Recent Thesis Topics

Eduard Dinca, Ph.D., 2008
Mentor: James
“Enhancing Glioblastoma Response to Genotoxic Therapy by Small Molecule Inhibition of p53”

Lauren Ta, Ph.D., 2008
Mentor: Windebank
“Molecular Mechanisms of Platinum Drug-induced Neuropathic Pain”

Alexandar Vandell, Ph.D., 2008
Mentor: Scarisbrick
“Mechanisms of Kallikrein Signaling in the CNS”

Katie E. Galvin, Ph.D., 2007
Mentor: Wetmore
“Modulation of Sonic Hedgehog-Gli1 Signaling in Neural Stem Cells”

Jungsu Kim, Ph.D., 2007
Mentor: Golde
“The BRI-Fusion Strategy for Modeling and Therapeutics of Alzheimer’s Disease”

Jia-Min Zhuo, Ph.D., 2007
Mentor: Nicolle
“Prefrontal Cortex-Related Executive Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease Model Tg2576 Mice”

Won Yong Lee, Ph.D., 2006
Mentor: Sine
"Structures Underpinning Agonist Binding and Coupling of Binding to Gating in the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor"

Eric J. Buenz, Ph.D., 2006
Mentor: Howe
“Picornavirus Infection Results in Dead Neurons and Stupid Mice”

David J. Schnepple, Ph.D., 2006
Mentor: Badley
"TRAIL-Short: A Splice Variant of TRAIL that Antagonizes TRAIL-Induced Apoptosis, Produced by Virally Infected or Transformed Cells"

Anna Svatikova, Ph.D., 2005
Mentor: Somers
"Normal and Apneic Sleep – Implications for Cardiovascular Disease Mechanisms"

Cynthia T. Zehr, Ph.D., 2004
Mentor: Hutton
"Characterization of Pathology and Cell Death Mechanisms in Mouse Models of Tauopathies"

William Tzu-Lung Hu, Ph.D., 2004
Mentor: Brimijoin
"Amyloid-Beta Mediated Changes in Acetylcholinesterase: Delayed Acetylcholinesterase Turnover in Alzheimer's Disease"

Carlos B. Mantilla, Ph.D., 2003
Mentor: Sieck
"Inactivity-Induced Plasticity of Phrenic Motoneurons: Role of Neurotrophins"

Andrew B. West, Ph.D., 2003
Mentor: Farrer
"The Genetics, Genomics and Transcription Regulation of the Parkin Gene"

Noah W. Gray, Ph.D., 2003
Mentor: McNiven
"The Dynamins and Synaptic Morphogenesis"

Jey-Hsin Chen, Ph.D., 2003
Mentor: Riordan
"The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane-Conductance Regulator Is a Monomer"

Elizabeth S. McDonald, Ph.D., 2003
Mentor: Windebank
"Mechanism of Cisplatin Neurotoxicity"

Hong Sun, Ph.D., 2002
Mentor: Brimijoin
“Re-Engineering Human Butyrylcholinesterase as an Efficient Cocaine Hydrolase”

Stephanie J. Fischer, Ph.D., 2002
Mentor: Windebank
“Studies in Cisplatin Reactivity and Mechanism: Development of an Animal Model of Cisplatin Neurotoxicity, Characterization of the Reaction between Cisplatin and DMSO and Characterization of the Monohydroxo Form of Cisplatin”

Heather A. Manley, Ph.D., 2002
Mentor: Lennon
“Interactions of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Protein, BAP31, In Assembly of Presynaptic Active Zone Complexes”

M. Mateo Paz Soldan, Ph.D., 2002
Mentor: Rodriguez
“Glial Cell Signaling Using Remyelination-Promoting Antibodies as Ligands”

Anna M. Conti, Ph.D., 2001
Mentor: Windebank
“Characterization and Mechanisms of the Inhibitory Effect of High Doses of NGF on Axonal Growth from Rat Primary Sensory Neurons”

Nilufer E. Taner, Ph.D., 2001
Mentor: Younkin
“Plasma Amyloid Beta Protein as a Surrogate Genetic Marker for Late Onset Alzheimer's Disease”

Polly A. Quiram, Ph.D., 2001
Mentor: Sine
“Structure-Function Relationships in Neuronal [alpha] 7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: Insights from Probing the Ligand Binding Site with Toxins from Predatory Marine Snails”

Brian A. Gebelein, Ph.D., 2000
Mentor: Urrutia
“Identification and Characterization of KS1, a Novel Zinc Finger Transcriptional Repressor that Suppresses Neoplastic Cell Growth”

Shawn A. Corey, Ph.D., 2000
Mentor: Clapham
“Analysis of G-Protein-Regulated Inwardly Rectifying K+ channel (GIRK) Tetramers: Stoichiometry, G [beta gamma]-Binding, and Receptor Coupling”

Linda M. Frederick, Ph.D., 2000
Mentor: Ames
“Mechanism of Carcinoid Tumor Cell Death Induced By the Aromatic-L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase Inhibitor, Caridopa”

Dorian B. McGavern, Ph.D., 2000
Mentor: Rodriguez
“Mechanisms of Neurologic Dysfunction and Compensation in the Central Nervous System Following Progressive Demyelination”

Russel H. Zurawel, Ph.D., 1999
Mentor: Raffel
“Analysis of Wnt Developmental Pathway Genes in Medulloblastoma”

Sonja L. Toutenhoofd, Ph.D., 1998
Mentor: Strehler
“The Human Calmodulin Multigene Family: Differential Transcriptional Activity and Regulation of Calmodulin mRNAs in Neuronal Differentiation”

Jeffrey C. Arnholt, Ph.D., 1998
Mentor: Robb
“Development of Interactive Tools for Analysis and Visualization of Functional MRI Data Sets”

John R. Henley, Ph.D., 1997
Mentor: McNiven
“Dynamin GTPases Participate in the Formation of Distinct Cytoplasmic Vesicles”

David A. Zacharias, Ph.D., 1996
Mentor: Strehler
“Expression and Regulation of Alternative Splicing in the Plasma Membrane Calcium ATPase”

Valerie Y. Hayes, Ph.D., 1996
Mentor: Isackson
“Transcriptional Regulation of the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Gene in Mammalian Brain”

Jagjit S. Gill, Ph.D., 1996
Mentor: Windebank
“Suramin's Effect on the High Affinity Nerve Growth Factor Receptor: Role in Drug-Induced Neurotoxicity”