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Is Left Ventricular Dysfunction Associated With Increased Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease Independent Of Classical Vascular Dementia Pathways?, Priyanshi Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This poster examines the potential connection between left ventricular dysfunction and the risk of Alzheimer's disease in older adults. Studies suggest that reduced heart function may affect brain health by limiting blood flow to the brain, increasing inflammation, and interfering with the brain's ability to clear harmful proteins such as amyloid-β and tau. These processes resemble changes commonly seen in Alzheimer's disease. In population-based studies, individuals with heart failure or structural abnormalities of the left ventricle appear to have a higher risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, even after accounting for major risk factors such as hypertension and clinical …

Mapping Neurobehavioral Outcomes Of Glyphosate Application In The United States Through A Data Science Framework, Parushi Porwal, Sharvani Nune, Japji Madan, Arrin Carter, Mitali Athwale, Aliyah Khan, Roham Hadidchi, Umayyah Ahsan, Junaid Muktadir, Rishi Porwal

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Glyphosate is the most widely used active ingredient in herbicides globally, yet its impact on mental health and neurodegenerative disorders is under-researched. This project developed a data science approach to build a structured database that consolidates evidence of glyphosate exposure and neurological health outcomes, with a primary focus on the United States. A systematic search of scientific databases identified over seventy peer-reviewed studies, primarily U.S.-based with some global representation. Data for six primary health outcomes (depression, anxiety, reported suicide, ADHD, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease) were extracted. Each study was reviewed for design type, study location, exposure assessment methods, health …

Pattern Formation In A Β-Amyloid Plaque Model For Alzheimer's Disease , Hannah Prudhomme

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with complex physiological mechanism that are not fully understood. Over 7 million Americans are known to be living with the disease, and an Alzheimer's diagnosis accounts for 60-70% of dementia cases. Current hypotheses attribute the cause to an interplay between β-Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, resulting in central nervous system disruption and decline in cognitive functioning. In this project, we study a spatial dynamical system model that incorporates the interaction between β-Amyloid monomers, oligomers, microglia, and interleukins in the context of plaque aggregation. We establish conditions for the existence and stability of a spatially …

Repurposing Nilotinib In A Metabolically Compromised Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Maria Ramirez Aleman, Victoria Pullido-Correa, Ariana Hernandez, Chana Vogel, Ana Carvalho, Daniel Lopez, Esperanza Barrios, Katilin Martin, Dylan Kuni, Maria A. Paiz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Diet-related metabolic disorders, including obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes, significantly increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Despite substantial research, effective disease-modifying therapies remain limited. Nilotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for leukemia, has shown neuroprotective effects in preclinical AD models, including reduced amyloid-β pathology and improved cognition. In vitro studies also suggest nilotinib enhances mitochondrial bioenergetics. However, its efficacy under conditions of metabolic dysfunction remains unclear. This study therefore evaluated the effects of nilotinib in an AD mouse model with diet-induced metabolic impairment. Male and female B6129SF1/J control and 3xTg-AD mice were fed a low-fat (LFD) or high-fat …

Understanding Ice Age Climate In Buffalo Gap National Grasslands Through Heavy Mineral Analysis, Chancellor Rockwell Marks, Jenna Church

Undergraduate Student Symposium

More information about ice age climate change during Marine Isotope Stage 2 (MIS 2), the last glacial maximum, is known from ice cores and marine sediments than from continental geology. For scientists to construct climate models, they need climate information about continental areas for comparison. Marine and ice sediments are deposited in layers, year after year, with relatively little disturbance after deposition. Changes in isotopic composition of these sediments reflect profound changes in Earth's climate. The equivalent continental sediment record is loess (windblown dust), which is deposited in fine layers without subsequent disturbance. Here, we studied loess to determine paleowind …

Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Exacerbates Cognitive Deficits In A Mouse Model Of Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects around 69 million people each year, with mild TBIs (mTBIs) making up the majority of cases. These injuries, often sustained during contact sports, military service, or incidents of domestic violence, typically involve brief or no loss of consciousness and few immediate symptoms. However, repeated occurrences significantly elevate the risk for long-term complications, including dementia. While repetitive in mTBI is strongly linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), the relationship with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), characterized by the accumulation of amyloid peptides in the cerebral vasculature, remains understudied. Given that CAA significantly contributes …

Modeling The Binding Of Salinosporamide A (Mzb) To The Human 20s Proteasome For Potential Cancer Treatment, Jayden Ross, Jayant Ari, Audrey Anand, Giezel Medina

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This project aims to model and observe the binding of the drug Marizomib (MZB) and compare its binding affinity other similar drugs to the proteosome using the PDB ID 9HMN and bioinformatics tools. MZB is an anti-cancer drug that was derived from the marine bacterium, Salinosporamide A. Its function is to inhibit the human 20S proteasome from breaking down excess proteins, causing the cell to trigger apoptosis. Additionally, MZB has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and utilize three catalytically active amino acid sites. The existing PDB ID (9HMN) of a 20S proteasome with MZB bound was 3D printed. …

Psychological Separation As A Developmental Moderator Of Cognitive Maladjustment, Tanvi Rudrangi, Kaleigh Cummings, Misha Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Developing a personal identity is a central task of late adolescence (Erikson, 1968). Emerging adulthood, a developmental period spanning the late teens to mid-twenties, is characterized by increased independence and self-focus, providing opportunities for life skill development and self-understanding. Despite this emphasis on self-focus, emerging adults' psychosocial adjustment remains closely tied to parent relationships, particularly the process of separation-individuation from parents. The present study examined whether paternal psychological separation moderates the relationship between self-focused life perspectives and maladaptive cognitions of ego inflation/superiority. Participants included 95 emerging adults (ages 18-25, M=20.7, 60 women). Paternal separation was assessed using the 69-item Psychological …

Pelvic Posture And Spinal Mechanics In Collegiate Golfers: A Tpi Screening And Video Analysis, Rachel Shaw

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Understanding golf swing mechanics is essential for both performance and long-term physical sustainability. The golf swing is a complex movement requiring coordinated action of multiple joints, particularly the spine, hips, and shoulders. Even minor mechanical inefficiencies can reduce shot accuracy, distance, and consistency, while poor mechanics may increase stress on the spine, hips, shoulders, and wrists, raising injury risk. Swing analysis is especially important in collegiate golfers, who are in a critical developmental phase where performance and physical health directly influence future success. Collegiate golfers, typically aged 17-22, are adapting to higher training loads while developing peak strength and power. …

Trail-Camera Monitoring Of Gopher Tortoise Burrows And The Commensal Wildlife Across South Florida Natural Areas, Madison Smith, Heidi Martz, Coral Kovac, Olivia Baker, Javier Vasallo, Jade Andreu

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) are a keystone species whose burrows provide essential shelter for numerous commensal organisms in Florida's upland ecosystems. Understanding tortoise behavior and the wildlife activity that occurs around burrow entrances is critical for informing conservation management and public outreach. This project used motion-triggered trail cameras to document gopher tortoise activity and burrow-associated wildlife across multiple protected natural areas in South Florida. At each natural area, three active burrows were selected and monitored, resulting in three trail cameras deployed per site and nine cameras deployed in total. All cameras operated continuously over an extended observation period. …

Analysis Of Conserved Domains In Promoters Of Differentially Expressed Genes In Rice, Mahalaxmi Some, Eimaan Ahmad, Emalynn Tobias

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Plant responses to stress involve changes in gene expression, and understanding these changes is key to improving crop resilience. A critical step in this process is identifying "conserved domains" in the promoters of Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs), as these domains often provide binding sites for transcription factors. In this study, we aim to identify the Cis-Regulatory Elements (CREs) in the promoters of DEGs associated with heat stress. Previously, we identified 149 DEGs from transcriptomic analyses of two rice varieties, Cypress (heat-tolerant) and LaGrue (heat-sensitive), both exposed to high night temperatures (HNT; 82.4 ± 1°F or 28 ± 1°C). We hypothesize …

From Resume To Risk Factor: The Connections Between Occupation, Chronic Disease, And Mental Health In The United States, Nemo Thomas, Joshua Dumond, Nicole Real

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mental health affects various aspects of overall health, including physical, emotional, and social well-being, which influences behavior and management of disease. Furthermore, occupational types (blue-collar, white-collar, and grey-collar) can influence how individuals manage stress. This can be due to the various responsibilities an individual has or the work environment that one is consistently exposed to, which can lead to detrimental mental health outcomes. This study examined the relationship between occupational type and the occurrence of individuals' self-reported levels of distress, anxiety, hopelessness, restlessness, sadness, and worthlessness. The data from this study was obtained from the IPUMS NHIS 2024 surveys, a …

Repurposing Glp-1ra Drugs For Modulating Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy And Neurodegeneration, Janhavi Tonge

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sepsis, a life-threatening disorder caused by an exacerbated immune host response towards a pathogen, accounts for about 1 in 5 deaths worldwide with more than 11 million deaths. In septic pathophysiology, pathogen components interact with the receptors of immune and endothelial cells, causing the release of inflammatory signals. This results in a hyperinflammatory phase that leads to "leaky" blood vessels through vasodilation, which causes improper tissue perfusion and hypotension. If untreated, this can lead to multiorgan damage and can be especially damaging to vulnerable, non-regenerative organs such as the brain. Post-sepsis recovery has long term consequences in the central nervous …

The Central Role Of Caffeine In Energy Drink Effects, Viviana Valerio, Sarah Bailey

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The goal of this study was to assess the effects of caffeine in an energy drink against a caffeine-matched control on attention span. Two double-blind groups of a total of 107 subjects were formed. Each group was either assigned to the energy drink (C4 - Nutrabolt®) or a caffeine-matched control of 200 mg of caffeine. The subjects consumed the caffeine sources and waited 45 minutes. They then completed a psychomotor vigilance test (PVT), Memtrax (memory), handgrip strength, and a wall-sit endurance test. There were no differences in the improvement (pre vs. post) of the PVT test between the caffeine-matched control …

The Functional Movement Screening In Collegiate Soccer Players, Sophia White, Karina Manrique

Undergraduate Student Symposium

About 70% of soccer injuries are non-contact, resulting from underlying mobility, stability, or movement pattern issues. Soccer players are particularly susceptible to ankle, knee, and hip injuries due to the high demands on lower body mobility, stability and repetitive dynamic motions. Functional Movement Screening is a popular evaluation method that is used to find asymmetries and dysfunctional movement patterns that could put athletes at risk for injury. Scores from the FMS test have been linked to injury risks. The purpose of this study is to conduct and evaluate the FMS performances among collegiate soccer players (n=26) to decrease injury risk, …

Colon Cancer Findings And A Community Solution, Brintia Wright

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Colorectal cancer remains a significant public health concern due to its high incidence, mortality, and persistent demographic disparities. The primary goal of this project was to develop an evidence-based community resource guide for the South Florida region to support early detection and equitable screening for colon cancer. The resource guide was informed by a structured review of current screening guidelines, peer-reviewed literature, and population-level data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. SEER incidence, stage at diagnosis, and survival data for individuals aged 25-84 years diagnosed with colon cancer between 2000 and 2022 were synthesized to identify high-risk …

Determining The Life Cycles Of Gordonia Rubripertincta Phages, Joshua Yue, Aron Balazs, Jenny Cristina Gallardo Arauz, Akshaj Gandra, Yuktha Milukuri, Suhani Ketan Pothiwala

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Antibiotic resistance continues to rise globally, increasingly limiting the effectiveness of conventional antimicrobial treatments and prompting the exploration of alternative therapies. Bacteriophages are viruses that can specifically infect and kill bacteria, and have emerged as a promising solution, particularly for infections resistant to antibiotics. This study is part of the Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program, which aims to isolate, characterize, and catalog bacteriophages for research and potential therapeutic use. We focused on bacteriophages infecting Gordonia rubripertincta, an actinobacterium with growing clinical relevance as an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised patients and catheter related infections. …

Effects Of Renin-Angiotensin System Targeting Drugs On Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy And Related Neuropathology, Anna Maria Weber, Ariana Hernandez, Chana Vogel, Victoria Pulido-Correa, Maria Agustina Paiz, Shaina Binu, Sonakshi Kose, Aayush Doshi, Dylan Kuni, Sylvia Yousef

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a common cerebrovascular disease characterized by beta-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation in the cerebral vasculature, resulting in vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) along with other neuropathologies such as inflammation. Given that medications approved to treat CAA currently do not exist, this highlights that there is a pressing need for more innovative approaches to drug discovery. In this study, classical renin-angiotensin system (RAS)-inhibiting antihypertensive drugs were repurposed to investigate their efficacy for mitigating CAA-associated neuropathology and cognitive decline, while additionally evaluating for sex-specific outcomes. Male and female Tg-SwDI mice were treated for 4 months with non-hypotensive doses …

Evaluting Practical Limitations Of Signal Detection Theory In Clinical Behavioral Research, Xinlei Zhang, Prarthana Harikrishnan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Deficits in inhibitory control - the ability to suppress automatic, impulsive responses - has been widely considered as a potential biomarker for mental health disorders. Signal Detection Theory (SDT) has provided a systematic measurement method for inhibitory control in clinical behavioral assessment. To evaluate the feasibility of inhibitory control as a biomarker, researchers have used meta-analysis to examine its effect size (Hedge's g) in differentiating between individuals with mental health disorders and healthy controls. Values of g>0.8 indicate that inhibitory control may serve as a clinically useful biomarker for distinguishing patients from healthy individuals, whereas g<0.8 suggests limited clinical utility. However, our study found that a limitation of SDT - its lack of reliability when participants show perfect performance - would lead to distorted and misleading results when evaluating the efficacy of inhibitory control as a biomarker. In our computational simulation, we found that when applying SDT to a clinically useful biomarker (for example, true effect size g = …

Sexual Dimorphism In Physiological, Metabolic, And Hypothalamic Alterations In The Tg-Swdi Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Yingying Zhu, Ariana Hernandez, Natalia Noto, Victoria Pulido-Correa, Chana Vogel, Julianna Bonetti

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting 55 million people worldwide. Cognitive disruptions, linked to pathology in the hippocampus and cortical areas, are frequently observed in individuals with late manifestation of AD; however, non-cognitive dysfunctions, which contribute to poor quality of life and survival, are often overlooked. The hypothalamus plays a role in regulating homeostatic functions such as hunger, thirst, sleep, and blood pressure. The coordinated activity of hypothalamic regions such as the paraventricular nucleus, arcuate nucleus, ventromedial nucleus, dorsomedial nucleus, and lateral hypothalamus are crucial in maintaining metabolic homeostasis and neuroendocrine processes. Dysregulation of these processes has been …

Discovery And Genome Annotation Of Tuti And Charminar: Two Newly Discovered Gordonia Rubripertincta Bacteriophages, Tracey Alexis, Melissa Bassily, Jayden Courtney, Tamanna Dipen Shah, Javier Estepa, Malak Gadelkarim, Wayne Jean-Baptiste, Elias Leyes, Anushka Malay, Mackenzie Nezat, Mahisvi Vemulapalli

Undergraduate Student Symposium

As the most abundant organisms, bacteria are both beneficial and harmful, highlighting the significance of regulating their growth. Bacteriophages (phages) are ubiquitous viruses that require a host bacterial organism for replication, making them an essential component of the microbial ecosystem and used as tools for killing bacteria. Since their discovery in 1915, phages have been used in real-world applications including alternatives to antibiotics, diagnostic agents, pest control in agriculture, wastewater treatment, and bioremediation. Since bacteriophages remain mostly undiscovered, continued isolation and genetic characterization of novel phages are essential for advancing scientific knowledge and potential applications. Through Nova Southeastern University's SEA-PHAGES …

Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Exacerbates Cognitive Deficits In A Mouse Model Of Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, Lauren Rosenberg, Victoria Pullido-Correa, Ariana Hernandez, Chana Vogel, Bianca Echeverria, Iliana Uribe

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects around 69 million people each year, with mild TBIs (mTBIs) making up the majority of cases. These injuries, often sustained during contact sports, military service, or incidents of domestic violence, typically involve brief or no loss of consciousness and few immediate symptoms. However, repeated occurrences significantly elevate the risk for long-term complications, including dementia. While repetitive in mTBI is strongly linked to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), the relationship with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), characterized by the accumulation of amyloid peptides in the cerebral vasculature, remains understudied. Given that CAA significantly contributes …

Addressing Burnout In Medical Education: A Meta-Analysis Of Florida Medical School, Riddhi Banjeree

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Burnout and mental health issues in medical students in the United States have become increasingly prominent -- posing challenges for student well-being, patient care, and the future of the physician workforce. Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a loss of personal accomplishment. These traits can develop early in med school, perpetuate throughout their training years, and are reinforced by demanding academic workloads, competitive exams, and emotionally taxing clinical experiences. The purpose of this project is to examine mental health, counseling, and wellness resources offered across eight medical schools in Florida - U Miami, UCF, UF, USF, FAU, FIU, …

Virtual Reefscapes: Modeling Fish Abundance On Artificial And Natural Reefs In Broward County, Jesse Caruana Snachkus

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This project involved constructing a VR simulation of fish abundance on artificial and natural reefs in Broward County. Two environments, SS Tracey, and a section of the Florida Reef Tract, were created to highlight ecological differences between artificial and natural reef habitats. All environments and species models were designed in Blender, a 3D modeling software, and each fish species was animated to showcase naturalistic behavior. The completed assets were then assembled in VR using the Open Brush application. This project integrates art, technology, and ecology to make marine environments more accessible and engaging for a wide audience. A combination of …

Gathering College Students' Interests In Bone Health By Promoting Vitamin K2 Consumption, Nida Haider

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The human skeleton requires constant sources of nutrients (calcium, vitamin D3, vitamin K) for bone remodeling, maintaining bone mass, and bone density. While there is existing evidence regarding the benefits of calcium and vitamin D3 on bone health, there have been recent studies of the effects of vitamin K derivatives (vitamins K1 and K2) on bone maintenance. The growing popularity of the new over-the-counter supplement named "Vitamin D3 + K2" has initiated our interest in a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of the vitamin K derivatives' roles in bone health regulation. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that naturally exists …

Bison Health Network Newsletter, April 2026, Bison Health Network

Bison Health Network News

Newsletter Contents:

Updates
Network Demographics
Health Highlight: Ruminal Acidosis

Investigating The Structural And Functional Roles Of Transcriptionally Active Rice Transposons, Eimaan Admad

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Transposable elements (TEs) are crucial contributors to genome dynamics, evolution, gene structure, and regulation of gene expression. Once considered "junk DNA," TEs are now recognized for their significant roles in genome function and organization. TEs are epigenetically regulated through chromatin modifications, genomic imprinting, and the production of small RNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which in turn can influence gene expression. Despite a wealth of data from sequencing projects advancing TE research, their large size—often exceeding the read lengths of many sequencing platforms—has limited comprehensive analysis. Moreover, the high copy number and sequence similarity (often >80%) within TE families can …

Environmental Exposure And Neighborhood Change: A Longitudinal Study Of Little Haiti, Miami, Joshua Dumond

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Urban development trends in coastal cities are increasingly impacted by environmental characteristics like elevation. As individuals and businesses residing near the coast move inland to escape rising sea levels, climate-resilient communities may begin to experience increased housing market trends and real estate investment. This longitudinal, retrospective study investigates how elevation influences the housing market in higher-ground communities, with a focus on the Little Haiti neighborhood in Miami, Florida, while also describing changes in demographic characteristics over time. Census tracts within Little Haiti were used as the unit of analysis for this study while using the U.S. Geological Survey Data to …

Evaluating Item Discrimination And Gender-Based Differential Item Functioning In Safe Sex Behavior Questionnaire (Ssbq), Prarthana Harikrishnan, Xinlei Zhang, Hannah Scheffer

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Risky sexual behavior can increase rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), posing a danger to the health of young adults. The Safe Sex Behavior Questionnaire (SSBQ; Dilorio et al., 1992) is a widely used measure to assess risky sexual behaviors among young adults. However, few studies have evaluated the psychometric properties of the SSBQ, such as how well the survey items discriminate between individuals who engage in safer versus riskier sexual behaviors (discrimination), and whether the items function equivalently for men versus women (differential item functioning). In the current study, we applied psychometric modeling to a dataset of 1,094 young …

Ketone Bodies As Regulators Of Cardiac Energy Metabolism And Cardiovascular Signaling, Eera Mehrota, Anika Singh, Meghana Divi, Cynthia Chamoun, Samiksha Chemukula

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The heart has a high and continuous energy demand and depends on metabolic flexibility to maintain function under both physiological and pathological conditions. Ketone bodies, particularly β-hydroxybutyrate, have emerged as important alternative fuels for the myocardium and as biologically active signaling molecules. This review examines how ketone bodies support cardiac energy metabolism and regulate vascular and myocardial biology through intracellular signaling pathways. A narrative synthesis of peer-reviewed literature was conducted, focusing on ketone utilization in healthy and diseased hearts, metabolic remodeling in heart failure, and the non-energetic signaling roles of ketone bodies in cardiovascular tissues. Evidence indicates that ketone bodies …