Senior Independent Study Theses from 2025
Risky Brains, Risky Behavior: Exploring Adolescent Alcohol Use Through Neuroscience, Angel Asamoah
Department: Neuroscience
Neural Responses to Disturbances of Musical Phrase in Musicians and Non-Musicians: An ERP Study, Emma Barnard
Department: Neuroscience
The Effects of a 5-HT1A Receptor Agonist on Fear Memory Recall, Jayden A. Barr
Department: Neuroscience
Evaluating the crosstalk of Amyloid-β Oligomers, Glutamate and Neurofibrillary Tangles in Alzheimer’s Disease using a Boolean Model, Guinevieve Beatrice Beecher
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Neuroscience
Synthetic Hormones and the Female Brain: A Neurobiological Study of Oral Contraceptive Effects on Memory and Plasticity, Rishika Daruwala
Department: Biology; Computer Science; Mathematics; Neuroscience; Psychology; Statistical and Data Sciences
Sex Differences, Brain Activity, and the Role of Childhood Maltreatment in Borderline Personality Disorder, Amaya Day
Department: Neuroscience; Psychology
A Drosophila Model of Neurodegeneration: The Effects Of Nab2, An RNA-Binding Protein, On Tau Dependent Circadian Rhythm Phenotypes, Isabelle Lucille Dwyer
Department: Neuroscience
Investigation on Acute Subjective Sleep Quality's Impact on Default Mode Network Activity and Creativity, Somarr Elliott
Department: Neuroscience
The Effects of an 8-Week Yoga Intervention on Young Adults with ADHD, Sofia Fazazi
Department: Neuroscience
Investigating Nab2’s Interactions with the Spliceosomal Protein SmB, Logan Dean Fickes
Department: Neuroscience
A Critical Examination of the Underutilization of Occupational Therapy in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Motor Disorders: Parkinson’s Disease and Atypical Parkinsonism, Cassandra E. Frangella
Department: Neuroscience
The Impact of Partial Loss of Rrp40 Function on Drosophila Larvae Locomotion: A Model for Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia Type 1b, Ruth Getachew
Department: Neuroscience
ADHD-like Behaviors Across the Rat Estrous Cycle, Ari H. Machurov
Department: Neuroscience
The Influence of the Microbiome: An Analysis of the Immune System Response to External Pathogens, Kaitlyn McBride
Department: Neuroscience
Effects of 5-HT1A Receptor Activation on Fear Memory Acquisition, Elijah Meredith
Department: Neuroscience
Man, Machine, or Something in Between? The Effects of Induced Emotions and Advisor Identity on AI Utilization, Zachary Napora
Department: Neuroscience
The Benefits of Montessori: A Study on the Effects of Montessori Education and Psychological Well-Being on Age-Related Episodic Memory Loss, Maddie O'Brian
Department: Neuroscience
Sex Differences in Decision-Making Following a Concussion Among Collegiate Athletes, Abbey Quick
Department: Neuroscience
A TRAPped & DREADD-ed Memory: A Chemogenetic and Pharmacological Approach to Understanding the Role of the Dorsal Hippocampal Engram and 5-HT1A Receptors in Fear Memory, Alexis Sarne
Department: Neuroscience
Nicotine and the Nucleus Accumbens: A DREADDs Study of Conditioned Place Preference in a Mouse Model of Addiction, Caroline Seaman
Department: Neuroscience
Perfectionism and Past Trauma: Predictors of Eating Disorder Risk in College Students, Haku Yamane
Department: Neuroscience
Identifying the Physical Interaction between the RNA Binding Protein, Nab2, and the Nuclear RNA Exosome, Andre Yazhbin
Department: Neuroscience
Ethanol-Induced Conditioned-Place Preference Reveals Alcohol-Seeking Engram Neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area and Centrally-Projecting Edinger-Westphal Nucleus, Mariam Zayour
Department: Neuroscience
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2024
Effects of Gap Junction Deletion on Seizure Severity and Sleep in Drosophila melanogaster: Implications for Epilepsy in Humans, Chamari Abercrombie
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
How Deep Can a Tattoo Go? The Perceptual Processing of Tattooed Individuals Through the Lens of College Students, Alona Abufarha
Department: Neuroscience
The Effects of Magnesium on Alcohol Intake and Locomotor Sensitization in Mice, Selali Adjoa Blege
Department: Neuroscience
Morphological Measurements of Vision in Juvenile Carolina Grasshoppers, Liliana Burlingame
Department: Neuroscience
Differentiating the Effects of Androgenic and Anti-Androgenic Oral Contraceptives on Rodent Behavior, Rachael N. Dudziak
Department: Neuroscience
Genetic Interactions Between Disease Prone RNA Binding Proteins in Drosophila Melanogaster, Andrew Nicholas Esber
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Effects of a 5-HT1A Receptor Agonist in Contextual Fear Memory, Lindsi N. Filippi
Department: Neuroscience
She Means Business: Investigating Name-Race Biases Towards Black American Women in the Job Market on Its Impact on The Semantic Processing of Job Prestige, Munesu H. Kuzanga
Department: Neuroscience
The Effects of Benfotiamine on Motor Impairment in a 6-OHDA Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease, Aymane Lachhab
Department: Neuroscience
Adaptive Responses to Unpredictable Feeding: Exploring Metabolic Adaptations, Glucocorticoid Dynamics, and Body Mass Modulations, Tudor Lungu
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
"I’ve Seen It All!”: The Effects of Clinical Empathy on the Other-Race Effect, Eden Netz
Department: Neuroscience
If You Give a Mouse a Virus: An Investigation of the Role of the Dorsal Hippocampus in Anxiety-Like Behavior through DREADDs, Hannah Ollech
Department: Neuroscience
Music is More Than a Hobby: The Efficacy of Music as a Form of Stress Reduction, Emily Pistorova
Department: Neuroscience
A Study of Antidepressive Impacts After Dextromethorphan Administration in a Learned Helplessness Rodent Model, Adam Romano
Department: Neuroscience
Neuroscience and Public Health: Exploring the Neuroscience of Motivation and Consumption as a Tool for Developing Food Desert Interventions, Tyara Thompson
Department: Neuroscience
Investigating How Multiple Concussions Affect Executive Functioning in Young Adults, Nick Tress
Department: Neuroscience
Boolean Modeling and Microglial Matters: Replicating Microglial Behavior in Inflammation and Testing Model Validity, Nina Sahita Reddy Yeduguri Sandinti
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Short-Term vs Long-Term Effects of DREADDs in the Mouse Motor Cortex, Christa Zianni
Department: Neuroscience
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2023
Axon Pathfinding in Drosophila melanogaster Wing Sensory Neurons, Jade Baek
Department: Neuroscience
Do You Get Déjà Vu? Examining the Effects of Context and Time on Contextual Generalization in a Mouse Model of PTSD, Natalie Ibrahim Belle
Department: Neuroscience
It's the Little Things in (a Grasshopper's) Life: How the Carolina Grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina) Visually Signals to Conspecifics While Minimizing Predation Risk, Claire Campbell
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Prognostic Factors Related to Meningioma Growth: A Meta-Analysis, David Dotson
Department: Neuroscience
On the Interaction Between Tau and Nab2 Proteins: Implication on AD, Mahmoud ElAchwah
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Heart Rate Recovery of DIII Collegiate Soccer Players: Potential Effects of Biological Sex and Time Period, Theodora Farson
Department: Neuroscience
The Role of CB1 Receptors in the Antidepressant Effects of Sleep Deprivation Therapy in Rats, María Dolores Ferreira
Department: Neuroscience
Instating Natural Reward-Induced Conditioned Place Preference in C57BL/6J Mice, Sydney Fitzcharles
Department: Neuroscience
An Overworked Powerhouse: A Boolean Model of Mitochondrial Dysfunction Associated Senescence in the Context of Aging Microglia, Katherine H. Fleig
Department: Neuroscience
Beyond the Body: The Effects of Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation on Anxiety Through the Elevated Plus Maze, Max Glass
Department: Neuroscience
Stressed Out and Struggling to Concentrate: The Relationship Between Cortisol Reactivity and Cognitive Control in College Students, Katiasofia Gonzales
Department: Neuroscience
The Development of an ADHD Treatment Application, Nour Kherfi
Department: Neuroscience
The Effect of Innexin Mutations on Seizure Recovery in Drosophila Melanogaster Model of Epilepsy, Isabel Manche
Department: Neuroscience
Analyzing the Effects of DNT1 on the overproduction of Tau within Drosophila Melanogaster, Malik J. Moore
Department: Neuroscience
Greedy Gamblers and Bayesian Bandits: A Quantitative ERP, EEG, and Behavioral Analysis of the Iowa State Gambling Task, Noah Pounds
Department: Neuroscience
“What’s in a name?”: How Just the Word “Autism” affects Autism Stigma, Allison Elnora Ringold
Department: German Studies; Neuroscience
Can We Reverse Aging? Using Cognitive Training in Rodents to Enhance Overall Cognitive Performance, Sarah Snider
Department: Neuroscience
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2022
Decreased Expression Of Innate Immune Response Rel/Nf-Kb Transcription Factor Genes Relish And Dif In Cholinergic Neurons Alter Sleep Patterns In Drosophila Melanogaster., Kayla Audette
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Tau Masks Sleep Differences Found In High And Low Expression Of Drosophila Neurotrophin 1, Nathaniel James Berle
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Tau Masks Sleep Differences Found In High And Low Expression Of Drosophila Neurotrophin 1., Nathaniel James Berle
Department: Neuroscience
Are The Eyes The Window To The Soul? An Investigation Into The Importance The Eyes Play In Emotion Recognition, Katherine A. Billetdeaux
Department: Neuroscience
Studying The Effect Of The RNA-Binding Domain And Expression Level Of Nab2 On Tau-Mediated Neurodegeneration In The Fruit Fly, Drosophila Melanogaster, William C. Bodary
Department: Neuroscience; Biology
The Sound Of Study: Examining The Effect Of Music On Attention, Learning, And Memory, Elly H. Ciesinski
Department: Neuroscience
Time Flies: An Analysis Of Circadian Impact Upon Cell Cycle Regulation Using Boolean Modeling And A Developmental Drosophila Model, Emma Elizabeth Davidson
Department: Neuroscience
Building Resistance: An Examination Of Characteristics And Mechanisms Of Alzheimer's Disease And Intervention Methods Which Can Provide Resilience Against Alzheimer's Pathology, Marc R. Dehoorne
Department: Neuroscience
Dance Dance Evolution: Investigating The Effects Of Dance On Cognitive Inhibition Functions, Olivia Gates Friedman
Department: Neuroscience
Analyzing A Possible Role Of Nab2 RNA Binding Protein In Regulating Transposition In D. Melanogaster, Seokyoung Ji
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
The Effect Of Perceived Loneliness On Oxytocin Levels In Humans Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kelsea Johnston and Sharon Lynn
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
The Effects Of Venlafaxine And Voluntary Exercise On Chronic Unpredictable Stress Induced Anxiety, Marly McGowan
Department: Neuroscience
Developing Yeast As A Cellular Based Neurotransmitter Flourescently Engineered Reporter (Cnifer) For Acetylcholine, William Valentine McMichael
Department: Neuroscience
Developing Yeast As A Cellular Based Neurotransmitter Flourescently Engineered Reporter (Cnifer) For Acetylcholine, William Valentine McMichael
Department: Neuroscience
Understanding The Biological And Biochemical Properties Of A Conserved Peroxidase Responsible For The Suppression Of Genomic Instability, Douglass W. Morris II
Department: Neuroscience
Understanding The Biological And Biochemical Properties Of A Conserved Peroxidase Responsible For The Suppression Of Genomic Instability, Douglass W. Morris II
Department: Neuroscience; Biology
The Effects Of Acute Moderate Physical Exercise On Long-Term Recognition Memory With A Focus On The Encoding Phase Of Memory, Caitlyn O'Connor and Nathan Foster
Department: Neuroscience
The Racial And Gender Microaggressions On Error Processing And Attentional Bias Within Black And White Women, Olivia K. Ogle
Department: Neuroscience
Examining The Relationship Between Phonological Processing And Second Language Acquisition For Spanish-English Bilinguals, Hitomi Okamura
Department: Neuroscience
The Effects Of Forced Exercise In An Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model: Resilience To Behavioral Deficits, Angelo Arthur Petracci
Department: Neuroscience
The Stories That Shape Us: Influence Of Folk Tales On Moral Decision Making And Risk Taking Behavior And Its Neurological Correlates, Grace N. Rooney
Department: Neuroscience
Are You Sure You Don’t Know Me? A Facial Recognition Study And Examination Of The Other-Race Effect With External Feature Alterations, Emma M. Saxton
Department: Neuroscience
The Effect Of Cannabidiol On Stress-Related Memory Impairments, Rajani Subramanian
Department: Neuroscience
The Effects Of Cannabidiol On Stress Related Memory Impairments, Rajani Subramanian
Department: Neuroscience
The Effects Of Warning Labels On Perceived Validity Of Fake News Present On Social Media, Befkadu Walthour
Department: Neuroscience
The Effects Of Single Session Neurofeedback Simulation On Biological And Psychological Stress Responses: The Effects Of A Single Session Mediation On Stress, Jeremiah K. Whitney
Department: Neuroscience
Senior Independent Study Theses from 2021
Antidepressant Effects of Sleep Deprivation Chronotherapy in Male and Female Sprague-Dawley Rats, Rachel Leigh Backstrom
Department: Neuroscience
Mapping Out Learning: How Aerobic Exercise, Sex and Alzheimer's Disease Impact Learning, Grace G. Bouker
Department: Neuroscience
Double, Double Toil and Trouble: Roles of dNab2 and dArc1 in Drosophila melanogaster Mushroom Body Axon Development, Marcel Lignani Elkouri
Department: Neuroscience
Using Tau Protein to Investigate the Link between Sleep Deprivation and Alzheimer’s Disease in a Drosophila Model, Kaitlyn B. Evans
Department: Neuroscience
SWS2 and LWS mRNA Sequences in Red and Blue Betta Splendens, Hannah Greenland
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Communicating Science to College Students: A Comparison of Infographic and Text Based Approaches, Rachel Greer
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
You Have 10 Minutes Remaining: An Examination Into Common Test-Taking Anxieties’ Effect on Academic Performance in Relation to Academic Intrinsic Motivation and Achievement Goal Orientation, Megan R. Gronau
Department: Neuroscience
The Effects of Meditation, if Any, on Pain Awareness, Sosna Hailu-Chanyalew
Department: Neuroscience; Philosophy
Investigation the Effects of dNab2 Overexpression on Human Tau in Drosophila Melanogaster, James M. Hill
Department: Biology; Neuroscience
Autism and Psychopathy in the General Population: As they Relate to Perspective Taking in Bullying and Victimization Scenarios, Nathan Hill
Department: Neuroscience
A Review of the Treatments of Anxiety Disorders Within the Adolescent Population, Jessica L.M. Kamen
Department: Neuroscience
Dog Behave Differently When Meeting a Stranger Depending on their Personality and How the Stranger Acts, Margaret Loarca
Department: Neuroscience; Biology
The Influence of Physical Exercise Mediated by Self-Regulation on Mental Health of College Students, Samuel Merga
Department: Neuroscience
Effect of Adipokinetic Hormone on Mating Receptivity of Aedes aegypti Females, Dhwani Parsana
Department: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Neuroscience
The Impacts of Antioxidants and Environmental Enrichment on Memory and Learning in an Alzheimer’s Disease Rodent Model, Lexi Riley-DiPaolo
Department: Neuroscience; Psychology
CBD Decreases Anxiety in ADHD-like Rat Model: Evidence for an Alternative Treatment Plan, Katie Sarzosa
Department: Neuroscience