Current Scholars
2024-2025 ARCS Minnesota Current Scholars
The Minnesota Chapter of ARCS Foundation supports scholars from the University of Minnesota. All are selected by their respective departments and meet ARCS Foundation’s high standards of academic excellence.
ARCS Foundation Scholar Awards are presented each fall, and provide Scholars with $5,000 per year, for two years.
Introducing the ARCS Foundation MN Chapter Scholars
Our current Scholars span six different departments at the University of Minnesota: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics (BMBB); Biomedical Engineering (BME); Mechanical Engineering, Civil (Mech E); Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering (CEGE); Computer Science & Engineering (CSE); Neuroscience; and Immunology.
I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Minnesota. I work in the lab of Dr. Ingunn Stromnes, PhD. I have a B.S. in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and a M.S. in Cell & Gene Therapy from University College in London, UK.
My research focuses on genetic engineering of CD8 T cells for novel and effective treatment of pancreatic cancer. CD8 T cells are a crucial component of the immune system that fight off foreign viruses and bacteria, as well as our own cells that have become cancerous. While pancreatic cancer is very good at shutting down the T cells that have made their way into tumors, decades of research have enabled us to manipulate T cell DNA in ways that may improve their functionality and persistence in the solid tumor microenvironment (TME). I am engineering tumor-specific T cells to continuously produce different signaling molecules called cytokines and screening for improved T cell fitness, potential TME remodeling, and other beneficial effects in the Stromnes Lab’s pancreatic cancer mouse models.
Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers with a five-year survival rate of 10%. Its lethality is largely attributed to early metastasis, late diagnosis, and therapeutic resistance. This patient population is in dire need of effective treatment options and I hope my research efforts will facilitate their development.
I will use the generous ARCS Foundation funding for necessary research reagents and conference travel.
My long-term career goal is to oversee immune cell therapy development for immuno-oncology clinical trials in academia or industry.
Outside of my research, I enjoy traveling to new places, eating delicious food, and spending time with my husband and 3 young/amazing/filthy children!
I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics/Medical School/Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota. I work in the lab of Paul D. Robbins. I have B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Age is a critical risk factor for the development of multimorbidity of chronic diseases. Numerous studies investigating biochemical changes associated with progressing age have identified multiple drivers of aging including genomic instability, epigenetic remodeling, cellular senescence, and others. These hallmarks are highly interconnected and are thought to be primarily driven by persistent activation of DNA damage and other stress signaling mechanisms that lead to alterations in epigenetic marks and, concomitantly, aberrations in gene transcription that lead to the emergence of harmful aging phenotypes. Further, epigenetic mechanisms contribute to the complexity of targeting aging phenotypes by driving heterogeneity within aging cell populations leading to varying dependencies on regulatory program networks hindering the efficacy of current geroprotective agents. However, ectopic expression of the Yamanaka factors has demonstrated that partial reprogramming for the purpose of cellular rejuvenation downregulated aging phenotypes, restored tissue homeostasis and extended lifespan by means of transcriptional and epigenomic rejuvenation to a younger profile. I aim to better characterize the heterogeneity found in young, aged, and partially reprogrammed cell populations to identify critical epigenetic modulators involved in the development of these cellular phenotypes for the identification of new therapeutic targets and compounds aimed to extend healthspan and simultaneously delay the onset of many chronic diseases.
The world's health organization anticipates that most of the world's population will live beyond 60 years of age with the population of people aged 80 years or older expected to triple by 2050. This becomes especially important upon the understanding that advancing age is recognized as one of the greatest risk factors associated with the development of chronic disease and multimorbidity. The correlation between age and prevalence of chronic disease leads us to believe that developing therapeutic strategies that target many cellular and molecular mechanisms of aging, like epigenomic modulation, may simultaneously delay the onset of many chronic diseases through healthspan elongation. Geroprotective agents would then serve to prevent the expected increase in socioeconomic burden associated with an ever-aging population and improve the quality of people's lives later in life.
I anticipate using this award largely to for additional hands-on technical and bioinformatic training that would help me advance the analysis of multi-OM IC approaches used in my studies for characterization of various aged and rejuvenated tissues and cell types.
During my graduate career, my goal is to master the execution and analysis of up-and-coming OMIC strategies and develop expertise in aging, cellular senescence, epigenetic modulation, and therapeutic discovery. While my post-graduation plans are under debate, my ultimate career goal is to discover or improve a life-changing drug and be a key driver in helping it reach the hands of those who need it.
I am a first generation American with parents from both the UK and the Philippines. Growing up, I developed a keen interest in plants and phototropism which led me to pursue research in plant pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After, I ventured into industry where I worked as an analytical chemist optimizing chromatography-based methods for analyte quantification. I have since re-joined academia in pursuit of my PhD specializing in aging and healthspan elongating gerotherapeutics. In my free time, I collect a variety of exotic house plants, I also enjoy going to concerts, Cycle Bar classes, and shopping.
I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Civil Environmental and Geo-Engineering at the University of Minnesota. I work in the lab of Dr. Boya Xiong. I have B.A. in Chemistry from Hamilton College.
My work focuses on identifying the degradation products of polymers when they are exposed to environmental elements such as sunlight. Polymers are large molecules, but when they enter the environment, they get smaller through chemical reactions, and therefore more mobile and potentially toxic. I work to understand what polymers, such as plastics, are turning into in environmental conditions.
Our current society is dependent on polymers, but we do not have a full picture of the effect of them on ecosystem or human health. My research helps bridge that gap and inform the design of sustainable polymers.
I will use this award to help provide key research tools, such as a computer, as I move through my degree.
I want to use my career to tackle identifying and tracking the transformations of pollutants in the environment in the pursuit of setting the best possible regulatory practices to the release of these pollutants.
In my free time I enjoy doing various crafts, reading, and getting outside. I have one cat, Ginny, and occasionally I will foster cats from local rescues until they get adopted.
I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Immunology at the University of Minnesota. I work in the lab of Thomas Griffith. I have a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Biochemistry from the University of Arizona.
Sepsis, a dysregulated host response to a systemic microbial infection, causes 1 in 3 deaths at hospitals, and is a burden that has no successful clinical treatment. It also has associated long term effects on the immune system such as lymphopenia and immune paralysis. With the guidance of Dr. Thomas Griffith, I am investigating the consequences of sepsis on the immune cells, specifically T-cells. By receiving clinical blood samples from hospitalized septic patients, I evaluate the immune responses upon restimulation of those immune cells in comparison to healthy patient samples. While sepsis is a deadly condition the patient faces, there are long term impacts such as immune-paralysis and increased risk of morbidity upon subsequent infections if the patient recovers. I therefore strive to determine if dysfunctional and/or ineffective T-cells are contributing to increased risk of reinfection.
Sepsis is a non-discriminatory condition. While generally seen in older (age 65+) and immunocompromised individuals, it also can be seen in pediatric and younger adults. Therefore, there are two arms to how my studies can contribute to better understanding of sepsis: analysis of T-cells circulating within septic patients during their hospitalization and evaluating their functionality. This will determine if T-cells are dysregulated during the host response. The other arm includes the long-term effects of sepsis on T-cells and analyze which aspects of protection T-cells provide are impaired. This will be important in understanding why individuals post sepsis are prone to reinfection, and if certain precautions may need to be taken to better protect them (additional adjuvants for administering vaccines to post septic individuals).
The funds from this award will be used to cover the cost of important reagents needed to examine the phenotype and function of T cells obtained from the blood of sepsis patients and health control donors. These reagents include antibodies, assay kits, and core facility fees. For example, I plan to use cutting-edge technology (with the help of UMN core facilities) to assess the functionality of T cells from sepsis patients at the single-cell level. This assay will include conditions designed to test the extent to which administration of immunomodulatory agent can boost the functional capacity of T cells.
My current sight is to work at a post-doctoral position in industry after receiving my Ph.D. I’m open to expanding my understanding of clinical therapeutics and their mechanisms.
Originally from Arizona, I try to maintain a physically active lifestyle, but only in air-conditioning. I go indoor bouldering, rock climbing, swimming, and walks around the lake if the weather is nice. My favorite fiction author is Brandon Sanderson and I also enjoy cooking.
My current research interests are focused on understanding the experiences and needs of users when navigating social media and search engines. I focus on marginalized people and communities, mainly mental health and LGBTQIA+ identities. By recognizing the needs and struggles with technology of marginalized people and communities, I suggest and design changes to current social media and search engines to better support marginalized individuals.
People with mental illness or LGBTQIA+ identities turn to the internet as a primary source of information and support but often face barriers when interacting with social media and search engines. Thus, by investigating and designing how people use these technologies, the lives of marginalized people can be improved. Supporting marginalized people perpetuates a virtuous cycle of equity that positively affects society.
I expect to use my award to support my research by covering some of the expenses that occur in completing the PhD program at UMN.
My career objectives are to continue doing research that supports marginalized individuals through a faculty position at a research university. I believe that it is important to not only continue my own research but also mentor students to be researchers who tackle important issues.
I like to read and play video games when I am not working on research. I also used to be a cake decorator and still like to bake and decorate cakes for friends' birthdays. My family lives on the West Coast, which is where I grew up. I am the oldest of 5 siblings, with 3 little sisters and a little brother.
It has been previously shown that the opioid system plays a role in depressive behaviors but the reason why this is the case is still poorly understood. Additionally, direct activation of opioid receptors via classic opioids such as fentanyl or heroine results in adverse behaviors such as opioid use disorder.
The Rothwell laboratory previously discovered a novel mechanism to indirectly modulate opioid signaling, avoiding the development of drug-seeking behaviors. My thesis project uses social defeat stress, a mouse model of depressive-like behavior, to explore how indirect activation of the opioid system contributes to differential gene expression within the brain, as well as anhedonia and social avoidance behaviors in mice.
My work has the potential to contribute to breakthroughs in treating neuropsychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder. For many individuals living with major depressive disorder, current treatments are ineffective in helping them achieve full remission from their symptoms. By exploring novel ways to treat depression, my research can help individuals living with treatment resistant depression.
The support from this award will help alleviate the financial stress that arises from a limited graduate stipend. It will allow me to upgrade the technology I use to complete my research (laptop, computer monitor, etc) and cover the cost of my basic life necessities, overall improving my quality of life so I can focus entirely on my research project.
My career objective is to lead my own research team in exploring the molecular etiology of depression. Ultimately, I will combine my passions for neuropsychiatric research, equity, and inclusion to create positive outcomes for marginalized communities most impacted by mental illness.
During my time outside of the lab, I am a sewist and music enthusiast. My most current sewing project is a baby blanket for my niece, but I tend to sew clothes most of the time. My favorite garment is a floral print dress I made for myself last spring.
I have played several instruments since grade school and initially pursued a degree in music education before ultimately deciding on neuroscience. Though my career path pivoted, live music has remained an integral part of my life. I met my husband after a concert in Tempe, Arizona and we have been each other’s concert buddy ever since. I also enjoy spending time at home with my husband in our garden.
I aim to develop advanced methods that enhance the delivery of neuromodulation therapies while exploring the biophysical and physiological mechanisms that underlie their effectiveness. By refining how therapeutic stimulations are delivered, we can improve our understanding of their impact on neural circuitry and better tailor treatments for neuropsychiatric conditions. My research will likely involve computational techniques and the analysis of functional connectivity to identify how different regions of the brain interact during stimulation. Ultimately, I hope to contribute to the field of closed-loop, non-invasive neuromodulation, which has the potential to revolutionize therapeutic outcomes by enabling real-time monitoring and adjustment of neural stimulation parameters.
The primary benefit of my studies will be to advance our understanding of brain function and dysfunction, ultimately leading to more effective and personalized therapies for individuals with neurological and psychiatric disorders. By developing new methods of precision neuromodulation, my research will help lead to treatments that are tailored to the specific needs of each patient. These innovations could lead to therapies that are not only more effective but also less invasive, improving both the quality of life and long-term outcomes for patients. Additionally, my work will contribute to the scientific understanding of how brain circuits interact, helping to inform future therapeutic strategies for a wide range of conditions.
This award will significantly support my professional development by enabling me to attend leading conferences in the field of brain stimulation and neuromodulation. These will be invaluable opportunities for me to engage with cutting-edge research, network with leading experts, and share my own findings. I also plan to participate in workshops and specialized training sessions that will enhance my technical skills in neuromodulation techniques and data analysis.
My career objectives are deeply rooted in my desire to serve the veteran community, particularly those enduring neuropsychiatric disorders linked to military sexual trauma and domestic abuse. I aim to develop precision neuromodulation therapies that are tailored to the unique neural dynamics of each patient, reducing both the duration of treatment and the risk of adverse side effects. As a veteran myself, I am committed to giving back to this community by advocating for the experiences of women who have served and ensuring they receive the care they deserve. I plan to pursue a career in academia, where I can establish a research lab that collaborates closely with the Veterans Health Administration to advance treatment options for veterans.
When I am away from my research, I enjoy hiking with my dog, Ernest, and exploring the city of Minneapolis along with the beautiful natural landscapes that surround it. I also love taking road trips home to visit my family in Michigan. Being close to home allows me to share my graduate school experiences with my parents, who did not have the opportunity to attend college, and to conduct science experiments with my nephews, exposing them to the excitement of discovery.