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Summer Undergraduate Research Program Alumni

2023

Charlese Miller, Lab of Maria Aleman, “PCPB1 and STAT5 in Iron Regulation”

Lafilissa Joao, Lab of Joyce Besheer, “Predator Odor Exposure Produces Distinct Behavioral Phenotypes and Acute Changes Gene Expression in the Prelimbic Cortex and Basolateral Amygdala in Female Rats”

Aakanksh Goskonda, Lab of Kirsten Bryant, “Concurrent Inhibition of KRAS and PIKfyve as a Therapeutic Strategy for Pancreatic Cancer”

Autumn Buck, Lab of Kirsten Bryant, “Elucidating the Effect of KRAS Pathway Inhibition on Macropinocytosis in Pancreatic Cancer”

Salma Youssef, Lab of Fulton Crews, “Adolescent Binge Ethanol Exposure Alters Dopamine D2 Receptors in Adult Rat Brains”

Teresa Ibeanu, Lab of Jeff Dangl, “Genetic Screening of Pseudomonas simiae Identifies Genes Responsible for Drought Stress Rescue in Arabidopsis thaliana”

Sarah Whittington, Lab of Mike Emanuele, “Regulation of the CDK Phosphatase CDKN3 in Response to Breast Cancer Therapies”

Andrei Mistreanu, Lab of Lee Graves, “Mitochondrial GRSF1 Import is Blocked by Anticancer TR Compounds”

Raul Hernandez Robles, Lab of Tom Kash, “Binge-like Alcohol Consumption is Regulated by Nociceptin Receptors in the Supramammillary Hypothalamus”

Jasmine Ferguson, Lab of Nigel Mackman, “Characterization of Procoagulant and Profibrinolytic Proteins in Human Acute Leukemia Cell Lines”

Luke Wykoff, Lab of Zoe McElligott, “Effect of CRISPR-Mediated Deletion of Neurotensin in the Central Amygdala on Alcohol-Related Behaviors”

Marc Louis, Lab of Zoe McElligott, “Understanding the role of SBI-553 Administration on Alcohol Consumption and Neuronal Inhibition in the CeA, BNST, and PB”

Aracelys Colon, Lab of Ryan Vetreno, “Adolescent Binge Drinking Persistently Decreases Serotonergic Neuron Populations in the Adult Raphe Nucleus: Restoration with Glycyrrhizic Acid”

Caroline Hertweck, Lab of Jessica Walsh, “Stress-Induced Aggression Upregulates NAc Activity in a Mouse Model for ASD”

Anaya Forte, Lab of Scott Parnell, “Prenatal Alcohol Exposure During Gastrulation: Focus on Brain and Craniofacial Defects and the Interaction with the Sonic Hedgehog Gene”

2022

Noelle Martell, Oakwood University, Lab of Tom Kash, “Retrieval of ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion increases c-Fos expression in the insular cortex”

Sheyenne Grady, UNC Chapel Hill, Lab of Melissa Herman, “The effects of acute and chronic nicotine vape exposure on neuronal activity in the mouse Ventral Tegmental Area and the Nucleus Accumbens”

Yongyi Li, UNC Chapel Hill, Lab of Juan Song, “G9a inhibition regulates neuroinflammation and T cell invasion in Alzheimer’s disease”

Elyse Schechter, UNC Chapel Hill, Lab of Kirsten Bryant, “PIKfyve inhibition sensitizes pancreatic cancer cells to ERK-MAPK pathway inhibition”

Winifred Dorlean, University of Rochester, Lab of Tom Kash, “Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) 5HT2c receptors promote rewarding & aversive effects of alcohol”

Alexander Zungia Marler, NC Chapel Hill, Lab of Kirsten Bryant, “Characterization of the effects of a novel KRASG12D inhibitor on pancreatic cancer proliferation and metabolism”

Hope Kellner, Binghamton University, Lab of Leon Coleman, “Altered Lysosomal Lipid in Aged Female Mice: A Potential Role in Alzheimer’s Disease?”

Cody White, Fort Lewis College, Lab of Lee Graves, “Validating ATF4 dependent changes in response to ClpP activation in triple-negative breast cancer”

Kemi Katemboh, Waldorf University, Lab of Leon Coleman, “Accumulation of lysosomes and lipids in the brain with aging: a risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease?”

Kareemah McQueen, North Carolina Central University, Lab of Jonathan Schisler, “RIPK dependent Cell Death Is Inhibited by the Ubiquitin Ligase CHIP”

2021

Jasmine Jahad, UNC Chapel Hill, Lab of Dr. Melissa Herman, “The Impact of Electronic Nicotine Vapor on Mouse Central Amygdala activity and Withdrawal Behavior”

Branna Campbell, UNC Greensboro, Lab of Dr. Henrik Dohlman, “Detecting Activity in the Yeast Mating Pathway Through GFP”

Autumn Tucker, UNC Chapel Hill, Lab of Dr. Leon Coleman, “Persistent Effects of Alcohol on Alzheimer’s Disease Tau Pathology”

Megan Gains, North Carolina Central University, Lab of Dr. Adam Palmer, “Comparisons of Resistances and Sensitivities to Chemotherapies in T-Cell Lymphomas”

Josh Wynn, UNC Chapel Hill, Lab of  Dr. Lee Graves, “Activation of Mitochondrial Protease ClpP Inhibits mTOR Activity in Triple Negative Breast Cancer”

Alexis Jean Morales, UNC Chapel Hill, Lab of Dr Channing Der, “YAP1-TAZ-TEAD Inhibition Sensitizes Cells to KRASG12C Inhibition”

Kayla Snare, UNC Chapel Hill, Lab of Dr. Channing Der, “Validating gene targets of MYC transcriptional activity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma”

Amber Amparo, UNC Chapel Hill, Lab of Dr Channing Der, “Defining the Role of Mitochondrial Dynamics in Regulating PDAC Cell Sensitivity to ERK Inhibition”

2020

The 2020 CSF Program was cancelled due to health concerns during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

2019

Jordan Dean, University of Rhode Island, Lab of Dr. Channing Der, “Explaining Unexpected Patterns of Synergy in Novel Drug Combinations for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment”

Kodi Harris, Morehouse College, Lab of Dr. Jen Jen Yeh, “KDM6A Loss Sensitizes PDAC Human PDX Lines to BET Inhibition”

Joseph Kim, Stony Brook University, Labs of Dr. Brian Conlon and Dr. Lee Graves “Novel Treatments for Antibiotic Tolerant Sub-Populations of Staphylococcus Aureus”

Nadia McBean, Spelman College, Lab of Dr. Jen Jen Yeh, “Factors that Contribute to Successful Establishment of PDAC Patient-Derived Organoids”

Kathy Nowak, North Carolina State University, Lab of Dr. Channing Der, “Investigating Resistance Mechanisms to KRAS Suppression in Pancreatic Cancer”

Stuart Phipps, Morehouse College, Lab of Dr. Alex Duncan, “Effects of N. Gonorrhoeae PorB Treatments on Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cell DOCK8 Levels”

Dante Reyna, University of Texas at El Paso, Labs of Dr. Rob Nicholas and Dr. Alex Duncan, “Regulation of Nod1 v. Nod2 expression by NIpC in Neisseria Gonorrhea”

Veronica Samojedny, Tulane University, Lab of Dr. Tom Kash, “Role of Acute Stress and Ethanol in the Modulation of Threat Response Behaviors”

Jasmine Scott,Spelman College, Lab of Dr. Alex Duncan, “The Interaction of Neisseria Gonorrhoeaeand the Female Microbiome”

Andrea Vargas, University of South Carolina, Lab of Dr. Lee Graves, “Assessing Synergistic Drug Combinations in Triple Negative Breast Cancer”

2018

Shaeloren Deering, Spelman College, lab of Dr. Rob Nicholas, “Characterizing the AcnB-Q371K mutation found in resistance strains of gonorrhea.”

Nikole Fendler, Davidson College, lab of Dr. Adrienne Cox, “Evaluating Farnesyl Transferase Inhibitors in HRAS-Mutant Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma”

Joseph Fonseca, Morehouse College, in the lab of Rob Nicholas

Dajhnae Gambrell-Sanders, Clark Atlanta University, lab of Dr. Adrienne Cox, “Evaluating ERK inhibitor sensitivity in HRAS mutant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma”

Karson Guthrie, UNC, lab of Dr. Channing Der, “Characterizing an unconventional RHOAᴸ⁵⁷ⱽmutation found in diffuse gastric cancer”

Sara Hudson, UNC, lab of Dr. Lee Graves, “Investigating ERK8 Regulation – Testing Upstream Activators and Developing Tools to Discover Inhibitiors”

Larshe Moore, Clark Atlanta University, lab of Dr. Jonathan Schisler, “Identifying CXCL5-dependent signaling pathways that regulate cholesterol metabolism”

Dylan Schuler, UNC, lab of Dr. Rob Nicholas, “Regulation of Essential Penicillin-Binding Protein Expression by Peptidoglycan Hydrolases in N. gonorrhoeae”

Garima Tomar, UNC, lab of Dr. Channing Der

Alex Tribo, UNC, lab of Dr. Bryan Roth, “Non-canonical G protein couplings at Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptors”

2017

Marielle Bond, UNC, Biology, lab of Dr. Adrienne Cox, “What is the role of YAP1 in melanoma cell lines dependent on mutant NRAS and on the MAPK pathway?”

Adelaide Cooke, UNC, Biology, lab of Dr. Channing Der, “Biochemical Characterization of KRAS 4A”

Sam Curry, Morehouse College, Biology, lab of Dr. Lee Graves, “Investigating the role of BTK in drug resistance”

Ar-Ryon Garrison, Clark Atlanta University, Biology, lab of Dr. Rob Nicholas, “Role of the lipid transporter PqiABC in import of LpxC inhibitors into Neisseria Gonorrhoeae”

Adam Graves, UNC, Biology, lab of Dr. Lee Graves, “Investigating the Effects of Gator01 on Triple-Negative Breast Cancer”

McKenzie O’Hara, UNC, Biology, lab of Dr. Channing Der, “Identifying novel kinases that regulate MYC protein stability”

Ahnyah Phillips, Clark Atlanta University, lab of Dr. Henrik Dohlman, “Growth and metabolism in sugar sensing”

Zach Smith, Michigan State University, Biochemistry, lab of Dr. Jonathan Schisler, “Interactions between CHIP and phosphorylated HSP70”

2016

Wendy Klein, George Mason University, BS/Chemistry with Biochemistry concentration, lab of Dr. Rob Nicholas, “Cross-Complementation of Bifunctional Penicillin-Binding Proteins in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Escherichia coli”

Brandon Koo, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, BS/Biology, lab of Dr. Lee Graves, “Identifying Binding Partners of Oncogenic Kinase MELK”

Christina Kresser, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BS/Biology and Chemistry, lab of Dr. Channing Der, “Probing KRAS mutant-specific vulnerabilities at Gly12 for novel pancreatic therapies”

Maria Miggs, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BS/Biology, lab of Dr. Mauro Calabrese, “Identifying Xist cofactors required in the initiation of X-Chromosome Inactivation”

Tim Qi, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BS/Biology BA/Chemistry, lab of Dr. Klaus Hahn, “Creation of non-perturbing biosensors to report Rac1 activity”

Ami Shiddapur, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BS/Biology, lab of Tom Kash, “Behavioral effects of activation of nociceptin modulated circuits in the CeA to NTS pathway”

Daniel Zeitouni, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BSPH in Nutritional biochemistry, lab of Dr. Channing Der, “Determining the mechanistic basis underlying the effect of chloroquine in combination with an ERK inhibitor”

2015

Sainath Asokan, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Biostatistics/Public Health, lab of Dr. Nigel Mackman, “Role of PAR-1 signaling in the immune response to Coxsackie B3 virus-induced myocarditis”

Jennifer Jensen, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Biology and Psychology, lab of Dr. Tom Kash, “The Effects of Binge Eating: An intermittent access animal model”

David Reich, Brown University, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, lab of Dr. Ken McCarthy, “Glia -Neuron Interaction in Sympathetic Ganglia”

Eric West, Lafayette College, Chemistry, lab of Dr. Rob Nicholas, “Role of the Thromboxane Receptor in Platelet Activation”

2014

Cayce Dorrier, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Biochemistry, lab of Dr. Tom Kash, “Genetic manipulation of 5-HT1A receptors in the extended amygdala”

Colin McDowell, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chemistry, lab of Dr. Rob Nicholas, “Resistance Mechanisms in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Chengyu (Laura) Weng, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chemistry, lab of Dr. Alex Duncan,“Role of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae Lytic Transglycosylases in Mediating Resistance to Host Antimicrobial Responses”

Raymond Zhang, Wheaton College, Biochemistry, lab of Dr. Lee Graves, “The Regulation of BIRC6 in Drug-Resistant Chronic Myeloid Leukemia”

2013

Raúl Doyle, North Carolina State University, Microbiology, lab of Dr. Rob Nicholas, “Regulation of the MtrCDE Efflux pump by the Gonococcal efflux pump gene Regulator (GepR)”

Jennifer Frevert, Duke University, Chemistry, lab of Dr. Tom Kash, “Evaluation of a new method for lesioning inhibitory neurons”

Jakovin Lee, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Biology and Chemistry, lab of Dr. Ken McCarthy, “Investigating the Role of Gq Signaling in the Regulation of the Cardiovascular System”

Kinsey Qi, Amherst College, Biology, lab of Dr. Rob Nicholas, “Identification of the PDZ protein and associated kinase involved in internalization of the P2Y1 receptor”

Alex Sabol, Virginia Tech, Chemical Engineering, lab of Dr. Lee Graves, “Investigation into EZH2 Inhibitors and their Impact on FLT3 in Acute Myeloid Leukemia”

2012

Brian Chen, UNC-Chapel Hill, Biomedical Engineering/Computer Science, lab of Dr. Robert Nicholas, “Interrogating the role of oxidative stress in the action of bactericidal antiobiotics in Neisseria Gonorrhoeae

Yunxiang Dai, St. Olaf College, Biology and Chemistry, lab of Dr. Zefeng Wang, “Exploring the Space of the Specific RNA Binding Sequence of the PUF Domain”

Alexa Hendricks, Lehigh University, Biology, lab of Dr. Andrea Nackley, “Linking Genetic Variability of MOR-1K to Opioid Induced Hyperalgesia in Mice”

Lauren Jones, UNC-Chapel Hill, Biology and Spanish, lab of Dr. Lee Graves, “RSK-y Endeavor: An Investigation of the Ribosomal S6 Kinase and the inhibitor BI-D1870”

2011

Adam Buckholz, UNC-Chapel Hill, Biology, lab of Dr. Ken Harden, “Investigating G Protein Interaction with the Canonical Arabidopsis Phospholipase C”

John Runge, Trinity Univ., History, lab of Dr. Gary Johnson, “AZD6244 and Sorafenib Combination Therapies in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells”

Jennifer Tran, UNC-Chapel Hill, Biology, lab of Dr. Channing Der, “Localization and activity of Ect2 RhoGEF in Colorectal Cancer”

Elizabeth Wood, Furman University, Chemistry, lab of Dr. Angelique Whitehurst, “Elucidating the functional role of TRIM69 in chemoresistance”

2010

Susie Choi, UNC-Chapel, Chemistry, lab of Dr. Rob Nicholas, “The Importance of the SRAT Motif in the C-Terminal Tail of the P2Y1 Receptor in Agonist-Promoted Internalization in HEK Cells”

Derek Franklin, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chemistry, lab of Dr. Ken Harden, “Development of an Assay for invivo GPCR Stimulated PLC-β3 Activity”

Laurel Oldach, Reed College, Biology, lab of Dr. Alex Duncan, “Activation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome by Neisseria gonorrhoeae Porin B”

Connie Qui, Columbia University, Biomedical Engineering, lab of Dr. David Siderovski, “The Role of Rho GTPases in Entamoeba histolytica G Protein Signaling”

Edina Wang, UNC-CH, Biology, lab of Dr. Andrea Nackley, “Characterizing MOR-1K Expression Patterns in Pain-relevant Mouse Tissues”

2009

Lauren Burianek, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chemistry, lab of Dr. Ken Harden, “PLCγ2 augments RhoGpromoted inositol lipid hydrolysis”

Leanna Gentry, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chemistry, lab of Dr. Gary Johnson, “Characterization of Phosphorylated MEKK2 Using Mass Spectrometry”

2008

Amanda Blackwelder, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chemistry, lab of Dr. Lee Graves, “Investigating the Nuclear Localization of Transglutaminase 2”

Eric Gardner, University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy, PharmD, lab of Dr. Robert Nicholas, “Role of Caveolin-1 in P2Y2 Receptor Signaling”

Robin Muller, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chemistry-Biochemistry, lab of Dr. David Siderovski, “Discovery of a Gα/RGS pair in Entamoeba histolytica

Alan Nguyen, Case Western Reserve University, Biomedical Engineering, lab of Dr. Klaus Hahn, “New bright probes to sense endogenous protein conformational changes”

2007

Justin Brewster, McGill University, Biochemistry, lab of Dr. Henrik Dohlman, “Identifying Components Involved in the Graded-to-Binary Switch in the Yeast Pheromone Response Pathway”

Christine Bruckner, Grinnell College, Biology, lab of Dr. Ken Harden, “P2Y1 Receptor Desensitization”

Stephanie Grecco, Univ. of Rhode Island, Psychology, lab of Dr. Fulton Crews, “The effect of cytokine production & neuroinflammation by endotoxin following ethanol exposure”

Ben Otopalik, Carleton College, Cognitive Science. “What are the effects of the L9’T mutation on conformational changes in nicotinic receptors?”

Vanessa Richards, Oberlin College, Neuroscience. “Influence of Electrostatics on Cysteine Modification in Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors”

Kate White, University of Illinois, Integrative Biology, lab of Dr. Robert Nicholas, “Examination of P2Y6 receptor targeting signals in MDCK epithelial cells”

Martin Whittle, Univ. of Puget Sound, Chemistry, lab of Dr. Lee Graves, “Phosphorylation of Cytidine Triphosphate Synthetase 1”

2006

Julie R. Adkins, Michigan State University, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, lab of Dr. Robert Nicholas, “Internalization of P2Y1 receptors in MDCK cells”

Alex Berger, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Biology, lab of Dr. Adrienne Cox, “Characterization of the protein substrates for protein tyrosine phosphatase PRL-3”

Dustin E. Bosch, University of North Dakota, Premed/Chemistry, lab of Dr. Kendall Harden, “Activation of PLC-γ2 by Rac GTPases”

Rachel Currin, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Biology, lab of Dr. Channing Der, “Steps to uncovering the molecular basis of human, pathological angiogenesis: Determining GTPase specificity of the RhoGAP RICH2/TEM28”

Robert Marriott, III, Dickinson College, Biology, lab of Dr. Gary L. Johnson, “Ligation-independent cloning of PB1 (Phox/Bem1p) domain in T7 promoter-based vectors and high-yield production of PB1 domain recombinant proteins”

Amanda Mason, Harvard University, Biology, lab of Dr. Adrienne Cox, “Identification of Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors (GEFs) regulated by PRL-3 to promote invasion and metastasis”

2005

Nicholas Bessman, Iowa State University, Biochemistry, lab of Dr. Kendall Harden, “Mechanisms of Regulation of Phospholipase C Isozymes by Heterotrimeric and Ras Family G-proteins”

David Brown, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chemistry, lab of Dr. Lee M. Graves, “Building a Fluorescent-CAD Fusion Protein for Protein-Protein Interaction Studies”

Meredith Brown, MIT, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, lab of Dr. Leslie V. Parise, “Potential relationship between CIB levels & human platelet hyperactivity”

Amanda Foltz, University of Pittsburgh, Molecular Biology, lab of Dr. Robert A. Nicholas, “The Role of PilQ in Antibiotic Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Ryan Gaffney, King’s College, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Biology and Neuroscience, lab of Dr. Fulton Crews, “The Effects of Ethanol on MCP-1, TNF-alpha, iNOS, and nNOS induction in HEC Rat Brain Slices”

2004

Joshua Albert, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chemistry, lab of Dr. Rob Nicholas, “Determination of the Apical Targeting Signal in the P2Y4 Receptor in Polarized MDCK Epithelia”

Alexa Cook, Missouri Western State College, lab of Dr. Beverly Mitchell, “Finding relationships between adenosine and AMPK signaling pathways”

Ronnie Maharaj, University of South Carolina, lab of Dr. Kendall Harden, “Characterization of Antibodies of Phospholipase C-ε”

Viviana Rosado-Ramirez, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, lab of Dr. Fulton Crews, “Effect of Ethanol Exposure on Hippocampal Neurogenesis”

Kathryn Reinhard Cappell, University of Miami, lab of Dr. Leslie Parise, “CD40L in Sickle Cell Disease”

David Saper, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, lab of Rudy Juliano, “Role of Nicharin in Regulating Cellular Movement”

2003

Desiree German, UNC-Chapel Hill, Biology, lab of Dr. Rob Nicholas, “Identification of the Basolateral Targeting Signals in P2Y12 and P2Y14 Receptors in MDCK Epithelial Cells”

Sarah Godwin, Amherst College, Biology, lab of Dr. Kendall Harden, “Gβγ Activity of the Gβ5/RGS7 Dimer”

Kia Jackson, North Carolina A&T State University, Biology, lab of Dr. JoAnn Trejo, “Regulation of PAR2 Signaling & Trafficking”

Adam Kimple, Michigan State University, Biology, lab of Dr. David Siderovski, “Towards small molecule inhibitors of RGS proteins”

Sarah Rogan, Wellesley College, Neuroscience, lab of Dr. Kendall Harden, “Activation of PLC–ε by Rho GTPases”

Brett Rollins, UNC-Chapel Hill, Biochemistry, lab of Dr. Channing Der, “Characterization of Pathways Required for TC21 Mediated Transformation of Human Embryonic Kidney Cells”