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2022 External Speakers
2022 External Speakers
Dr. Scott Engel
Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Sanford Research
Talk Title: 'Ecological Momentary Assessment: Real-time Data Capture Methods in Eating Disorder Research'
Engel Research focuses on two different but related areas. First, its researchers are currently devoted to contemplating and working to answer questions related to outcomes after bariatric surgery. Most people do quite well after surgery, but the lab is particularly interested in the significant minority of people who experience poor outcomes. We are most interested in problems related to alcohol after surgery, but also study disordered eating, weight regain, insufficient weight loss, depression, hypoglycemia and other less-than-ideal outcomes after surgery.
Our second research focus is in the momentary antecedents and consequents of eating disordered behaviors. This area of work has focused mainly on negative reinforcement models in individuals with bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Researchers have employed real-time assessment methodology in both of these lines of research and enjoy using novel and technologically sophisticated forms of assessment to help try to answer difficult questions.
Dr. Travis Brown
Washington State University
Talk Title: 'Caught in a net of wonder: Influence of diet and exercise on perineuronal nets'
Dr. Brown has over 15 years of experience studying the reward system. His laboratory is primarily interested in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of drug addiction and obesity. Specifically, Dr. Brown’s lab is interested in how regulation of the extracellular matrix mediates synaptic organization and behavioral output. His laboratory uses a multifaceted approach combining rodent behavior, electrophysiology, and molecular techniques, with the hope that targeting molecules that influence the extracellular matrix may provide novel therapeutics for the treatment of drug addiction and obesity.A second line of research in the lab is studying the role of peptidases in nociceptive signaling. The goal of this research is to develop novel analgesics to not only alleviate the symptoms of pain but target the pathological etiology.
Dr. Maheen Adamson
Stanford University; School of Medicine
Talk Title: 'Deep Phenotyping TBI: Insights from using sex, age, blood biomarkers and innovative treatments'
Dr. Adamson has close to 20 years of experience directing large diverse teams to develop and implement several multi-site and longitudinal studies revolving around Alzheimer’s disease and brain injuries, especially in the Veteran population. Dr. Adamson is a world-class neuroscientist and neuroimaging expert, whose research interests include the neurological effects of COVID-19, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, and pain. She’s a leader in healthcare innovation, entrepreneurship, and translational neuroscience. Her expertise and interests span employing translational neuroscience methodologies for diagnostic and neuromodulation treatments such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for frequent health problems in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), psychiatric problems, and Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Melissa Munn-Chernoff
UNC School of Medicine
Talk Title: 'Elucidating the Genomic Landscape of Eating Disorders'
Melissa A. Munn-Chernoff, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders in the Department of Psychiatry. She has over 20 years of experience in the field of eating disorders and behavioral genetics. Dr. Munn-Chernoff has four primary programs of research: (1) identifying genetic vulnerability to eating disorders and their symptoms; (2) explicating the comorbidity of eating disorders and substance use disorders from a genetic epidemiology perspective; (3) investigating eating disorder and comorbid psychopathology in underrepresented populations; and (4) exploring health and well-being in college students. To complete this work, she has received grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. In 2021, Dr. Munn-Chernoff was elected as a Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders.
Dr. Elizabeth Joy
Intermountain Healthcare
Talk Title: 'Addressing Eating Disorders in Athletes in the Context of the Female Athlete Triad'
Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Joy is the Senior Medical Director for Wellness and Nutrition at Intermountain Healthcare, where she also practices family and sports medicine. She is a past President of the American College of Sports Medicine. Her research and writing interests include diabetes prevention, physical activity promotion and the Female Athlete Triad.
2022 Internal Speakers
2022 Internal Speakers
Dr. Lee Baugh
Center for Brain and Behavior Research, Basic Biomedical Sciences
Talk Title: 'Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Applied to Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex on Food Preferences'
The primary research interests of the Baugh Lab are examining the cognitive and neuropsychological foundations of skilled movement, and deficits in such movement that can arise both from healthy again and neurological damage. Without the ability to act upon our thoughts and ideas, via interacting with our environment, our cognition would serve little purpose. Our lab examines questions related to how our brain represents and utilizes the information required to successfully interact with our surroundings. This question is of fundamental importance, bridging the gap between the brain and the outside world. To accomplish this goal, the lab utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach that includes traditional cognitive psychology methodology, as well as neuropsychological patient investigation, fMRI, EEG, EMG, and the advanced analysis of kinematic data. More recently, the lab has expanded research to include the use of non-invasive brain modulation techniques including Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (TES). These expansions have allowed the lab to examine how modulation of brain activity results in changes to both action and cognition.
Dr. Luye Qin
Basic Biomedical Sciences
Talk Title: 'Autism and Epilepsy: Is There an Epigenetic Link?'
Dr. Luye Qin is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota where she has been a faculty member since 2021. She earned her M.D. from Zhengzhou University and Ph.D. from Peking University, China. She completed her postdoc trainings at Burke Neurological Institute, Weill Medical College of Cornell University and SUNY at Buffalo. She is particularly interested in understanding the mechanisms and developing potential therapeutic strategies for neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy. She seeks combined cutting-edge approaches including chemogenetics and optogenetics to pursue her research interests. She hopes that what she has done and what she will do can help patients with neurodevelopmental disorders at some point.
Dr. Thayne Munce
Sanford Research, Department of Pediatrics
Talk Title: 'The First Down Project: Brain Health Research in Youth Football'
Thayne A. Munce, PhD, FACSM is an Assistant Scientist / Manager in the Environmental Influences on Health & Disease Group and Director of the Athletic Health and Performance Lab at Sanford Research (Sanford Health, Sioux Falls, SD). Dr. Munce is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine and has a Graduate Faculty appointment in the Division of Kinesiology and Sport Management at the University of South Dakota. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and serves on several sports medicine leadership boards, including the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee for the South Dakota High School Activities Association, the Leadership Board of the National Youth Sports Health and Safety Institute (NYSHSI), and the Medical Advisory Panel for USA Football. Dr. Munce’s research mission is to perform high-impact, innovative sports science research that has practical applications for athletic health and performance. A primary focus of his work is the First Down Project, which is dedicated to improving the health, safety and performance of football players through sports science research and education. The seminal work of the First Down Project is a multi-year study investigating head impact exposure and brain health in youth football players. Dr. Munce and his team also perform research that addresses key issues in brain health, athletic readiness, injury surveillance and thermoregulation in many athletic populations.
Dr. Melissa Dittberner
Addiction Counseling & Prevention
Talk Title: 'Straight Up Care, Innovation in Recovery'
Dr. Mo, (Melissa Dittberner), PhD, CPS, PS, LMT, is a lecturer in the Addiction Counseling and Prevention department at the University of South Dakota. She has a Ph.D. in Counseling and Psychology in Education, a master’s in Addiction Studies and a bachelor’s in Health Sciences. Dr. Mo is a prevention specialist. She does research on college students’ substance use, pedagogy, addiction, trauma, body brokering and harm reduction. Dr. Mo has worked on grants surrounding substance use disorders, harm reduction, continuing education, telehealth, recovery support, recovery and much more. Dr. Mo is a person in long-term recovery and her mission is: to help people learn to help themselves.
2022 SPURA Alumni Panel
2022 SPURA Alumni Panel
Carly Cooper
SPURA Student 2019
Mentor: Dr. Lee Baugh, Basic Biomedical Sciences
Carly is a first-year medical student at the Sanford School of Medicine. She participated in SPURA in 2019 where she conducted research under her mentor, Dr. Lee Baugh, over the human circadian system and attention. Before beginning medical school, Carly continued to work in research with Dr. Baugh in Medical Student Research Program, investigating the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on eating disorder symptoms.
Melissa Pratt
SPURA Student 2014
Mentor: Dr. Cliff Summers, Biology
Melissa joined the Weimer Lab at Sanford Research in 2018 where she currently works as a Research Supervisor and Project Manager. She leads a large team of researchers and projects focusing on small molecule drug screening as well as biomarker discovery efforts for rare neurodegenerative diseases. She is in the process of applying for a Masters program in Business and Science which she plans to complete remotely while remaining full time in her role at Sanford Research.
Leon Leader Charge
SPURA Student 2014
Mentor: Dr. John Korkow, Addiction Counseling & Prevention
Leon Leader Charge is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Rosebud, S.D. and, also a part of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Pine Ridge, S.D. Leon holds a Bachelor of Science in Addiction Counseling and Prevention from the University of South Dakota, with an emphasis in treatment and prevention continuum. Leon has an interest in helping tribal communities, expanding culturally appropriate evidence based best practices, expanding tribal research, history, Lakota & all Native American culture, tribal law and treaty, formation of federal/tribal policy, suicide prevention, healing from trauma, and the betterment of all tribal nations and communities. Recently Leon successfully completed a graduate policy internship at S.D. US Senator Mike Rounds office and recently worked as an Access Advisor for SD Jump Start, SD Board of Regents, a program that focuses on Native American college recruitment and retention at South Dakota’s public post-secondary regental institutions. Currently Leon is attending graduate school at the University of South Dakota and works full-time for the Office of Legislative Affairs, at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.
2022 Student Speakers
2022 Student Speakers
Austin Van Asselt
Basic Biomedical Sciences
Mentor: Dr. Erik Ehli, Avera Institute for Human Genetics
Talk Title: Implementing a Multi-Omics Approach to Investigate Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Surabhi Swaminath
Clinical Psychology Trainee
Mentor: Dr. Raluca Simons, Psychology
Talk Title: Childhood Maltreatment and Suicidal Ideation: The Role of Emotion and Attachment Dysregulation
Avery Franzen
Basic Biomedical Sciences
Mentor: Dr. Brian Burrell, Basic Biomedical Sciences
Talk Title: In Silico Screen of Small Molecule Inhibition of a Kinase Involved in Long-Lasting Synaptic Change
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