Junior Room
Ayaka Ammon
Elucidating the impact of the oyster, Crassostrea virginica, on water column filtration and feces nutrient deposition for restoring the seagrass, Zostera marina.
Seagrasses are marine plants vital to the global ecosystem, providing food and habitat for countless species, stabilizing sediments, and sequestering carbon. In face of their rapid degradation, methods of natural restoration are critical. Oysters are promising for bioremediation due to their two key positive environmental impacts: water filtration and feces fertilization. Thus, Ayaka aims to elucidate the gap in knowledge between the individual and combined effects of oyster, Crassostrea virginica water filtration, and nutrient inputs on the seagrass, Zostera marina, and oyster feces lability.
Ammon.Ayaka pptvideoLily Anchin
Evaluating the surface expression of CD38 in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia to understand the potential of CD38-directed CAR-T cell therapy in the disease
Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common form of pediatric cancer with a specifically poor prognosis in the T cell ALL (T-ALL) subtype, as new forms of immunotherapy do not have an efficient antigen to target. Therefore, Lily's study aims to evaluate the surface expression of CD38 in T-ALL cells and sub clones in order to understand its potential as a target antigen for CAR-T cell immunotherapy in the disease. She hopes this study will further our knowledge of T-ALL and lead to preclinical research towards an effective treatment.
Anchin, Lily Big wow powerpoint.webmDrew Anikstein
Canine behaviors associated with the detection of target odors
Because of the powerful olfactory capabilities of canines, dogs have been trained to detect a variety of substances, including explosives, narcotics, and diseases. Past research has found that dogs' behavior when alerting to odors, in training, varies between individuals. A lack of knowledge about various detection alert behaviors may produce a source of error when determining if a dog is successfully trained. Therefore, Drew plans to conduct video analysis of untrained canines during the detection of novel odors in order to observe the speed at which the dogs alert, and the various behaviors they display when doing so.
Anikstein.Drew.Junior.Final.Wow.Powerpoint.Video.mp4Connor Boekel
Investigating the efficacy of vaccinia virus on a tumor and its microenvironment: Utilizing xCELLigence impedance assays and real-time imaging
Cancer is a disease that is difficult to treat due to the complex nature of its genetic and molecular basis. Oncolytic viruses, which selectively replicate in, and destroy cancer cells while sparing normal cells, have emerged as a promising approach to cancer therapy. Connor is investigating the potential of vaccinia virus as an oncolytic agent. His study involves examining the impact of vaccinia virus on tumor cells and T cells in real-time utilizing an xCELLigence machine. Connor's research aims to provide a better understanding of the oncolytic properties of vaccinia virus and contribute to developing new cancer treatments as well.
Boekel.Connor.Big Wow PPT Final.webmCalvin Cai
Validating the use of the Tasso+ capillary blood sampling device for the Athlete Biological Passport
In order to combat widespread blood doping in endurance sports, the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) was developed. The ABP longitudinally monitors various hematological variables, in order to indirectly detect blood doping. However, the constant need for venous blood samples presents a few issues; not only is it expensive to continuously hire trained phlebotomists, it is often also painful for athletes. Thus, Calvin tested the Tasso+ capillary blood sampling device, which is a cheaper and less invasive alternative for traditional venipuncture, at the 2023 Boston Marathon, with hopes of proving its analytical integrity and viability to be integrated into the ABP.
Untitled: May 24, 2023 7:19 PM.webmJack Canter
Exploring how the presence of cognitive bias in advanced orthopedic devices impacts user outcomes both physically and psychologically
In 2017, The World Health Organization estimated that around 35 to 40 million people required prosthetic and orthotic services, leading to a surge in demand for these devices. Along with this increased demand, rapid advances in sensors, microprocessor control, batteries, and motors have raised the question about the possibility of cognitive bias towards an advanced orthotic over a traditional orthotic. Therefore, Jack will conduct a deception study to determine whether cognitive bias exists in order to build upon previous research to understand the brain in altering perception and movement, even without functional differences.
Canter, Jack - Big Wow PPTLucas Canter
Increasing educational participation and employment for the visually impaired community, within New York City, via the application of an ecologically-viable wearable system: VIS4ION
In the United States alone, visual impairments (VIs) affect over 3.2 million adults who are over the age of 40. However, most with VI feel that the commonly employed solutions are too conspicuous or expensive to purchase, prompting them to be utilized by only 10% of the VI community. Hence, the goal of Lucas’ study is to address the abundance of mobility frustrations, specifically within urban environments, like NYC, through the implementation of VIS4ION— a novel wearable, both inconspicuous and simplistic in-design, structured to assist in the domain of navigation for people with VI.
Canter.Lucas.Final.BigWow.PPTAriana Chace
Determining factors that influence modest fashion choices for Muslim women in the United States
This rising market and increase in modest fashion have been more popularized in current fashion trends and retail markets. Thus, it is apparent that the modest fashion market requires specific criteria for several clothing products, specifically, when it comes to attributes such as style and fit. However, many modest fashion brands struggle to produce products that obtain religious consumer values as well as appeal to consumers' likability. Thus, Ariana hopes to determine the correlation between consumer fashion preferences and degree of religiosity.
Chace, Ariana-Big Wow PPTBenjamin Curley
Introduction of human-like play to a fictitious co-play artificial intelligence model within the collaborative game environment of Overcooked
While AI is already ubiquitous, from Google searches to self-driving cars, there is a lack of research into human-AI interaction, specifically around the problem of human-AI collaboration, a vital component in implementing the technology. Recent research focuses on developing collaborative AI agents within game environments, including the cooperative cooking game Overcooked, with the purpose of learning what makes an agent an effective collaborator with a human partner. To further this field, Ben aims to integrate human-like behavior into a training model which focuses on diversity in training partners, allowing the trained agent to collaborate with a vast variety of partners.
Curley, Ben - Symposium Video.mp4Abby Cushman
Combination therapy of the MAPK inhibitor E6201 and the mTOR inhibitor paxalisib in Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors
Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (ATRT) are a rare form of childhood brain cancer with a poor prognosis rate. Currently, it is known that ATRTs over-express the MAPK pathway and the mTOR pathway, both of which are involved in cell growth and survival. Abigail hopes to target both of these pathways in ATRT, hopefully improving the dismal survival rate of these tumors.
Untitled: May 15, 2023 7:07 PM.webmNicolette DiSano
Investigating how purchase intentions towards new vs. used clothing may differ across the generational cohorts, Gen Z and Gen X: An exploration of display preferences for new vs. used clothing in an online setting
The fashion industry is the third largest polluting industry in the world and has worsened issues such as pollution and climate change. However, second-hand shopping can help mitigate this problem. There is also little research on how generational differences impact consumer preferences toward buying used versus new clothing. So my study examines how purchase intentions and display preferences for new versus used clothing differ between Gen Z and Gen X. The overall goal of this study is to find more efficient ways to attract consumers toward used clothing and in doing so hopefully mitigate the environmental impact of the fashion industry.
Nicolette DiSano PowerPoint video.webmJake Fenster
CRISPR/Cas9-mediated profiling of reactivation in the Toxoplasma gondii parasite
Toxoplasma gondii is a prevalent apicomplexan parasite which infects up to one third of the world's population, causing severe opportunistic infection in immunocompromised hosts. During the progression of infection, T. gondii differentiates from a rapidly multiplicative life stage (tachyzoites) into a cyst-forming chronic stage (bradyzoites), which cannot be cleared by current day drugs and therapies. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, alongside RNA-sequencing, Jake Fenster plans to expand on the genetic events mediating the differentiation process, in the hopes of further delineating the molecular architecture of T. gondii, as well as better informing the future generation of attenuated strains for vaccination.
Jake Final Video.mp4Kyriaki Gavriil
Behavioral impacts of anthropogenic stressors on mother-calf North Atlantic right whale pairs
North Atlantic right whales are a critically endangered species with fewer than 350 individuals remaining in the population due to various anthropogenic factors such as ship strikes and fatal rope entanglements. Mother-calf pairs are at the greatest risk of injury due to the proportion of time spent in the upper region of the water column, which can be highly disruptive to key developmental behaviors decreasing the chances of calf survival. Kyriaki's study will look at the proportion and duration of key behaviors such as nursing and play in both healthy and injured mother-calf pairs.
gavriilk big wow ppt vide0.mp4Zach Goldman
Assessing how differences in breed and age can impact a dog's ability to express contrafreeloading: A quantitative and qualitative pilot study
There is currently a 50-70% failure rate among working dogs, and therefore it is imperative that research is done to understand what dogs are more willing to work. Zach will evaluate how different factors (i.e., breed, age, sex, stress level, how often they use puzzle toys) impacts whether a dog contra-freeloads, meaning they choose to work for a reward when the same reward is available to them without effort. Zach's study will help in understanding what factors affect whether a dog is more willing to work, which will help with selection processes in the future for selecting dogs to train as working dogs.
Goldman.Zach.WOWPowerPoint.pptx.webmAdin Kersh
Using the acetylation inhibitor A-485 to uncover the epigenetics related to axolotl regeneration
Millions of Americans suffer from limb loss. Studying other animals with extraordinary regenerative abilities, such as the axolotl, will allow us to better understand healing in humans. Thus, Adin hopes to learn more about the mechanisms that govern the regeneration process.
Kersh, Adin - Big Wow PPT.mp4Ben Levy
Using machine and deep learning techniques to understand variations among mental health disclosures in different populations
In recent years, suicides and instances of mental health struggles have become ubiquitous, with large variations among different populations, such as in male versus female suicide statistics. Additionally, social media usage in all populations has dramatically increased, meaning that most US adults have online presences. Thus, by training machine and deep learning techniques, Ben will analyze the potential differences in the exhibitions of mental health struggles on social media networks. In the future, Ben aspires for his research to lead to the implementation of mental health classifiers for specific people on social media to reduce the number of suicides.
Levy, Ben, Junior.mp4Grace Lin
Quantifying the recreation use value of New England natural lands
Natural land areas provide invaluable recreational services to human society. In her study, Grace quantifies the recreational use value of New England natural lands using the travel cost method, and she found that these natural lands provide recreational services valued at about $88 billion annually. Her findings can serve as input for sophisticated economic projection and policy analysis models and allow officials to make more equitable and appropriate data-driven policy decisions.
Grace Lin - Symposium Video.webmLauren Lombardi
Empirical aesthetics
Museum visitor-ship has been seeing a steady decline since 2000, but had a precipitous drop in 2020. By using a method known as museum tracking, Lauren plans to analyze how architectural decisions influence visitors engagement with art pieces. By doing this, Lauren hopes to make museums more engaging for visitors, and as a result increase museum visitor-ship.
Untitled: May 21, 2023 9:47 PM.webmJon Manowitz
An investigation of agricultural waste bio-materials as decellularized scaffolds for the cultivation of cell-based meat products.
Due to the increasing population and demand for meat, researchers predict there will be insufficient land supply to continue conventional livestock production practices by 2050, coinciding with predicted future global food shortages. Additionally, current animal agriculture is viewed as a significant global problem, due to its role in the development of public health and nutritional issues, as well as its high greenhouse gas emissions. Cell cultured meat, or meat produced in vitro by cultivating live animal cells, is a sustainable solution to such problems. Jon hopes to investigate the use of agricultural waste bio-materials as decellularized scaffolds for the cultivation of cell-based meat products.
Manowitz, Jon PPT video.mp4Daniel Ndocaj
Fabricating metasurfaces to enhance detection limits of green fluorescent protein bioassays
Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is a fluorophore commonly used in fluorescent bioassays for monitoring the proliferation, position, and behaviour of cells in medical research. However, researchers often struggle to detect the protein when the signal, which produces the green color, is too weak. Thus, Daniel aims to fabricate a metasurface, a surface with nanoscale features on the order of the wavelength of light, that resonates with the excitation frequency of GFP in order to enhance the signal.
Ndocaj.Daniel-BigWow.webmJoseph Palackal
Analyzing the impact of a video intervention on athletes choking under pressure in basketball
In high-pressure situations, some athletes experience an increase in their performance, a phenomenon known as a clutch performance, while other athletes suffer from a decrease in their performance, exhibiting a phenomenon otherwise known as “choking” under pressure. Joseph’s study will determine if a video intervention displaying clutch performance influences athletes’ performance under pressure. Results of this study will indicate if this intervention can be used to decrease an athlete’s likelihood of choking under pressure, which can be useful in fields beyond sports since several professionals, such as surgeons, first responders, and military personnel, work under pressure on a routine basis.
Palackal.Joseph - Big Wow PPT.webmZach Pero
Determining the environmental impact on the aggregation of yeast prions and their prion-handling systems in order to reveal the underlying mechanisms that drive prionic diseases
Prions are proteins that can act as abnormal pathogens that result in neurodegenerative disease by causing normal cellular proteins to fold abnormally. Unfortunately, treatments are purely supportive because little is known about the mechanisms that drive the diseases; currently, prionic diseases are always fatal. Recently, the field faced a fundamental challenge with a prion-related death due to occupational exposure. Recently, a safer alternative research method was discovered when prionic replication was observed within certain yeast strains. Zach will study the impact of environmental factors on the propagation of yeast prions in order to elucidate how the disease replicates.
Pero, Zach Big Wow.webmJake Santos
Elucidating the relationship between Martian chaos terrain block size and several subsurface properties, including crustal thickness, thermal inertia, elevation, and crustal magnetism
Very little is known about the formation method of chaotic terrain on the surface of Mars, however, many theories having attributed subsurface magma, ice, and water to the formation. Jake hopes to analyze several factors of the Martian surface, including elevation, crustal thickness, thermal inertia, and magnetism. This will provide insights into the subsurface makeup of Mars, further enhancing the understanding of our neighboring red planet.
Santos, Jake - Big Wow PPT.webmRachel Schapiro
Evaluating the volumetric fluctuations of the dentate gyrus following the supplementation of cocoa flavanols in individuals suffering from age-related cognitive decline
As the world’s population continues to age and grow, age-related cognitive decline is an imminent epidemic. Recently, researchers have investigated how the intake of flavanols has the potential to diminish cognitive aging and enhance cognitive performance by targeting the dentate gyrus: an area in the hippocampal formation that declines in conjunction with human aging. Nevertheless, it is ambiguous whether or not the consumption of flavanols has a direct correlation with the structure and function of the dentate gyrus; therefore, Rachel plans to investigate the specific associations the dentate gyrus fosters with flavanols by using hippocampal subfields automated segmentation program, FreeSurfer, and ultra-high resolution in vivo MRI.
schapiro.rachel.bigwowppt.Romy Schweitzer
Exploring the association between loneliness and hearing loss in adults aged 65 and above
About one-third of older adults have hearing loss and often find difficulty decoding sound from background noise, leading to a reduction in their ability to engage in auditory-reliant activities. In turn, auditory difficulties have been found to lead to loneliness; however, to date, there have been few studies investigating the role hearing plays in an older adult’s social life. Romy’s study aims to identify and compare the role hearing plays in an older adult’s social life, hoping her research could be helpful in preventing cognitive decline, for increasing social interaction can result in an increase in cognitive stimulation.
Schweitzer,Romy,BigWow.webmGreg Shrayer
Analyzing the quality of life associated with treatment-resistant epileptic patients who are treated with responsive neurostimulation
In the United States alone, approximately 3 million adults and 470,000 children suffer from epilepsy, many of which don't respond to traditional epileptic treatments. A novel treatment, responsive neurostimulation, shows promise even though the treatment is invasive when given to treatment-resistant epileptic patients. Although plenty of data is present regarding effectiveness and safety, Greg hopes to understand how the treatment affects patients’ quality of life and the factors that contribute to the results.
Shrayer, Greg - Big WOW PPTRocky Yang
Examining the benefits of using a Swan-Neck Rear Wing to increase stability and fuel efficiency in an automotive vehicle
Rocky is studying the benefits of using a Swan-Neck Rear Wing mount to increase stability and fuel efficiency in an Ahmed Body Model, a generic physical representation of cars. He does this by using Computational Fluid Dynamics software to analyze the airflow at different positions over the vehicle body, generating a big picture of the flow over the entire vehicle. Ultimately, he hopes to determine if the Swan-Neck Rear Wing mount performs better and opens up the possibility of a simple and efficient method of improving aerodynamic efficiency in automobiles.
Yang, Rocky Big Wow.mp4Eliza Zeltner
Determining if gut microbiota alpha diversity pre-metformin treatment is correlated with decrease in HbA1c post-treatment
Obesity is a global health epidemic commonly resulting in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Recently, research has suggested that a common obesity and T2DM treatment, metformin, impacts and is impacted by the gut microbiota, the bacteria living inside of the gut. Thus, Eliza plans to determine if a correlation exists between pre-metformin treatment gut microbiota alpha diversity and change in Hba1c post-metformin treatment to ultimately point to new potential pre-treatment to increase the efficiency of metformin.
Zeltner, Eliza - Big Wow PPT.mp4