Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

When Faced With Persistent Crying, Will Adults Follow The Advice To Take A Break?, Lauren J. Duplessis, Remington K. Asta, Benjamin N. Witts

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

Inconsolable crying in early infancy can have detrimental effects on caregiver mental health, the caregiver-infant relationship, and infant safety. Professionals often advise caregivers to walk away and take a break. This study used n-of-1 methodology to examine how frequently undergraduate students will follow this advice when tasked with calming a simulated inconsolable infant. Results are mixed, but suggest active training prior to the baby’s arrival might yield promising outcomes

Empowering Women: Understanding Neurological Changes In The Aging Brain, Joy Mckenzie

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

Women tend to have more neurological changes than men as they age starting in their mid-30s (Mosconi, 2024). While aging is a natural process, the neurological changes can impact a woman’s personal and professional quality of life (Faubion et al., 2023; Gravini, 2023). For years, women’s neurological symptoms have been ignored by being told that their experiences are normal and just a part of life (Haver, 2025). That narrative is starting to shift with the increased awareness of changes specific to women. There are resources to assess cognitive changes such as memory, processing speed, and word finding and strategies to …

Designing For The Brain: Neuroarchitecture, Isabella Schutte

Hospitality Design Graduate Student Capstones

This capstone explores how principles from neuroscience can inform the design of micro-scale architectural environments to support emotional well-being and cognitive clarity. Through research, sensory analysis, immersive VR testing, and physiological and perceptual data collection, the project investigates how elements such as light, materiality, form, and atmosphere influence human experience. By comparing existing, aesthetic, and neuroscience-informed environments, the study suggests that intentional sensory design may better support restoration, stress regulation, and overall well-being within everyday spaces.

Cognition And Mental Health: Addressing The Impact Of Traumatic Brain Injuries (Tbi) On Adults, Hannah E. Smith, Lesley Khan-Farooqi, Anne Mcdonnell, Mpa, Otr/L, Cbist

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This project addresses cognitive and mental health challenges in adults with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). It developed evidence-based resources, including a clinician handbook and user-friendly survivor guidebook - using research, interviews, and observations. The materials were refined with expert feedback and support improved interventions, education, and quality of life for individuals with TBIs, and their caregivers.

The Effects Of Sour & Spicy Food On Visual & Auditory Reflexes, Aditi Kumar, Alondra-Sophia Martinez, Magdalena E. Saad, Emma J. Welsch

Posters - 2026

• The reflex reaction time measures how quickly the nervous system can respond to a stimulus. • In the experiment, both visual and auditory reflexes were measured to evaluate differences in reaction time after the consumption of sour and spicy foods. • Spices and herbs produce different signals that interact with the nervous system. (McMullen 2024) • Comparing the response times from before and after consumption, this experiment allowed us to determine if different tastes affect reflex reaction times.

The Importance Of Hippotherapy: Improving The Lives Of The Disabled Through Alternative Therapy, Jennifer N. Stapleton

Undergraduate Research Posters

For centuries, horses have been suggested as “healers” and “helpers,” although it wasn’t until the 1900s that horseback riding was scientifically proven as a treatment and rehabilitation method. The exploitation of hippotherapy, the implementation of the three-dimensional pelvic movement stimulated by the oscillation and gait of the horse to combat symptoms of diseases and disorders, has since become a flourishing field of study, but one that is often overlooked. Benefits of hippotherapy often include increased motor neuron function, facilitating proper anatomical alignment, and reducing spasticity. This research analyzes the diverse and dynamic nature of treatment that hippotherapy facilitates, exploring the …

Patterns Of Ovarian And Gonadotropin Hormones In Emerging Adult Oral Contraceptive Users, Summer Mcormond

Undergraduate Research Posters

Oral contraceptives (OCs) are often initiated during adolescence and emerging adulthood, a period of continued maturation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis. Because hormonal exposure during this window may shape emotional, biological, and reproductive outcomes, it is important to understand the specific formulations young women take and the hormonal profiles these formulations produce. This study characterizes OC formulation features and measured hormone levels in young adult OC users (n = 30).

Ethinyl estradiol (EE) doses ranged from 0.01–0.035 mg (mean = 0.022 mg), with 70% using ≤0.02 mg. Pill regimens included 21/7 packs (83%), 24/4 packs (10%), and 84/7 regimens (3%). …

Identifying Rna Splicing Changes During Alcohol Withdrawal Using An Optimized Rna-Seq Analysis Pipeline, Yasaswi Veera, Luana Martins De Carvalho, Amy Lasek

Undergraduate Research Posters

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) causes long-lasting changes in brain gene expression and RNA splicing, particularly in the ventral hippocampus. This study analyzes RNA-Seq data from rats exposed to chronic alcohol and withdrawal to identify transcript-level and splicing alterations. An optimized RNA-Seq pipeline using STAR, FeatureCounts, edgeR, and WGCNA improved efficiency by 25-40% while maintaining consistency across 25 datasets. Results reveal changes in neural signaling and stress-response pathways associated with withdrawal. This work provides both biological insight into AUD and a reproducible computational framework for transcriptomic analysis.

Effect Of Neuroinflammation On Exploratory Behavior In Mice, Gage Pompa, Ariana Mitic, Yader Gomez, Lilian Hagos, Orlando Montiel

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Introduction: Mice have been observed in both laboratory and field settings to exhibit a tendency to remain near corners and walls. This trait is known as positive thigmotaxis. Thigmotaxis has been recognized as a fundamental aspect of rodent behavior and used extensively as an anxiety index in mice. Although this characteristic has been recognized as a fundamental aspect of rodent behavior, thigmotaxis has been extensively studied in rectangular and circular environments. However, there is a notable lack of understanding of how alternative geometric configurations can influence this behavior.

Methods and Approach: Using a grid overlaid on the environment the mice …

Design And Validation Of A Bilateral, Multi-Site 3d-Printed Neuronal Implant For Rodent Electrophysiology, Homero Phelps, Jonathan V. Trinidad, Talha Soluoku

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

Neuronal electrophysiology implants are essential tools in neuroscience for recording brain activity and investigating neurological disorders. Our lab’s previous 3D-printed implant designs centered around a single-site, recording platform that was limited in adaptability, precision, and lacked in vivo validation due to lingering engineering malfunctions. To combat limitations and expand recording capabilities, this project aimed to design and validate a new implant capable of multi-site, bilateral recordings across both brain hemispheres, specifically targeting the hippocampus (CA1 and CA3) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), regions critical for learning and memory. Building on the Open Ephys ShuttleDrive model, the implant was redesigned using …

Dorsal/Ventral Orientation Of Dentate Granule Cells And Its Impact On Electrophysiology In Mice, Jacob Prince, Savannah Sampson, Alyssa Marron

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

The hippocampus has known roles in memory formation, learning, and spatial mapping. There are defined physiological differences between CA1 neurons based on their dorsal to ventral position within the 3D hippocampus (Malik et al., 2015). Given the varying functions of the dorsal and ventral hippocampus in cognitive processing and the role of the dentate gyrus as the entry point for information into the hippocampus, it will be interesting to determine if there are differences in the properties of granule cells across the dorsal and ventral axis. We explore the potential topographic specialization of dentate granule cells. This study examines the …

Addressing Anxiety In The Pediatric Population: An Ot Perspective, Joshua D. Johnson, Mary Jan Greer, Wendy Tremaine, Justine Faghihifar

Summer 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone develops and evaluates a trauma-informed training for RBTs and caregivers in outpatient ABA clinics serving children with ASD and anxiety. Grounded in MOHO, the seven-module program teaches trigger→support mapping, sensory strategies, visual tools, and brief co-regulation routines. Findings show improved knowledge and confidence, with recommendations to embed a fidelity rubric, booster sessions, and ready-to-use templates.

Developing A Trial Unique Sequencing Task For Mice, Yader Gomez, Lilly Hagos, Gage Pompa, Ariana Mitic, Orlando Montiel, Talha Soluoku

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

The hippocampus and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) play distinct yet complimentary roles in the performance of cognitively demanding tasks.

While rodent models cannot truly capture human cognition, there is a serious need to develop more cognitively demanding rodent tasks to better understand human cognition to develop new tools to fight neurodegeneration.

Sequencing tasks are some of the most difficult for rodents to perform and are notoriously difficult to train.

Cutting edge interactive touch screen technology allows us to test an endless array of sequences, in a sound-controlled enclosure featuring a simple behavioral response for the mice.

Study Aim: To …

We Are Our Brains: Disembodied Brain Films In 1950s Cold War America, David P. Pierson

Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Books

Personified Body Parts in Cinema, Literature, and Visual Culture investigates the power of personifying body parts in cinema, television, visual culture, literature, erotica, folklore, and mystique.

Culturally, socially, and poetically exposing hidden aspects and subtleties of human existentialism, this book vigorously questions and problematizes numerous artistic, aesthetic, technological, naïve, and macabre manipulations of body parts for various purposes. A diverse team of authors explore how scribing human traits to limbs, eyes, brains, genitalia, hearts, and other inner organs is grotesque and aesthetic, repealing and appealing, intimidating and intimate, rude and enjoyable, material and spiritual, surprising and mundane. Personified organs are …

Stress, Resilience, And Suicidal Ideation In Autistic Young Adults, Cole Murphy, Jared Nielsen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Autistic young adults face a higher risk of suicide than their neurotypical peers due to the stress associated with potential difficulties with social interactions. It is known that stress may increase suicidal ideation, and that resilience may decrease it, but this study investigates the specific relationship between stress, resilience, and suicidal ideation in autistic young adults.

Methamphetamine And Ros Effects On Dopamine And Atp Release, Tyler Love, Jordan T. Yorgason, Taylor Rose, Hillary Wadsworth, Lydia Hawley, Lauren Ford, Sara Linderman, Nathan Sheets

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The Nucleus Accumbens is a reward center of the brain that receives dopamine projections from the Ventral Tegmental Area

Methamphetamine (Meth) is a psychostimulant drug that decreases dopamine clearance and increases Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)

Meth is known to increase dopamine release in-vivo through ROS

Glucose Oxidase increases ROS

Gcsf Involvement In Ethanol Dopamine Adaptations, Zachary Valentine, Chase Seiter, Rachel Campbell, Camryn Holt, Jordan T. Yorgason

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Objective: Investigate the role of Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GCSF) in ethanol-induced dopamine adaptations using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry.

Hypothesis: Prolonged alcohol exposure will weaken GCSF release, resulting in diminished effects on dopamine terminals.

Dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) plays a crucial role in learning stimuli associated with reward

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GCSF) is a known neuromodulator for for DA release

Ethanol has been demonstrated to increase the firing rate of dopamine neurons in the (VTA)

The effects of ethanol on GCSF neuromodulation remains unknown

Investigating The Role Of The Liver-Brain Axis In Addiction, Camryn Holt, Isabella Roque, Shimran Sharma, Chris Galbraith, Jordan T. Yorgason

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Ethanol (EtOH) increases dopamine (DA) release, leading to addictive behaviors.

Ex vivo, EtOH only alters DA release at supraphysiological levels.

The liver metabolizes EtOH, and metabolites can escape into systemic circulation and cross the blood-brain barrier.

We hypothesize that these metabolites may induce changes in the mesolimbic circuitry and thus contribute to the reinforcing effects of EtOH.

We examined the effects of bile acids (BAs) and other EtOH metabolites on accumbal DA release and CIN firing.

We also investigated downstream effects of EtOH metabolism, such as macrophage migration and TGR5-mediated release of glucagon- like peptide-1 (GLP-1).

The Effects Of Divides Attention On Long-Term Memory For Natualistic Stimuli, Gaia Steinberg, Jackson S. Pelzner, Rhiannon N. Soriano Smith, Colleen M. Parks

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

The ability to identify previously experienced events is a fundamental aspect of memory. This study investigates recognition memory using naturalistic stimuli, specifically news headlines, to explore both controlled (recollection) and automatic (familiarity) memory processes. Most recognition memory experiments rely on simplistic stimuli like words or pictures, but we aim to extend these theories by using more complex, naturalistic materials (news headlines). Participants completed recognition tasks with both headlines and pictures to establish baseline differences between these stimuli types. The order of presentation between stimulus types was randomized between pictures or headlines first. They were assigned to either full or divided …

Glial-Specific Genes Are Strongly Associated With Alzheimer's Disease By Gene-Based Polygenic Risk Score Analysis, Jennifer Zheng, Faria Tavacoli, Tyrell Pratt, Alice Lee, Tingwei Liu, Jingchun Chen

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Methods: Gene-based PRSs were constructed in AD cases and controls within each gene of the glial cells, according to the GWAS summary statistics of European ancestry. In detail, gene-based PRSs were first calculated for each glial cell type-specific gene for AD cases and controls in the discovery dataset (ADc1234ADA) using PRSet software. A meta-analysis with a fixed model was performed when the signal in both datasets was in the same direction. Bonferroni corrections for multiple testing (at α = .05) were used to determine significance within each of the three glial groups. Forest plots were used to visualize the results …

Evaluating Human Plasma Biomakers For Alzheimer's Disease; Phosphorylated-Tau 217, Phosphorylated-Tau 181, And Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein, Mason Jonah, Mayarae N. Mugosa, Bella Hou, Emma-Nikole Krilchev, Zhengshi Yang, Dietmar Cordes, Aaron Ritter, Jefferson W. Kinney

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is primarily identifiable by amyloid-beta (Aβ) neuronal plaques, neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) that form as aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau (ptau) proteins clump together, and the presence of neuroinflammation; all of which are otherwise known as the hallmarks of AD pathology. Recent emerging research has discovered striking similarities between AD and diabetes mellitus pathology, illustrating how insulin deficiency and insulin resistance–both of which result in the chronic hyperglycemic state seen in the diabetic–are involved in an increase in the phosphorylation of tau. This leads to and intensifies the formation of intracellular NFTs serving …

Exploring Modality Differences In Recognition Memory: Repetition Effects On Recollection And Familiarity, Ivanesa Velikova, Kevin Mohawk, Colleen Parks

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Research has shown that memory for visual objects tends to be superior compared to memory for auditory objects. The present study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of why recognition memory tends to be better for visual information. Recognition memory relies on two processes, recollection and familiarity. Recollection involves retrieving contextual details of a memory while familiarity is simply a feeling that something has been encountered before. We investigated recollection and familiarity in the two modalities by having participants lean a list of auditory objects (e.g., dog barking) and visual objects (e.g., picture of a lion) under full attention (FA) …

The Effect Of Encoding Strategies On Recognition Memory, Camila Schettini, Cole Kaneshiro, Kevin Mohawk, Colleen Parks

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Successful memory decisions require distinguishing between true and false memories. VariouS strategies can be used to avoid false memories such as the Recall-To-Reject (R-R) strategy and the Distinctiveness Heuristic (DH). R-R involves rejecting false information by recalling correct information (I know this person is not Bob, because Bob has brown hair); while DH involves the rejection of false information due to failure to recollect expected information (I know I never met this person because I would remember if I had). The purpose of this study is to examine how these strategies affect recognition memory. In the present study participants were …

Comparing Forgetting Rates Between Item And Relational Memories, Lex De Asis, Rhiannon N. Soriano Smith, Colleen M. Parks

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Forgetting is an everyday occurrence where an idea that could be recalled successfully is no longer able to be retrieved (Tulving, 1974). Multiple theories suggest how forgetting occurs, such as the decay theory, which suggests that memories are gradually forgotten over time, and the interference theory, in which forgetting occurs because of competing information. Additionally, there are two newer theories which both predict that item representations should be forgotten because of interference and mnemonic discrimination should be forgotten due to decay: the memory system-dependent forgetting hypothesis (Hardt, Nader, & Nadel, 2013), and the representation theory of forgetting (Sadeh et al., …

Examining Emotion And Ease Of Recall For Life Story Memories In Young Adults, Roxanna E. Chavez, Erin L. Murphy, David E. Copeland

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Life stories are narratives that use autobiographical memories to shape personal identity. This study investigated how emotional valence and ease of recall may change over time. Participants were asked to recall ten life story memories in two interviews held three weeks apart. Participants provided ratings of emotional valence and ease of recall for each memory. A significant difference was found in emotional valence between Session 1 (M = 3.159, SD = .772) and Session 2 (M = 2.905, SD = .788), t(68) = 2.734, p < .01, with Session 1 memories rated as significantly more negative (M = 1.812, SD = 1.427) than those in Session 2 (M = 1.275, SD = 1.316), t(68) = 3.232, p < .01. Furthermore, negative memories were more frequent in the last five Session 1 memories (M = 0.986, SD = 0.866) than in all of Session 2 memories (First Five: M = 0.652, SD = .783; Last Five: M = 0.623, SD = .892), F(3, 204) = 3.663, p < .05. For ease of recall, the first five memories in both sessions (Session 1: M = 5.684, SD = 0.806; Session 2: M = 5.612, SD = 0.963) were significantly easier to recall than the last five in both sessions (Session 1: M = .214, SD = 1.128; Session 2: M = 5.136, SD = 1.080), F(2.498, 169.864) = 7.369, p < .001. Overall, these findings suggest participants recalled more accessible memories first, with negative memories being harder to retrieve as sessions progressed.

Investigating The Impact Of Psychological Interventions On Autoimmune Disease Progression In Women, Nicole Datastanyan

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Autoimmune disease arises when an individual's immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the body’s tissues. Autoimmune disease disproportionately affects women, with eighty percent of diagnosed patients being female. This research proposal aims to explore the relationship between psychological factors (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression) and the progression of autoimmune diseases. This poster will propose a detailed study to assess whether reducing psychological distress through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can slow disease progression. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of talk therapy to relieve symptoms of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, or grief. Two hundred female patients diagnosed with …

Pathway-Based Polygenic Risk Score Analysis Of Brain Glial Indicates Cell-Type-Specific Roles In Alzheimer's Disease, Tyrell Pratt, Alice Lee, Jennifer Zheng, Faria Tavacoli, Hayley Ho, Tingwei Liu, Jingchun Chen

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive decline and extensive brain pathology, including amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuroinflammation. This study aims to identify any glial cell type-specific pathways associated with AD.

Methods: We first investigated the correlation between AD and the genetic risk of glia-specific pathways using pathway-based polygenic risk score (PRS) with PRSet software in the discovery data (ADc1234ADA) adjusted by the top two principal components (PC1, PC2) (Model 1), followed by additional adjustment with sex, age, and APOE ε4 count in Model 2. Further PRSet analyses were replicated in independent data …

Inter-Rater Reliablility Of Sharp Wave Ripple Detection In Recently Trained Experts, Orlando Montiel, Gage Pompa, Yader Gomez, Talha Soluoko

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Sharp wave ripples (SWR) are a brain phenomenon that originate in the hippocampus, a region crucial for memory and learning. These events occur during periods of rest or slow-wave sleep and are characterized by fast oscillatory bursts (150-250Hz) and are thought to be important for the brain to consolidate memory. SWR are believed to facilitate the transfer of information from the hippocampus to the cortex, strengthening synaptic connections & enabling long-term memory storage. Accurate detection & assessment of SWRs is essential for advancing how the brain processes and stores information.

This study examines the accuracy/consistency of SWR image selection and …

Association Between Polygenic Scores For Brain Structure And Alzheimer's Disease, Eunjae Lee, Faria Tavacoli, Tingwei Liu, Brittany Diaz Ruiz, Hayley Ho, Alice Lee, Jingchun Chen

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition and the most common type of dementia. Research has shown that volumetric changes in subcortical brain structures, which make up roughly 25% of the brain's total volume and affect many physiological functions. This research project aims to investigate the genetic association between brain structures and AD. GWAS data of eight different brain structures (ICV, accumbens, amygdala, caudate, hippocampus, pallidum, putamen, and thalamus) were used to create polygenic scores (PGSs) in a discovery (cases/controls = 2,651/2,768) and replication dataset (cases/controls = 553/644). We utilized PRSice-2 software to generate PGSs and assess genetic correlations …

Understanding Refractory Status Epilepticus With Novel Hd-Mea Technology, Isaac Stubbs, Ryley Parrish, Melissa Blotter, Max Holmes, Skyler Russell

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2024

3rd Place Oral Presentation

Status Epilepticus (SE) is a severe medical condition marked by continuous seizures lasting over 5 minutes. When SE becomes resistant to anticonvulsant drugs, the condition is known as Refractory Status Epilepticus (RSE), which lacks effective treatments and has a mortality rate of 38%. RSE lacks effective treatments partially due to our limited understanding of the mechanisms that lead to patient antiepileptic drug resistance.