Every year, 0.8-2 million patients contract a surgical site infection (SSI), increasing patient mortality 2-11 fold. SSIs are caused by an individual’s own skin bacteria. Hospitals use chlorohexidine gluconate (CHG) products, like CHG IV port and wound dressings that release CHG into the skin via diffusion. We hypothesized that the quantity of CHG released from antimicrobial products would determine the product’s effectiveness in reducing skin bacteria. We tested our hypothesis using a pig model
Damage Properties of Tendons Crosslinked with Genipin
Presenter Name: Madeline Wagner
The mechanical properties were measured for normal and chemically crosslinked collagen tendon structures. The mechanical properties of crosslinked and non-crosslinked tendons provide a greater understanding of collagen damage modes in collagen structures and connective tissues.
Soft lithography fabrication of refractive index-matched hydrogel microdevices for cell culture assays
Presenter Name: Jennafer Marsh
Evaluating the refractive index-matching of hydrogel mixtures used to fabricate microdevices. The microdevices are used to trap single cells so their growth may be measured via quantitative phase imaging. The hydrogel microdevices must match the refractive index of water as closely as possible in order to not interfere with data collected using the quantitative phase imaging.
LED Array Microscope for 3D Refractive Index Imaging
Presenter Name: Rob Lindemann
My research focuses on building, programming, and verifying the use of an LED array microscope for 3D refractive index imaging. So far, I have built the LED array microscope and programmed it to take images under the LED illumination patterns necessary for 3D RI retrieval and several other microscopy techniques, including 2D QPM, brightfield, and darkfield. Currently, I am working on capturing images suitable for the 3D RI retrieval algorithm. A potential application is biological imaging.
Synthesis of Biohybrid Neural Implant
Presenter Name: Sanjana Aujla
The goal of this work is to alter and create a bio hybrid design to construct a functioning neural implant. Because of its biohybrid design, the neural implant is anticipated to greatly reduce the risk of foreign body reactions, including long-term inflammation, bioencapsulation, and electrode corrosion. These electrodes are expected to create synaptic connections for electrical activation and output after passing through axons and into the brain.
Investigation of Polymer Functional Groups and Their Impact on Sperm Viability
Presenter Name: Halli Thompson
The accuracy of sperm viability assessments is essential for informed decisions regarding reproductive health. The impact of lab materials on sperm cell motility remains understudied. Bioassays of sperm motility on lab materials were conducted to determine unusual decline trends. SEM/EDS images were captured to determine potential contaminants within the lab materials. FTIR peaks were analyzed to determine functional groups present. All data is analyzed for potential effect on motility.
Mapping the relationship between Tip-to-Collector Distance and Electrical Current in Near-Field Electrospinning
Presenter Name: John Chae
Dynamically control tip-to-collector distance to observe current behavior during near-field electrospinning.
Piezoelectric vibration sensor for high frequency application
Presenter Name: Kibin Park
With the ongoing advancements in the aviation industry, the issue of cutting tool wear remains a significant concern, particularly in the manufacturing of difficult-to-cut materials. In practice, tools are changed more often than necessary due to the unknown state of actual tool wear. In this work, we will be implementing near-field electrospinning method to print micro/nanofibers of Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) to fabricate a piezoelectric vibration sensor. There are various crystalline phase
Interpreting Graph Drawing with Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning
Presenter Name: Seth Doubek
Using Q-Learning, this project aims to implement multi-agent reinforcement learning to the domain of drawing aesthetic node-link diagrams
“Barely-SSM”: Weakly Supervised Statistical Shape Modeling for Anatomical Shape Representation
Presenter Name: Asma Khan
We propose to study statistical shape modeling (SSM) for anatomical shape representation via unsupervised and weakly supervised methods, referred to as “Barely-SSM”. This research aims to develop a novel approach to segmenting medical volumes that eliminates the need for burdensome manual annotations, followed by an evaluation of the applicability of this segmentation for SSM. The research focuses on addressing the concrete and important challenge of improving the efficiency.
The Effects of Microbiota Dependent Regs on Beta-Cell Proliferation
Presenter Name: Halli Baird
This project seeks further our understanding of the role of Reg expression in the neonatal pancreas. Using a Reg3 KO mouse model, we can determine whether the presence of Regs is necessary for neonatal beta-cell proliferation, and whether it is dependent upon microbial signals. The presence of Enterococcus, Candida dubliniensis, and Escherichia in mice have been shown to rescue beta-cell mass in mice. My project explores whether individual microbes promote beta-cells through Reg3 expression.
Rethinking Resilience: Testing Tolerance in Drosophila
Presenter Name: Sarah Crago
To test how different species respond to climate change, I compared tolerances to food and water deprivation, ethanol, and heat in Drosophila pseudoobscura and Drosophila persimilis- sister species living in the American West- to that of Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans- sister cosmopolitan species. In most conditions, sister species followed the similar patterns, suggesting that evolutionary history and ecology may indicate species’ resilience to climate change.
Does the over-expression of LRRC1 correlate with melanoma growth?
Presenter Name: Kylee Fernandez
We inserted the gene LRRC1 into a cell and the cell proliferated more than the control.
Investigating conopeptides targeting voltage-gated potassium channels
Presenter Names: Shannon Anderson and Merrin Maughan
This work is focused on the effects of conotoxins on homomeric Kv1.2 channels, and how beta subunits impact the biophysical properties of KV1.2. Mu3.1, a conotoxin isolated from Conus mucronatus, was tested on isolated Xenopus oocytes (expressing human Kv1.2). Using a two-electrode voltage clamp technique, we observed that Mu3.1 blocks the outward K-currents from homomeric Kv1.2 channels. To study K-channels, we use conotoxins (neuroactive peptides isolated from the venom of marine cone snails).
Improving access to naloxone and opioid resources through the emergency department
Presenter Name: Mia Sheneman
Presentation description
Research looking to answer if the University of Utah ED is a good place for naloxone resources and education to be administered. This is an observational study with a 30-40 day followup phone-call.
Using Snapshot camera trap data to evaluate the extent of the ‘weekend effect’ across varying climatic regions of the contiguous United States.
Presenter Name: Gaby Karakcheyeva
In this study, we will use data from a large-scale citizen science camera trapping project to assess whether periodic increases in human recreational activity paired with varying climates will elicit behavioral responses across multiple mammal species in northern Utah, U.S.A. Specifically, we will assess whether increases in human recreational activity during the weekend affected mammalian temporal activity patterns at the community-wide and species-specific level, considering climate.
Capsid formation of dArc in the Drosophila melanogaster brain for Intercellular Signaling
Presenter Name: Sydney Skousen
The Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) is related to retrotransposon Gag proteins and has important roles in neuronal signaling, synaptic plasticity, and memory consolidation. This project aims to investigate the capsid formation of dArc in the Drosophila melanogaster brain for intercellular signaling. Following an immunohistochemistry staining and confocal microscopy protocol, the differences in dArc expression can be analyzed between wild-type and capsid mutant flies.
Using Electroabsorption to determine optoelectronic properties of PM6:Y6 blends
Presenter Name: Zhuyun Xie
Organic solar cells offer a promising solution to meet rising energy demands due to their flexibility, lightweight design, non-toxicity, and cost-effectiveness, presenting compelling alternatives to traditional inorganic technologies. The purpose of this research is to use Electroabsorption (EA) to determine the optoelectronic properties of PM6, Y6 and their blends. The dipole moment and polarization of the material was alsocalculated in this research.
How Comfortability with Professor Affects Students’ Perception of belonging
Presenter Name: Bricia Hendry and Kass Johnson
This research examines the belonging of students in General Chemistry 1 and Organic Chemistry 2. The students completed a course level belonging survey. Our Group is studying students’ open-ended responses explaining their level of comfortability with their instructor. We have been developing categories using themes that emerged from the student responses. In this poster, we will describe the categories, definitions, and example quotes.
Deaminative contraction chemistry for the synthesis of [2.2]paracyclophane and asymmetric derivatives
Presenter Name: Ali Nopper
Cyclophane motifs present in natural products, pharmaceuticals, and asymmetric ligands (e.g., Phanephos), are structurally intriguing and important, yet can be challenging to prepare. Recently, the Roberts group developed a strategy to build polycyclic (hetero)aromatics from simple to prepare tertiary amines. The tertiary amine templates are processed into polycyclic (hetero)aromatics using developed reductive cyclization and deaminative contraction methods.
Controlling Phase Transitions in Lead-free 2D Metal Halide Perovskites
Presenter Name: Emily Dalley
2D metal halide perovskites are an exciting material because of their photovoltaic and thermal properties. We focus on the thermal properties of copper-based perovskites and their barocaloric cooling capabilities, which stem from their ability to undergo solid-solid phase transitions. We have been working to fine-tune this phase transition by blending organic cation chains and halide anions.
Tuning phase transitions in lead-free 2-d perovskites
Presenter Name: Leo Bloxham
Perovskites are exciting materials that are the focus of current research due to some of their promising applications in solar cell and thermal storage technologies. The objective of my research is to synthesize and characterized manganese and copper based perovskites and characterize how their solid-solid phase transitions are affected by alloying different organic cations and different metal cations.
Star Tracking with Telescope Array Fluorescence Detectors to Investigate Atmospheric Effects on Starlight Signal Intensity Decay
Presenter Name: Jakub Ziembicki
I am working with Dr. Douglas Bergman and the Cosmic Ray Group at the University of Utah Department of Physics and Astronomy. We are computationally tracking stars across the sky using data from Telescope Array, a cosmic ray detector in Delta, UT. We are using the program to extract starlight intensity decay data from many stars. We are most interested in the trends that these intensities follow as stars move toward the horizon, which we hypothesize will depend on atmospheric aerosols.
Climate Vulnerability Assessment of the Great Salt Lake on Migration Patterns
Presenter Name: Zoe Exelbert
My research focuses on 2 species of birds that are extremely ecologically reliant on the GSL, and how they respond to climatic shifts at the GSL. In using citizen science data from eBird, I’ve been able to model the population distributions of these species over the past 20 years, and understand how climate variables, such as precipitation and sea surface temperature, play a role along their migration route in affecting their population counts at the GSL each Spring.
Fate of recycled material in the mantle during decompression melting.
Presenter Name: Constance Sauve
This research project will reproduce pressure and temperature conditions found at mid-ocean ridges, tectonic plate regions that diverge and generate decompression melting, which play a critical role in the formation of magma in the Earth’s mantle. I aim to recreate the decompression melting of a heterogeneous mantle to determine the conditions for the melts derived from recycled material to reach the surface without being in full re-equilibration with the surrounding mantle.
Impact of Whey Protein Supplementation on Body Composition and Athletic Performance in High School Soccer Players
Presenter Name: Isaac Ou
Whey protein is commonly used to improve athletic performance and body composition. Our study assessed the impact of a whey protein supplement on performance and body composition in adolescent soccer players. Participant’s consumed their supplement during the 10-week season, and athletic performance and body composition were measured before and after the season. Overall, thethere were no significant changes to performance and body composition between groups.
Exercise and Inhibition in Deep Brain Regions
Presenter Name: Haley Blomquist
Research shows that physical exercise can help in learning and memory. Yet, it is hard to access those deeper brain regions like the hippocampus and striatum. Using MRS, our team has focused on these specific parts of the brain to determine a proof of concept. There is also a blood-biomarker component, that is correlated to the inhibitory transmitter GABA. Using a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workout, we were able to analyze what happens to those specific regions in the brain.
Effect of Increased Sleep Duration on Insulin Sensitivity and Sleep Regularity in Individuals with Habitual Short Sleep Duration (HSSD)
Presenter Name: Elly LaMonte
As the field of sleep research grows, the correlation between adequate sleep and health conditions becomes more apparent. While the majority of research in this field has focused on sleep duration, recent studies have stressed the importance of sleep regularity when it comes to the development of chronic diseases, including diabetes. This study investigates the effect of increased sleep duration on insulin sensitivity and sleep regularity in individuals with habitual short sleep duration (HSSD).
Effect of Acute Exercise on Brain GABA levels & Blood Biomarkers of Neuroplasticity
Presenter Name: Nanci Delacruz
The study explores the effects of acute exercise on in-vivo brain GABA levels and neural plasticity biomarkers. GABA will be measured using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of deep brain regions. Neural plasticity biomarkers will be examined in blood plasma. Results show that acute exercise raised heart rate compared to control intervention in all eight participants. Further data analysis is expected to show that exercise affects the level of GABA and neural plasticity blood biomarkers.
Investigating the Impact of a Ketogenic Diet: Effects on Food Intake and Body Composition
Presenter Name: Faith Smart
The ketogenic diet is based on the theory that consuming high-fat and low-carbohydrate foods will increase feelings of fullness and decrease appetite, ultimately leading to weight loss. My research focuses on studying the effects of this diet on food intake and body weight by comparing it to four other control diets in male C57BL/6 mice over eight weeks.
The Validity of the OneStep Smartphone Application Under Various Gate Conditions in Healthy Older Adults
Presenter Name: Chance Deschamps-Prescott
Gait dysfunction is common in older adults and associated with declines in greater physical function and can result in falls and injuries, beginning a harmful cycle of functional deterioration. Motion capture analysis, the premier technique of gait dysfunction evaluation, requires expensive equipment in advanced laboratories limiting accessibility and direct translation to clinical practices. Validating the wearable technology OneStep will help clinicians diagnose and treat declines in gait.
The Role of Ornithine, Polyamines, and Amino Acid Accumulation in the Growth of Melanoma
Presenter Name: Austin Bender
Argininosuccinate synthetase 1 (ASS1), the rate limiting enzyme in the conversion of citrulline and aspartate to arginine (Arg), is frequently downregulated in melanoma. Recent therapies target this by depleting exogenous Arg but have found only limited success. Looking for other vulnerabilities that arise with ASS1 deficiency, we investigated the role of ornithine and polyamines in the growth of these cells and the accumulation of amino acids by cells grown in amino acid deficient growth media.
Circadian timing, information processing, and energy balance (TIME) Study
Presenter Name: Emely Huerta Sanchez
There are various known risk factors that can worsen cardiometabolic health. Some include late sleep timing, short sleep duration, and neurobehavioral processes. By improving behavioral factors we can test a longitudinal relationship between circadian alignment and cardiometabolic risk factors. The TIME Study looks to improve circadian rhythm by measuring effects of circadian alignment on neurobehavioral measures, dietary behaviors, and cardiometabolic risk factors.
The Concentration of Tuberculosis within Paraguay’s Incarcerated and Indigenous Populations, 2018-2022
Presenter Name: Jacob Sussman
In collaboration with Paraguay’s National Program for Tuberculosis Control (NPTC), we conducted a spatial analysis of tuberculosis (TB) cases in Paraguay from 2018-2022, in order to identify areas of high transmission and the communities at highest risk. This work aims to help prioritize NPTC control efforts. We found that Indigenous and incarcerated populations make up a high proportion of TB cases in Paraguay, and observed that TB case notifications are spatially concentrated.
Transcriptome-Based Risk Score Predicts Time to Treatment Failure for Multiple Myeloma Patients
Presenter Name: Ishmael Elliott Molina-Zepeda
Identifying multiple myeloma patients at high risk of early treatment failure is a critical need. Most patients fail first-line therapy and ~50% of patients do not survive past 5 years after diagnosis. This project shows that SPECTRA, a statistical technique developed by the Camp Lab, can characterize global gene expression by representing it as multiple quantitative tumor variables. Spectra variables allow gene expression to be incorporated into predictive modeling to identify high-risk groups.
Procoagulant Platelet Formation and Function: Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter’s Role in Platelet Activation
Presenter Name: Mia Kowalczyk
This study explores the role of mitochondrial calcium uniporters (MCU) in platelet activation and its implications for thrombosis. Murine experiments reveal MCU deficiency alters platelet activation pathways, affecting aggregation, mitochondrial calcium flux, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Findings suggest the MCU plays a crucial role in mediating platelet activation and thrombosis in an ITAM-dependent manner. Targeting the MCU may offer a strategy for reducing thrombotic events.
Behavioral Effects of Trauma Recruit Separate Populations of Ventral Hippocampal Neurons
Presenter Name: Addison Hedges
Trauma has been reported to affect over 70% of all adults worldwide. Exactly how these traumatic events are encoded in the brain is poorly understood. This project aims to test the hypothesis that distinct populations of neurons in the ventral hippocampus encode individual behavioral effects of trauma as well as discover the extent of overlap between neuronal cells activated by trauma-induced aggression vs. trauma-altered sociability.
Understanding the role of the neuropeptide Tac2 in aggressive behavior post acute stressor.
Presenter Name: Veronic Boire
Preliminary research results found by Zelikowsky’s lab showed that the activation of Tac2 neurons induced aggression in the absence of stress. Other results showed that Tac2 expression promoted aggressive behavior post chronic social isolation stress. My research is focused on the inhibition of Tac2 neurons post acute stress. This research strengthens the theory of Tac2 prominent role in increased aggressivity in individuals following stressors.
Relationship Between Pupillometry, Olfaction, Balance, and Cognition in Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease and Essential Tremor
Presenter Name: Paige Noble
Dysfunction in cholinergic processes in the brain could be the cause of the gait and balance impairments that are seen with a PD or ET diagnosis. The current impairment tests used are suboptimal. The pupillary light reflex (PLR) as well as the smell pathway both use cholinergic networks that can be affected by PD and ET. By assessing the presence of hyposmia and the PLR, we can strengthen the roles of these as noninvasive reliable indicators for PD and ET.
Identifying Biomarkers that can be Used to Diagnose Neuropathic Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
Presenter Name: Carson Sautter
My research took the aim to identify lab and clinical based indicators such as Valsalva ratios, heart rate variability within a standard tilt table setting, CASS scores, and QSWEAT values to identify more concise and accurate parameters for delivering a POTs diagnosis in a translational research approach.
AVR-48, a novel immunomodulatory molecule, improves lung function and structure in mechanically ventilated preterm lambs
Presenter Name: Katarina Prill
Despite advancements in the respiratory management of neonates, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD; also known as neonatal chronic lung disease) remains absent of any definitive treatment options. AVR-48 is a novel immunomodulatory molecule derived from chitohexaose, an essential structural component responsible for the pathogen immune responses of filarial parasites. We hypothesized that AVR-48 will improve early outcomes of preterm lambs that are mechanically ventilated for 7d. Lung function was measured in terms of respiratory severity score, saturation/FiO2 (S/F) ratio, PaO2/FiO2 (P/F) ratio, oxygenation index, Aterial-alveolar oxygen (A-a) gradient, resistance (R), dynamic compliance (Cdyn), as well as structural indices.
FDG PET Investigation of Histopathologically- Confirmed Fused in Sarcoma Proteinopathy, Frontotemporal Dementia, and Alzheimer’s Disease
Presenter Name: Caroline Giddings
To characterize the 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) findings in histopathologically-confirmed Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and fused in sarcoma (FUS) for which specific imaging biomarkers are not yet available.
Longitudinal Analysis of Ventricular Volume Development in Males with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Presenter Name: Mikayla Anderson
This research investigates ventricular volume changes in males with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to typically developing controls (TDC) over two decades. Utilizing MRI data from 42 individuals (34 ASD, 9 TDC), advanced imaging techniques reveal longitudinal differences. By addressing a critical gap in the literature with longitudinal analysis, the research sheds light on persistent structural differences in ASD, informing future interventions.
Absolute MR Thermometry in the breast using interleaved echo planar spectroscopic imaging
Presenter Name: Peyton Wong
MR Thermometry is widely used to monitor and evaluate thermal treatments. The proton resonance frequency method only measures temperature change and does not work in adipose tissue, but spectroscopic imaging methods make it possible to determine absolute temperature. This research aims to develop a novel spectroscopic approach for noninvasive measuring of absolute temperature in the breast to improve treatment evaluation by providing accurate starting temperatures for thermal dose calculations.
Midlife Women’s Experiences of Participating in MENOGAP
Presenter Name: Jennie Leo
MENOGAP is an integrative medical group visit (IMGV) intervention that focuses on prioritizing awareness, providing education, and fostering empowerment for perimenopausal and menopausal women. It includes four weekly educational sessions, covering a wide range of perimenopausal and menopausal symptom-related topics. This research is essential as it aims to address the gap in knowledge of these symptoms by helping midlife women better understand perimenopause and menopause management.
Elucidating different ways to regulate the NF-kB pathway through the hypoxia associated factor (HAF) and the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)
Presenter Name: Lily Halberg
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer in the United States. Inflammation is a key factor in the progression from fatty liver disease to HCC, so pro-inflammatory pathways such as the NF-kB pathway have been studied. I studied the colocalization of HAF and other key proteins in the pathway to determine if there is any transcriptional regulation occurring in the nucleus. I also studied HCC cells in a hypoxic environment to determine the impact of HIF on the pathway.
Coming Home: A Project of History, Heartache, and Heritage
Presenter Name: Thea Soter
By examining the relationship of Utah’s Cretan communities with the Carbon County mines and railroad industries in the early twentieth century, I hope to establish a connection to my own ancestors and community members who immigrated to the area during the time period. In doing so, I will track the emotional, cultural, and communal effect that immigration had on these people to better understand the state’s unique relationship to immigration both in the past and present.
Pre-Study Considerations: Quantifying Novel Slur Formation Through Textual Media Analysis
Presenter Name: Lex Putnam
Research into novel slur formation suggests that periods of new or heightened tension between groups are likely to cause the formation of new slurs, consistent with theories of degeneration and contempt crystallization. Merging gender studies and computational linguistic methodologies, this study aims to lay groundwork for assessing slur formation in the digital age, and is of increasing importance in the wake of human rights crises being declared for Trans Americans.
An Analysis of Vowel Reduction in Bolognese
Presenter Name: Brandon Osgan
In my research, I present an ongoing analysis of vowel reduction in Bolognese. Vowel reduction is a process by which vowels change due to a change in stress (this is why the ‘a’ sound in “atom” and “atomic” are different). I explain the vowel reduction patterns and suggest the presence of three ambiguous classes of words that determine the vowel reduction pattern used. These classes may relate to those identified in Saunders (1984) though further research is needed.
Recognizing the Emerging Ethical Agency of Adolescents
Presenter Name: Pierce Christoffersen and Kalista Leggitt
When scholars discuss adolescents making medical decisions, their autonomy is often overlooked. Concerns about misinformation, limited education, and experience do not correlate with their ability to act ethically. This is not solely an issue of guidance for healthcare professionals and the adolescent’s family; it delves into the ethical responsibility that adolescents themselves assume. An adolescent’s responsibility conflicts with their ability to make fully informed decisions with consent.
Factors Associated with Diabetes
Presenter Name: Fatima Faizi
Diabetes is an autoimmune condition that impairs the body’s ability to process blood glucose, otherwise known as blood sugar”. Common symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst, increased urination, dehydration, blurred vision, fatigue, or unexplained weight loss. Factors associated with diabetes include caffeine, sleep deprivation and high fructose corn syrup(HFCS).
Embracing Perspectives of Melanesian West Papua in Museums as a Way of Recognition and Decolonization
Presenter Name: Mike Komigi
The complicated issue in West Papua such as annexation, colonialism, struggle to independence, and the emerging ideology of West Papua nationalism, are not reflected in the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) when the institution labels West Papuan artifacts with “Indonesia” tag without bringing the ongoing political contexts. We interview West Papuan students, Pasifika activists and scholars, and different other museums to find better ways of displaying West Papuan artifacts in museums.
Climate Optimism in Environmental and Sustainability Studies Students at the University of Utah
Presenter Name: Abbie Nistler
This work looks at the emotions environmental and sustianability studies (ENVST) feel surrounding climate change, specifically climate optimism. It explores if climate optimism and climate anxiety are related, how climate optimism changes as students progress in their degree, how high impact experiences impact climate optimism, and if demographics impact climate optimism. The data comes from a survey distributed to ENVST students in a variety of classes.
Fiscal Fundamentals: Fiscal Analysis and Legislative Decision-Making in Utah
Presenter Name: Andrew Sonzini
Fiscal analysis plays an indispensable role in Utah’s legislative process. Utah’s constitutional requirements and culture of fiscal conservatism have contributed to the construction of existing arrangements in this area. To better assess its influence on legislative decision-making, I analyzed existing literature and interviewed current or former legislators, fiscal analysts, as well as executive staff and other public officials.
Identity Formation and Politicization: A Comparative Study of Muysca and Campesino Communities in the Cundiboyacense Territory of Colombia
Presenter Name: Cindy Diaz Rey
The objective of this research project is to examine the processes and factors that led to the emergence and embracing of a campesino identity among Muysca descendant people. By conducting a qualitative comparative study between Muysca groups that are officially recognized today and those who identify as farm workers, the research will delve into the complexities of identity formation and politicization in the Cundiboyacense territory of Colombia.
THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT’S MEDICARE PART D DRUG PRICE NEGOTIATION: AN UNLIKELY OUTCOME
Presenter Name: Nick Johnson
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was signed into law on August 16, 2022, and the passage of this unassuming piece of legislation marks one of the most important advancements in healthcare policy in the United States. A key component of the law is its efforts to increase access and affordability of prescription drugs for Medicare Part D enrollees. My research explores the political, economic, and social factors behind this legislation.
Blame avoidance by members of Congress in regards to Texas V. California
Presenter Name: Emalee Carroll
This research project aimed to understand the strategies and tactics employed by members of Congress to engage in credit claiming and blame avoidance across three Supreme Court cases related to the ACA. I conducted a longitudinal analysis of credit claiming and blame avoidance by all Congressional elected officials holding office since 2012. I collected, coded, and analyzed Congressional press releases, a resource that has been used in several prior studies
Analyzing Differences in Reward Pathway Activity and Hormone Fluctuation Between Heavy Alcohol Users and Controls
Presenter Name: Jack Landmesser
Alcohol Use Disorder is a widespread problem in the U.S., associated with health risks and behavioral changes. Females are at a greater risk of relapse and escalate to alcohol dependence more quickly than males. However, female addiction research is historically lacking. Previous research has shown that hormones influence reward processing and impact addiction. Therefore, this study evaluates hormone fluctuation and fMRI imaging relationships to provide more personalized addiction treatment.
Do peers suggestions change depending on female athletes body type and sport they compete in?
Presenter Name: Carissa Guardado
The current study experimentally examines the different Improvement suggestions people give to female athletes who have an ideal body (lean) vs. those who do not (non-lean) when they compete in a lean (distance running) vs. non-lean (softball) sport. Particularly, we are interested in suggestions that emphasize the athlete changing their physique (e.g., lower BMI) or eating habits (e.g., cut calories). This study provides us insights into the social pressures that female athletes experience.
Healthcare Access Barriers in Utah Muslim Communities
Presenter Name: Akow Ibrahim
The purpose of this research is to examine how cultural barriers and health literacy are associated with access to care and communication with providers in Muslim communities in the United States. Cultural barriers, poor health literacy, and lack of access to care continue to remain prominent in underserved communities across the U.S. By identifying cultural differences that affect the care of Muslim patients, Healthcare providers are able to shorten the gap between barriers and access to care.
Patterns: The Theory of Design in History
Presenter Name: Leisina Wolfgramm
This research project investigates the patterns and designs present in Alois Riegl’s pattern book “Stilfragen.” Using primarily Riegl’s book and Owen Jones’ “The Grammar of Ornament,” I look into locating the physical objects from these books which form the basis of the art historical canon surrounding cultural motifs. The obscure objects are brought to light through this work and the methodological approach to information collection provides an explanation to their significance and inclusion.
Engaging Embodiments: Exploring Materials, Entities, and Phenomenology
Presenter Name: Alix Wright
Working with my mentor to create a body of sculpture work that is a phenomenological study considering the inseparable reality of cognitive and material experience. Through sculptures, large scale installations, video, and sound we examine our relationship to materials, entities and the “things” of the world that we encounter. The focus is on how each of us as embodied beings come to know the world only through active, considered engagement.
Quercus gambelii Acorns as an Indigenous Food Resource in the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau & Southwest
Presenter Name: Sophia Dodge
This project seeks to address the understudied presence of Gambel Oak acorns in the archaeological record of the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, and Southwest regions. While ethnographic data and historical records suggest that Native peoples in this area consumed some Gambel Oak acorns, their recognition in archaeological contexts has been limited. This study aims to assess the viability of methodologies for identifying macrobotanical acorn remains.
The Relationship of Air Quality Index (AQI) to positive COVID-19 test count within the Utah RECOVER study population
Presenter Name: Tyler Allison and Andrew Hart
We aimed to determine whether there is a relationship between the number of COVID-19 infections and AQI at the county level. We analyzed the data of 574 workers from the RECOVER study. Participant data was sorted by county. Counties included in our analysis are as follows: Utah County with 55 participants, Salt Lake County with 438 participants and Davis County with 81 participants. Within our study, AQI and Positive Covid Tests have no significant correlation.
Influence of Ion Identity and Thermal Annealing on N-Type Organic Mixed Conductors
Presenter Name: Arnel Besic
Organic mixed ionic electronic conductors (OMIECs) are conjugated polymers that conduct both ions and electrons. These materials are promising for applications in healthcare and energy technologies, including biosensors and batteries. An obstacle for using these materials in next-generation technologies is a lack of understanding of the fundamental principles that underlie operation, particularly the coupled ion motion, electron transport, and structural dynamics.
Science or Pseudoscience? Theory Change Between Theories of Disease
Presenter Name: Lauren Wigod
Miasma theory, the obsolete theory of disease that claimed that disease was spread via “bad airs”, is commonly considered pseudoscience today despite having good qualities. In addition, it is unclear how this theory was rejected and replaced with Germ theory of disease, the theory we still hold today. My project applies several analytic philosophical accounts of theory change to this historic case including Popperian falsification and Kuhn paradigm shifting to explain how this event happened.
Transdermal antiseptic products as a method to decrease bioburden in skin prior to surgery
Presenter Name: Abbey Blair
Surgical site infections affect a number of patients post-surgery and pose a major threat to successful surgical outcomes. The majority of SSIs stem from an individual’s endogenous skin flora. To mitigate this risk, the clinical standard is to cleanse the skin prior to surgery using skin preparation kits. Our research designates that there are means for improvement in PSP technology in order to quantify and kill deep-dwelling bacteria in the skin.
The Importance of Ethics as Technology Advances
Presenter Name: Quinn Cappellucci, Elizabeth Lopez, Cohen Nash, and Gabe Nelson,
As AI is starting to become integrated in all aspects of society, ethics are a concern regarding privacy, biases, and harmful misuse. Our project shows the implications of LLM, like ChatGPT, focusing on creating policies to help protect users privacy, avoid biases, and maintain a balance between risk and innovation. Using a research question and working as a team, we aim to contribute to the debate around ethics as technology advances.
Other group members:
Utilization Of Machine Learning Models In Modeling The Binding Of Aromatic Compounds To Insect Olfactory Receptor Neurons
Presenter Name: Kobi Baker
My research revolves around creating methods for designing machine learning models that can interpret 3D ligand-receptor binding models which are based based on real world data. We can then train these machine learning models to point towards which ligands/odorants have the greatest chance of successfully binding to the receptors of their insect of interest before conducting lab or field trials. This can also give researchers a better idea of what types of molecules best fit what receptors.