As we say good-bye to our first summer of CEMB programming, the University of Pennsylvania CEMB group would like to thank the visiting summer students who joined our faculty labs. Their work contributed to exciting research happening throughout the center. The first Summer Undergraduate Research Experience saw a strong cohort of student researchers representing 10 different institutions across the country – three from our partner institutions.

Students were supported in CEMB labs across three schools, including the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Perelman School of Medicine, and the School of Arts and Sciences. Research projects covered topics in all areas of mechanobiology. Additional program elements included a weekly seminar series in science communication skills, talks on the graduate school admission process, weekly CEMB-wide Working Group meetings, morning lectures at the graduate student Boot Camp, and Annual Retreat. Social activities included a kayak trip on the Schuylkill River and a Phillies baseball game.

The Penn Summer cohort included:
Olivia Leavitt, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Project Title: MMP-1 increases neuron activity but does not alter collagen structure after 1 hour.
Host: Winkelstein Lab, Bioengineering

Kimberly DeLuca, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Project Title: Variation in Defect Parameters in Aligned Nanofibrous Scaffolds Yields Diverse Strain Attenuation Profiles.
Host: Mauck Lab, Bioengineering

Richard Potter, University of Pennsylvania
Project Title: Understanding Binding Between Tau and Neuronal Microtubules.
Host: Rhoades Lab, Chemistry

Cassie Wang, Bryn Mawr College
Project Title: The Effect of Aggrecan on Long Range Force Transmission and Collagen Fibrous Networks.
Host: Wells Lab, Gastroenterology

Aaman Mengis, University of Maryland
Project Title: A Tissue Engineered Microphysiological Platform for the Study of Human Organ Fibrosis.
Host: Huh Lab, Bioengineering

Kristine Lister, Cornell University
Project Title: Comparing Step Finding Algorithms for the Tracking of Molecular Motors.
Host: Goldman Lab, Physiology

Brianna Hajek, Washington University in St. Louis
Project Title: Developing an in vitro Model of the Dendritic Cytoskeleton.
Host: Holzbaur Lab, Physiology

Victor Morales-Garcia, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Project Title: The Effect of Constricted Cell Migration on The Cell Cycle and DNA Replication.
Host: Discher Lab, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Kimonni Driver, Lincoln University
Project Title: Important differences between neonatal and adult space of Disse.
Host: Wells Lab, Gastroenterology

John Durel, University of Virginia
Project Title: High-Throughput Single-Cell Analysis of MCS Mechanosensing.
Host: Burdick Lab, Bioengineering

Author: Jim McGonigle
August 25, 2017