The National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program is a highly sought after fellowship for funding your graduate education, but what are the requirements, and how do you write a competitive application? Join two NSF GRFP awardees (and UMBC McNair alumni!) to learn all about the NSF GRFP application process, tips and tricks, and additional fellowship resources!
Thursday September 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT Fairmont Room
Bladder inflammation is a major feature of urological disorders such as Overactive Bladder (OAB) and Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS), which affect millions of people and lack consistently effective treatments. Previous studies have identified purinergic signaling as a key contributor to bladder pathology, while research from our laboratory has shown that ATP release from the urothelium via lysosomal exocytosis promotes bladder inflammation and overactivity. This ATP release is regulated by lysosomal calcium (Ca²⁺) signaling through TRPML1 channels and is often triggered by intracellular oxidative stress, although the signaling pathways connecting oxidative stress to lysosomal Ca²⁺ release remain unclear. This project investigates whether oxidative stress induced by biologically active molecules (Menadione, Angiotensin II, ML-SA1, and ML-SA5) activates TRPML1-mediated lysosomal Ca²⁺ release in urothelial cells. Using Fura-2 calcium imaging, we measured intracellular Ca²⁺ responses and evaluated the effects of the TRPML1 inhibitor ML-SI3 to determine channel involvement. We also examined the roles of BK potassium channels and the CFTR chloride channel in regulating lysosomal ATP release. By clarifying how oxidative stress controls lysosomal Ca²⁺ signaling and ATP release, this research advances our understanding of bladder inflammation and may identify novel therapeutic targets for OAB, IC/BPS, and related bladder disorders.
Cell and gene therapies have the potential to treat cancer, genetic disorders, and other life-threatening diseases, yet their high cost and manufacturing variability limit patient access. A major challenge is the lack of real-time monitoring of key metabolic variables in static cell culture systems. Dissolved oxygen (DO), dissolved carbon dioxide (dCO2), and glucose regulate cellular respiration and metabolic balance, but static G-Rex workflows typically rely on incubator setpoints and intermittent off-line sampling, offering limited insight into dynamic culture behavior. To address this gap, we evaluated 10 to 12 day human embryonic kidney (HEK) cell cultures in static G-Rex systems to assess the feasibility of continuous DO and dCO2 monitoring under production-relevant conditions. HEK cells were selected as a model system due to their well-characterized metabolic and respiratory profiles. Using real-time DO sensors and a rate-based approach to estimate dCO2, we demonstrated proof-of-concept for continuous, 24/7 monitoring over extended culture durations. Continuous monitoring provided more detailed insight into culture dynamics than traditional methods. These findings support integration of process analytical technology strategies into static G-Rex workflows, enabling greater automation, improved process consistency, and more informative batch records to support regulatory review and scalable, affordable manufacturing.
This project investigates how the brain constructs meaning during language comprehension by analyzing intracranial EEG (iEEG) data with millisecond-scale temporal resolution. Conducted under Dr. Kumar Duraivel and Prof. Evelina Fedorenko at MIT's EvLab, this research addresses limitations of fMRI studies, which capture neural activity only at second-level resolution. Language comprehension involves transforming sensory input from auditory/visual cortices into structured linguistic representations through semantic and syntactic processing, then integrating these with higher-order cognitive systems. Previous fMRI research shows incremental comprehension difficulty selectively activates language networks, but cannot capture rapid neural dynamics underlying speech perception, syntax, and semantic understanding. Using iEEG's high temporal resolution, I will model neural effects of comprehension difficulty and working memory, examining how syntactic, semantic, and predictive processes emerge and interact in language-selective cortex during real-time meaning construction.
Gut microbes can play key roles in host health. Mollicutes is a class of diverse bacteria whose symbiotic relationships range from beneficial to parasitic in plants, marine life, and insects. The mollicute Entomoplasma corruscae is species-specific to the Winter Firefly Photinus corruscus and putatively functions as a beneficial symbiont. With fireflies holding cultural significance, inferring the effects of symbionts can improve our understanding of firefly survivability. We hypothesized that E. corruscae plays a beneficial role in Winter Firefly health and predict that fireflies harboring high abundance of mollicutes will survive longer and gain more weight over time. In this experiment we separated nearly 200 fireflies into three groups and exposed them to different dietary treatments: antibiotics, mollicute isolates, and control. An E. corruscae strain was grown in the lab and used in the mollicute treatment. After two months, our PCR results indicate that the abundance of mollicutes was drastically reduced through antibiotic ingestion but remained high in fireflies exposed to a mollicute or control diet. Yet, firefly survival and weight did not differ across treatments. In conclusion, E. corruscae may not directly be involved in host survival and may derive greater benefits from the host than it provides in return.
Wearable biosensors require materials that combine flexibility, biocompatibility, and electrical conductivity to enable noninvasive physiological monitoring. This study investigates the development and characterization of electroconductive chitosan-alginate hydrogel films for future biosensing applications. Conductivity was introduced through in situ polymerization of polyaniline using sulfuric acid, and alternative conductive polymer systems such as pyrrole in sulfuric acid and pyrrole in acetonitrile are being explored to evaluate and optimize the hydrogels' electrical performance. Hydrogel films were characterized through swelling analysis in phosphate buffer solution (PBS), pH stability testing, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and preliminary electrical measurements using a four-point probe to assess conductive behaviors. The swelling and electroconductive analysis tests demonstrated the hydrogel's ability to absorb fluid, while pH testing assessed its structural stability under physiological conditions. FTIR spectroscopy testing confirmed the identification of functional groups associated with chitosan, alginate, polymerized polyaniline, and polymerized pyrrole in both sulfuric acid and acetonitrile, supporting the incorporation of polymer within the hydrogel matrix. Four-point probe measurements were conducted to observe the film's electrical properties, and data analysis has not been completed. These findings establish a foundation for continued optimization of electroconductive hydrogels and support their potential application in flexible, noninvasive biosensing applications.
Cervical cancer, driven by high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV), remains a leading cause of cancer-related death. Annually, 600,000 women are diagnosed, and nearly 300,000 die from the disease. Current treatments utilize surgery and chemoradiation, which are not selective for HPV-infected cells and are less effective in advanced disease stages. These limitations highlight the need for therapies that specifically target HPV-infected cancer cells while sparing healthy cells. HPV oncogenes, E6 and E7, are the primary drivers of HPV-associated cancers. E6 promotes cancer cell survival by blocking programmed cell death. Identifying the molecular mechanisms enabling E6-mediated cell survival is essential for developing selective therapeutic strategies. Our lab developed a Drosophila model of HPV E6 oncogene expression and demonstrated that E6’s pro-survival function is evolutionarily conserved. Using this model, we identified a target in the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) whose reduction disrupts the pro-survival activity of E6 and triggers cell death. We have demonstrated that the reduction of the target disrupts the pro-survival effect and leads to cell death in HPV-positive cervical cancer cells and Drosophila. These studies have the potential to provide important insights into how HPV-driven cancer cells survive and assess the target’s potential as a selective therapeutic to eliminate HPV-infected cancer cells.
Background: The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and estrogen receptor (ER) regulate signaling pathways that influence tumor progression in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Compound A, a compound under investigation, exhibits anti-tumor activity in breast cancer cells, although the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear.
Objective: This study investigates whether the anti-tumor effects of Compound A are mediated through AhR alone or through interactions between AhR and ER.
Methods: Hormone receptor-positive breast cancer cells were treated with Compound A, MeBIO, Indirubin, estradiol (E2), or vehicle control. Subcellular fractionation was performed to isolate cytosolic, nucleoplasmic, and chromatin-bound fractions. Protein localization and expression of AhR and ER were evaluated by Western blotting.
Results: Optimization of fractionation and immunoblotting protocols enabled detection of AhR and ER across cellular compartments. Preliminary findings suggest ligand-dependent changes in receptor localization, providing insight into potential interactions between AhR and ER following Compound A treatment. Quantitative analyses are ongoing.
Conclusion: Characterizing the relationship between AhR and ER may clarify the mechanism of action of Compound A and advance our understanding of receptor signaling in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, informing future targeted therapeutic strategies.
