Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences (Veterinary Medicine)
Faculty Who Have Mentored Previous UROP Students
Sagar Goyal, Yinduo Ji, Timothy J. Johnson, Alice Larson, Michael Murphy, Bruce Walcheck
Timothy J. Johnson
joh04207@umn.edu
Project Title: Pathogenomics of Disease-Causing Bacteria
Research Description: My research interests are focused on utilizing genomics to understand the mechanisms by which bacteria are able to cause disease. Pathogenomics involves a combination of microbiology, molecular biology, DNA sequence analysis, and bioinformatics, used towards understanding the virulence and evolution of these organisms. My focus is on the important bacterial diseases of production animals, such as poultry, cattle, and swine. I am interested in using pathogenomics to identify ways to control and/or prevent these diseases.
UROP Project: Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli, or ExPEC, cause significant and costly diseases in humans and animals. A defining trait of ExPEC is the presence of large plasmids. These plasmids are involved in virulence and antimicrobial resistance, and they are easily transferred from one bacterial strain to another. This represents a major threat to human health, as it has been shown that these plasmids are implicated in the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens. This project involves the DNA sequencing and analysis of 20 E. coli plasmids involved in virulence and drug resistance. We wish to sequence and analyze these plasmids, and subsequently use PCR to define the backbones and accessory elements of these plasmids.
Alice Larson
612-624-3650, larso011@umn.edu
Project Title: Stress effects on pain and depression
Research Description: We study depression and pain transmission with an emphasis on the influence of gender, stress and immunology. Our goal is to understand how stress and gender influence these conditions. Mast cells are immune cells found in the brain. Stress increases the number and activity of mast cells, but what they do in the brain is not known. Because they are only located in the thalamus, an area that regulates sensation and chronic stress, we postulate that mast cells regulate pain, depression and stress hormones.
UROP Project: Using behavioral models of depression or pain (nociception), students will investigate the influence of increases or decreases in mast cell activity or number on depressive or pain-like behavior in mice. Alternatively, students will determine whether changes in the intensity of depression or pain, by various manipulations, are accompanied by changes in the number or activity of mast cells in the brain. Studies use behavioral, pharmacological and histological approaches.
Bruce Walcheck
612-624-2282, walch003@umn.edu
Project Title: Mechanisms of inflammation
Research Description: Our research group is examining various aspects of inflammation regulation. We are interested in mechanisms that direct white blood cells (leukocytes) to sites of inflammation and that regulate their effector activities. A key leukocyte involved in the early inflammatory response is the neutrophil, which is the most abundant leukocyte in the blood and at sites of acute inflammation. Among other lines of research, my lab is actively involved in
understanding the function and regulation of neutrophil activities in order to manipulate inflammation to bolster innate immunity or diminish damaging inflammation.
UROP Project: Research projects will entail cellular assays and molecular techniques to to study white blood cell function and protein expression, regulation, and function.