2015 Summer Science Scholars Present Research Projects at Annual Poster Session

Each summer from June to August, Burke Medical Research Institute mentors the next generation of research scientists through the Summer Student Research Program. Selected college students engage in cutting-edge science research in participating Burke Medical Research Institute laboratories. The Summer Student Research Program is co-directed by Dianna E. Willis, Ph.D. and John Cave, Ph. D.

To conclude the summer program this year's students presented posters of research projects at the annual Summer Science Scholars Program Poster Session held Friday, August 7, 2015. With the Burke Medical Research Institute faculty and scientists, Burke Hospital physicians and staff, family and friends in attendance the students presented their research projects.

2015 Summer Science Projects

Garren Angacian 
Project: Quantifying gait outcomes in chronic stroke using two robotic training protocols.
Mentor: Dylan Edwards, Ph. D.
Attending: John Hopkins University (rising senior)

Aaron Cherian 
Project: Red Bull project endurance 3.0: Exploring the effects of altitude on muscle performance in elite endurance athletes.
Mentor: David Putrino, Ph. D.
Attending: University of Maryland (rising sophomore)

Chris Costa 
Project: Upregulation of HIF-2a to enhance Schwann cell survival.
Mentor: Dianna Wills, Ph. D.
Attending: Fordham University (rising senior)

Sheryl Johnson 
Project: Enhance functional recovery of BDNF Met/Met (MM) mice is associated with increased excitatory synaptic markers in chronic stroke.
Mentor: Sunghee Cho, Ph. D.
Attending: St. Bonaventure University (rising junior)

Julia Kelly 
Project: Impact of pulmonary rehabilitation on heart rate variability following COPD exacerbation: A pilot study using a novel activity monitor.
Mentor: Richard Novitch, M.D. and David Putrino, Ph.D.
Attending: Cornell University (rising senior)

Max Levinson 
Project: Assessing novel GSK3B inhibitors in neurons: A potential therapy for bipolar disorder. 
Mentor: Brett Langley, Ph.D.
Attending: Cornell University (rising junior)

Tanner Love 
Project: Axonal regenerative failure: Investigating the role of protein synthesis and degradation in dystrophic axon endings.
Attending: Williams College (rising sophomore)

Jessica Ochiogrosso 
Project: Daidzein-induced cholesterol homeostasis gene expression in marcophages: a possible mechanism of functional recovery after ischemic stroke.
Mentor: Sunghee Cho, Ph.D.
Attending: University of Rochester (rising sophomore)

Natcha Rummaneethorn 
Project: Modulation of adult neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation by TMPyP4. 
Mentor: John Cave, Ph.D.
Attending: Manhattanville College (rising senior)
Awarded First Place

Kathleen Samuelson 
Project: Hand-arm intensive bimanual therapy expands motor maps in children with unilateral cerebal palsy.
Mentor: Kathleen Friel, Ph.D.
Attending: Brown University (rising senior)

Joshua Santos 
Project: A comparison between the single pellet reaching task and the knob task in assessing supination in rodents.
Mentor: Jason Carmel, Ph.D.
Attending: SUNY Purchase (rising senior)

Diana Shao 
Project: A novel function of lactate as a neuroprotectant under oxidative stress.
Mentor: Rajiv Ratan, M.D., Ph.D. and Amit Kumar, Ph.D.
Attending: Fordham University (rising senior)

John Cave, Ph.D. and Natcha Rummaneethorn

Congratulations 2015 Summer Science Scholars

A panel of instructors and post-doctoral researchers judged the poster presentations. Each poster was evaluated for research design, creativity and comprehension, and visual presentation. With close results, judges awarded Natcha Rummaneethorn, a rising senior at Manhattanville College, with first place for the 2015 Summer Science Scholars Program Poster Session. Mentored by John Cave, Ph.D., Natcha's project focused on the "Modulation of adult neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation by TMPyP4." The Burke community congratulates Natcha Rummaneethorn and applauds the 2015 Summer Science Scholars in their achievements and discoveries made during the summer program.