Presenter Name: Aksel Anderson
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally, and one of the most impactful subsets is coronary artery disease. Understanding the geometric structure of the heart’s vascular network can provide insight into the development of coronary artery disease. However, these vasculature geometries are often limited to the primary branches of the coronaries. My study developed a method to efficiently obtain subject-specific, high-resolution vasculature geometries.
Signal Processor for Electrogram and Electroanatomic Data (SPEED)
Presenter Name: Rui Jin
The electrocardiogram is the most commonly used tool to access cardiac conditions, such as heart failures. These signals are ambiguous, so many cases require catheter-based measurements from the heart in mapping studies. OpenEP, PFEIFER and map3d are signal processors that parse data into accessible open-source formats, with visualization and analysis. My research integrates these software packages to exploit the benefits and provide a new tool for clinicians and researchers in heart disease.
Recording and manipulating neural activity in human brain organoids
Presenter Name: Jude Werth
This research project has two goals, to model the effect of Glioblastoma in brain organoids and to design a platform capable of recording dozens of organoids. Organodis are 3D models of the human brain derived from stem cells. We recorded data from control organoids and organoids cocultured with GBM cells, this project looks to quantify the difference between the two. Additionally we look to design a recording dish which can record dozens of organoids.
Deep Learning for Thermal-RGB Image-to-Image Translation
Presenter Name: Emma Wadsworth
The contributions of this research are: (1) creating the largest and most diverse publicly available dataset of TIR-RGB image pairs, and (2) demonstrating efficient translation between TIR and RGB image modalities across diverse global priors
Artificial Organ Transplants
Presenter Name: Luna Ahn, Louelle Cho, Stella Oh
More than around 100,000 people are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, but the number of organs is limited, and the number of people who need artificial organs is increasing. Since there are still technical problems with artificial organs that many people do not benefit from, we are going to do research to develop technical problems of artificial organ and discuss about the further benefits if these problem solved.
Direct Numerical Simulation of Flame Propagation in Hydrogen and Ammonia Mixtures
Presenter Name: Joey Lee
The combustion of hydrogen/ammonia systems is an ongoing area of research, and is not well-understood yet. Through direct numerical simulations of the combustion of these chemical mechanisms, we can predict the behavior of these processes. My research currently is to compare the robustness of various simulation mechanisms to better understand which models would be preferable for future research.
Development of Two-Chambered Kidney-On-A-Chip Mimicking the Glomerular Filtration Barrier
Presenter Name: Jiwon Lee
Fabricating two-chambered kidney chip and culturing cells to form the glomerular filtration barrier on the chip.
Comparison of Water Meniscus on Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Surfaces
Presenter Name: Milo Birdwell
This research aims to see how varying humidity will affect the formation of a water meniscus between a tip and surface. Through a relative humidity range of 0-60%, a hydrophilic tip on a quartz tuning fork, QTF, is brought down to contact and retracted from both a hydrophobic surface and a hydrophilic surface. Recording both the frequency shift and voltage amplitude of the QTF, future research can find how friction is affected between these surfaces at differing humidities.
Neutronic and Thermal-Hydraulic Modeling of an Inverted Stable Salt Reactor
Presenter Name: Nate Brown
The safety of traditional nuclear reactors is dependent on constant cooling. The Inverted Stable Salt Reactor (ISSR) design can reduce the dependency on coolant circulation, decrease economic costs, reduce nuclear waste stockpiles, and reduce the need for active supervision. The goal of this research is to determine the viability for the ISSR design to self-regulate its temperature by producing natural convection currents in a bulk fuel container.
Decoding DNA: Exploring the Impact of Tokenization on Genomic Language Models
Presenter Name: Anisa Habib
The language-like structure of DNA suggests it may be possible to use LLMs to extract meaningful insights from genomic data. Currently there is no standard tokenization method or set of fine tuning tasks for genomic language models. Our strategy has been to fine tune multiple foundational models on all of their existing tasks. Additionally, we performed a preliminary investigation on whether an LLM can accurately identify the locations of prophage sequences integrated in the bacterial genome.
A Metagenomic Analysis of the Microbial Composition of Apis mellifera Pollen Preserves throughout the Foraging Season
Presenter Name: Sydney Larsen
In this research project, we attempt to leverage the benefits of rapidly advancing DNA sequencing techniques to characterize how the microbial composition in bee foraged pollen provisions change in relation to shifts in foraging preferences. This research describes general patterns of plant foraging behaviors for multiple hives across a single foraging season as well as the variability of microbial composition associated with this foraging behavior.
One Step Protein Purification via the Type 3 Secretion System
Presenter Name: Ty Mellor
By co-opting the type 3 secretion system in Salmonella, we can secrete proteins of interest into the growth medium. This can significantly reduce costs and time required for purification of proteins produced in bacterial hosts.
Investigating the Neural Networks of Learning in Drosophila melanogaster
Presenter Name: Dua Azhar
The mushroom body of the Drosophila melanogaster brain is necessary for learning, but how it functions remains unknown. D. melanogaster’s mushroom body neurons and input projection neurons have connections that are random and biased-in which some projections neurons connect more than others-allowing the fly to potentially prioritize the learning of particular odors. I am investigating the functional consequences of these biases to understand the biological role they play for the fly.
Does size matter? The relationship between body size and grooming time in birds
Presenter Name: Nicole Amedee
Grooming behavior is widespread among animals. Grooming takes time and energy away from other activities, such as foraging and reproduction; however, devoting too little time to grooming is also costly. The optimum amount of time an animal grooms may be influenced by body size. I used focal behavior sampling to measure the relative time budgets of 24 captive bird species, comprising 12 phylogenetically independent species pairs of varying body sizes.
Locating the BPS Family Proteins Using Molecular In-Fusion Cloning and Confocal Microscopy
Presenter Name: Danaya Geer
We want to see if localization of the BPS2 protein is different in the Col-0 and Apost-1 accessions of Arabidopsis. We will fuse fluorescent proteins to the Col-0 and the Apost-1 accessions of BPS2 and monitor where fluorescence shows up on an organismal and cellular level. We will also use biotinylation to identify BPS2 protein-protein interactions. We also want to look at already created BPS1-YFP fusions under a confocal microscope and identify in which cells the BPS1 protein localizes.
Live imaging of the chloroplast RNA polymerase complex
Presenter Name: Madi Dean
Green plants are the essential organisms for a functional ecosystem on earth because of the photosynthesis that produces oxygen and food from light and atmospheric carbon dioxide, which occurs in chloroplasts. Chloroplast biogenesis requires the expression of photosynthesis-associated genes that are transcribed by chloroplast RNA polymerase complex called the PEP (Plastid-encoded RNA Polymerase). My research goal is to generate reporter lines that enable live imaging of the PEP complex in plants
Investigating Molecular Features and the Regulatory Mechanism of NCP during Plant Evolution
Presenter Name: Scott Perkins
Chloroplast in plants is considered to originate from cyanobacteria through endosymbiosis. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the model species, NUCLEAR CONTROL OF PEP ACTIVITY (NCP) gene is essential for chloroplast biogenesis. We have discovered that light controls alternative transcription start site of the NCP gene, and that NCP protein shows chaperone activity. My research is to investigate how these molecular features and the regulatory mechanism of NCP have been acquired during plant evolution.
Thermostability of DNA Repair Enzyme MUTY
Presenter Name: Kenzie Montzingo
This project was devised to determine whether or not DNA repair enzyme MUTY is thermodynamically stable. In the Horvath lab many of the reactions and experiments run put the enzyme in environments of 20 to 60 degrees Celsius. Therefore, in order to determine if the temperature at which the experiments are being conducted has an effect on the enzyme which could affect its ability to perform, I ran a glycosylase assay at each temperature and several time points. This data is important to know so that when running future experiments, we as a lab can be confident that the enzyme is preforming consistently.
Raman Spectroscopy Characterization of Antibody-ligand Association at Supported Phospholipid Bilayers
Presenter Name: Clista Galecki
This research investigates antibody-ligand chemistry, crucial in the immune response. Stoichiometry and ligand accessibility on porous silica particles analyzed via Raman microscopy, allowing label-free quantification of binding. Silica particles with lipid bilayers enable detection of modest ligand fractions. Density variation influences antibody capture. The use of FAB fragments are used to determine binding stoichiometry of full antibodies.
Season Safely: Heavy Metal Concentrations in Consumer Grade Thyme
Presenter Name: Rebekah Hardman, Kevin Liebetrau, Hannah Nordhoff
Recognizable spice brands were selected and samples from each brand were prepared for ICP-OES analysis via acid digestion and filtration. Samples were created in triplicate and standards were created to run alongside the samples. The standards created a calibration curve, and the results were compared to FDA suggestions for food and safety to determine each sample’s level of risk for consumption, and reported by the amount of heavy metals present in each full container of sample
Exploring G-quadruplex binding by the C-terminal Zinc Fingers of the Methyl-CpG Binding Protein ZBTB4 Gabriela M. Eyring, Brandon Leonel Guerra Castañaza Jenkins, Bethany A. Buck
Presenter Name: Gabriela Eyring
ZBTB4 is part of a methyl-CpG binding protein family involved in regulating normal and disease relevant transcription. While the N-terminal zinc fingers (ZFs) are known to provide methyl-specific DNA readout, the role of the C-terminal ZF domain was undefined. We discovered this domain recognizes G-quadruplex DNA. A combination of solution NMR and electrophoretic mobility shift assays have been used to characterize this binding; which expands understanding of ZBTB4 transcriptional activities.
Synthesis and Testing of Hydrophobicly-Modified Pyridyl-Aza Crown Ethers as Chelators of Rare Earth Elements
Presenter Name: William Lee
We synthesized two variations of crown ether ligands able to separate lanthanide ions from REE solution, a dipyridyl variant and a trisamide variant.
Predicting Winter Fog over Complex Terrain Using Machine Learning
Presenter Name: Grace Liu
Fog forms in high-elevation complex terrain as frequently as it does over bodies of water but is less understood and harder to predict. Traditional physical and numerical models have a limited ability to represent various conditions associated with fog formation. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of machine learning methods in predicting winter fog over complex terrain (e.g., Heber City in Utah). We will utilize ten years of surface meteorological observations.
First associated Theropoda skeleton recovered from the Straight Cliffs Formation of Southern Utah
Presenter Name: Justin McKee
UMNH VP 19447, the specimen under study, is found to represent a new taxa of ornithomimid, the oldest in North America, from a unit of geologic time and rock with very few described dinosaurs, and is being described in detail with the available material housed at the Natural History Museum of Utah.
Exercise-Induced Effects on GABA Levels in the Hippocampal and Striatal Regions of the Brain
Presenter Name: Malia McCann
Prior research has shown a beneficial effect of physical exercise on cognitive functioning. However, the neural processes supporting this effect remain poorly understood. This study aims to examine the effect of exercise on GABA levels measured with Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) in brain regions associated with memory. We will test the effect of high intensity interval training (HIIT) on both GABA levels and on the concentration of blood biomarkers of brain plasticity.
Impacts of High Fat Diet Feeding on Weight Gain in Ovariectomized Mice
Presenter Name: Ceyda Ural
As the obese population continues to increase, there are also elevated risks of metabolic dysfunction. Unfortunately, metabolic research is often based on male models, causing a lack of literature involving females and processes like menopause, a natural decline in reproductive hormones. As such, we used a postmenopausal model (with ovariectomized and non-ovariectomized mice) on two different diets: Normal Chow and High Fat Diet. We then compared changes in body weight and body composition.
Assessment of Mitochondrial Function in a Mouse Model of Mild Chronic Kidney Disease Induced by High-Fat and High-Salt Diet
Presenter Name: Venisia Paula
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a complex disorder that presents substantial challenges in understanding its pathophysiological mechanisms, including mitochondrial alterations. However, there are no established mouse models that recapitulate the CKD phenotype observed in humans. We hypothesized that a high-fat, high-salt diet would induce a mild CKD phenotype and mitochondrial dysfunction in mice.
Acral Melanoma Patient Demographics and Tumor Genetic Information Used to Predict Treatment Response
Presenter Name: Amy Jamison
In this data analysis project, I analyzed different aspects of patient data from a cohort of Acral Melanoma patients, in order to predict their their response to treatment. Different factors analyzed included: patient demographics, tumor genetic information and biomarkers, and the different lines of treatment that the patients received.
Can short-term knee extensor training improve locomotor muscle microvascular function and exercise tolerance in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction?
Presenter Name: Jonah Simmons
In the present study, we have documented improved leg blood flow and vascular conductance responses to passive leg movement and increased locomotor muscle exercise capacity following a 6-week localized knee extensor training intervention in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. These preliminary data highlight the potential of this novel exercise intervention to enhance microvascular function and exercise tolerance in this vulnerable patient group.
Bridging the Gap: Computational Advancements in Neurobiology Research
Presenter Name: Alan Mo
My research focuses on applying computational methods to enhance understanding of the brain and improve the efficiency of research by bridging computer science with neurobiology. My program is written in PyQt, a platform that abstracts C++ user interface (UI) building to python for seamless UI development. The program will graph statistics and other descriptions from mouse behavioral data based on user input.
Characterizing Neuronal ECM in Culture Using Halo Tagged HAPLN 1
Presenter Name: Jennifer Kim
The goal of this project is to characterize the neuronal extracellular matrix in culture, using a novel tool H-Link. I helped make mutants of H-Link, which was used in HEK cell transfer assay by my lab mentor. Then, quantification of H-Link intensity in culture was performed in order to see different aggregation in cultured neurons.
Inhibiting CDK9 and Autophagy in Pancreatic Cancer
Presenter Name: Isabella Scalise
The majority of PDAC cases arise from mutations in KRAS, a GTPase involved in the MAP Kinase (MAPK) pathway. Inhibition of the MAPK pathway upregulates autophagy, a process in which cells recycle their intracellular components to sustain nutrient demands under stressful conditions and can render targeted therapies ineffective. . We are searching for drugs that are FDA-approved or in clinical trials and modulate autophagy for potential repurposing in novel combinations.
Advancements in Gene Therapy Approaches for Treating Vanishing White Matter Disease
Presenter Name: Sophia Peralta
Vanishing White Matter (VWM) disease is a rare leukodystrophy affecting about 1 in every 80,000 births and is characterized by spasticity, speech issues, cognitive deficits, and more. As there is no cure, our research aims to further our understanding of VWM and investigate astrocyte-specific promoters for AAV9 gene therapy in a mouse model. The development of a viable treatment is paramount in offering hope and therapeutic intervention to individuals grappling with this debilitating disease.
Electroencephalographic Biomarkers in Patients Receiving Propofol for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Presenter Name: Seth Lunt
I analyzed EEG recordings from patients receiving high-dose propofol sedation to treat Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD). During treatments patients experience a phenomenon called Burst-Suppression which appears on the EEG. I helped extract and analyze these bursts, and based on the data obtained, different categories of bursts were created to act as electrical biomarkers. These biomarkers are correlated with patient outcome and are used to further understand TRD and propofol as a treatment.
The Determinating Factors of Mental Health Stigma and The Dynamics of Social Influence
Presenter Name: Hannah Berrett
The current study aims to (1) identify factors (i.e. type of social influence and social identity) that relate to mental health stigma that is also associated with the multi-step process of help-seeking behavior, and (2) explore if the specific aspect of age (from social identity) is correlated with ideas surrounding mental health stigma and the help-seeking behavior process.
Investigating the Effects of Microtubule-Stabilizing Treatment on Memory and Potentially Related Anxiety in Alzheimer’s Transgenic Mice
Presenter Name: Anika D’Souza
The aim of this project is to explore whether a conjugate drug of Paclitaxel (PTX), a cancer drug that shows promise in treating AD, decreases anxiety and memory symptom burden in transgenic AD mice, tested through behavioral assays.
Suicide Risk and Occupational Hazard
Presenter Name: Hannah Fullmer
This study aims to identify occupations held by suicide decedents at their time of death that made them particularly vulnerable to exposure to hazardous environmental conditions (e.g. at high risk of exposure to smoke, dust, toxic chemicals, high temperatures, etc.). Prior research has identified a link between air pollution and temperature exposures and an increased risk of suicide. Certain occupations such as those located outdoors or those involving mineral extraction may increase suicide.
Creature Comforts: Domesticity and Domestication in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Presenter Name: Savannah McDaniel
My research compares how the creature in Frankenstein and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas have different relationships with domestic spaces. It looks at how visible features on their body, like their clothes and their eyes, relate to domesticity and domestication. I look at how gender expectations, domestic animality, and evolutionary human domestication are expressed on their body, and I argue that this expression complicates their access to domestic spaces.
Context-Specific Exceptions to Gemination in Japanese
Presenter Name: Z Chodos
Japanese follows a strict pattern wherein the final sound in a word changes to match the first sound in a suffix. With certain suffixes, this pattern is not followed. A word like kak ‘write’ is expected to become katta when the suffix ta is added, but instead becomes kaita. I looked at processes of allomorphy and fusion to explain this irregularity. Allomorphy lets the suffix have multiple versions, /ta/ and /ita/, and fusion lets aspects of sounds be preserved when they would otherwise be lost.
Marketplacement: a procurement management recommender system
Presenter Name: Isaak Grettum
This project proposed whether machines can assist in procurement management. It aimed to ensure ethicality in the process and set a precedent for ethics in automation using AI. The project entails a system that scrapes the internet for potential manufacturers using a topic modeler. It then presents the results with additional information to the user. Results are ranked based on distance from the expected point of sale with considerations for environmental/practice certifications.
Brujeria Activism
Presenter Name: Perla Rivera
My research topic focuses on demystifying the “bruja”. I want to reconstruct the story of the bruja as an important part of understanding the long-standing oppression against Chicana and Latinx women. Additionally, I want to elevate the voices of scholars and activists who are representing the bruja as a symbol of empowerment and resistance. With my research, I will create a zine that centers brujeria as a spiritual knowledge that is rooted in womxn liberation
Choosing Sides: Examining Trends in Soccer Stories for the Middle Grades
Presenter Name: Whitney Blanchard, Cassidy Lamm, Lilly Schlenker, Halle Taylor
What is the nature of today’s fictional soccer literature for middle grade readers? What is the diversity of characters and settings? What are the common themes? Learn more about the current trends in the US youth soccer novels and the larger picture of sports literature for youth.
Using PSMC to Reconstruct Historical Levels of Reproductive Skew in Primates
Presenter Name: Grace Heyborne
This project compares chimpanzee and bonobo PSMC models (which predict historical effective population sizes) with expected X/A chromosome ratios (in which effective population sizes differ) to analyze the possibility that PSMC can be used to model historical levels of reproductive skew in primates.
Man’s best friend: Comparative osteology of Canidae species and remains at Nawthis Village, UT.
Presenter Name: Auriana Dunn
This project is a comparative osteology project that compares the bone morphology of a wolf, domestic dogs, coyotes, red foxes, and a kit fox. The comparative was then applied to canid bones recovered from the Nawthis Village archaeological site in Central Utah.
Genomic Analysis of Male Reproductive Skew in Bornean and Sumatran Orangutans.
Presenter Name: Gabriel Hammond
Bornean orangutans are less social than Sumatran orangutans. This variation in sociality directly influences the extent to which male orangutans can monopolize reproductive success. This male reproductive skew has different impacts on genetic diversity on the X chromosome compared to the autosomes, leaving a genomic record of male reproductive behavior. Our research uses analysis of published genomes from Bornean and Sumatran orangutans to compare ratios of genetic diversity between the species.
Quantifying Coprophilous Spores linked to Megafaunal Herbivory in the Biodiverse Fynbos Biome
Presenter Name: Bennett Davenport
Classifying the various types of coprophilous (dung-loving) spores from lake cores in the South African Fynbos Biome, and then tracking them over a period of several centuries to correlate the growth and decline of large herbivore mammal populations.
During Pandemic Years
Presenter Name: THEODORE BAENDE
Brian 34 and Brittney 32 were suddenly unemployed and filed for bankruptcy in December 2020 when the pandemic began. Brian obtained a new firearm but used it to kill them both and the children as they experienced a foreclosure on their home. Most cases of lethal intimate partner violence occur in victims’ residences, where they should feel safe. Firearms were the predominant weapon used for murder suicide.During the COVID-19 lockdown there was a rise in firearm purchases across the nation.
Reconstructing Paleoclimate and Wildfire History in Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, Baja California, Mexico
Presenter Name: Samuel Enke and Emma Layon
In 2019, a sediment core was collected from Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, Baja California, Mexico. Using radiometric dating, the core has been used to create an age model, dating back to 8,000 years ago. Currently, a collaborative team is working to analyze proxies for paleoclimate and wildfire history. This research aims to chart prehistoric variation of both ENSO and the North American Monsoon (NAM), and it will inform land management strategies and progressive policy for the broader region.
Dendrochronology of Utah Juniper
Presenter Name: April Radford
This project explores the use of Utah Juniper in dendrochronology. Because of this species’ irregular growth habits, it is traditionally overlooked in tree-ring science. This project both examined stable isotope incorporation and created a continuous chronology of ring-width in West Desert Utah Juniper.
SECRETS IN SEDIMENT- UNDERSTANDING LATE GLACIAL TO HALOCENE ECOSYSTEM CHANGE IN THE GREAT BASIN, NEVADA VIA MACROFOSSIL ANALYSIS
Presenter Name: Sean Paton
My research this semester focused on cave sediment analyses from Ladder Cave in Great Basin National Park, using extracted macrofossils to understand climate change in the area since the Late Holocene. Under my mentor I learned about how plant macrofossils tracked change in climate, and was assigned to write a research based summary on the taphonomic processes which affected our sediment matrix. Our results indicate a drying climate coinciding with the retreat of Lake Bonneville ~14,000 ya.
The Process of Reconstructing Past Fire Regimes
Presenter Name: Maya Upton
Fish Lake, Utah, contains sediment from hundreds of thousands of years of environmental history in this region. My research includes the analysis of charcoal from a sediment core from Fish Lake to reconstruct fire history throughout this region. This sediment core contains a high-resolution record with charcoal and pollen that are sensitive to climate change. This is valuable information for understanding past climate, disturbance, and how fire regimes have reacted to these previous climates.
Reconstructing the Paleoclimatology of Utah’s West Desert via Sediment Analysis
Presenter Name: Nile Boyer
Analysis of a sediment core from the Utah Testing and Training Range (UTTR) in Utah’s West desert was conducted in order to reconstruct the environmental history of the region. Analysis methods included three proxy methods: loss-on-ignition (LOI) testing, magnetic susceptibility testing, and charcoal counting. Once these proxy tests were performed on the core, the data were interpreted and cross-referenced to create a paleoenvironmental reconstruction for this location.
Flourishing and connection in the context of summer camp: A mixed-methods design
Presenter Name: Shannielle Taylor
This research consists of a mixed-methods design exploring the effects of connectedness on economically disadvantaged adolescents’ flourishing in the context of summer camp. In study one, 339 campers completed flourishing and connectedness measures pre- and post-camp, and a hierarchical regression was performed. In study two, 387 alumni camper narratives were coded for evidence of connectedness and flourishing to further illustrate results from study one.
Investigating Adaptations made by Lifestyle Coaches: An Implementation Study on Delivering the National Diabetes Prevention Program to Latine Adults
Presenter Name: Haley Parsons
My research investigates the disproportionate impact of Type 2 Diabetes on the Latine population and the failure of the National Diabetes Prevention Program to reach this population in need. An implementation study focused on the experiences of Lifestyle Coaches delivering the program to Latine populations was conducted. Interviews were structured based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, and Qualitative Content Analysis was implemented to reach conclusions.
The Role of Executive Function in Understanding Healthy Eating Among Emerging Adults with Type 1 Diabetes
Presenter Name: Ruth Lopez Villalobos
Type 1 diabetes is a difficult chronic illness for emerging adults to manage as it requires numerous daily tasks including monitoring one’s diet to the amount and timing of insulin administration while parental involvement in illness management declines. Executive function, diet, and parental involvement can all affect diabetes management
The Psychological Impact of LDS Church Involvement Among LGBTQ+ Individuals
Presenter Name: Brooklyn Rapp
LGBTQ+ individuals face unique challenges, however, there are additional challenges faced by those who were raised in the LDS church. This research aims to understand the diversity of LGBTQ+ individuals’ feelings and experiences about church involvement, and to identify key factors that make individuals feel marginalized and stigmatized by their church experiences. The team wants to be able to offer meaningful guidance to LGBTQ+ Mormons and their families about how to promote long-term thriving.
Testing the reliability of multisensory cue use during navigation in virtual reality.
Presenter Name: Phoenix Hines
Our project uses a triangle homing task in virtual reality to assess how humans use and combine their senses while navigating. We put participants in a virtual reality headset and ask them to complete the homing task. Their responses are recorded and then we use multiple statistical analyses to understand their accuracy, which sensory cues they’re using, and how they’re combining them.
Differences in Parent/Child Perspectives Surrounding Mental Health Within South-Asian Families in Utah.
Presenter Name: Shreya Harikumar
The purpose of this study is to explore how intergenerational perspectives about mental health differ from parent to child and the effects of these differences, specifically amongst households with South-Asian immigrant parents and their second-generation children. Through this project, I hope to identify how these perspectives impact family dynamics and the personal mental health of household members.
Maternal Sensitivity and Infant Behavior in the Still-Face Paradigm: A Cross-Cultural Comparison Between Hispanic and White/Non-Hispanic Infants
Presenter Name: Andrew Parker
This study examines 3 research questions. The 1st question is whether there are differences in infant behavior during the Still Face Paradigm for White/Non-Hispanic & Hispanic infants. The 2nd question is whether there are differences in levels of maternal sensitivity during the free-play interactions for Hispanic & White/Non-Hispanic mothers. The 3rd question is if the associations between maternal sensitivity and infant behavior differs for Hispanic & White/Non-Hispanic mother-infant dyads.
What Coping Styles Used in Driving Are Effective and Ineffective?
Presenter Name: Aifara Aisa
In this study we have reviewed papers on effective or ineffective ways to cope with driving anger.
Group Member: Amy Do
Examining maternal emotional dysregulation associated with variability in infants’ RSA responses to the Still Face Paradigm
Presenter Name: Amanda Holt
This research involves investigating whether infants exhibit the typical physiological response to the SFP (i.e., a large reduction in RSA levels during the still-face episode followed by partial recovery during the reunion episode) when it is completed at home. Secondly, whether the findings from Gao et al. (2023) indicating that maternal emotional dysregulation is associated with variability in infants’ RSA responses to the SFP can be replicated.
Maternal Secure Base Script Knowledge and Maternal Emotion Regulation as Predictors of Child Social-Emotional Outcomes
Presenter Name: Abigail Christensen
This thesis examined the intergenerational consequences of maternal attachment style (as assessed by their knowledge of the secure base script) and maternal emotion regulation abilities for their children’s social-emotional abilities. I hypothesized that mothers with higher secure base script knowledge and fewer difficulties regulating their emotions will have children with fewer emotional and behavioral problems, fewer regulatory difficulties, and more social-emotional competencies.
Beyond Interest and Performance: Investigating What Additional Information People Ask for while Making Hypothetical Hiring Decisions
Presenter Name: Sam Vaca-St Clair
This study used secondary data analysis to investigate the type of additional information people request after given job applicants’ profiles with interest and performance information in STEM and Marketing fields. We are especially interested if participants in the workforce seek information regarding how applicants get along with others and if it differed by the interest and performance information provided. Its results will provide implications of what people value in the hiring process.
Exploring the Role of Counter-spaces in Supporting First-Generation Students in the Context of the University of Utah’s Campus Racial Climate
Presenter Name: Alex Higuera
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of counter spaces in upholding First-Generation Students amid the University of Utah’s campus racial climate. The research emphasis is figuring out how certain places on campus, known as “counter spaces,” help First-Generation students. This study will examine the student’s experience to measure their views and the effectiveness of counter spaces as a response to campus racial climate. The findings will provide valuable insights into the sign
Benefits of Indoor Climbing on Well-being of Young Adults: Perspectives among indoor climbers
Presenter Name: Elsa Osborne
Qualitative interviews of 30 indoor rock climbers who are college aged to study the physical, mental, and social benefits that indoor climbing has on young adults. Thematic analysis is being used to analyze results.
Branching Out: A Study of Residents’ Urban Tree Preferences in Salt Lake City
Presenter Name: Emma Glende
Urban forests play an important role in urban ecosystems by providing a variety of ecological, socio-economic, aesthetic, and health benefits. Consequently, I have chosen to focus my Honors thesis in Urban Ecology and Environmental & Sustainability Studies on better understanding residents’ tree preferences within the urban sphere. This understanding is vital for effective urban forest management and planning.
Enhancing Heart Rate Variability: An Examination of Visual and Identity Stimulus Applications”
Presenter Name: Pablo Cruz-Ayala
The undocumented immigrant population in the U.S. confronts challenges like socioeconomic adversity, social stigmatization, and limited access to essential services, jeopardizing their well-being. This study explores how immigrant-specific artwork positively influences heart rate variability (HRV), contributing to emotional well-being. Practical implications involve integrating such art therapies in public spaces for accessible therapeutics.
SYZYGY: An Eclipse of the Self
Presenter Name: Mickayla Koday
In this creative research project, I am developing a series of images, a narrative which I will present in book form. In this work I will reflect on my personal, intellectual, and artistic growth in my years studying art at the University of Utah. With this project, I have analyzed my own experiences and illustrated the resulting feelings, themes, and visuals that have become the foundation for my own work.
Investigating the Interaction of Sex and Trauma Type on Veteran PTSD Symptom Reduction via Evidence-Based Cognitive Processing Therapy
Presenter Name: Cosette Pryor
PTSD is common among Veterans, causing adverse symptoms. Treatments like Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) are helpful in reducing symptoms, but the literature lacks consensus on demographic factors that may influence treatment outcomes. While such characteristics do not consistently predict the roles of different characteristics, they may interact, influencing symptom levels and treatment retention. This study explores how sex and trauma type interact to predict treatment response in Veterans.
Quaking Aspen Pathogen Defense in the Presence of Climate Change Related Drought
Presenter Name: Allie Perkins
The declining population density of iconic Aspen trees in the mountain West is related to climate change induced drought. My research aims to find the mechanisms between this drought stress and microbial diseases– especially ones that have been previously observed to be unharmful. Through both controlled garden and field experiments across Utah & Colorado, my study system aims to comprehensively evaluate the impact of drought exposure on pathogen abundance and chemical defenses in aspen trees.
The Importance of Ethics in a Technological Age
Presenter Name: Chris Eggert, Alek Shope, Panna Sun, Haijun Zhang
Our research project explores the importance of ethics in our current age. Today, we can see technology growing at an exponential rate. With this explosive technological growth, new ways to negatively exploit technology appear as well. Our research explores ethical issues that arise with the growth of technology. Our goal is to explore solutions to these growing issues by examining how ethics can be incorporated in the design of technology systems as well as the importance of privacy policies.
Investigating the Role of the Protein Interactions Domains of UBR5 in Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Presenter Name: Cassie Burdick
To decipher the role of the MLLE and HECT domains in MCL, we will knockout the MLLE and HECT domains in MCL cell lines, JEKO1 and Mino cells by CRISPR/Cas9. Utilizing mass spectrometry techniques, we will define domain interactions and protein abundance changes specifically dependent on the MLLE and HECT domains. Using the information, we will form a better understanding of the role of UBR5 in MCL with the goal of providing insights to mantle cell lymphoma transformation and progression.
Impacts of COVID-19 on Intimate Partner Homicide-Suicide and Familicide-Suicide between 2018-2023
Presenter Name: Lauren Shields
This project included the collection of Intimate Partner Homicide-Suicide (IPHS) and Familicide cases between 2018-2023. The study examines the effect of COVID-19 on the frequency and severity of IPHS and Familicide with a special emphasis on partnerships that had children (regardless of whether the children were killed in the event or not). During the pandemic an increase in firearm purchases, along with societal and financial stressors put women and children in vulnerable positions.
Dental Anxiety and its Contributors in Underserved and Uninsured Populations
Presenter Name: Dustin Breakfield, Pam Amornnimit, Sia Chauhan
Free clinics are nonprofit organizations that provide healthcare services to underserved and uninsured individuals at little or no charge. This quantitative study assesses the free clinic patients’ perspective on health and health services, particularly oral and cardiovascular health, to improve the health of free clinic patients, the quality of care, and services at the clinic through intervention and research
