UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2011
Currently Employed By: Yale School of Nursing, Project Manager
Updates: I recently received a promotion at Yale University to a project manager position coordinating a large study on the genetic and psychological influences on hypertension in African American women and children. I also recently had my second baby, Elias (Eli for short) in September 2014. I now have 2 children – Oliver, 2.5 years old and Eli, 3 months old – and I live with my husband, Joe Grandelski (who I met at UConn through HASB!) in Hamden, CT.
Author: Hoffmann, Jessamy
Rowe Researcher: Effects of mutants in the I-domain on Bacteriophage P22 coat protein stability and mature capsid structure
February 2014-Present: Effects of mutants in the I-domain on Bacteriophage P22 coat protein stability and mature capsid structure
By Fejiro Okifo, Kevin Robbins, Dr. Carol Teschke
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs
As common as the rhinovirus that visits itself upon us every flu season and as insidious as the HIV virus that causes AIDS, viruses have been afflicting the human race since the dawn of time. And yet there is still much to discover about the mechanism by which they infect their hosts. Continue reading
2014 Rowe Scholar: Ivan Navarro
Hailing from Bristol, CT, Ivan Navarro graduated from Bristol Central High School where he started a chess club in order to share his love of the game. A pre-pharmacy student at UConn, Ivan’s interest in a career in the health professions was significantly influenced by his mother, who is a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant).
2014 Rowe Scholar: Jeremy Figueroa-Ortiz
Jeremy Figueroa-Ortiz recently returned from a dental mission trip to the Galapagos Island of Isabella, where he, dental students, and dentists provided free dental care. An allied health sciences major with interests in dentistry and policy, Jeremy has also taken part in a clinically based pilot study called Project Good Oral Health, which focused on the oral health of geriatric communities and preventative health education. Jeremy is a bilingual (English and Spanish) graduate of Farmington High School who hails from New Britain, CT.
Rowe Researcher: Measuring Viral Titer to Analyze Transduction Efficiency in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Spring 2011: Measuring Viral Titer to Analyze Transduction Efficiency in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
By Dr. X. Cindy Tian, Yong Tang, and Michael Tassavor
Stem cells have the ability to dramatically change the medical landscape, allowing regrowth and regeneration of tissues previously irreparable to modern science. Severe burns, spinal breakages, and muscle damage all can benefit, as well as more abstract diseases such as Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and cancer. Until quite recently, however, sources for stem cells were limited to embryonic material.
In 2007, researchers managed to convert specialized adult cells to pluripotent stem cells capable of taking any somatic form in mice. This is highly useful in that it negates any need for embryonic stem cells in stem cell therapy, sidestepping legal and moral issues, as well as public outcry. Furthermore, it allows customized cells grown from the patient’s own cells, preventing immune rejection. Non-embryonic stem cells also have the benefit of allowing research to proceed with government grants, which, depending on the state and federal agencies involved, prohibit embryonic stem cell research. Continue reading
Rowe Researcher: Investigating Propargyl-Linked Antifolates
Summer 2012-Spring 2014: Investigating Propargyl-Linked Antifolates in Inhibiting Bacterial and Fungal Dihydrofolate Reductase
By Joshua Andrade, Dr. Amy Anderson’s Lab, and Dr. Dennis Wright’s Lab
Antimicrobial agents have been invaluable in reducing illness and death associated with bacterial infection. However, over time, bacteria have evolved resistance to all major drug classes as a result of selective pressure. The advancement of new drug compounds is therefore vital. The Anderson-Wright Lab has focused on developing potent and selective inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), an enzyme key in cell proliferation and survival, in several pathogenic species. The lab has found that a set of compounds, known as propargyl-linked antifolates, are DHFR inhibitors that are both biologically effective and have strong pharmacokinetic properties. Continue reading
2014 Rowe Scholar: Kavisha Thakkar
Kavisha Thakkar is from Newington, CT but has traveled to 54 countries. She enjoys photography and travel and says that her experiences abroad have definitely played a role in her desire to pursue a career in medicine. In pursuit of this goal Kavisha has shadowed ophthalmologists at UConn Health and Veteran’s Hospital, and has conducted research on DNA at Hartford Hospital. She is now following a pre-med track and majoring in physiology and neurobiology at UConn. A graduate of Newington High School and the Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Science, Kavisha has taken part in several HCOP programs, including the Mini Medical Program, the High School Summer Research Program, and the Pre-College Enrichment Program.
2014 Rowe Scholar: Ornella Tempo
Ornella Tempo is originally from Fusagasuga, Colombia but graduated from Wethersfield High School in Connecticut. Currently a chemical engineering major, her main academic interest lies in tissue engineering while her hobbies include swimming and painting. Ornella has had the opportunity to serve as student assistant to the Institutional Review Board, where she helps with instructor training, and as a research assistant at the Institute of Regenerative Engineering Laboratory. At the lab she has engaged in activities such as cell culture, creating microspheres, and microscopy imaging of microspheres.
2014 Rowe Scholar: John Odoom
John Odoom loves playing basketball and is very proud of the fact that he didn’t quit but worked hard for two years in order to make Stamford High School’s varsity basketball team. Born in Ghana, Africa John now lives in Stamford, CT and is very interested in athletic training and physical therapy. As a basketball player he’s been able to observe the duties and demands of his team’s athletic trainer. He has also taken part in LEAD, a leadership program that provided him with the opportunity to tour Stamford Hospital.
2014 Rowe Scholar: Julise Marsh
Julise Marsh will be a Pre-Pharmacy student at UConn. A resident of Bloomfield, CT, she graduated from Bloomfield High School after having taken part in the HCOP High School Student Research Apprentice Program, which she feels provided her with good exposure to her chosen field. Julise loves playing volleyball in her free time.