender minorities of color are discriminated against based on race and/or sexual orientation status and/or gender.
Progression of Cancers Driven by Liver Metastasis
Adedoyin Adebayo | CCSFP
ProsperUS Detroit
Ataia Templeton | DCERP
ProsperUS Detroit is a place‐based economic development strategy designed to empower low and moderate income, immigrant and minority individuals. Through our culturally competent range of services, we strive to support the entrepreneurial spirit and small business community that exists in Detroit’s neighborhoods. ProsperUS uplifts individuals through entrepreneurship training, technical assistance, microlending, and financial coaching.
Protest in the Streets
Lauren Weaver | Biomedical and Life Sciences
Since Donald Trump’s election into presidential office in November 2016, the United States has seen a huge increase in protests on the streets of cities nationwide. With protests like the Women’s March (2017, 2018,2019), the March for Our Lives (2018), Families Belong Together (2018), and the Global Climate Strike (2019), millions of people have participated in rallying and using their voices for what they believe in. Protest is used as a communication tool by citizens to communicate views, concerns, or feelings of misrepresentation to their government. In this project, I set out to answer the following question: Why do people attend events and protests and how do individual’s motives differ from city to city?
Religious Universities and Campus Sexual Assault: A Media Analysis from 1990-2019
Leilani Fonseca | WAGSFP
The media is one of the primary institutions that shapes our understanding of social problems. Narratives constructed by the media help to build consensus around the nature of a problem, the actors involved, and what kinds of solutions would be appropriate. This project engages with a range of social problems including violence against women, toxic masculinity, and the campus sexual assault epidemic. Examining media construction of these problems over time and noting the variance within and between seemingly similar events may help to reveal how different social problems overlap and influence one another.
Representations of ‘Sexlessness’ in Japan
Adrian Beyer | WAGSFP
Restoration of Gut Barrier Protein Expression in Cytokine/LPS induced Inflammation in Colonoids
Dania Zeidan | Biomedical and Life Sciences
Background information: Aquamin is a multi-mineral product obtained by mineralized remains of red marine algae that is rich in calcium, magnesium and 72 additional minerals and trace elements. In current studies, it has been shown that Aquamin aids in gut barrier structure along with the function of colonoids (3D tissue culture) derived from colon biopsies of healthy subjects. It is critical that a colonic barrier is intact for the gastrointestinal health of individuals. Colonic barrier dysfunction has been a feature of inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Barrier dysfunction could be a result of toxic insult or inflammatory attacks on epithelial cells which line the colon, although now it is being recognized that tissue could be subject to injury or inflammation due to pre-existing weakness. If prolonged, this injury and chronic inflammation can lead to the development of colon cancer. Therefore, strengthening the colonic barrier is critical. Through experimentation, it will be determined if Aquamin can restore barrier expression in cytokine/ lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation in normal colon tissue derived colonoids.
Role of the MYRF transcription factor in retinal development
Athera Yakoo | Biomedical and Life Sciences
Myrf is a transcription factor that is essential for proper development of the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) and the underlying retina. We have previously analyzed mice with a conditional deletion of Myrf in the RPE and identified resulting downstream genetic changes leading to loss of RPE and impaired vision (Garnai et al., 2019). We also identified secondary defects in the retina, loss of rod and cone photoreceptors. As the etiology of these defects is unclear, we used single cell sequencing (scRNAseq) to identify the gene expression changes associated with loss of MYRF in the RPE (Rxcre;Myrffl/fl) at various stages during embryonic and postnatal development. We hypothesize that deletion of Myrf in the RPE leads to secondary transcriptional changes in the retina that impact vision.
Rural-Urban Disparities in Perinatal Insurance Coverage
Maya Millette | WAGSFP
“Objective: To provide updated estimates on patterns of health insurance coverage at preconception, birth, and postpartum and to examine differences among rural compared with urban residents.
S.T.E.A.M. Education
J’anna Rivers | CCSFP
Introduced in 2016, STEAM is a new pedagogical approach that has been on the rise in many different countries. STEAM is the abbreviation for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The integration of “Arts” within STEM has shown a significant increase in the motivation of children’s ability to be creative, problem solvers, and critical thinkers. Throughout the process of this literature review my goal was to answer the research question “How do STEAM, in contrast to STEM, approaches develop creativity, critical thinking, and agency among children?” To answer this question I reviewed 40 sources of qualitative and quantitative literature and of those, more than half provided strong support to the view that STEAM is very effective in developing 21st century skills such as creativity, critical thinking and problem solving. According to Hadinugrahaningsiha, “the term 21st-century skills is generally used to refer to certain core competencies such as collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving that advocates believe schools need to teach to help students thrive in globalisation world” (Hadinugrahaningsiha, 2017, p.1). STEAM effectiveness is measured by the behaviors of students after the curriculum is implemented. Studies indicate that even children at an early age demonstrated interest and academic growth (Awang, 2020). Considering this pedagogy is fairly new, there remains much ambiguity on the teaching styles, definition of “art”, and how the arts in STEAM will be implemented in lesson plans.
Scaffolded Practice for Programming
Charles Alford IV | Intel SRC
Many students, especially those without any prior programming experience, find introductory programming courses difficult and time consuming. However, students need lots of practice to learn programming. Typically they practice by writing code from scratch. While this is an authentic task, it can overwhelm beginners. We have been creating and testing interactive ebooks with a variety of practice types including Parsons problems. A Parsons problem provides all the correct code to solve a problem, but the code is broken into code blocks and mixed-up. The learner must place the blocks in the correct order. Our research has shown that most students find solving Parsons problems useful for learning, but some students would rather write code from scratch. We have added the ability to switch to an equivalent write code problem when asked to solve a Parsons problem. We are modifying all the Parsons problems in an interactive ebook for C++ to include the equivalent write code problem. We plan to test this new type of problem in Engineering 101 in fall 2021.
Seafood through Time: Predation as a Driver of the Bathymetric Distribution of Crinoids
Karter Burgdorf | CCSFP
Predation, arguably an important mechanism of natural selection, is thought to have played an especially significant role in the evolutionary history of crinoids. Crinoids are marine invertebrates with a very long evolutionary history (ca. 0.5 billion years). As obligate passive suspension feeders, crinoids use their arms to form a filter that captures particulate nutrients from seawater. Ecologically important traits thought to have evolved among some groups of crinoids due to predation include an increase in mobility from fully sessile to crawling to swimming; an ability to regenerate lost body parts; biochemical defenses that make them distasteful.
Shared Understanding Between Physicians and Nurses
Kiara Turvey | CCSFP
Background: Poor communication between physicians and nurses is one of the most common causes of adverse events for hospitalized patients, including death. Gathering information regarding the factors that contribute to shared understanding could help identify causes of communication breakdowns, making it easier to develop strategies to overcome them.
Shared Understanding between Physicians and Nurses
Raeleen Sobetski | Biomedical and Life Sciences
Background
Communication between physicians and nurses is a critical component to the well-being and health of their patients. However, poor communication is still one of the main challenges that affects patient safety, at the cost of the patient’s health. Poor communication can lead to a lack of understanding of the patient’s needs, which can cause adverse effects that could have been avoided with good communication. Previous studies have shown that communication needs to be improved, but have not successfully improved communication. Thus, further action is needed so that physicians and nurses communicate in order to come to a shared understanding.
Social Justice and the Environmental Movement – Lead Issues in Detroit
Noah Manuszak | Biomedical and Life Sciences
Social Justice is an ongoing effort to ensure that people in society are given fair treatment regardless of race, economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or ability status amongst other identities. While efforts have been ongoing to achieve justice, the movement for it is just beginning to gain recognition in various areas of society. Environmental racism is a term used to describe when a disproportionate amount of pollution emitting facilities are placed near a population with a large proportion of residents who are people of color. It can also occur when people of color do not receive the appropriate resources to deal with environmental hazards or when less media attention is directed towards people of color when they deal with pollution issues. One area of concern in this category can be seen with a particular issue in Detroit.
Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center
Amanda L Trzaska | DCERP
The mission of SWDCJC is to increase public trust in the justice system, assist in the reduction of crime, improve the quality of life and meet the needs of the community. The program predominantly operates in the Detroit Police Department’s 4th Precinct area in Southwest Detroit, servicing persons living in zip codes 48209, 48210, 48216 and 48217.
Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision
Manar Aljebori | DCERP
Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV) was formed in 1991 to address the gap between environmental health and the heavy pollution that were and are present in the
area. Our mission is to improve the environment and economy of southwest Detroit. SDEV utilizes public input to develop our priorities each year toward improved air
quality, reduced blight (compatible land use), and a deeper environmental literacy. Our Healthy Air program works with fleets to cut diesel and industrial pollution and indoor air pollution, our Land & Water program operates urban gardens and performs neighborhood clean‐ups and new land use design, our outreach initiative works with
residents, businesses, and policy makers to create behavior change toward better environmental practices.
Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision
Serena Smith | DCERP
Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV) was formed in 1991 to address the gap between environmental health and the heavy pollution that were and are present in the area. Our mission is to improve the environment and economy of southwest Detroit. SDEV utilizes public input to develop our priorities each year toward improved air quality, reduced blight (compatible land use), and a deeper environmental literacy. Our Healthy Air program works with fleets to cut diesel and industrial pollution and indoor air pollution, our Land & Water program operates urban gardens and performs neighborhood clean‐ups and new land use design, our outreach initiative works with residents, businesses, and policy makers to create behavior change toward better environmental practices.
Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision
Tottionna Bushell | DCERP
Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV) was formed in 1991 to address the gap between environmental health and the heavy pollution that were and are present in the area. Our mission is to improve the environment and economy of southwest Detroit. SDEV utilizes public input to develop our priorities each year toward improved air quality, reduced blight (compatible land use), and a deeper environmental literacy. Our Healthy Air program works with fleets to cut diesel and industrial pollution and indoor air pollution, our Land & Water program operates urban gardens and performs neighborhood clean‐ups and new land use design, our outreach initiative works with residents, businesses, and policy makers to create behavior change toward better environmental practices.
Student Parents in Postsecondary Education: Relevant Policies and Practices
Lindsey Marlin | CCSFP
Student parents are a growing percentage of the college student population (Roy et al., 2018). For this group of nontraditional students, resources such as on-campus childcare, lactation spaces, and family housing are pertinent to balancing the demands of parenthood and school. However, recent studies (e.g., Kensinger & Minnick, 2018) have alluded to student parent invisibility in institutional policy and practice. In this study I examined inclusion of student parents in official university statements (i.e., policy), and access to information about, and availability of, student parent resources (i.e., practice). The study addresses three research questions: 1. Do public four-year universities & colleges include student parents in their non-discrimination &/or diversity statements? 2. For students who are parents, how easy is it for prospective and new university students to identify relevant resources? 3. Is the number of relevant resources related to inclusion of student parents in non-discrimination &/or diversity statements?
Studying the effect of insulin gene mutation in proinsulin folding in pancreatic beta cells
Sami Bazzi | CCSFP
Diabetes affects 27.8% of the US population. The disease alters the synthesis of insulin hormone that regulates glucose homeostasis. Pancreatic beta cells play a major role in the biosynthesis of insulin. There is a need to understand the biochemical pathway that permits the survivability of beta cells and their secretory pathway. Our laboratory studies how the misfolding of insulin precursor protein—“proinsulin” in beta cells affects insulin biosynthesis.
The Activist Backgrounds of Congressional Candidates in the United States in 2020
Emily Isyk | CCSFP
This research seeks to understand the role of protests in the functions and dysfunctions of American democracy, particularly the connection between protest participation and the success of congressional candidates. The key working hypothesis is that social movements are able to use protests as a testing ground for quality candidates and that helps candidates to be more successful in communicating their messages to the public. Thus, candidates who are involved in protests are more likely to be victorious in electoral contests, other things equal, than are other candidates.
The Activist Backgrounds of Congressional Candidates in the United States in 2020
Nusrat Atika | CCSFP
This research seeks to understand the role of protests in the functions and dysfunctions of American democracy, particularly the connection between protest participation and the success of congressional candidates. The key working hypothesis is that social movements are able to use protests as a testing ground for quality candidates and that helps candidates to be more successful in communicating their messages to the public. Thus, candidates who are involved in protests are more likely to be victorious in electoral contests, other things equal, than are other candidates.
The Effect of Prosthetic Leg Length on Low Back Muscle Activity and Pain during Walking and Sit-to-Stand
Robyn Pfeiffer | Engineering
People with lower limb amputation have a greater incidence of low back pain than the general population, with some estimates as high as 65%. One potential cause of pain in this population is leg length asymmetry as it can lead to altered trunk-pelvis movement, and subsequently altered low-back loading. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of changes in prosthetic leg length on low back muscle activity and self-reported low-back pain.
The experiences of rheumatic disease patients when deciding to get the COVID-19 vaccine: a qualitative analysis
Sara Hustek | CCSFP
Background: Little is known about how the COVID-19 vaccine affects people with rheumatic diseases. Though rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) are relatively common, patients with RMDs were not included in randomized controlled trials for COVID-19 vaccines. People that live with rheumatic conditions must consider how to handle immunomodulatory medications during the vaccine cycle and the tradeoffs they may be making between their condition, immune response, and possible side effects. We aim to describe the factors considered by this population when deciding to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Great Lakes Compact and Water Level Variability
Rachel Rubanguka | CCSFP
The Great Lakes Compact is an agreement guiding water management of the Great Lakes. The Compact has been signed and approved by the governors of the eight states within the Great Lakes basin (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania) and the two Canadian provinces within the Great Lake basin (Ontario and Quebec). The Compact was signed into law by President George W.Bush in 2008. The Great lakes play a significant role in the regional economy and support recreation, and wildlife habitat and a balanced ecosystem of the environment.
The Impact of Gain vs. Loss Frames on Decision Making: From Society to the Individual
Charles Guccione | CCSFP
The framing of mathematically equal outcomes as either a Gain or a Loss shifts decision-making in predictable ways. Prior research has focused on Gain versus Loss frameworks in the context of serious, societal-level decisions impacting whole communities. For example, in a study by Tversky and Kahneman (1981), participants were asked to choose between two social programs to address the outbreak of a serious disease. Program A presented a guaranteed outcome in terms of number of lives saved or lost, whereas Program B could only provide probability information and was thus “riskier.” When both programs were framed in terms of the number of lives saved (Gain condition), participants were significantly more likely to choose the guaranteed outcome. However, when both programs were framed in terms of number of lives lost (Loss condition), decision-making preference shifted toward the riskier program.
The Localization of Pancreatic Islets Utilizing a Green Fluorescent Protein Proinsulin Mouse Model
Gladys Kamdem | CCSFP
Diabetes affects about 463 million people worldwide. It can cause various complications that affect several organs in the body. Diabetes is a disease that can be caused by insufficient insulin production. Insulin is synthesized in pancreatic beta cells located in clusters called islets. The laboratory of Dr. Peter Arvan at the University of Michigan is interested in the role of protein misfolding, and quality control systems including unfolded protein response (UPR), and endoplasmic reticulum associated-protein degradation (ERAD) in the development of diabetes. The physiological and genetic similarities between mice and humans allow the use of transgenic mouse models for laboratory studies.
The mechanistic basis of anti-CD6 as a novel form for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer
Sarah Ory | Biomedical and Life Sciences
Background: The use of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) is limited by the induction of immune-related adverse events. CD6 is expressed by most T lymphocytes and a subset of natural killer (NK) cells, and engages the ligands CD166/ALCAM and CD318. Interrupting CD6 interaction with its ligands using UMCD6 (anti-CD6) reverses autoimmunity in mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and uveitis, due to suppression of differentiation of effector Th1 and Th17 cells. Recently, we have demonstrated that UMCD6 directly activates CD8+T and NK cells, enhancing these cells to kill breast, lung, and prostate cancer lines, even more robustly than ICIs directed to the PD-1/PD-1L pathway. We now explore the mechanisms by which UMCD6 activates NK cells while controlling the differentiation of CD4 cells.
The validation of the JH level manipulation methods using gene expression profiling of JH signaling genes
Deidre Mitchell | CCSFP
The migration phenomena of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are quite unique in comparison to many other migrating species. Recent population decline in monarchs requires a strong understanding of their physiology and behavior. Monarchs represent different populations, e.g., migratory, and non-migratory. We are interested in the hormonal and genetic regulations of these phenotypes and behaviors. The juvenile hormone (JH) is a key factor in regulating the growth, physiology, and behavior of the insect. JH is the primitive and sub-social in insects with gonadotropin nature, whereas its functions in eusocial insects, has changed to regulate the division of labor and task assignment. The JH of monarch is gonadotropin primarily but also has other adult life functions, e.g., diapause.
Tissue Crosstalk in Joint Injury
Monique Cruz | CCSFP
Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a serious disease that results from joint injury. It is characterized by cartilage deterioration, synovial inflammation, and the formation of abnormal bone growths. The Wnt signaling pathway is an important biological process by which cells respond to external stimuli. Overactive Wnt signaling within the joint is known to take part in the progression of PTOA. R-spondin 2 is a protein secreted by cells into the extracellular matrix that functions as an agonist for the Wnt signaling pathway. While R-spondin 2 is known to activate Wnt signaling, little is known about its role in PTOA. Here, we aimed to better understand the contribution of R-spondin 2 in the overactivation of Wnt signaling and how this process contributes to PTOA pathology. We hypothesized that, given the pathological role of unchecked Wnt signaling in OA, adding additional R-spondin 2 would exacerbate joint degeneration in a mouse model of PTOA.
Transgenic mouse models of diabetes
Taylor Cook | CCSFP
Diabetes mellitus is a very serious metabolic disorder that is a result of insufficient insulin production, which leads to uncontrolled blood glucose levels. Insulin is a peptide hormone that has a natural tendency to misfold and possibly form aggregates. Mice and humans share very similar endocrine physiology, and mice are often used to study diabetes. However there are some slight differences that must be considered for any experiment. Humans have a single gene, INS, that encodes for insulin, whereas mice have two genes, INS1 and INS2. The presence of insulin produced from two different genes leads to minor discrepancies in common protein analytical techniques such as western blotting. There must be controls in place in order to determine between insulin coded by either the INS1 or INS2 gene. This project seeks to establish a breeding colony of mice that are missing both copies of either the INS1 or INS2 gene.
Using Wastewater-based Epidemiology to Measure SARS-CoV-2 Burden
Preti Chowdhury | CCSFP
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous influence on our daily life over the last year, creating significant issues. Clinical testing was initially unavailable and then quite limited, which limited our capacity to interpret the full scale of the pandemic. Wastewater-based epidemiology, which can surveil viral burden of communities through wastewater treatment plants, emerged as a viable option to identify the SARS-CoV-2 burden in a given community. Our team is a member of a research consortium that samples more than 100 sites across the state of Michigan to understand COVID-19 transmission dynamics.
Wicked Solutions Domain
Angela Ponce Solano | Engineering
Data visualizations such as the John Hopkins COVID-19 Map, has become an impactful way of presenting updated health information to stakeholders such as policy makers and the general public. This pandemic dashboard has become a precedent for developing platforms that help provide useful information for issues with which our society is struggling. Using design thinking and participatory mapping, the WISDOM research team led by University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor Audrey Bennett aims to create an equitably accessible Wicked Solutions Domain for networked collaboration and knowledge exchange of existing data and research resources in relation to wicked problems such as food, poverty, and sustainability.
