I am currently working on mercury toxicity in passerines (song birds) located in Big Cypress National Preserve. Most mercury research in South Florida has focused on piscivorous (fish-eating) wading birds and recent studies of northern populations of passerines have found mercury levels in passerines that are higher or equal to piscivorous birds. I am analyzing blood and feather samples of red-winged blackbirds (Agelius phoeniceus), common grackles (Quiscalus quiscual), and boat-tailed grackles (Quiscalus major). I am evaluating patterns of mercury exposure, identifying seasonal trends, and determining if mercury is present at levels known to cause adverse effects.

I am a first year graduate student with the Graduate PIBS (Program in Biomedical Sciences) at UM's Miller School of Medicine. I am interested in bioinformatics research and the new Human Genetics and Genomics Program. I have not chosen a permanent lab or project area yet, but I will conduct 3-4 different research rotations with various faculty this year.

I am a first-year Ph.D student within the Department of Biomedical Engineering, working under the supervision of Dr. Ziebarth. My research interests will focus on the biomechanical properties of biological tissues using atomic force microscopy (AFM). This powerful technique enables elastic and viscoelastic characterization of tissues at scales ranging from nanoscale to bulk. Particular applications of implementing and utilizing the instrumentation of the AFM will be within the field of ophthalmology.

Sirtuins are proteins that regulate cellular signaling and biological processes by activating or repressing transcription factors.? My research is focused on specific molecular mechanisms that modulate sirtuin activity in a neuroprotective manner. It is my hope that these investigations can help protect neurons from cell death after ischemic insults.

I received my Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Florida International University. I will begin my rotations Sept. 8. My main field of interest is immunology and within that inflammation, autoimmunity and cell-cell interactions.? I will be picking my dissertation lab at the end of this first year.

As a second year graduate student in Cell Biology and Anatomy, I study molecular mechanisms underlying hypertrophy in kidney podocytes.? Kidney podocytes are an integral part of the glomerular filtration barrier system within the kidney that prevents loss of crucial proteins into the urine.? Prolonged hypertrophy of the podocyte can lead to cell loss and compromised renal function. In the lab of Christian Faul PhD, I use cell culture and animal models to better understand disrupted and aberrant cell processes that can lead to renal dysfunction and disease.