Research Symposium
NSF-REU
RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES FROM RURAL AND TRIBAL COLLEGES
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2021 REU Participants
Sophia Barber
Pasadena City College, CA
PI: Van Doze, Ph.D.
Project: Use of a Forced Restraint Mice Model to Study a1a-adrenergic Receptor Activation in Major Depressive Disorder.;
Differential Longevity Identified in Long-term a1a and a1b Adrenergic Receptor Activation.;
a1a Adrenergic Receptor Activation Increases Seizure Threshold
Melanie Borysewicz
Concordia College, MN
PI: Turk Rhen, Ph.D.
Project: Wnt11b, Mapk13, and Rspo1 Are Not Regulated by FoxL2 During Sex Determination, but Show Strong Response to Cell Density
Tatyana Bazile
Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst, NY
PI: Turk Rhen, Ph.D.
Project: Let's talk about Sex…Determination: Investigating the Effect of Foxl2 Overexpression on Male-determining Genes Amh, Dmrt1 and Sox9 in Common Snapping Turtle Embryos (Chelydra serpentia)

Boudnoma “Connie” Convolbo
Norfolk State Univ, VA
PI: Swojani Shrestha, PhD/Aaron Mehus, PhD/Seema Somji, PhD/Scott Garrett, PhD.
Project: Genes Expression in CD133-CD24+ and CD133+CD24+ Cell lines under high concentrations of glucose: CLCN7, LIPA, RRAGC
Jecelle Fetzer
Northeastern Junior College, CO
PI: Brian Darby, Ph.D.

J Delorme
University of North Dakota
PI: Swojani Shrestha, PhD/Aaron Mehus, PhD/Seema Somji, PhD/Scott Garrett, PhD.
Project: Expression of TFAP2A, NFKBIA, and PI3 in Arsenite-Exposed Urothelial Cells

Mary (Fynn) Gagnon
Turtle Mountain Community College, ND
PI: Brian Darby, Ph.D.
Project: Optimizing Soil Respiration Methods
Gwyn Knott
Colorado State University
PI: Motoki Takaku, Ph.D.
Project: Stable chromatin binding is required for GATA3-induced breast cancer cell reprogramming
Devon Headdress
University of North Dakota
PI: Swojani Shrestha, PhD/Aaron Mehus, PhD/Seema Somji, PhD/Scott Garrett, Ph.D.
Project: mTOR and associated genes expression in glucose exposed CD24+/CD133+ and CD24+/Cd133- cell lines

Frances Kujawski
Cedar Crest College, PA
PI: Manu, Ph.D.
Project: Profiling the chromatin accessibility of Cebpa in PUER cells using ATAC-Seq
Alexis Lohnes
Cankdeska Cikana Community College, ND
PI: Brent Voels, Ph.D.
Project: Differential expression of COL4A3, COL4A4, ITGA6, and CLDN10 in CD133-/CD24+, CD133+/CD24+, and TERT cell lines
Briley Larocque
Turtle Mountain Community College, ND
PI: Swojani Shrestha, PhD/Aaron Mehus, PhD/Seema Somji, PhD/Scott Garrett, Ph.D.
Project: KRT1, STAT3, AND IVL expression in Arsenic exposed UROsta cell line

Edward Looker
Hampshire College, MA
PI: Motoki Takaku, Ph.D.
Project: Cell cycle arrest as a function of progesterone regulated micro-RNA in breast cancer.
Merrick McMahon
University of North Dakota
PI: Swojani Shrestha, PhD/Aaron Mehus, PhD/Seema Somji, PhD/Scott Garrett, Ph.D.
Project: Hyperglycemic Conditions Affect RAPTOR, RICTOR, and eIF4EBP1 Expression in HREC24T and HRTPT Cells
Makaila Martin
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, ND
PI: Rebecca Simmons, Ph.D.
Project: Bacterial Transmission Between Male and Female Bees

Roiya (Megan) Meyer
Univ of Wisconsin, StevensPoint
PI: Vasyl Tkach, Ph.D.
Project: Diversity of Cercariae in Snails of the Red River Valley, with Emphasis on Swimmer's Itch Agents
Erin Morin
University of North Dakota
PI: Jamie Foster, Ph.D.
Project: Palmitoylation of the Dopamine Transporter when treated with the glucocorticoid agonist Dexamethasone.
Yuliet Monatukwa
University of North Dakota
PI: Keith Henry, Ph.D.
Project: Identification of Molecular Determinates Involved in High Affinity Binding of Methylphenidate to the Human Dopamine Transporter

Aerica Nagornyuk
University of North Dakota
PI: Turk Rhen, Ph.D.
Project: Overexpression of Foxl2 on StAR, Cyp11a1, Cyp17a1, and Cyp19a1 in Chelydra serpentina are Affected by Cell Density
Sabra Poitra
Cankdeska Cikana Community College, ND
PI: Rebecca Simmons, Ph.D.

Taylor Painter
Mayville State University, ND
PI: Joseph Mehus, Ph.D.
Project: Mosquito Population Dynamics of Traill County, North Dakota

Hayley Qualley
University of North Dakota
PI: Rebecca Simmons, Ph.D.
Project: Native Pollinators and Conservation efforts in The Greenway of Grand Forks, ND and East Grand Forks, MN
Krista Riensche
Northwestern College, IA
PI: Rebecca Simmons, Ph.D.
Project: Solitary Bee and Hoverfly Community Structure in Western North Dakota and Eastern Minnesota.
Bryann Rainbow
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, ND
PI: Rebecca Simmons, Ph.D.
Project: Western Honey Bees in North Dakota

Sullivan, John
Williston State College, ND
PI: Brian Darby, Ph.D.
Project: Agent Based Model Visualizing the Spread of CWD among Deer Ppopulations.
Shaelynn Wells
University of North Dakota
PI: Brent Voels, Ph.D.
Project: P53, CDKN1A, STEAP3, CASP10 Gene expressions at basal level in CD133+/CD24+ and CD133-/CD24+from the RPTEC/TERT1 cell line
Melemoala Tuifua
El Camino Community College, CA
PI: Van Doze, Ph.D.
Project: Using a forced restraint mouse model to study the role of ?1A-adrenergic receptors in major depression

Theresa Wood
Benedictine College, KS
PI: Brian Darby, Ph.D.
Project: Genetic Analysis of Chronic Wasting Disease in North Dakota Deer
Autumn R Joy
McNair Scholar
University of North Dakota
PI: Turk Rhen, PhD
Project: Eggs-cellent Development; Cell density increases impact of Foxl2 overexpression on three key genes in ovarian development.