Dr. Kurt Amsler

Our lab is studying the mechanistic basis for renal ischemia/reperfusion injury-induced tubular fluid backleak through the renal epithelial cell tight junction. These studies use both cell culture and animal model systems. Paracellular flux (through the tight junction) across renal epithelial cell monolayers is monitored without or with treatment with hydrogen peroxide, a compound released during ischemia/reperfusion injury. Studies are aimed at identifying which tight junction protein(s) is(are) involved in mediating the hydrogen peroxide effect, what signaling pathway(s) are initiated by hydrogen peroxide treatment that produce the changes in paracellular permeability, and ameliorating the effect of renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in vivo by interfering with the activated signaling pathway.

Student Profile: Students involved in these studies will learn cell culture, transport measurements, molecular biology, protein analysis, and how to design experiments and a research study.

Dr. Brian Beatty

Our lab is studying the evolution of aquatic mammals from terrestrial species. Dental microwear analysis provides information about the feeding ecology of an organism. Comparison of microwear patterns can provide insight into changes in feeding ecology between related species and can help to trace the transition from a terrestrial to an aquatic environment. The goal of this project is to examine the dental microwear of modern species of otters to better understand the connection between wear patterns and the differences in their feeding ecology so that similar patterns could be applied in the future to fossil organisms, such as early whales.

Student Project: A student engaged in this project would be engaged in molding, casting, and microscopic examination of teeth of otters. This will require at least two days per week, and will engage the student in all aspects of research from beginning to end. We will start with making 1-3 day trips to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City to make the molds of otter teeth from the Mammalogy collections. At the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the student will assist in casting, microscopy, and quantifying dental wear features on micrographs. This will expose the student to image acquisition and data collection methods that will utilize Adobe Illustrator, ImageJ, and its application, ObjectJ. They will assist in the statistical analysis of data, writeup of the study, and preparation of a poster presentation for a major scientific meeting. Lastly, all micrographs used in the study will be uploaded to the open access site, the Dental Microwear Image Library.

Publications: Durrani, M. & Beatty, B. L. 2011. Dental Pathologies of Otters, Seals and Sea Lions as Models of the Oral Environment at the Terrestrial to Aquatic Transition.  College of Osteopathic Medicine Student Summer Research Symposium. August 24, 2011.

Dr. Eduard Dedkov

Our lab is studying the repair of myocardial infarction scar formation and repair. We are studying the effect of gender on scar formation and composition. In addition, we are examining the effect of the heart rate lowering drug, Ivabradine, on scar composition and repair.

Student Project: Students involved in these projects will learn tissue histochemistry and immunohistochemistry, quantitative imaging techniques, and the basic pathophysiology of myocardial infarct.

Publications: Christensen LP, Zhang RL, Zheng W, Campanelli JJ, Dedkov EI, Weiss RM,  Tomanek RJ. Post myocardial infarction remodeling and coronary reserve: effects of ivabradine and beta blockade therapy. American Journal of Physiology – Heart Circulatory Physiology 2009; 297: H322-H330.

Dr. Matthew Mihlbachler

Understanding the diets of extinct species is important for understanding the ecology of extinct species and how climate change influenced their evolution. It has long been recognized that the microscopic scratches and other wear marks found on the surfaces of teeth can be used to test hypotheses about the diets of long extinct species. However, the relationship of dental microwear and diet in modern species is still poorly understood, rendering it difficult to understand dental microwear in fossil species.

Student Project:

• I am seeking one or two NYIT undergraduates to participate in a research project in which the microscopic tooth patterns of large herbivorous mammals (e.g. giraffes, rhinos, horses) will be compared to food remains to gain an improved understanding of the relationship of diet and dental wear. The results of this study will then be used to test hypotheses about the diets of extinct species of horses and rhinos during the first appearance of grassland habitats in North America ~20 million years ago.
• The student should be able to devote at least two days a week to the project and will be involved in all phases of the research which will include several visits to the Mammalogy and Vertebrate Paleontology collections at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where we will mold the wear surfaces of both modern and fossil mammal teeth and collect leftover food particles from the teeth of modern skulls. Back at  the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the student will assist in (1) making casts of the dental molds (2) photographing dental wear surfaces under the microscope, (3) quantifying dental wear features on the dental wear images, (4) statistical analysis of data, and finally (5) preparation of a poster presentation for a major scientific meeting.
• NYIT undergraduates will be involved in one of several projects that are ongoing in the lab that relate to anatomical (cellular and synaptic) changes that take place in the brain during development as well as Parkinson's disease. These studies employ anatomical methods such as immunohistochemistry in order to visualize unique neuronal types and their synaptic connections. Transgenic mice with fluorescent neurons are used as an additional tool to visual cells and circuits. Finally, mice with brain malformations or genetic mutation are used as models of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
• The highlight experience of this research project will be access to the American Museum of Natural History, where they will be exposed to the most expansive biodiversity collection in the world, which includes, among other things, a 10 story building of fossils documenting the entire evolutionary history of mammals. Additionally, the student will learn quite a lot about mammalian evolution, anatomy, and nutritional ecology, and will gain experience in the areas of research design, fossil preparation, microscopy, statistical analysis, and the publication process.

Publications: Mihlbachler, Matthew C., Beatty, Brian L., Caldera-Siu, Angela, Chan, Doris, and Lee, Richard, 2012. Error rates and observer bias in dental microwear analysis using light microscopy. Palaeontologia Electronica Vol. 15, Issue 1;12A,22p;

Dr. Raddy Ramos

NYIT undergraduates will be involved in one of several projects that are ongoing in the lab that relate to anatomical (cellular and synaptic) changes that take place in the brain during development as well as Parkinson's disease. These studies employ anatomical methods such as immunohistochemistry in order to visualize unique neuronal types and their synaptic connections. Transgenic mice with fluorescent neurons are used as an additional tool to visual cells and circuits. Finally, mice with brain malformations or genetic mutation are used as models of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

Student Project: NYIT students working in the lab will learn general and more specialized histological techniques including tissue sectioning, staining, and photomicroscopy, data analysis. Students who work for several semesters/years may have an opportunity to learn additional techniques such as animal perfusion, brain harvesting, surgery, etc. In addition to learning lab techniques, students will learn the basics of experimental design, hypothesis testing, neuronal development, nervous system disorders, and will get an introduction to reading journal articles. Finally students will learn how to work independently as well as part of a larger team.

Publications: Lipoff DM, Bhambri A, Fokas GJ, Sharma S, Gabel LA, Brumberg JC, Richfield EK, Ramos RL. Neocortical molecular layer heterotopia in substrains of C57BL/6 and C57BL/10 mice. Brain Res. 2011 May 19;1391:36-43.

Dr. Nikos Solounias

The student will assist Dr. Solounias in the final preparation of manuscripts and e-books about horse and giraffe anatomy and evolution.

Student Project: The undergraduate student (1) needs to have some experience with computer file managing organizing folders, copying and saving and with Photoshop and maybe Illustrator. The files to be processed are images and graphic designs. The student will develop an experience in finish images for publication. In addition the student will learn some anatomy especially osteology.

Publications: Mihlbachler M, Rivals F, Solounias N, Semprebon G. (2011) Dietary change and evolution of horses in North America. Science 331:1178-1181

Dr. David Tegay

Research in the Tegay laboratory is focused on discovering genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the development or variability in severity of a number of heritable medical conditions including Parkinson's disease (PD), Essential Tremor (ET) and Fascioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD).

Student Project: Students working in the Tegay lab may assist in subject study recruitment, DNA isolation, DNA preparation for sequencing and microarray applications, questionnaire data entry and data mining of epidemiologic and genetic databases.

Publications: Levy B, Tegay D, Papenhausen P, Tepperberg J, Nahum O, Tsuchida T, Pletcher BA, Ala-Kokko L, Baker S, Frederick B, Hirschhorn K, Warburton P, Shanske A. Tetrasomy 15q26: a distinct syndrome or Shprintzen-Goldberg syndrome phenocopy? Genet Med. 2012 May 31. doi: 10.1038/gim.2012.54. [Epub ahead of print] Christensen LP, Zhang RL, Zheng W, Campanelli JJ, Dedkov EI, Weiss RM, Tomanek RJ. Post myocardial infarction remodeling and coronary reserve: effects of ivabradine and beta blockade therapy. American Journal of Physiology – Heart Circulatory Physiology 2009; 297: H322-H330.

Dr. German Torres

We are interested in mapping the regional (i.e., local circuit organization) and cellular distribution of D-Dopachrome tautomerase (D-DT) in the human and mouse brain. We are also interested in studying the functional connectivity of D-DT in an animal model of Parkinson's disease.

Student Project: Students will learn various aspects of neuroanatomical techniques, molecular procedures and basic statistical analysis

Publications: Edlira Yzeiraj, Brian H. Halls, GermanTorres.  Kopf Carrier #74, July 2012.   Neuroscience Reviews:  Focus on Autism

Dr. Zhang

One of my research interests is to study atrioventricular (AV) node electrophysiology, in particular dual pathway AV node electrophysiology. The AV node is the only normal pathway conducting electrical signal from the atria to the ventricles. Although this tiny structure has been discovered for more than 100 years, its electrophysiology remains largely a mystery. By using microelectrode-recording technique, we will record action potentials from different regions of the AV node in vitro. The specific regions to be explored will be guided by a novel dual AV node electrophysiology index discovered by the P.I.
Student Project: Students will learn cardiac physiology, small animal surgical techniques, and experimental techniques for measuring cardiac cell electrical activity

Publications: Zhang, Youhua, Mazgalev Todor.  AV nodal dual pathway electrophysiology and wenckebach periodicity. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol. 2011 Nov;22(11):1256-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-8167.2011.02068.x. Epub 2011 Apr 13.

Ely Rabin, Neuroscience

Publications: Joanne DiFrancisco-Donoghue, Lamberg EM, Rabin E, Elokda A,Fazzini E, Werner W. Effects of exercise and B vitamins on homocysteine and glutathione in Parkinson's disease. Neurodegenerative Diseases 10:127-134