Senior Thesis Titles 2007

ANDREW P. AMBROSY

HIV-1: Intrahost evolution of the envelope gene
Francoise Seillier-Moiseiwitsch, Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Biomathematics; and, Matthew B. Hamilton, Department of Biology

MICHAEL ANTIPORDA

Transcriptional regulation of Sox3 in Xenopus laevis
Elena S. Casey, Department of Biology

KATHRYN ARBOUR

Prenatal ketogenic calorie-restricted diets lead to low blood glucose levels of offspring and increase seizure resistance
Douglas A. Eagles, Department of Biology

ANTHONY J. BELOTTO

A comparison of the Pho2 and Bas1 transcription factors from Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Ronda J. Rolfes and George B. Chapman, Department of Biology

CAROLINA GESTEIRA BENJAMIN

Developmental expression and role of the translocator protein (TSPO) in testicular germ cells
Martine Culty, Department of Biochemistry; and, Elena S. Casey, Department of Biology

SAMANTHA BOWEN

Establishing methodologies to interfere and measure cytoskeletal dynamics in Giardia lamblia
Heidi G. Elmendorf, Department of Biology

SARA BRISTOW

Teaching biology: Combining learning styles and assessments to become more aware of student learning
Heidi G. Elmendorf, Department of Biology

SARAH E. BRONKO

A critical analysis of HIV and helminth co-infection (with a focus on Ascaris lumbricoides, Necator americanus, and Schistosoma spp.) in co-endemic African regions and the necessity of clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in the reduction of HIV burden
Steven M. Singer, Department of Biology

MITCHELL T. BUTLER

Investigating the role of Sox21 in embryonic brain development of Xenopus laevis
Elena S. Casey, Department of Biology

AMANDA A. CAVANAGH

Polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene promoter region interact with early-rearing experiences to affect central serotonin function
Douglas A. Eagles, Department of Biology

FRANCIS G. CHRISTIAN

The transition metal cadmium interacts with specific amino acids in the hormone-binding domain of the androgen receptor, causing conformational change and activation of the receptor
MaryBeth Martin, Department of Oncology; and, Ronda J. Rolfes, Department of Biology

NATALIE CIOMEK

Effects of ApoE genotype and healthy aging on probabilistic classification learning
Darlene V. Howard, Department of Psychology; and, Lori Estes, Department of Biology

MARY CONLON

Using inquiry-based teaching and multiple representations to strengthen student ability to apply math knowledge to biotechnology
Lori Estes and Heidi Elmendorf, Department of Biology

WILLIAM A. DAVIS

Electron microscopic detection of human hepatitis B virus and woodchuck virus in cell culture and serum
George B. Chapman, Department of Biology; and, Paul J. Cote, Department of Microbiology and Immunology

MEGAN J. DOUGHERTY

The praying mantis: Investigations of behavior and brain morphology
Martha R. Weiss, Department of Biology

TREVOR B. ECHELMEIER

The invasive green alga Caulerpa taxifolia as an uninhibited force in marine ecosystems
Philip Sze, Department of Biology

JILL ELIZABETH EUTENEUER

Collaborative environments and effect on teaching and learning in a ninth-grade biology classroom
Lori Estes and Heidi G. Elmendorf, Department of Biology

CHLOE A. FREE

A menace to control: The problem of antimalarial drug resistance
Steven M. Singer, Department of Biology

NICHOLAS P. GRENIER

Low Pb, Cd, and high Cu measured in livers of white-tailed deer in highly developed Maryland suburbs
Judith F. Rubinson, Department of Chemistry; and, Martha R. Weiss, Department of Biology

KIRK HAIDET

ARL1 and MON2 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibit synthetic lethality, which is suppressed by CKI1, encoding choline kinase
Anne G. Rosenwald, Department of Biology

BRENDA HUANG

Regulation of de novo purine nucleotide synthesis in yeast, bacteria, and higher eukaryotes
Ronda J. Rolfes, Department of Biology

JAYNE JANG

Sodium replenishment during exercise is appropriate for management of chronic SIADH and prevention of acute SIADH
Lori Estes, Department of Biology

HANI JARAWAN

Subcloning and cotransfection of MLL2 protein domains to determine protein interactions and cell localization
Father Kevin FitzGerald, Department of Oncology

ANUJ JAYAKAR

The role of neuregulin-1 and cAMP in Schwann cell differentiation and proliferation
Joseph H. Neale, Department of Biology

ANNA L. KUBIT

Investigation of stimulatory KIR2DS1 frequency in bone marrow transplantation recipients with mild and severe graft versus host disease and their unrelated donors
Noriko Steiner and Carolyn K. Hurley, Department of Oncology; and, Steven M. Singer, Department of Biology

JENNIFER LAN

The role of orphan nuclear receptor, ERR-gamma, in the development of antiestrogen resistance in ILC breast carcinomas
Rebecca Riggins, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center; and, Lori Estes, Department of Biology

JOHN PETER LAZAR

Role of breast cancer invadopodia in extracellular matrix degradation in three dimensions
Suzette Mueller, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center; and, Steven M. Singer, Department of Biology

CHRISTIE LERRO

The role of Langerhans cells in response to human papillomavirus infection
Michael Hickey, Department of Biology

LAURA MAGILL

FE65 interaction with the ApoE receptor apoEr2
G. William Rebeck, Department of Neuroscience

ARI MARCISCANO

Inhibition of GSK3-ß (glycogen synthase kinase 3-ß) regulates the Wnt pathway through ß-catenin activation to block adipocyte differentiation and the potential role of GSK3-ß in stem cell expansion
Robert I. Glazer, Department of Oncology

MARISSA K. MCNAMARA

Did the striped bass (Morone saxatilis) population in the Chesapeake Bay experience a genetic bottleneck?
Matthew B. Hamilton, Department of Biology

CLAIRE E. MCNULTY

Odonate (Odonata: Anisopter, Zygoptera) biodiversity, habitat use, and flight periods in Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve, Virginia
Edward M. Barrows, Department of Biology

NILI N. MEHTA

Development of communication as a tool for understanding at McKinley Technology High School
Michael Hickey, Department of Biology

JENNIFER C. MILLER

Identification of functional motifs on the protein product of the PCPH proto-oncogene
Vincente Notario, Department of Radiation Medicine

ROBERT A. MILLER

A light and transmission electron microscope study of the common house spider, Achaearanea tepidariorum
George B. Chapman, Department of Biology

ANA MONTEIRO

Does NAAG attenuate IL-6 release after VIP and substance P administration in rat cortical astrocytes?
Joseph H. Neale, Department of Biology

BRITTANY D. O’DWYER

The effect of dual serotonergic and cholinergic lesions on social and expolatory behavior
Douglas A. Eagles, Department of Biology

SARAH S. PICKARD

The role of protein tyrosine phosphatase L1 in Ewing’s sarcoma family of tumors
Jeffrey a. Toretsky, Departments of Oncology and Pediatrics; and, Joseph H. Neale, Department of Biology

KATHERINE C. PRENDERGAST

Exploring nuclear function in Giardia lamblia
Heidi G. Elmendorf, Department of Biology

TERRY B. PRICE, JR.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor, HER-2, in aggressive forms of breast cancer: A literature review of physiology and current treatment protocols
Lori Estes, Department of Biology

J. ELLIOTT ROBINSON

Examining the role of metacognition and group dynamics in student motivation in a 9th grade biology classroom
Joseph H. Neale, Department of Biology

ALEXANDRA E. SCHUCK

Effect of amino acid substitutions E55A, Q57A, and N59A on Roc1 ubiquitin ligase enzyme function
Jessica M. Jones, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cellular Biology; and, Anne Rosenwald, Department of Biology

TERESA SCHUESSLER

Alterations in apoptotic proteins in circulating leukocytes following acute and chronic morphine treatment
Barbara Bayer, Department of Neuroscience; and, Douglas A. Eagles, Department of Biology

JOE SCOFI

Role of alpha-1 giardin and variant surface protein H7 in Giardia infection
Steven M. Singer, Department of Biology

MAHDI SHADKAMFARROKHI

Seizure resistance induction
Douglas A. Eagles, Department of Biology

VIRGINIA SHALKEY

The effect of progesterone on the cardiovascular and renal responses to aldosterone
Darren Roesch, Department of Medicine; and, Douglas A. Eagles, Department of Biology

LAURA P. SHOEMAKER

The effects of ketogenic dietary restrictions on rat pups born to dams with variably restricted diets during pregnancy
Douglas A. Eagles, Department of Biology

KEITH SUMMA

Circadian rhythms and photoperiodic diapause in Aedes albopictus
Peter A. Armbruster, Department of Biology

MOLLY SZRAMOWSKI

Characterizing the alleles of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) promoter region
Carolyn K. Hurley, Department of Oncology; Phillip E. Posch, Department of Microbiology; and, Diane Taylor, Department of Biology

LEVINE THOMAS

The role of breast cancer cell 2 (BRCC2) tumor suppressor gene in breast cancer
Bassem R. Haddad and Luciane R. Cavalli, Department of Oncology; and, Paul J. Cote, Departments of Biology and of Microbiology and Immunology

MARIA C. WADLINGTON

Innate preferences and learning abilities for floral patterns by Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus)
Martha R. Weiss, Department of Biology

HEQIAO (MARGARET) WANG

Applying the index of learning styles in student assessments to promote student learning and student awareness of the learning process
Heidi G. Elmendorf, Department of Biology

STEPHANIE R. WAPPEL

The effects of overexpression of Sox3 in the lens or retina of transgenic Xenopus laevis
Elena S. Casey, Department of Biology

MARTA WEGORZEWSKA

Assessment of the efficacy of the NAAG peptidase inhibitor ZJ43 in vivo
Joseph H. Neale and Rafal T. Olszewski, Department of Biology

SHENELLE-MARIE WISE

Effects of cytokines produced during Giardia infections (IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-1ß) on lactase regulation
Steven M. Singer, Department of Biology