Posters: 2026 Summer Undergraduate Research Program

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  Mitovesicle Proteomic Signatures of Social Defeat Stress in NeuroHIV

  Rakan Abuissa, Mark Bausch, Micheal Ayoub, Dalia Moore, Gurudutt Pendyala, and Sowmya V. Yelamanchili

  Mitochondria-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) that have recently emerged as important mediators and biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases. Changes in their abundance and molecular cargo may serve as sensitive indicators of mitochondrial stress, dysfunction, and cellular health. This study validates the efficiency and reproducibility of our rat brain mitovesicle isolation protocol. Furthermore, it aims to elucidate how mitochondrial signaling, reflected by mitovesicle characteristics and cargo, is altered following social defeat stress and whether these effects are further exacerbated by HIV infection. These findings may provide novel insights into the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment and stress-related neuropathology.

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  Comparison of Postoperative Clinical Outcomes Following Human Breast Milk Versus Formula Feeding in Infants Undergoing Congenital Heart Surgery

  Caden Anderjaska, Monalisha Elango, Sarah O'Neil, and Jeffrey D. Salomon

  Infants with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass often develop intestinal barrier dysfunction, microbial dysbiosis, and systemic inflammation that may impair postoperative recovery. This retrospective cohort study compared postoperative outcomes between infants receiving human breast milk (n = 15) and formula (n = 15) after congenital heart surgery. Clinical, microbiome, inflammatory, and gut barrier data were analyzed. Infants fed human breast milk demonstrated greater bacterial diversity, reduced gut barrier dysfunction and inflammation, shorter intensive care unit and hospital lengths of stay, and lower vasoactive-inotropic scores compared with formula-fed infants. These findings suggest that human breast milk may improve postoperative recovery and support the role of nutrition in optimizing outcomes following congenital heart surgery.

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  Evaluation of the Usage of Transesophageal Echocardiogram in Patients with Endocarditis or Stroke

  Matthieu Carter and Kaveh Bookani

  Transesophageal Echocardiograms (TEE) are used to evaluate the heart more clearly, especially if a Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE) is not clear. However, the procedure requires sedation, and complications can arise as a result. The necessity of the TEE must be determined to ensure unnecessary risks are not taken. Our study investigated adult patients from January 2024 to March 2024 (n=300) who received TEEs because of endocarditis (n=59) or stroke (n=24). We determined the necessity of the TEE in endocarditis patients by assessing variables such as cardiac device, strain of pathogen, whether the TTE was diagnostic, and whether the TEE provided additional information. For our Stroke cohort, we examined age, whether the TTE was diagnostic, whether the bubble study was abnormal, and whether the TEE provided additional information. We found that, compared to published research, our endocarditis cohort was given redundant TEEs at a rate of 17% [95% CI: 5%-22%]. This is a non-significant difference compared to the published research. Due to a lack of literature regarding TEE necessity in stroke, we compared whether there was a change in treatment management. We found that our cohort had treatment management altered in 33% of cases [95% CI: 9%-57%], though this was a non-significant difference compared to a published study. The limitations in our study include a low sample population and a lack of studies performing a robust comparison. A future direction for research includes contributing to the gap in research about the necessity of stroke TEEs as well as expanding cohort size in future studies.

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  Completing the Hospital Transfer Journey: A Descriptive Study of the Demographic, Clinical, and Facility Factors Associated with Successful Transfer Back​

  Chelsy Chairez-Ortiz and Natalie Crump

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  Outcomes After Stopping Inhaled Therapies in Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Patients on CFTR Modulators

  Kaitlyn M. Gall, Heather M. Thomas, Angela O. Delecaris, and Ashley Deschamp

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  Post-Tracheostomy Outcomes In Youth With Anoxic Brain Injury

  Kritika Kandel, Elizabeth R. Lyden, Yijun Lu, and Eli Rhoads

  Anoxic brain injury (ABI) is a non-traumatic injury; may result from cardiac arrest, suffocation, drowning, choking, and other acute causes. ABI often results in persistent neurologic changes and developmental abilities. These include vision, speech, swallow, walking, and other areas of daily living. The severity of injury is variable, and in the most severely affected families and medical providers weigh life-prolonging interventions such as tracheostomy, despite the potential for persistent neurologic impairment. These decisions are difficult for parents and providers alike, and long-term outcomes are limited when compared to outcomes in children with premature lung disease or traumatic brain injury. Younger children and infants have higher associated mortality, but more potential for some recovery which adds uncertainty in this age group. This lack of clear data makes decision making challenging as the potential outcomes are inconsistent. Our retrospective study attempted to evaluate the long-term outcomes of affected children.

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  Immunofluorescence Evidence to Demonstrate EPS-Induced Activation of Nrf2 in C2C12 Myotubes

  Auspy Li, Sarah Pribil Pardun, and Lie Gao

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  Skeletal Muscle Regeneration: Electrospun Nanofiber Matrix for Delivery of Novel Myogenic Agents

  Priyanka Anand Mirji, Athreya Reddy, Sai Sadhanath, Allen Zennifer, Suranji Wijekoon, Sama Abdulmalik, and Sangamesh Gurappa Kumbar

  Volumetric muscle loss (VML) remains a major clinical challenge because skeletal muscle possesses limited regenerative capacity following severe injury, and there are currently no clinically approved biological agents capable of restoring functional muscle tissue. Therefore, the development of alternative regenerative strategies that locally stimulate endogenous repair mechanisms is of significant interest. In this preliminary study, we investigated electrospun PCL/cellulose acetate nanofiber scaffolds as localized delivery platforms for two novel small molecules, SK5 and SK4, which are hypothesized to enhance skeletal muscle regeneration through electrochemical signaling and activation of the Wnt signaling pathway. C2C12 myoblasts were cultured on the nanofiber scaffolds, and cellular responses were evaluated using cell viability, proliferation, DNA quantification, cell morphology, and myogenic differentiation assays. The scaffolds demonstrated excellent cytocompatibility and supported cell attachment and growth. Preliminary findings indicate that localized delivery of the therapeutic molecules promotes myogenic differentiation, with responses comparable to or exceeding those achieved using conventional pro-myogenic stimulation. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using electrospun nanofibers for sustained local delivery of regenerative small molecules while simultaneously providing a biomimetic microenvironment for muscle repair. Overall, this work establishes a promising platform for a multifunctional biomaterial platform that integrates structural support, localized drug delivery, and bioactive signaling to enhance skeletal muscle regeneration and warrants further mechanistic and in vivo investigation.