Acknowledgments CLIMB UP would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors:

August 1, 2018

Buffalo, New York

CLIMB PRO

(Professional)

Jacobs School of

Medicine and

Biomedical Sciences

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow (SURF),

American Society for Pharmacology and

Experimental Therapeutics

Jackson Heart Study

Tougaloo College

Morgan State University

ASCEND Program,

Baltimore, MD

California State University, San Marcos

MARC U*STAR Program

Special thanks to our phenomenal group of UB faculty who took the time

to mentor CLIMB UP students this summer. Your dedication to the next

generation of scientists is the driving force behind our program, and we

are so very grateful!

Order of Events Wednesday August 1, 2018

9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: iSEED Oral Presentations

222 Natural Sciences Complex

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Poster Session Natural Sciences Complex Atrium

12:30PM: Remarks by Dr. Despina Stratigakos

Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence

12:30PM – 1:00PM: Lunch

(all are welcome) Natural Sciences Complex Atrium

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM: ASPET and CLIMB PRO Oral Presentations

222 Natural Sciences Complex

3:00 PM: Selection of CLIMB UP Representative to present at UB Research Day

2018 CLIMB UP Leadership

Margarita L. Dubocovich, PhD, Director

Rajendram V. Rajnarayanan, PhD, Associate Director

Joanna Barthelemy, PhD, CLIMB Program Coordinator

Anyango Kamina, PhD, iSEED Scientific Workforce Specialist

Christopher Root, iSEED Coordinator

David Shubert, PhD, Lab Skills Course Instructor

Deborah Timineri, Lab Skills Course Instructor

Research Communications Workshop Mentors

Joanna Barthelemy, PhD John Davis Grant Glatfelter Anyango Kamina, PhD LaKeisha Lewter David Shubert, PhD Debbie Timineri

Contact Us

Phone: 716.829.4717 or 716.829.2493

Email: climb@buffalo.edu Web: www.buffalo.edu/climb/climb-up

2:40 PM

Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) 2:40 PM Marvellous Oke Prediction Model: Shunt-Dependent Hydrocephalus After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Summer Mentor: Jason Davies, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery Undergraduate Institution: Morgan State University Major: Psychology (Pre-Med) Hometown: Originally from Nigeria, raised in Upper Marlboro, MD

Academic/Career Aspirations: After my undergraduate degree, I plan on pursuing my MD/PhD. I aspire to be a

Neurodevelopmental Pediatrician and conduct research. I am interested in public health research specifically on homeless youth and drug abuse within low socioeconomic groups. I am also interested in neuroscience research that focuses on brain development among children. Personal Motto: “Life is what you make of it, you either push to get what you want out of it or you wait for it"

Presented Wednesday July 25th School of Nursing 3:50 PM Taylor Gietschier Weight regain after Bariatric Surgery: Exploring Pre-

and Post-operative mental health

Summer Mentor: Laura Anderson, PhD Undergraduate Institution: Howard University

Major: Nursing major; Biology minor

Hometown: Roosevelt, NY (Long Island)

Academic/Career Aspirations: I plan to graduate from Howard

University with my BSN/RN. I then aspire to practice nursing for

a year, then I will attend medical school with hopes of becoming

an anesthesiologist.

Personal Motto: “Someone once told me not to bite off more than I can chew. I told them I would rather choke on greatness than nibble on mediocrity.”

Oral Presentations 9 AM – 11 AM

Institute for Strategic Enhancement of Educational Diversity (iSEED)

College of Arts and Sciences 9:00 AM Simone John-Vanderpool

Does Vasopressin Act in the Anterior Hypothalamus to Regulate Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Rats?

Summer Mentor: Matt Paul, PhD, Department of Psychology Undergraduate Institution: Wesleyan University Major: Psychology and English Hometown: Ellicott City, MD

Academic/Career Aspirations: I hope to earn my PhD abroad and practice clinical and/or counseling therapy

Personal Motto: “You never know what could happen if you don’t try”

9:10 AM Daisy Zavala

Decentering as a Moderator of the Association of

Stress with Depression

Summer Mentor: Kristin Gainey, PhD

Department of Psychology Undergraduate Institution: California State University, San Marcos

Major: Psychology Hometown: Pomona, CA

Academic/Career Aspirations: PhD in Clinical Psychology Personal Motto: “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." -Epicurus

School of Dental Medicine 9:20 AM John Lepore An Investigation of Commensal Immune Interactions Altered by Oral Pathogens

Summer Mentor: Jason Kay, PhD, Department of Biology Undergraduate Institution: SUNY at Geneseo

Major: Biochemistry Hometown: Pittsford, NY

Academic/Career Aspirations: Dentist Personal Motto: “I like science”

9:30 AM LeDaniel Sims Cold Plasma Treatment for Biomedical Scaffolds

Summer Mentor: Praveen Arany, PhD, Department of Oral Biology

Undergraduate Institution: Tugaloo College Major: Biology Hometown: Brandon, MS

Academic/Career Aspirations: Dentistry Personal Motto: “Having Tenacity is a virtue.”

School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 9:40 AM Christopher Baker

Augmented Reality Gamification for Lower Extremity

Rehabilitation

Summer Mentor: Wenyao Xu, PhD, Department of Computer

Science and Engineering Undergraduate Institution: University of California, Los Angeles Major: Computer Science and Engineering Hometown: Downey, CA

Academic/Career Aspirations: Obtain a Masters or Doctorate and become an influential leader in STEM advancing good benefits of technology Personal Motto: “Compassion and positivity will guide you through open doors. Combined with perseverance and courage you will find many paths to success creating new opportunities along the way”

Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

9:50 AM Astrid Gutierrez Wnt Signaling and Glucose Oxidation

Summer Mentor: Tee-Chung Lee, PhD, Department of

Biochemistry Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Major: Biology Hometown: Brownsville, TX Academic Aspirations: Obtain an MD/PhD in Biomedical Sciences Personal Motto: "A great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."

2:10 PM Breanna Hodges

The Role of Neutrophils in Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus Summer Mentor: Jessy Alexander, PhD, Department of Medicine

Undergraduate Institution: Howard University Major: Biology Hometown: Buffalo, NY

Academic/Career Aspirations: Pursue Medicine Personal Motto: "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get back up"

2:20 PM Taylor Meciszewski Drug addiction accelerates cellular aging as

demonstrated by increased neurotoxicity and reduction in telomere length in microglial cells

Summer Mentor: Supriya Mahajan, PhD, Department of Medicine Undergraduate Institution: Canisius College

Major: Biology Hometown: Buffalo, NY

Academic/Career Aspirations: Doctor (MD) Personal Motto: "Hard work and a good sense of humor will get you anywhere.”

2:30 PM Elizabeth Quaye Improving Appropriate Screening Tools for

Microvascular Complications of Type II Diabetes Mellitus in an Inner City Primary Care Population

Summer Mentor: Roberto Diaz Del Carpio, MD, MPH Department of Medicine

Undergraduate Institution: University at Buffalo Major: Pharmacology and Toxicology Hometown: Yonkers, NY

Academic/Career Aspirations: To become a physician scientist who does research that translates to the bedside in the form of clinical trials. Personal Motto: "We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated." - Maya Angelou

1:40 PM Erin McNell Analysis of Substance Abuse through

Immunohistochemistry

Summer Mentor: Caroline Bass, PhD

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Undergraduate Institution: St. Bonaventure University Major: Biochemistry Hometown: Colden, NY Academic/Career Aspirations: I would like to earn a PhD in

Environmental Toxicology and work to reduce our negative impact on the environment by finding safer alternatives to the harmful substances we use every day. Personal Motto: "Life has a peculiar way of working out in the end.”

1:50 PM – 2:40 PM

CLIMB PRO (Professional) 1:50 PM Jazmine Baylor

Evaluation of Novel Biomarkers at the early and delayed stage of Acute Myocardial Infarction

Summer Mentor: Umesh Sharma, MD, PhD Department of Medicine

Undergraduate Institution: Tugaloo College Major: Biology Hometown: McComb, MS Academic Aspirations: I aspire to become a Doctor of Medicine

Personal Motto: “It always seems impossible until it's done.” - Nelson Mandela

2:00 PM Raquel Gomez HIV viral proteins contribute to telomere length

shortening in Microglia: Implication for Accelerated HIV-1 associated Neurocognitive Disorders

Summer Mentor: Supriya Mahajan, PhD, Department of Medicine

Undergraduate Institution: University of Iowa Major: Philosophy Hometown: Clarence, NY Career Aspirations: I am eager to attend medical school and become a psychiatrist. Personal Motto: “Think fiercely and live passionately.”

School of Nursing

10:00 AM Tiffany Chen The Effects of Virtual Reality on Gait among Adults with Multiple Sclerosis

Summer Mentor: Rebecca Lorenz, PhD, RN Undergraduate Institution: University at Buffalo Major: Nursing and Psychology Hometown: Brooklyn, NY Career Aspirations: My career goal is to become a family nurse

practitioner in the future and go back to my community to help improve the medical condition for them. Personal Motto: "There are no shortcuts to success. Work hard,

be patient, consistent, and never give up on your dream.”

School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 10:10 AM Yadilyz Caballero

Developing a scFv-protamine against CXCR4

Summer Mentor: Juliane Nguyen, PharmD, PhD Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Undergraduate Institution: University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo Major: Microbiology Hometown: Manatí, Puerto Rico Academic Aspirations: Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm D) degree Personal Motto: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

10:20 AM Blessing Hunsu Monocarboxylate transporter 6 (MCT6) as a

determinant of cisplatin ototoxicity

Summer Mentor: Marilyn Morris, PhD

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Undergraduate Institution: University of Buffalo Major: Chemistry Hometown: Syracuse, NY Career Aspirations: To be part of a health care team that strives to help people better manage their health by becoming an outstanding pharmacist Personal Motto: “Never underestimate the power of your mind to change your destiny”

School of Public Health and Health Professions 10:30 AM Renato Quiñones Associations Between Traffic Pollution and Autism Spectrum Disorders

Summer Mentor: Lina Mu, PhD, MD Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health Undergraduate Institution: D’Youville College Major: Biology (Pre-Med Track) Hometown: Bogotά, Colombia Academic/Career Aspirations: Attend UB’s medical school to become a pediatrician Personal Motto: “Success is the best revenge”

10:40 AM Ashirah Simpson Validation of Waist Circumference through

Visceral Adiposity

Summer Mentor: Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD

Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health Undergraduate Institution: Grambling State University Major: Business Management and Environmental Biology Hometown: Chicago, IL Career Aspirations: Owning a Holistic Healthcare Facility Personal Motto: “Growth doesn’t exist inside your comfort

zone, so be able to go the places God takes you”

1 PM – 1:50 PM

ASPET Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) 1:00 PM Nicholas Athans

In Vitro Study of FOLFIRINOX Chemotherapy Drugs on Mia Paca-2 and Panc-1 Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lines

Summer Mentor: Robert Straubinger, PhD

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Undergraduate Institution: University of Pittsburgh Major: Economics Hometown: Buffalo, NY Academic Aspirations: Medical School Personal Motto: “He who hesitates is lost”

1:10 PM Rose Durnell

Validation of ELISA to Quantitate Trastuzumab in Ocular Tissue

Summer Mentor: Dhaval Shah, PhD

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Undergraduate Institution: Canisius College Major: Biochemistry Hometown: Buffalo, NY Academic Aspirations: Medical School Personal Motto: “I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does.”

1:20 PM Sareh Ghadersohi

Biophysical Characterization of Tolerogenic

Nanoparticles Containing Aquaporin-4

Summer Mentor: Sathy Balu-Iyer, PhD,

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Undergraduate Institution: Cornell University Major: Human Biology, Health and Society Hometown: Clarence, NY Academic Aspirations: Medical School Personal Motto: "Believe you can and you're halfway there" - Theodore Roosevelt

1:30 PM Gabriella King

Histopathology Model of Progressive Supranuclear

Palsy

Summer Mentor: Stewart Clark, PhD

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Undergraduate Institution: University at Buffalo Major: Pharmacology and Toxicology, Biomedical Sciences Hometown: Wheeler, NY Academic Aspirations: To become a Clinical Pathologist Personal Motto: "Genetics is relative”