Understanding the role of mechanical loading and inflammation in a rodent chronic low back pain model Chronic low back pain (LBP) and knee osteoarthritis (OA) are the leading causes of disability worldwide. However, current treatments mainly offer temporary relief by managing symptoms rather than addressing the underlying drivers of pain. Both conditions involve mechanical breakdown…

Visualizing recruitment of immune cells to regenerating tissue in Drosophila Immune cells are a crucial and conserved element involved in regeneration, helping clear cellular debris while secreting signaling molecules for cell proliferation and differentiation. However, relatively little is known about what role hemocytes, the immune cells of Drosophila melanogaster, play during regeneration, despite it being…

A threshold level of JNK activates damage-responsive enhancers via JAK/STAT to promote regeneration. In organisms that can regenerate, thousands of genes are upregulated following damage in order to regenerate missing tissue. Only recently has it been identified how these genes become activated following damage. Damage-Responsive (DR) enhancers are regeneration regulatory regions that recognize damage stimuli…

A threshold level of JNK activates damage-responsive enhancers via JAK/STAT to promote regeneration. In organisms that can regenerate, thousands of genes are upregulated following damage in order to regenerate missing tissue. Only recently has it been identified how these genes become activated following damage. Damage-Responsive (DR) enhancers are regeneration regulatory regions that recognize damage stimuli…

Characterizing the Novel Protein Asperous Involved in Tissue Regeneration The mechanisms of tissue regeneration are not fully understood. Using the model of the Drosophila wing imaginal disc, we have identified factors upregulated during the regenerative process through RNA-sequencing. Asperous (CG9572) is an uncharacterized extracellular protein that is one of the most upregulated genes during regeneration.…

Using hPSC-derived organoids to characterize age-associated changes in cortical cell metabolism and their role in neurodegeneration Aging is the primary risk factor for neurodegeneration impacting changes at the cell and molecular level. Primary hallmarks of aging are centered around dysregulated metabolism and perturbed bioenergetics, both which are heavily implicated in Alzheimer‚Äôs disease (AD). However, the…