2013 SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM STUDENT ABSTRACTS This page left blank 2 Contents Preface………………………………………………………… 5 Acknowledgements ………………………………………… 7 Lab Research Ownership …………………………………. 9 Index Medical Students ………………………………………... 11 Undergraduate Students ……………………………….. 12 International Medical Students ………………………… 13 Abstracts – Medical Students …………………………… 14 Abstracts – Undergraduates ……………………………. 82 Abstracts – International Medical Students ……..…….. 123 3 This page left blank 4 Preface The University of Texas Medical School at Houston (UTMSH) Summer Research Program provides intensive, hands-on laboratory research training for MS-1 medical students and undergraduate college students under the direct supervision of experienced faculty researchers and educators. These faculty members’ enthusiasm for scientific discovery and commitment to teaching is vital for a successful training program. It is these dedicated scientists who organize the research projects to be conducted by the students. The trainee’s role in the laboratory is to participate to the fullest extent of her/his ability in the research project being performed. This involves carrying out the technical aspects of experimental analysis, interpreting data and summarizing results. The results are presented as an abstract and are written in the trainees’ own words that convey an impressive degree of understanding of the complex projects in which they were involved. To date, more than 1,800 medical, college, and international medical students have gained research experience through the UTMSH Summer Research Program. Past trainees have advanced to pursue research careers in the biomedical sciences, as well as gain an appreciation of the relationship between basic and clinical research and clinical practice. UTMSH student research training is supported by a grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and/or by financial support from the Dean and the departments and faculty of the medical school and School of Dentistry. Biomedical science education remains a vital and integral part of our nation’s interests. The UTMSH Summer Research Program, and the dedication of our faculty and administration exemplify the institution’s commitment to training and educating the future leaders in our biomedical scientific communities. Gary C. Rosenfeld, Ph.D. Director, Summer Research Program Assistant Dean for Educational Programs 5 This page left blank 6 Acknowledgements This publication marks the completion of the twenty-fifth year of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston (UTMSH) Summer Research Program. The longevity and success of the program are rooted in the overwhelming support received from the deans, faculty, staff and students of the medical school. Indicative of this support is the administrative assistance and financial support for the Program’s college and medical students provided by UTMSH. Sincere appreciation is expressed to Dean Giuseppe Colasurdo M.D. and Patricia M. Butler, M.D., Associate Dean, Office of Educational Programs who continue to ensure the yearly success of the Summer Research Program. Major financial assistance for medical students has also been provided through a short term research grants by the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS; 5 T35 NS064931). Negotiated cooperative agreements with several international medical schools have been set up to offer tailored research programs at UTMSH for selected foreign medical students who interact fully with the other students in the Summer Research Program. The success of the Summer Research Program depends primarily on the faculty who volunteer to mentor the trainees. These dedicated educators organize and guide the research projects that includes for each student data analysis, preparation of an abstract and public presentation of results. Our sincere appreciation to all faculty mentors. 7 This page left blank 8 Lab Research Ownership Publication and/or Disclosure Each student participating in this program is required to read, agree to, and sign this disclosure form. The original signed copy is on file in the Summer Research Program office; the student and their faculty mentors are each furnished with a copy. “In reference to the laboratory research you will perform this coming summer through The University of Texas Medical School at Houston’s Summer Research Program, you are required to comply with the standard restrictions regarding participation in the Summer Research Program: “All of your laboratory research is CONFIDENTIAL and although your abstract will be available through our website, you cannot independently disclose or publish any research findings or data in any form (including at meetings or conferences) without the express prior written approval of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. If you wish to submit your abstract to any third party, you must first contact your faculty mentor no less than three (3) weeks prior to any deadlines in order to obtain the necessary written approvals. “Because your research was generated from ideas and funds that originated with your faculty mentor and The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, ownership of any data generated by you during the Summer Research Program belongs to The University of Texas Medical School at Houston or the Principle Investigator (PI).” 9 This page left blank 10 Medical Students Page Page Last Name First Name Last Name First Name # # Adams Bradley 15 Karri Jay 50 Aziz Shahroz 16 Kwater Andrzej 51 Booth Michael 17 LeBlanc Anthony 52 Brown Charles 18 Loh Jonash 53 Brown Kendra 19 McBride Cameron 54 Caplan Henry 20 Mena Stephanie 55 Crenwelge Tiffany 21 Messer Jay 56 Davis Elizabeth 23 Mount Andrew 57 DiCicco Beau 24 Mulanovich Eduardo 58 Dubuisson Danielle 25 Mulcahy Collin 59 Ekhlassi Erfon 26 Nguyen Adam 60 Elhorr Feryal 27 Novak Matthew 61 Feng Kimberly 28 Oyeniyi James 62 Fraivillig Kurt 29 Patel Kishan 63 Frank Thomas 30 Philip Grace 65 Fu Chen 37 Poddar Keshav 66 Gilbert Blaine 32 Reynolds Jake 67 Goerlich Corbin 33 Rogers Nathan 68 Gonzales Omar 35 Roper Brennan 69 Goodman Casey 36 Segal Graeme 70 Hacopian Alexander 37 Seidel Hudson 71 Haight Derek 38 Sloan Duncan 72 Hanania Alexander 39 Srikrishnan Anand 73 Holloway Steven 40 Villegas Inurrigarro Joaquin 74 Holmes Genevieve 41 Vo Jonathan 75 Hoover Katlyn 42 Wallace Nicholas 76 Huang Michael 44 Waller-Delarosa John 77 Hutto Jake 45 Waters David 78 Huynh Douglas 46 Wilcoxson Brandon 79 Irani Malcolm 47 Witkov Richard 80 Jawad Adbul 48 Zebda Denna 81 Kansara Sagar 49 11 Undergraduate Students Page Page Last Name First Name Last Name First Name # # Abraham Annie 83 McMenemy Madison 101 Abu-Shamat Farid 84 McNulty Catherine 102 Ahn Stephanie 85 Nguyen Tran 103 Ajluni Steven 86 Patel Anjali 104 Alapati Nitheesha 88 Putman Jordan 105 Ayoub Christopher 89 Randall James 106 Bricker Madeleine 90 Rosenthal Nathan 107 Brooks Sarah 91 Sajid Madiha 108 Cheng Yanshu 92 Schoenemann Kara 109 Chua Cherie 93 Song Ye-Jin 110 Dadashazar Samareh 94 Taylor Ellen 112 Hoang Ellen 88 Thomas Carrisa 113 Jebreen Osama 95 Travis Kate 114 Kirchgessner Megan 96 Trevino Viviana 115 Lerner Michelle 97 Wright Robin 116 Lima Maria 98 Wu Patrick 117 Lin Andy 99 Yao Zhixing 119 Maddox Jessica 88 Zhu Lawrence 120 Mathews Stacy 100 Zimmerman Rachel 122 12 International Medical Students Page Last Name First Name # Jiang Shutian 124 Li Yike 125 Lin Chyauwen 126 Morimoto Kana 127 Shimozono Komei 128 Wei Yahui 131 Wu Ziping 132 Yeh Tingyu 133 Zhu Youwei 134 13 Medical Students 14 2013 Summer Research Program Office of Educational Programs Medical Student ABSTRACT MSCs Inhibit Microglia and T-cell Inflammatory Response In Vitro BRADLEY D. ADAMS The University of Texas at Houston Medical School Class of 2016 Sponsored by: Scott D. Olson, PhD, Department of Pediatric Surgery Supported by: Scott D. Olson, PhD, Department of Pediatric Surgery; The University of Texas at Houston Medical School—Office of the Dean Key Words: TBI, MSCs, Leukocytes, Anti-Inflammatory Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is recognized as a leading cause of mortality and permanent neurological disability worldwide, yet efforts to develop protective therapies have had no success in human trials. Along with the initial physical damage that defines TBI, it often results in a delayed secondary inflammatory injury to the patient, brought on by over-recruitment and activation of both central and peripheral inflammatory cells, such as T-cells, microglia and other leukocytes. Multipotent Stromal Cells (MSCs), formerly-known as mesenchymal stem cells, have been shown to have modulatory effects on inflammatory activation of various immune cells. There's no current treatment for the secondary inflammatory injury following TBI, which presents an opportunity to develop therapeutic approaches that may prevent further neurological damage and loss of function following injury. We hypothesize that MSCs will be able to inhibit the secretion of inflammatory cytokines from activated microglia and T-cells to prevent further injury in TBI. Co-culture of bone marrow-derived MSCs with mouse microglia cell line and human T-cell line showed a decrease in the expression of TNF-α and IL-2 by 32.4% and 50.6%, respectively. This aligns well with our previous co-cultures of MSCs with raw mouse splenocytes and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), where there were decreases in TNF-α, IFN-γ and other interleukins. These results suggest that MSCs inhibit secretion of inflammatory