Cambridge Neuroscience Seminar 2022 - New Horizons
In September of 2022, I presented a poster at Cambridge’s annual neuroscience symposium. My poster was based on the results of an analysis I ran following up on a previous paper our lab had published (Schlegel, Bates, et al., 2021). Click the link above or image preview below to see more
Structured Inquiry-Based Learning: Drosophila GAL4 Enhancer Trap Characterization in an Undergraduate Laboratory Course - Dunne et al., 2014
While working in Dr. Elizabeth Marin's neurobiology lab, I investigated the role that genetics and environment play in neural development in drosophila. Dr. Marin's research aims to help scientists better understand neuroplasticity and neurodevelopment, both of which will be essential to eventually understanding and mediating neurodegenerative diseases in humans.
The image below illustrates the output of several experiments in our lab that utilized the GAL4/UAS system to identify the expression patterns of various fly lines for use in future research.
Figure 5. Expression patterns of GAL4 enhancer trap lines in the fly brain.
Analysis of a candidate RNAi Drosophila strain and the role of Broad-Complex in Neuronal Composition - Kalman Research Grant - May 2013
The development of a mature and functioning nervous system is a complex process in all organisms, and consequently, examining its development can be extremely complicated. Nevertheless, an understanding of the nervous system is essential to studying neurodegenerative diseases and neuronal function. For these among many other reasons, a particular part of the Drosophila melanogaster (the fruit fly) brain, the mushroom body (MB), has been extensively studied to help elucidate how the entire nervous system develops. The mushroom body is known to help mediate olfactory memory in insects and the adult MB of the Drosophila melanogaster contains five distinct lobes composed of three different kinds of neurons: g, a'/b' and a/b (Yang, et al. 1995). In developing fruit flies there are three distinct temporal periods in which these neurons are created from stem cells called neuroblasts; g neurons are generated from the embryonic stage until the mid-third instar, a' /b' neurons are generated between the mid-third instar and puparium formation (P0), and a/b neurons are produced from P0 until shortly before the adult fly emerges from the pupa (Lee et al., 1999). Dr. Marin’s lab group is currently attempting to determine what causes the transition from the production of one neuron type to the next, thus regulating the numbers of each type produced, also known as neuronal composition. A deeper understanding of the plasticity of neuronal composition could eventually lead to breakthroughs in fostering nervous system repair following injury and dysfunction. Continue reading…
MODIFIED PERCEPTION OF PAIN IN ETHNIC MINORITIES: THE EFFECT OF EXPECTATIONS AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION
By: Christopher R Dunne (2013)
The perception and response to pain is an essential component of maintaining a person’s wellbeing. Interestingly however, despite the importance of avoiding and reacting to pain, its perception varies widely, and the same stimulus can elicit dramatically different responses among a population. For instance, one stimulus can be below the threshold of pain in one individual while simultaneously being deemed unbearable to another (Nielsen et al., 2005). Clearly, there must be key differences between individuals that impact pain tolerance, threshold, and response. Although there are many known mediators of these differences, (i.e. genetics, current environment, and previous experience) culture is one known mediator that has not been studied to the fullest extent. One reason for this is that culture is extremely broad and encompasses a wide range of factors, and is consequently difficult to quantify. To overcome this obstacle, this paper will examine a subset of culture that can be easily categorized, namely ethnicity, and determine its effect on pain perception in the United States. Continue reading...