Senior Thesis Titles 2009

ALISA ALAYAN

Activation of mu-opioid receptors in the medial subnucleus of the tractus solitarius (mNTS) decreases gastric tone and motility by reducing local GABAergic signaling
Melissa A. Herman, Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience; Richard A. Gillis, Department of Pharmacology; and, Joseph Neale

ANDREW ANTONY

The Role of the GRIP-Domain Containing Protein, Imh1, in Mediated Functions of the Guanine-Nucleotide Binding Protein, Arl1
Anne G. Rosenwald, Department of Biology

AMALIA ARUDA

Molecular Components of the Diapause Response in the Asian Tiger Mosquito Aedes albopictus
Peter Armbruster, Department of Biology

LESLIE BILELLO

Serum inducible kinase binds NSF through a novel binding domain to regulate AMPA receptor trafficking
Danielle M. Evers, and Daniel T.S. Pak. Department of Pharmacology; and, Maria Donoghue, Department of Biology

VICTORIA BLOHM

The Quality of Study Habits amongst Students at a D.C. Public High School
Steven Singer, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

ANDREA J. DAWE

Investigating the Use of Visual Aids to Reinforce Key Concepts in Biology: To What Extent Can High School Students Interpret and Explain Graphs?
Anne G. Rosenwald, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

DANIEL DEGUISTO

The Effects of Pharmacological Inhibition of NADPH Oxidase in the Pathobiology of TBI
Alan Faden, Department of Neuroscience; and, Maria Donoghue, Department of Biology

DAVID DEMARIA

Sox21 increases neural progenitors and delays neuronal differentiation without affecting non-neural ectoderm
Elena Casey, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

COURTNEY N. DUGGER

Deep brain stimulation proves beneficial for Tourette syndrome and co-morbid psychiatric disorders
Joesph Neale, Department of Biology

BRITTANY LYNN DYE

What Image is More Beneficial to Student Learning: Images on Teacher-provided Handouts or Teacher-drawn Board Images?
Anne G. Rosenwald, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

JAMES ECONOMIDES

The effect of osmotic stress on gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Anne Rosenwald, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

GRETCHEN EDWARDS

Evaluating the foundations of the hierarchy of immunodominance observed upon infection with respiratory syncytial virus, RSV
Barney Graham, MD, PhD, Vaccine Research Center, National Institutes of Health; and, Steven Singer, PhD, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

LYDIA FEIN

Confidence in the Biotechnology Classroom Steven Singer, Department of Biology STEPHEN FERNICOLA A light and electron microscope study of selected aspects of the nervous system of the Zebrafish, Danio rerio
George B. Chapman, Department of Biology

GEORGE FERZLI

Examining the Molecular Mechanism of Neural Induction in Xenopus laevis
Elena Casey, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

FABIO FRISolI

Investigating the Frequency and Distribution of DNA Methylation as an Epigenetic Modulator of Antisense Transcription in Giardia lamblia
Heidi Elmendorf, Department of Biology

LUCY HARDIMAN

Investigation of the Genetic Factors Behind Development of Anxiety Disorders
Joseph Neale, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

KATHERINE HARRIPERSAUD

Investigating Students’ Implementation of the Scientific Method
Heidi Elmendorf, Department of Biology

THERESA M. HARRISON

Locomotor behavior and neural activation in EphA4/EphB1 double gene deletion mice
Lawrence Kromer, Department of Neuroscience; and, Maria Donoghue, Department of Biology

LUKE R. JOHNSTON

Petting and Rubbing as Mechanisms for Social Bond Formation and Maintenance in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops sp.)
Janet Mann, Departments of Biology and Psychology

ADNAN KARIM

Trigeminal innervations of the developing murine whisker pad is dependent upon EphA4-mediated signaling
Maria Donoghue, Department of Biology

VIKAAS KATARIA

The metabolic syndrome and linking insulin resistance and type II diabetes through beta cell dysfunction and inflammation
Douglas Eagles, Department of Biology

GREGORY KELLEY

To investigate the effect of the ketogenic diet administered to pregnant rodent mothers on the F1 population
Douglas Eagles, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

FAIZA N. KHIMJI

Investigating the Relationship Between Note Quality and Performance on Assessments in AP Biology Students
Elena Casey, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

SO YOUN ROSA KIM

Critical analysis of HIV and current and future treatments of AIDS with implications for global health policy
Maria Donoghue, Department of Biology

MICHAEL E. KOLLENG

Apid Bee Populations, Distribution, and Biodiversity within a Mid-Atlantic National Park
Edward M. Barrows, Department of Biology

RYAN KOZLOWSKI

The effects of neonatal anti-epileptic exposure on long term behavioral outcomes in rats
Karen Gale, Department of Pharmacology; Patrick Forcelli, Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience; and, Maria Donoghue, Department of Biology

CARL KRAUS

Sex Differences in Lung ACE2 Activity within a Model of Induced Hypertension
Kathryn Sandberg, Department of Medicine; and, Douglas Eagles, Department of Biology

COLLETTE LAFLAMME

The Effects of Calorie Restricted Ketogenic Diet in Pregnant Dams on Diet Induced Seizure Protection in Rat Pups
Douglas Eagles, Department of Biology

CAROLINE LAVERRIERE

Zebrafish isotocin and vasotocin cell development: Combinatorial regulation by sim1, otp, and pou genes and the role of gsc
Eric Glasgow, Department of Medicine; and, Elena S. Casey, Department of Biology

THIEN-KIM LE

The regulation and function of Sox21 during neural development in Xenopus laevis
Elena Casey, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

MATTHEW E. LECUYER

The correlation between scholarly articles and reading comprehension and inquiry in the high school science classroom
Elena S. Casey, Department of Biology

JUSTIN LEE

NAAG Peptidase Inhibitor in Animal Models of Schizophrenia
Joseph Neale, Department of Biology

MICHAEL LEE

ZJ43 inhibition of NAAG peptidase activity following intracerebroventricular [3H]-NAAG injection
Joseph Neale, Department of Biology

KATHRYN LEHIGH

Role of Eph/ephrins in thalamic development
Maria Donoghue, Department of Biology

KRISTEN MASTROPOLE

The Effects of Nitrogen Presses and Pulses on a Salt Marsh Ecosystem
Gina Wimp, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

ISLA S. MCCLELLAND

Brain morphometric studies of gender and age in the context of reading skills
Guinevere Eden, Pediatrics Department; and, Maria Donoghue, Department of Biology

NINO MIHATOV

Implementation of Targeted Questions Improves Student Retention, Confidence, and Attention in a 10th Grade Biotechnology Classroom
Steven Singer, Department of Biology

JUSTIN M. MOHER

Deleting the EphA7 tyrosine kinase receptor or its ephrin-A binding partner disrupts striatal development and function
Lawrence F. Kromer, Department of Neuroscience; and, Maria J. Donoghue, Department of Biology

ANDREW MUNKAKH

The Spread of Infectious Disease in a Changing Global Ecosystem
Gina Wimp, Department of Biology

AMANDA J. MURPHY

Behavioral and Autonomic Responses to Social Calls and FM Sweeps in Awake Mustached Bats
Jagmeet Kanwal, Department of Physiology & Biophysics; and, Douglas Eagles, Department of Biology

ASHA NEPTUNE

The Impact of Collaborative Learning on Critical Thinking
Elena Casey, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

JOSEPH NOBILE

The effects of EphA4 and EphA7 on cortical morphology in vivo using Golgi stain analysisMaria Donoghue, Department of Biology

MATTHEW OISHI

Improving Student Retention through Collaborative Work
Elena Casey, Department of Biology; and, Janet Russell, Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship

DEREK OWENS

Investigating the evolution of human dentition
Elena Casey, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

KEVIN PARVARESH

Examining VEGF and HB-EGF Expression in Functionally Overloaded Rat Plantaris and Soleus Muscle
Jon-Philippe K. Hyatt, Department of Human Science; and, Douglas A. Eagles, Department of Biology

ANUJ PATEL

Determining the relationship between nocturnal and diurnal testing of seizure severity in rats fed ketogenic diets
Douglas Eagles, Department of Biology

ADELINE PLESIU

Investigating the role of signaling through GPCRs in TRPV1 function
Gerard Ahern, Department of Pharmacology; and, Joseph Neale, Department of Biology

ZAHRA RAHMAN

Life-History Tradeoffs Associated with Diapause in Aedes albopictus
Peter Armbruster, Department of Biology

ALLISON ROBERTA

EphA7/ephrin-A5 contributes to cortical neuronal complexity
Maria Donoghue, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

YESENIA RODRIGUEZ

Relative Efficacy of Group vs. Individual Work in Recalling and Retaining Scientific Concepts
Heidi Elmendorf, Department of Biology

DANIEL C. ROGAN

Microfilaments in Giardia lamblia Attachment and Virulence: Isolating Giardia Actin and Identifying Novel Actin-associated Proteins
Heidi G. Elmendorf, Department of Biology

ORLANDO D. SABBAG DACCARETT

Determining the post-effects of a Ketogenic Calorie-Restricted Diet on Seizure Intensity in Rattus norvegicus after Discontinuation of the Diet
Douglas A. Eagles, Department of Biology

EMILY B. SCHORR

Exploring Arl1’s Interactions with the GRIP domain: Effects on Membrane Traffic and Ion Homeostasis
Anne G. Rosenwald, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

CHARLES SNYDER

Investigating the Impact of Phenobarbital on Programmed Cell Death and Neurobehavior
Karen Gale, Department of Pharmacology; Patrick Forcelli, Interdisciplinary Program of Neuroscience; and, Douglas Eagles, Department of Biology

J. TYLER STEUBS

Persistence of memory through metamorphosis in Manduca sexta
Martha Weiss, Department of Biology, Georgetown University

KATHRYN M. SULLIVAN

The Effects of EphrinB2 Deletion on Striatal Reinnervation by Transplants of Embryonic Dopamine Neurons in a Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease
Lawrence F. Kromer, Department of Neuroscience; and, Maria J. Donoghue, Department of Biology

JOSE L. TOVAR

The green crab Carcinus maenas as a global invasive force devastating marine ecosystems
Philip Sze, Department of Biology, Georgetown University