Rowe Researcher: Perceived Discrimination Affecting Muslim Health

February 6, 2017

Perceived Discrimination Affecting Muslim Health

2016-2017

Investigators: Sara Hasan, Michelle Morris

Faculty Advisor: Rick Gibbons

In the past decade, Muslim discrimination has increased to an all-time high. Multiple research journals have identified that discrimination can have adverse health effects on people of certain races. While studies have predominantly been researched towards African-Americans and Hispanics, I questioned how discrimination affects Muslims around the United States. My project aimed to understand the effects discrimination against Muslims has on their overall mental and physical health. Using an online survey website, the first study took place approximately one week after the 2016 United States Presidential election to see if there were adverse health effects present in Muslims, due to the election results. With the same participants for the second study, four months after the election, we will be maintaining contact to see if more health issues, if any, have arisen or if the previous ones have continued on since then. Along with the Muslim participants, we included a significant subsample of non-Muslims to compare their health behaviors during both waves of the study. This project analyzes the issues of Muslim discrimination and how it affects the health of Muslims in the United States.

Rowe Researcher: Regulation of Animal Vascular Tissue

February 3, 2017

Samana Zaidi at Frontiers in Undergraduate Research

Regulation of Animal Vascular Tissue in a Brainstem Respiratory Center

Spring 2015-Fall 2016

Investigators: Dr. Daniel Mulkey (Associate Professor), Virginia Hawkins (Post doc fellow), and Samana Zaidi

I have worked in Dr. Daniel Mulkey’s lab investigating the processes involving regulation of animal vascular tissue in the brainstem respiratory center. We have been using mammalian models to conduct our research, therefore, rats and mice were utilized. Our research has been focused on chemoreception which is the mechanism by which breathing is regulated as levels of CO₂ and H⁺increase or decrease in tissues. An important region of interest of ours is the retrotrapezoid nucleus known as the RTN. Within the RTN there are neurons that control breathing. An important channel is contained within the RTN region known as the KCNQ channel. We focused on multiple KCNQ channels primarily KCNQ2 and KCNQ3. These channels are potassium channels that are critical for brain function. We investigated the effects of loss of function and gain of function on KCNQ channel variants and what the response leads to be. In addition, the research was further applied to how we can use KCNQ2 channels to target patients with encephalopathy.

Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Gian Grant

February 2, 2017

UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2014
Undergraduate Major(s): Pathobiology
Currently Employed By: ,
Updates: I am currently in my second year of medical school at UCONN. This past summer I completed research in Uganda.

Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Alexis Thompson

January 25, 2017

UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2013
Undergraduate Major(s): Individualized: Neuroscience and Ethics
Currently Employed By: UCONN School of Medicine, Class of 2017
Updates: Currently in the process of matching into a Pediatric Residency and graduation in May!

Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Matt Kosakowski

January 24, 2017

UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2015
Undergraduate Major(s): Biology, Chemistry
Currently Employed By:
Updates: Currently enrolled at UConn as a first year Dental student, class of 2020. Very excited!

Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Chevaughn Wellington

January 23, 2017

UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2015
Undergraduate Major(s): Molecular and Cell Biology
Currently Employed By: John Dempsey Hospital, Administrative and Patient Support Staff – Student Worker
Updates: I am currently enrolled in courses in UConn’s MPH program and working part-time at UConn’s Outpatient Psychiatric Clinic. Also, I am volunteering at Connecticut Children’s where I am assisting with a research study. Furthermore, I have applied to medical school this cycle. So far, I have received 8 interview invites, attended 6 interviews, and have been accepted to 5 schools.

Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Ana Cerda

UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2013
Undergraduate Major(s): Biology and psychology
Currently Employed By: New England center for children, Special education teacher
Updates: I am currently working on my Masters degree on clinical counseling psychology. I am about halfway done. I continue to work full time at an school for children with autism. In the past year I’ve transferred from the residential program at the school to the day school program.

Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Fariya Naz

UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2015
Undergraduate Major(s): Psychology, Cog Sci minor
Currently Employed By: PlusMedia, LLC, Account Coordinator
Updates: I’m working at a media consulting firm. We give strategic advice on advertising. I coordinate those placements for our clients (this includes magazine ads, newspapers, shared mail, etc.). There’s a lot of market research and testing that goes behind any piece of material that a consumer receives from a single company. I work on about five major accounts (ranging from a wine company all the way to life insurance)–all of which are so unique. We test wording, colors, you name it–the amount of scrutiny behind every object in an ad was the most gainful lesson I learned when I dipped my toes in this industry. The scope is huge and I’m enjoying learning more.

This is different from where I thought I was headed; however, I’m certain I have a long way to go even still.

Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Brittany Bendel

January 19, 2017

UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2015
Undergraduate Major(s): Chemical Engineering
Currently Employed By: Doosan Fuel Cell America, Fuel Processing Engineer
Updates: This Summer I will start training to become a teacher in secondary math with Teach for America.

Rowe Alumni Spotlight: Valen Diaz Grandelski

UConn Year of Graduation (Undergraduate): 2011
Undergraduate Major(s): Individualized – Healthcare and Health Disparities
Currently Employed By: Yale University School of Nursing, Project Manager
Updates: I will graduate with my MPH from SCSU in May 2017. I was selected as a Graduate Research Fellow this semester for my thesis work, which focuses on the effects of a couples-based, relationship-strengthening HIV/STI prevention intervention on parenting outcomes among adolescent parenting couples in New Haven, CT. I also gave a panel presentation as part of the Children’s Health panel at the CPHA Centennial Conference in November 2016 about the previously described intervention.
My sons, Oliver, 4, and Eli, 2, are doing well and will both be starting at new schools in the fall.