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Molecularly Targeted Treatments For Urothelial And Renal Cell Carcinomas, Andre R. Jordan
Molecularly Targeted Treatments For Urothelial And Renal Cell Carcinomas, Andre R. Jordan
Open Access Dissertations
Bladder cancer (BCa) is the 4th most common cancer in men, and more often presents as advanced disease in women. Management of BCa is complicated and costly due to high rates of recurrence and progression, multifocality, and heterogeneity of tumors. The hyaluronic acid-HYAL-1 system is a molecular driver of BCa. Tumor cell-derived hyaluronidase, HYAL-1, degrades hyaluronic acid (HA) into angiogenic fragments (AGF: 10-12 disaccharides). AGF support tumor growth and progression. In preclinical models of BCa, we evaluated whether o-sulfated AGF (sHA-F) inhibits HYAL-1 HAase activity and has antitumor activity. At IC50 for HAase activity inhibition (5-20 µg/ml [0.4-1.7 µM]), sHA-F …
Understanding The Role Of Idh Mutation In Chondrosarcoma, Luyuan Li
Understanding The Role Of Idh Mutation In Chondrosarcoma, Luyuan Li
Open Access Dissertations
Chondrosarcomas constitute a heterogeneous group of malignant bone tumors that produce hyaline cartilaginous matrix. Chondrosarcomas are generally resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy, leaving surgery as the only curative treatment option for most localized tumors. In the absence of effective systemic therapy, metastatic disease is nearly uniformly fatal. Therefore, better therapy for patients with unresectable or metastatic disease is urgently needed. Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 (IDH1/2) enzymes were recently described in several malignancies including conventional and dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas. These mutations represent a novel genetic abnormality in chondrosarcoma, indicating a potential role for aberrant IDH function in the pathogenesis of …
A Role For The Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 Alpha In Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68 (Mhv68) Lytic Replication And Reactivation From Latency, Darlah Michelle López-Rodríguez
A Role For The Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 Alpha In Murine Gammaherpesvirus 68 (Mhv68) Lytic Replication And Reactivation From Latency, Darlah Michelle López-Rodríguez
Open Access Dissertations
The hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1α) protein and the hypoxic microenvironment are critical for infection and pathogenesis by the oncogenic gammaherpesviruses (γHV) such as Kaposi' Sarcoma-associated Herpes Virus (KSHV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). However, understanding the role of HIF1α during the virus life cycle and its biological relevance in the context of host pathogenesis has been challenging due to the lack of animal models for human γ HV. To study the role of HIF1α we employed the murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV68), a rodent pathogen that readily infects laboratory mice. We show that MHV68 infection induces HIF1α protein and HIF1α-responsive …
Infection Of Mitochondria In Damselfish Neurofibromatosis: Impacts On Mitochondrial Function And Dna Levels, Merly Laura Ovares
Infection Of Mitochondria In Damselfish Neurofibromatosis: Impacts On Mitochondrial Function And Dna Levels, Merly Laura Ovares
Open Access Dissertations
Damselfish neurofibromatosis (DNF) is a type of cancer affecting Stegastes partitus (Bicolor damselfish) on Florida reefs. The agent which causes the disease, termed the damselfish virus-like agent (DVLA), is the only known agent to replicate within mitochondria of animal cells. Determining the effects DVLA has on mitochondrial function and DNA levels are of importance to further understand DNF, as well as which mechanisms of mitochondrial function are directly affected by DVLA which may cause cancer. Experiments analyzed DNA levels of both DVLA and mitochondria (mtDNA), as well as mitochondrial-mediated metabolism on healthy and tumor tissues. Cell lines were also analyzed …
Untangling The Complexities Of Patient Navigation Interventions For Engagement In Care Among People Living With Hiv Who Use Drugs Or Alcohol, Sharleen M. Traynor
Untangling The Complexities Of Patient Navigation Interventions For Engagement In Care Among People Living With Hiv Who Use Drugs Or Alcohol, Sharleen M. Traynor
Open Access Dissertations
Engaging and retaining individuals with HIV who also use drugs or alcohol in care is essential to reducing HIV-related morbidity and mortality in the United States. HIV-infected individuals who use substances are less likely to access care, adhere to treatment plans, and achieve viral suppression compared to those who do not report substance use. This leads to uncontrolled infection and contributes to ongoing disease transmission. Multiple factors are associated with poor engagement in HIV care and often include a combination of syndemic psychosocial factors, comorbid conditions, and structural barriers to healthcare utilization. Patient Navigation (PN) is a client-centered intervention designed …
Nucleus Pulposus Of The Intervertebral Disc: The Effect Of Environmental Factors On Metabolic Activity, Lukas M. Jaworski
Nucleus Pulposus Of The Intervertebral Disc: The Effect Of Environmental Factors On Metabolic Activity, Lukas M. Jaworski
Open Access Dissertations
Lower back pain is a major socioeconomic concern in developed nations. Moreover, it is a condition which a majority of people will experience an episode within their lifetime, with a portion becoming chronically afflicted. Degeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD) is believed to play a critical role in initiating lower back pain. Poor nutrient supplies are implicated as a one of the root causes of this degeneration and much effort has been spent to better elucidate the behavior of IVD cells. The IVD is the largest avascular structure within the body, relying on diffusion to migrate nutrients in and clear …
Reimagining Gender Violence: Understanding Community-Based Organizations’ Use Of Restorative And Transformative Justices As Social Change Strategies, Ahjané D. Billingsley
Reimagining Gender Violence: Understanding Community-Based Organizations’ Use Of Restorative And Transformative Justices As Social Change Strategies, Ahjané D. Billingsley
Open Access Dissertations
Currently, the “violence against women” (VAW) frame that informs dominant responses to gender violence has had limited success. This frame often excludes victims who are men, gender diverse, and those of sexual minorities, and the omissions have resulted in collateral harms to victims and communities. Scholars and community psychologists have noted the need for multilevel, ecological, and multidimensional gender violence interventions and preventions. Some community-based organizations are responding to the limitations of the VAW frame by using restorative justice and/or transformative justice/community accountability social change strategies within social settings to understand and address gender violence. This study used interpretive phenomenology …
Non-Sovereign Poetics: Rethinking Nationalism And Independence In Puerto Rico, Martinique, And Guadeloupe, Fély Catan
Non-Sovereign Poetics: Rethinking Nationalism And Independence In Puerto Rico, Martinique, And Guadeloupe, Fély Catan
Open Access Dissertations
This dissertation reconsiders the notion of political sovereignty, independence and nationalism in the non-sovereign Caribbean context. I explore the ways in which writers and artists from Puerto Rico, Martinique, and Guadeloupe envision alternative epistemologies to the Western concepts of sovereignty and the nation-state. By questioning the traditional model of state sovereignty through the linguistic, aesthetic, and thematic components of their texts, plays, and visual, I argue that these artists have expressed other ways to be sovereign. This dissertation analyzes a defiant artistic production that originates in a contemporary crossroads for economic survival in a Caribbean context. I investigate how the …
Informing An Intervention To Address High-Risk Sexual Behavior In Hispanic Men Who Have Sex With Men, Jacob Martinez
Informing An Intervention To Address High-Risk Sexual Behavior In Hispanic Men Who Have Sex With Men, Jacob Martinez
Open Access Dissertations
Hispanic men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV infection. However, few interventions have been shown to be effective in decreasing high-risk sexual behaviors among Hispanic MSM. The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore factors that may contribute to Hispanic MSM engagement in interventions to decrease high-risk sexual behaviors and to add relevant data to inform a culturally appropriate intervention. A qualitative descriptive research design was utilized to conduct in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a sample of 21 Hispanic MSM from various collaborator community sites in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Data were analyzed using …
Exploring Myosin Rlc Phosphorylation As A Potential Novel Therapeutic Target For Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Sunil Yadav
Exploring Myosin Rlc Phosphorylation As A Potential Novel Therapeutic Target For Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Sunil Yadav
Open Access Dissertations
Background: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is one of the most prevalent heart diseases characterized by ventricular and septal hypertrophy, myocardial fibrosis and myofibrillar disarray. Genetic forms of HCM are mainly caused by mutations in major sarcomeric proteins such as β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC), myosin protein binding C (MyBP-C), regulatory and essential light chains (RLC/ELC), troponin, tropomyosin and actin. My Ph.D. proposal focuses on myosin RLC and two RLC mutations: Arginine-to-Glutamine, R58Q, and Aspartic acid-to-Valine, D166V, that cause HCM and strives to provide insight into the importance of human cardiac myosin RLC phosphorylation site at Ser-15 for normal heart function and its …
Functional Significance Of The Hexosamine Biosynthesis Pathway In Pancreatic Cancer, Nikita Satish Sharma
Functional Significance Of The Hexosamine Biosynthesis Pathway In Pancreatic Cancer, Nikita Satish Sharma
Open Access Dissertations
Pancreatic cancer is a notoriously lethal disease. Late detection, lack of effective biomarkers, presence of a treatment refractory population of cells, an impermeable stroma, metastasis and tumor recurrence are some of the factors contributing to the dismissal 5-year survival rate of 8% for this disease. Hexosamine Biosynthesis Pathway (HBP) is a unique node in cancer metabolism. Its end product, UDP-GlcNAc is used by both tumor cells and the extracellular matrix component Hyaluronan for signaling, proliferation and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells. While there have been reports examining the significance of HBP in individual factors contributing to tumor aggressiveness, a comprehensive …
The Diverse Roles Of Mitochondrial Dynamics In Retinal Ganglion Cell Maturation, Disease, And Regeneration, Alexander Kreymerman
The Diverse Roles Of Mitochondrial Dynamics In Retinal Ganglion Cell Maturation, Disease, And Regeneration, Alexander Kreymerman
Open Access Dissertations
Mitochondria maintain a diversity of roles central to the array of neuronal functions and survival, as implied by the ubiquitous evidence of mitochondrial roles in neuronal developmental, aging, and disease progression. The canonical function of mitochondria is to produce ATP, a critical and dominant molecule used by cells for energy requiring activities. However, since their discovery more than a century ago, mitochondria have been implicated in a vast collection of cellular processes, largely driven by their expanded function beyond metabolism, including secondary messenger signaling, cytoplasmic Ca2+ signaling, fatty acid oxidation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and protein scaffolding. More recently, …
A Comprehensive Investigation Of Mth1 As A Novel Therapeutic Target In Ras-Driven Cancers., Govindi Jayanika De Alwis Samaranayake
A Comprehensive Investigation Of Mth1 As A Novel Therapeutic Target In Ras-Driven Cancers., Govindi Jayanika De Alwis Samaranayake
Open Access Dissertations
The nucleotide pool is significantly more susceptible to oxidative damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared to genomic DNA, due to DNA being more protected by the double helix and nucleosome packing. The NUDIX pyrophosphatase, MutT Homolog 1 (MTH1), maintains nucleotide pool integrity by hydrolyzing oxidized purines thus preventing their genomic incorporation. If incorporated into DNA the accumulation of these oxidized purines can lead to DNA strand breaks, genomic instability, and ultimately cell death. Our prior work has shown that MTH1 is critical in facilitating multiple pro-tumorigenic phenotypes in oncogenic RAS-mutated cancer cells, with its depletion leading to decreased …
A Performance Edition Of Charles Villiers Stanford's Cello Concerto In D Minor, Patrick Shea Kole
A Performance Edition Of Charles Villiers Stanford's Cello Concerto In D Minor, Patrick Shea Kole
Open Access Dissertations
The following paper appears in conjunction with a video of a lecture recital by Patrick Shea Kole. The subject of this doctoral thesis is a cello concerto by Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924). Written in 1879 and orchestrated in 1880, the concerto was not published in the composer's lifetime. The manuscripts resurfaced in 2002, leading to the publication of a critical edition in 2012. The recency of its publication means that cellists are just now becoming aware of this exceptional 19th century concerto. My lecture recital on February 12th 2019 at the Frost School of Music (included here) was the United …
The Ecophysiology Of Photosynthetic Heat Tolerances In Tropical Plants, Timothy More Perez
The Ecophysiology Of Photosynthetic Heat Tolerances In Tropical Plants, Timothy More Perez
Open Access Dissertations
Temperature governs several biological processes from molecular to macroecological scales. Underlying many ecological processes is the assumption that fitness is constrained by the physiological limits of species’ metabolic function. The thermal limits of metabolic function, termed thermal tolerances, are often assumed to directly translate into the environmental conditions that define species’ abiotic thermal niches. When species exceed their physiological thermal tolerances, it is expected to negatively impact fitness, and may therefore provide a basis for understanding the environmental constraints on species distributions. Given the rising temperatures caused by climate change, heat tolerances are of particular interest for understanding these constraints. …
Induction Of Beta-Cell Regeneration By Activin-Like Kinase 3 Stimulation, Mirza Muhammad Fahd Qadir
Induction Of Beta-Cell Regeneration By Activin-Like Kinase 3 Stimulation, Mirza Muhammad Fahd Qadir
Open Access Dissertations
Glucose homeostasis is maintained and tightly regulated via production of key hormones that control the uptake and metabolism of glucose. β-cells, which secrete insulin, are the subject of autoimmune destruction in type 1 diabetes. From a developmental standpoint, Bone Morphogenetic Protein receptors (BMPRs) have a key role in multiple cell processes, including proliferation and differentiation. Targeting these receptors to identify and induce the proliferation of progenitor cells could have therapeutic applications. Previous studies have shown the conversion of the exocrine compartment of the pancreas to form insulin-producing cells. In this context, we have identified a cell residing in the pancreatic …
The Effect Of A High Intensity Interval Exercise Bout On Addictive Behaviors In Overweight/Obese Adults, Sarah Zaldivar
The Effect Of A High Intensity Interval Exercise Bout On Addictive Behaviors In Overweight/Obese Adults, Sarah Zaldivar
Open Access Dissertations
Addictive snacking can contribute to excessive caloric intake having an adverse effect on body weight and the obesity pandemic. Studies have reported that moderate intensity exercise decreases chocolate consumption. However, the effect of high intensity interval exercise (HIIE) on addictive snacking is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a brief HIIE bout on cravings, affect (affective valence and affective activation), and attentional bias to chocolate. Twelve regular chocolate eaters (10 premenopausal females; 2 males; mean age: 30.5 ± 7.37 years, mean BMI: 28.67 ± 4.5 kg/m2) abstained from chocolate consumption for 24 h prior to evaluation. Participants …
Contemporary Central American Imaginaries Under (Re)Construction: Landings In A Postwar Cultural Landscape, Rosario Catalina Ramírez
Contemporary Central American Imaginaries Under (Re)Construction: Landings In A Postwar Cultural Landscape, Rosario Catalina Ramírez
Open Access Dissertations
My dissertation maps contemporary Central American cultural production in literature, music and grassroots networks for culture. It is focused on the postwar period in the region, from the signing of the Peace Accords in the 1990s onwards. I focus on emergent cultural narratives in order to analyze the reconstruction of isthmian imaginaries through a constructive lens. Cultural texts and discursive imaginaries are analyzed from a perspective grounded in local histories versus the grand homogenizing narratives that have historically defined the Central America isthmus, such as mestizaje and the revolutionary as paradigm. Through the analytical constructs of aterrizaje and descendencia, …
Genomic Analyses Reveal The Evolutionary Dynamics Of Speciation In Two Tropical Avian Systems, Sarah Alison Cowles
Genomic Analyses Reveal The Evolutionary Dynamics Of Speciation In Two Tropical Avian Systems, Sarah Alison Cowles
Open Access Dissertations
The process of speciation is long and complex, and takes place in multiple stages, with a variety of potential outcomes. Studying lineages at different stages in the speciation process can lend insight into the evolutionary factors that generate and maintain biodiversity. For my dissertation, I used two genomic datasets generated from field-collected DNA samples in two tropical avian systems to examine the early and late stages of the speciation process. I studied the initial stages of speciation in the Amazilia Hummingbird (Amazilia amazilia) subspecies complex. Found across Ecuador and Peru, this species is split into six phenotypically differentiated …
The Effects Of Environmental Variables And Anthropogenic Pollutants On The Physiology And Behavior Of Marine Fishes, Lela S. Schlenker
The Effects Of Environmental Variables And Anthropogenic Pollutants On The Physiology And Behavior Of Marine Fishes, Lela S. Schlenker
Open Access Dissertations
In the face of rapidly changing environmental conditions due to human mediated climate change and large-scale pollution events such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, it is critical to understand the relationship between environmental stimuli and the behavior of marine fishes. Sustainable management of commercially important and highly migratory fish species, such as mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), as well as unfished reef species, like the bicolor damselfish (Stegastes partitus), depend upon our understanding of their physiology and behavior in response to changing habitat conditions. Olfaction is critical for fish to detect environmental cues and triggers behaviors that …
Multi-Scale Analysis Of Multifunctional Composites And 3d Printed Polymers, Daniel Branden Perez
Multi-Scale Analysis Of Multifunctional Composites And 3d Printed Polymers, Daniel Branden Perez
Open Access Dissertations
Methods of multi-scale analysis through combined physical testing and computational FEM were used to investigate structural battery composites and 3D printed polymers. Multifunctional composite structural batteries are materials capable of storing electrical energy while providing structural rigidity. Two battery cell configurations were considered: a carbon paper based cell with copper and aluminum foils, and a woven carbon fiber-based battery with nickel and iron deposition coatings. Flexural simulations were performed through simulated and physical three-point bend testing. Unidirectional carbon fiber layers in the place of the carbon paper can lead to up to a 233.73 GPa stiffness, significantly greater than the …
Investigating Novel Compounds In The Treatment Of Cardiac Arrhythmia, Briana Marie Bohannon
Investigating Novel Compounds In The Treatment Of Cardiac Arrhythmia, Briana Marie Bohannon
Open Access Dissertations
Cardiac arrhythmia leads to 325,000 cases of sudden cardiac death annually in adults alone (Clinic 2017). Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is an arrhythmogenic disorder that is caused by mutations (or channelopathies) in voltage-gated ion channels expressed in the cardiomyocyte. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have emerged as a potential therapeutic for the treatment of LQTS because they modulate the activity of voltage-gated ion channels involved in LQTS pathology. PUFAs are amphipathic molecules with a hydrophilic head group, as well as long, polyunsaturated hydrophobic tail. In this work, we demonstrate that the position of the double bonds in the hydrophobic tail influence …
James Stephenson: Symphony #3 "Visions"- A Conductor's Literary Companion, Alexander Magalong
James Stephenson: Symphony #3 "Visions"- A Conductor's Literary Companion, Alexander Magalong
Open Access Dissertations
The primary purpose of this essay is to provide information and an overview for conductors and performers who are preparing a performance of Symphony #3 “Visions” by James Stephenson. Each individual movement is discussed, addressing a range of observations as discovered from extensive score study. These include theoretical observations, use of orchestration, and thematic and motivic development. Unifying elements to other movements such as thematic recurrences are identified. Each chapter also addresses performance considerations such as potential issues with balance, clarifications with articulations, considerations for ensemble precision, vital cues from the conductor, and so forth. Appendices include the composer’s program …
Leveraging Admixture In United States Minority Populations To Elucidate The Genetic Underpinnings Of Multiple Sclerosis, Ashley Harris Beecham
Leveraging Admixture In United States Minority Populations To Elucidate The Genetic Underpinnings Of Multiple Sclerosis, Ashley Harris Beecham
Open Access Dissertations
Notable progress has been made towards unraveling the genetic architecture of multiple sclerosis (MS) within ancestral European populations; with 200 confirmed variants outside of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) explaining ~19% of the genetic predisposition to MS, and the MHC alone explaining ~20%. However, the genetics of MS in Hispanics and African Americans remains largely understudied. I proposed to examine the role of the previously confirmed non-MHC MS risk loci in United States patient populations of Hispanics and African Americans and to identify novel loci. In Hispanics, I proposed to extend these analyses; both to characterize the MHC and to …
The Symphonies Of Johannes Brahms: An Exploration Of Performance Considerations For The Orchestral Trombonist, Wesley Louis-Neil Thompson
The Symphonies Of Johannes Brahms: An Exploration Of Performance Considerations For The Orchestral Trombonist, Wesley Louis-Neil Thompson
Open Access Dissertations
Before its entrance into the instrumental genre of “The Symphony”, the trombone had held a long history of doubling vocal lines in sacred vocal music, oratorios, and operatic traditions. Ludwig van Beethoven is often credited as the first major composer to include the trombones in a symphony in his Symphony No. 5, however there were several composers that had written for trombones in their symphonies before Beethoven. Since the time of Beethoven, the trombone has become a permanent member of the symphony orchestra. Johannes Brahms was greatly influenced by Beethoven and the other Classical and Baroque masters including their use …
Perceptual Experience And Understanding Language, Seong Oh
Perceptual Experience And Understanding Language, Seong Oh
Open Access Dissertations
Can we literally see and hear meanings? In my dissertation, I argue first that we have a conscious understanding experience which is (1) non-inferential, (2) cognitively impenetrable, and (2) with a specific sensory modal. Under the characterization of the experience, I conclude that the experience is literally perceptual. Thereafter, I argue that this characterized understanding experience is conceptual by virtue of being a high-level perceptual experience, and then plays the role of epistemic justifier for the belief of what an utterance means just as high-level perceptual experience in general performs as a justifier for perceptual belief.
Cervical Cancer Prevention And Control In Haitian Women Living In South Florida And The Central Plateau Of Haiti, Rhoda K. Moise
Cervical Cancer Prevention And Control In Haitian Women Living In South Florida And The Central Plateau Of Haiti, Rhoda K. Moise
Open Access Dissertations
The cervical cancer burden in Haiti is among the highest in the world, despite being a largely preventable disease through primary (i.e., vaccination against Human papillomavirus (HPV), the principal cause of cervical cancer), and secondary (i.e., routine cervical cancer screening) prevention strategies. Haitian women likely face multiple barriers to disease prevention though knowledge of these barriers remains limited, particularly from a multilevel, transnational orientation. This dissertation aims to fill this gap. Guided by the PEN-3 model and the tenets of Community Engaged Research, the three associated papers rely on mixed methodologies to articulate the complex interplay between socio-cultural, environmental, political, …
The Nato Allies And Intervention In Libya, Jimmy M. Wong
The Nato Allies And Intervention In Libya, Jimmy M. Wong
Open Access Dissertations
In 2011, protest movements calling for political reform in the Middle East and North Africa proliferated throughout the region. The United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany each would respond in a variety of ways gradually moving towards finding these protest movements within their national interests. Tracking each state’s response to the Arab Spring, this dissertation seeks to understand how and why they found it within their national interest eventually to intervene militarily, or not, in Libya. This exegetical study utilizes a securitization theory approach to understand the process by which these protest movements did or did not move …
Air-Sea Interaction Dynamics Under Hurricane Wind Conditions, Sanchit Mehta
Air-Sea Interaction Dynamics Under Hurricane Wind Conditions, Sanchit Mehta
Open Access Dissertations
Understanding turbulent fluxes of momentum, mass, and energy across the air-sea boundary are fundamental to our ability to model and parameterize a number of multidimensional geophysical processes, such as wind-wave generation, oceanic circulation, and air-sea gas transfer. The physical nature of the near surface boundary layer remains less known, especially under high winds due to the development of an intermediate substrate layer of large spray droplets known as spume, between the atmosphere and ocean surface. Presence of these spume droplet effects the aerodynamic resistance of the prevailing winds over the surface and thus the behavior of surface drag coefficient. The …
Engineering A Compartmentalized Hydrogel Platform For In Vitro Assembly Of Neuromuscular Junctions, Rachel Besser
Engineering A Compartmentalized Hydrogel Platform For In Vitro Assembly Of Neuromuscular Junctions, Rachel Besser
Open Access Dissertations
This study reports the first hydrogel based compartmentalized in vitro platform for neuromuscular junction (NMJ) formation. The study was performed in three parts including the fabrication of a biomimetic substrate adhesive to both cell types involved in NMJ formation, optimizing the media formulation for these cells, and designing and testing a compartmentalized hydrogel system. A laminin coated gelatin (GEL-LN) hydrogel was fabricated and used to assess C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cells, primary rat Schwann cells, and human induced pluripotent stem cell derived spinal spheroid (SpS). The GEL- LN substrate increased maturation and improved morphology when used to culture C2C12 cells …