Big East Undergraduate Research Symposium
Providence College is proud to be participating in the second Annual BIG EAST Undergraduate Research Symposium on Saturday, March 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Each BIG EAST school was invited to send five research projects. Congratulations to these Providence College students representing PC!
Read about last year’s inaugural symposium.
Genetic disruption of metabolic balance in mouse cerebellar neurons causes deficits in the postnatal development of their dendritic tree and mouse motor skills.
Mary Boghos ’23 and Hayden Lens ’23
Faculty mentor: Dr. Ileana Soto, Biology
The Npc1nmf164 mutant mouse is an animal model for the human disease Niemann-Pick type C (NPC). NPC is a lysosomal storage disease that is acquired by autosomal recessive inheritance. It is mostly caused by mutations in NPC1, a protein that transports cholesterol out of the lysosomes, therefore abnormal accumulation of cholesterol in lysosomes is a hallmark of NPC. Cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) are severely affected by NPC, in fact, PCs degenerate first and to a larger extent at childhood stages. Therefore, we have been studying how the Npc1nmf164 mutation affects PC development during cerebellar postnatal development, a stage that precedes the degeneration of these cells in NPC.
For these experiments, Npc1nmf164 mice are used to examine changes in PCs using histological methods, microscopy, and imaging analysis. Our results suggest that a lack of NPC1 alters the development of dendrites and synapses in PC by altering metabolic pathways. It has been shown that a lack of lysosomal NPC1 causes the hyperactivation of the anabolic mTORC1 pathway, which also inhibits the production of lysosomes and catabolic processes such as autophagy. This disruption of metabolic pathways during the development of PCs may lead to developmental defects and a predisposition to degeneration.
We Can Do It, Or Can We?: Women’s Domestic and Workplace Roles in Advertising During WWII and Postwar America
Jillian Brissette ’23
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sharon Ann Murphy, History and Classics
This thesis examines the dramatic change from the empowering image of women workers that appeared in World War II advertisements and the domestic picture of women’s lives as depicted in the Cold War era. In examining this transformation, I seek to understand why there was such a drastic shift and how it affected real women.
I examined hundreds of advertisements from the 1940s and 1950s that featured women in domestic or workplace roles. Contrary to the popular image of Rosie the Riveter, World War II era advertisements did not truly empower women. Instead, the emphasized women’s war work as a temporary sacrifice that would allow their husbands to come home sooner so they could return to traditional domestic roles. The Cold War focus on the nuclear family reinforced this domestic ideal, regardless of a woman’s personal or economic goals.
This thesis examines the importance of advertising in both shaping and reflecting the role of women in the workplace. Rather than studying each period individually, I placed the consecutive periods in conversation with each other to understand the drastic change in advertising messages directed at women about their work roles.
Comparing Hospital Costs & Length of Stay for Cancer Patients in New York State Comprehensive Cancer Centers vs. Non-Designated Academic Centers & Community Hospitals
Ryan Fodero ’23
Faculty mentor: Dr. James Bailey, Economics
This paper explores differences in costs and lengths of stay for cancer patients admitted to National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, non-designated academic medical centers, and community hospitals in New York State. Using patient-level data from the New York State Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System Hospital Inpatient Discharges dataset for the years 2017-2019, I employ ordinary least squares and Poisson regressions to determine that inpatient costs were 27% higher, but length of stay was 12% shorter, in comprehensive cancer centers than in non-designated academic medical centers and community hospitals. The results imply that, in New York State, comprehensive cancer centers may be a magnet for more complex oncology cases and administer more expensive treatments. That expertise, however, is probably responsible for more efficient care delivery and thorough discharge planning, allowing for shorter average lengths of stay.
Changes in E. coli susceptibility to killing by Predatory Bacteria
Katie Mulvey ’23 and Caroline Zielinski ’23
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Laura Williams, Biology
Bdellovibrio are predatory bacteria that invade and digest other Gram-negative bacteria, including human pathogens. This behavior makes predatory bacteria a promising candidate as a therapy against antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. To examine how predatory bacteria hunt and kill their prey and how the prey respond to predation, we use predatory bacteria Bdellovibrio and E. coli prey to model these interactions. When we co-cultured E. coli prey with a specific strain of predatory bacteria, we observed the emergence of an altered E. coli colony appearance which correlated to a reduced susceptibility to killing by Bdellovibrio. The goal of this research is to investigate and reveal the mechanism underlying the altered E. coli phenotype and reduced susceptibility to predation. We hypothesize that E. coli’s resistance to predation is caused a change in the bacteria’s outer surface proteins. To test this hypothesis will use a common laboratory technique, PCR, and its quantitative counterpart, qPCR, to measure the gene expression of two outer surface proteins to determine if a change has occurred. This work will contribute to the current understanding of the mechanisms involved in bacterial resistance and susceptibility to predation, which is vital to develop new strategies to combat drug-resistant bacterial infections.
“A Scepter of Terror or A Sword of Freedom”: Elaine Brown’s Time in the Black Panther Party
Maeve Plassche ’23
Faculty mentor: Dr. Alyssa Lopez, History and Classics
This project highlights the activism of Elaine Brown, who was the only female chairperson of the Black Panther Party. It looks to enhance the way in which the Black Panther Party is remembered, by placing gender and gender relations in the center of the conversation. Even though women were crucial participants in the Party, they often did not receive the respect that their male counterparts did, and the historical scholarship, using male-centered sources, reiterates this point. While conducting research in the Dr. Huey P. Newton records, located the Stanford Libraries, I delved into the newspapers, internal Black Panther Party documents, pamphlets, speeches, memorandums, manuscripts, and letters. By engaging in deep textual analysis of these materials, a more in-depth look at Elaine Brown and her time as a member and leader of the Black Panther Party was possible. Overall, this project aims to demonstrate that Brown’s leadership was crucial in advancing the Black Panther Party from a self-defense organization to a major operator within the political and social worlds. Brown’s work and experiences within the Party shed much-needed light on what it was like to be a Panther and a woman and demonstrate the obstacles facing African American women during the Black Power movement.
