Virtual Presentations

As a way to combine my academic interest in medicine and public health with the personal aspects of my ethnic roots, I traveled to Beirut, Lebanon this past summer to learn about the complexities of sickle cell disease (SCD) in the Middle East. Under the tutelage of Dr. Miguel Abboud, I worked in Beirut's Children Cancer Center where I completed a literature review on treatment compliance in SCD patients living in the Middle East. Furthermore, I shadowed Dr. Abboud where he saw patients and their families, most of whom were refugees/underserved individuals with limited health insurance, and learned more about a clinical trial for a new SCD treatment. Overall, this experience allowed me to observe the differences between healthcare systems in Lebanon— a developing nation centered around its culture of kinship— and the U.S.— a country that fosters the most highly innovative medical field in the world. This project was supported by funding from F&M's John Marshall Fellows Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Jorge Mena-Ali, Department of Biology

Host cells detect pathogens via interactions with receptors on the cell surface and receptors within the cytosol or cytoplasm.  These receptors are called pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that sense pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) to initiate signal transduction pathways that increase the production of cytokines and interferon to create an anti-pathogen state within the cell and tissue.  If these pathways are not down regulated appropriately, then excessive inflammation and cell death occur, which can negatively impact the host.  The Davis laboratory is interested in pathways that down regulate the cellular response to pathogens inside the cell.  To this end, we investigated NLRC3, a protein that is involved in down regulated many pathogen associated pathways.  How NLRC3 functions is poorly understood, but our group identified a novel protein TMCC-1 that directly interacts with NLRC3.  Cells that are deficient with TMCC-1 produced less type I interferon but equivalent amounts of TNF-alpha, a proinflammatory cytokine.  Additional experiments suggest that TMCC-1 also interacts with cGAS (a PRR that directly binds to DNA in the cytosol).  These data suggest that TMCC-1 is necessary for efficient type I interferon responses possibly by inhibiting NLRC3’s negative function.  TMCC-1 may also act as a scaffold for additional signaling proteins. This project was supported by funding from F&M’s Eyler Fund and the National Institute of Health.

Project Mentor:  Professor Beckley Davis, Department of Biology

This past summer, through the Marshall fellow program, I embarked upon a research trip to Lebanon to further my scholarly interests. While the trip was educational on many levels, I focused my exploration within the archives of the American University of Beirut (AUB), narrowing in on AUB’s identity as an American and Protestant institution, deeply connected with their Middle Eastern campus. Specifically, I examined written correspondence from AUB’s second president, Howard Bliss (1902-1920). Howard Bliss’s internal records detailed the complex and at times unstable identity of AUB in the midst of WWI tensions. Due to AUB’s religious and educational mission, Bliss sought protection from Germany, despite their American loyalty. Bliss’s files allowed me to explore the complex engagement of religion, politics, and education at a micro level while providing broader context to understand the complexities of the Middle East. This project was supported by funding from F&M's John Marshall Fellows Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Jorge Mena-Ali, Department of Biology

Coral bleaching is the phenomenon in which coral cells expel their endosymbiotic algae under environmental stresses such as rapid temperature rise. For reef-building corals that are in obligatory symbiosis with algae from the family Symbiodiniaceae, bleaching can lead to irreversible damage to the reef and the surrounding ecosystem. We hypothesized that bleaching results from a difference in thermal adaptation between corals and their symbionts such that the symbionts are adapted to a broader and cooler temperature range than the hosts. We simulated the structural stability of key metabolic enzymes from coral and Symbiodiniaceae species, synthesized the enzymes through recombinant protein expression using E. coli, and tested their kinetic parameters in vitro. In addition to characterizing each tested enzymes, we gathered evidence that partially supported our hypothesis. Although there was not sufficient evidence for a full validation, we anticipated more productive future work in the direction that we laid foundation for. This project was supported by funding from F&M’s Committee on Grants Program and the National Science Foundation.

Project Mentor:  Professor Peter Fields, Department of Biology

Lancaster Vice" is an on-going multi-media public history project. The 2023 Lancaster Vice team created two podcasts about individuals involved in commercial sex in Lancaster in the early 1900s: Kennedy Eckert, a gambler and part-time sex worker; and Amanda Breneman, a brothel keeper.

This project was supported by funding from the David Schulyer Fellowship in Urban Studies.

Project Mentor:  Professor Alison Kibler, Department of American Studies

The F&M global barometer emphasizes the significance of reliably measuring SOGI rights through the Global Barometer of Gay Rights (GBGR) and Global Barometer of Transgender Rights (GBTR), which enables a quantifiable evaluation of the state of human rights on a global scale. Maintaining a dependable and up-to-date dataset is paramount for an accurate human rights record. The FMGB has encompassed a decade of data spanning from 2011-2020. Our involvement in the project centers on coding for socioeconomic and de jure protection items in the 2021 and 2022 F&M Global Barometer of Gay Rights for 204 countries and regions. With the recent launch of the F&M Global Perception Index (GBPI), we’ve performed extensive literature reviews to provide critical context in examining the GBPI results and their significance to the lived-reality of SOGI minorities. Additionally, we are engaged in project communication efforts to enhance accessibility for broader users.  This project was supported by funding from the F&M’s Hackman Summer Scholar Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Susan Dicklitch, Department of Government

Weather variability has become increasingly likely with climate change. In northern latitudes, this includes more frequent early thaws and subsequent cold snaps (periods of low temperatures). These early thaws and cold snaps change organisms' internal clocks and suppress the flying insects. We studied how tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) respond to early thaws and cold snaps that impacted their breeding cycles and food availability. Through observational and experimental studies, we investigated the behavioral and physiological responses of adult female tree swallows and their young to natural and simulated cold snaps at a field site in Ithaca, NY. We will present an overview of our field work and share preliminary results to give insight into changes in adult feeding rates and thermoregulatory ability of tree swallow nestlings from control and experimental nests. This project was supported by funding from the F&M’s Hackman Summer Scholar Program and the National Science Foundation.

Project Mentor:  Professor Dan Ardia, Department of Biology

Committing to champion for those who face marginalization, giving a voice to the voiceless, and advocating for those who tend to be overlooked in society are often regarded as morally just causes. Those who subscribe to these causes tend to be lauded as selfless, benevolent, enlightened — they hold the moral high ground. Though advocacy for the oppressed has traditionally been associated with the political Left, there has been a notable shift within the rightwing political sphere to adopt practices that mirror these values — particularly with regard to race. This project explores that dynamic shift through the collection and analysis of qualitative data (political speeches, social media posts, press releases, opinion pieces, etc.) produced by various elite rightwing political actors. Through the development and enhancement of a comprehensive database, the scope and trajectory of this political phenomenon continue to be under consistent observation. This project was supported by funding from the F&M’s Hackman Summer Scholar Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Biko Koenig, Department of Government