Current Scholars

Daniel Ehrheart, Pharmacology, PI - Joongkyu Park

Daniel is studying local protein synthesis and it's impact on plasticity and memory in the brain. His project primarily focuses on the post-translational modifications of synaptic proteins along with it's influence on ribosome assembly and trafficking to the post-synapse. His overall goal is to outline how local translation influences memory and learning behaviors and how it's variation across individual neurons.

Jacob Hudock, Chemistry, PI - Justin Kenney

Jacob's research investigates the neural basis of behavior using zebrafish as a model system. I focus on the molecular mechanisms in the brain that shape individual differences in risk-taking behavior, with particular emphasis on the neuropeptide Y system. By uncovering molecular mechanisms that contribute to behavioral variation, I aim to deepen our understanding of the neural processes that generate distinct cognitive states, such as those relevant to anxiety and depressive disorders in humans.

Emma Fidler, Biological Sciences, PI - Athar Ansari

Emma studies regulation of eukaryotic transcription in the model organism of budding yeast. Her research looks into the interconnected mechanisms of transcription, mRNA processing, and mRNA export using biochemical and proteomic techniques.  

Morgan Deal, Chemistry, PI - Matt Allen

Morgan’s research involves the synthesis and study of bimetallic contrast agents towards quantification of hypoxia. Her goal is to synthesize a bimetallic complex containing EuII to enhance signal in low-oxygen environments with traditional magnetic resonance imaging, and DyIII to enable imaging in high-oxygen environments with paramagnetic shift imaging. The ratio of the two signals could be used to quantify the concentration of oxygen without knowing the concentration of europium in vivo.

Michael Flynn, Pharmacology, PI - Karin List

Michael's research project focuses on matriptase, a type II transmembraneserine protease, and other extracellular/membrane-bound proteases and their role in corneal epithelial homeostasis and repair. His goal is to identify the function and mechanism of matriptase in corneal repair post-injury, possibly through matriptase’s involvement in barrier function, tight junction maintenance, and/or activation of cytokines and growth factors.

Peyton Long, Pharmaceutical Sciences, PI - Zhengping Yi

Peyton's research focuses on Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A), a serine threonine phosphatase that regulates cellular functions, and its role in the development of insulin resistance. His goal is to determine how PP2A changes its activity, phosphorylation, and interaction partners in human skeletal muscle tissue from participants that are lean-insulin sensitive, obese-insulin sensitive, and obese-insulin resistant at various points of insulin infusion. This research will help determine if PP2A has a role in the development in insulin resistance and the insulin signaling pathway. 

Lindsey Kreinbring, Biological Sciences, PI - Hanaa Hariri

Lindsey studies organelle membrane contact sites and their effects on cellular metabolism. Her research centers around the fatty acid elongation pathway, a process that is vital in creating complex lipids and other membrane elements. The overall goal of Lindsey's research is to determine the influence of a significant membrane contact site, the nuclear-vacuolar junction (NVJ), on fatty acid elongation.

Dylan Yost-Slinker, Chemistry, PI - Alice Walker

Fluorescent proteins have been used to enhance detection methods, particularly in cells which can produce the fluorescent protein through plasmid vectors. There are hundreds of different fluorescent proteins available that fluoresce in different colors or in response to specific environmental stimuli. One Green Fluorescent Protein mutant, pHluorin2 is pH sensitive, with fluorescent emissions changing in response to pH conditions. However, pHluorin2 is only active between a pH of 5.4 to 8.4.The goal of my research is to use computational chemistry to improve the range of active pH values for pHluorin2 through simulation and analysis of various pHluorin2 mutants.