The Sci-Files on Impact 89FM

On this week’s The Sci-Files, your hosts Chelsie and Danny interview Demetrice (Dee) Jordan.

Dee is a dual-Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Science and the Environmental Science and Policy Program. Her dissertation research focuses on risk reduction approaches to the tsetse fly and African trypanosomiasis or ‘sleeping sickness’ control in sub-Saharan Africa. Sleeping sickness is a vector-borne parasitic illness transmitted by the bite of a trypanosome infected tsetse fly and affects both humans and animals. In humans, African trypanosomiasis has a case fatality rate of near 100%, if left untreated. While treatments exist, they are often very expensive and toxic. Currently, no vaccine is available. Each year an estimated 60 million Africans are at risk of contracting the disease from daily subsistence activities. Dee’s research seeks to reduce the burden of risk through spatial models that identify areas where exposure is most likely, introduce novel applications for vector control in risk areas and develop multi-scale participatory policies to control and eradicate the tsetse fly.

If you’re interested in talking about your MSU research on the radio or nominating a student, please email Chelsie and Danny at [email protected]. Check The Sci-Files out on Twitter @SciFiles89FM and on Facebook!

On this week’s The Sci-Files, your hosts Chelsie and Danny interview Alyssa Logan.

Alyssa is a first-year Ph.D. student studying Equine Exercise Physiology in the Spartan Equine Research Lab under Dr. Brian Nielsen. In May she completed her Master’s with the Spartan Equine Research Lab as well. Her research uses calves as a model for young horses. During her Master’s research, she was able to determine that sprinting an otherwise confined animal 71m at least once weekly for 6 weeks, increased the strength of the large bone of the front limb by over 20%.  On the other hand, young calves that were confined for 6 weeks did not experience the heightened bone strength that the exercised calves did, and had weaker bone strength. 

This information greatly impacts the racing industry, as when young animals begin training they are brought in off pasture and kept in stalls. Up until training, these animals were kept on pasture and had ubiquitous opportunities for stimuli to the bone. During early training, young horses are exercised slowly, and not afforded opportunities for bone-stimulating sprints. Unfortunately, when horses are confined with no opportunities to sprint, the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries increases. Adding short sprints at least once per week can aid in counteracting the incidence of these injuries. Overall, the majority of the research in her lab aims to determine how to manage horses in a way that prevents injuries and allows them to be the best possible athlete they can be.

If you’re interested in talking about your MSU research on the radio or nominating a student, please email Chelsie and Danny at [email protected]. Check The Sci-Files out on Twitter @SciFiles89FM and on Facebook!

Abdulraouf (Abdul) Abbas is a graduate student in the Microbiology & Molecular Genetics program at Michigan State University. Abdul works in the Amalfitano Lab, where he studied different diseases related to the immune system such as cancer, autoinflammatory diseases, and neurodegeneration resulting from HIV infection. One disease he focused on is Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), an autoinflammatory disease that can result in spinal fusion and other devastating symptoms. In the lab, Abdul and his colleagues study a mouse model that has similar features to human AS. In his recent thesis defense, Abdul showed that macrophages, a type of immune cell, could be a source of the problem contributing to the progression of the disease in mice by producing an abnormally high amount of proinflammatory cytokines. Understanding how the disease is caused can help scientists develop a cure for the disease.

One thing Abdul is passionate about is teaching and mentorship. Abdul was a teaching assistant for various laboratory courses in chemistry, physics, cell biology and microbiology. He encourages students pursuing a career in the life sciences or healthcare fields to join a research lab during their time in college. He has successfully mentored 6 students resulting in laboratory positions. Abdul is working on developing an online platform to make it easier for students to get into research and help navigate their careers in the sciences. On the side, he also working on a luxury neckwear company

If you’re interested in talking about your MSU research on the radio or nominating a student, please email Chelsie and Danny at [email protected]. Check The Sci-Files out on Twitter @SciFiles89FM and on Facebook!

This week on The Sci-Files, Chelsie and Danny interview Tracy Melvin.

Tracy is a graduate student in the Fisheries and Wildlife program at Michigan State University.

Tracy studies climate-induced ecological transformation. In other words, how climate change is causing ecosystems to change into new ones, really rapidly – and how to manage those transformations with a lens towards global biodiversity conservation. She uses a changing grassland on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, as a case study for stewarding ecological transformation. Specifically, she takes a look at what is living in the grassland using Next Generation Sequencing, and rapid biodiversity plots. She also measures tree rings for native and non-native trees throughout the peninsula (it’s about 6 million acres). Tracy has also taught a study abroad about climate change to Fiji. She is part of the Women in Nature Network and the Nature Conservancy, Michigan Chapter, and she got Masters in Science at MSU studying turtles.

If you’re interested in talking about your MSU research on the radio or nominating a student, please email Chelsie and Danny at [email protected]. Check The Sci-Files out on Twitter @SciFiles89FM and on Facebook!

On this week’s The Sci-Files, your hosts Chelsie and Danny interview Jeremy Rapp, Ally Brady, and Ben McCarthy, all of them are masters students from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences studying the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water.

Jeremy’s research focuses on using satellite remote sensing and artificial intelligence to determine where farmers within the United States are likely using water to irrigate their croplands. Ally’s research revolves around using remote sensing irrigation products to identify irrigation technology shifts and how those impact the water availability within the High Plains Aquifer. Ben’s research leverages freshwater pumping data within Kansas in order to quantify the magnitude of energy used and what the adaption of more efficient technologies has done to that energy demand.

If you’re interested in talking about your MSU research on the radio or nominating a student, please email Chelsie and Danny at [email protected]. Check The Sci-Files out on Twitter @SciFiles89FM and on Facebook!

This week on The Sci-Files, Chelsie and Danny interview Corbin J. Standley.

Corbin is a 3rd year Ph.D. student in the Ecological-Community Psychology program at MSU. His research interests lie at the intersection of community psychology, public health, and policy. Broadly, he is interested in equitable community and systems change through the use of data, evaluation, and intervention. Moreover, he is interested in the application of community psychology in studying suicide and its prevention, particularly in terms of policy change and community-level approaches to prevention.

Suicide is currently the tenth leading cause of death overall, and the second leading cause of death among youth. Despite these numbers, however, suicide is still relatively under-researched. Given this and his interdisciplinary lens, Corbin’s most recent research has focused on how the intersection of multiple marginalized identities contributes to suicide risk among youth. In addition to this, his Master’s Thesis examined the role of social support as a protective factor across the family, school, and community contexts. Corbin has used this research to inform his policy work at the state and federal levels in providing testimony, helping to draft legislation, and working with legislators to prevent suicide.

For more information about suicide and what you can do to prevent it, visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at www.afsp.org. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741. Both resources offer free, 24/7 confidential support.

If you’re interested in talking about your MSU research on the radio or nominating a student, please email Chelsie and Danny at [email protected]. Check The Sci-Files out on Twitter @SciFiles89FM and on Facebook!

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This week on The Sci-Files, Chelsie and Danny went to Potter Park Zoo to see Doppsee, the pregnant black rhino, get an ultrasound. While they were there, they interviewed a variety of people who interact with Doppsee and have experience in veterinary medicine. In this interview, you will hear the perspectives and knowledge of 9 different interviewees.
Doppsee is the 13-year-old female eastern black rhino at Potter Park Zoo, who is originally from Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas. The male rhino at Potter Park, Phineus, traveled to Lansing from Caldwell Zoo in Texas in 2017.

Before the ultrasound, Chelsie and Danny discussed Doppsee’s pregnancy with students in their fourth year at the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at Michigan State University (MSU): Bethany Myers, Peter Fowler, Sumana Prabhakar, and Ashleigh Shoemaker.

Chelsie and Danny also spoke to Bridget Walker, a third-year student in the CVM at MSU. She began working at the Potter Park Zoo as a summer student under Dr. Ronan Eustace, the staff veterinarian and Director of Animal Health at Potter Park Zoo. She conducted a research project and zoo medical cases, which allowed her to visit Doppsee and monitor her pregnancy.
After viewing Doppsee’s ultrasound, Chelsie and Danny spoke to the vets who conducted the ultrasound and the Potter Park Zoo Animal Care Supervisor.

Dr. Julie Strachota is a clinical instructor for the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and resident for the Large Animal Theriogenology Service. She is an MSU native with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Animal Science, Master of Science in Large Animal Clinical Sciences, and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from MSU. Before returning to MSU as an instructor, Dr. Strachota worked for four years in a progressive, equine-exclusive practice, which is where she developed a strong interest and skill set in equine reproductive techniques. Besides her passion for theriogenology (a branch of veterinary medicine focusing on reproduction), Dr. Strachota is developing an equine primary care service for clinical veterinary students.

Dr. Carleton is a graduate of the Kansas State University CVM. She was the equine theriogenologist at MSU’s CVM for more than 30 years. In addition to her decades of dedication to theriogenology, she served for years on the exam committee as president of the American College of Theriogenologists and founded Diplomate of the American College of Animal Welfare. Both specialties are AVMA recognized. Dr. Carleton continues her work globally.

Dr. Ronan Eustace has a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Saskatchewan, Western CVM. After three and a half years at Potawatomi Zoo, Dr. Ronan Eustace came to Potter Park Zoo. Before coming to Potter Park Zoo, Dr. Ronan worked at practices ranging from sizeable multi-doctor specialty practices to small rural mixed clinics for four years before he became a zoo veterinarian.

Pat Fountain is the Animal Care Supervisor at Potter Park Zoo. He received his B.S. in Zoology in 2006 from Michigan State University. Pat has cared for Doppsee since she arrived in 2011. Pat said, “Soon after arriving, it was apparent she [Doppsee] was a special rhino, and we have formed an incredible bond over the last eight years.”

“Doppsee is almost always willing to train and has helped us accomplish much more in her time here than we ever thought possible. We are eagerly anticipating the birth of her first calf, and we are hopeful she is going to be a great mother.”

To find out more about Potter Park Zoo, ways that you can support Doppsee’s pregnancy and the other animals at Potter Park Zoo, you can visit their website.

If you’re interested in talking about your MSU research on the radio or nominating a student, please email Chelsie and Danny at [email protected]. Check The Sci-Files out on Twitter @SciFiles89FM and Facebook!

This week on The Sci-Files, Chelsie and Danny interview Michael Pajkos.

Mike is a 3rd-year graduate student in the Physics and Astronomy and the Computational Mathematics, Sciences and Engineering doctoral programs at Michigan State University.

Stars act as the building blocks of the universe. From launching different elements around the Galaxy to hosting other planets, studying how stars behave grants a better understanding of the cosmos. Mike’s research focuses on the signals emitted from the explosive ending of massive stars by investigating the final ‘heartbeat’ they give off–new signals called gravitational waves.

If you’re interested in talking about your MSU research on the radio or nominating a student, please email Chelsie and Danny at [email protected]. Check The Sci-Files out on Twitter @SciFiles89FM and on Facebook!

This week on The Sci-Files, Chelsie and Danny interview Lili Gloe.

Lili is a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on how anxiety relates to the way people think, plan, and learn. In order to better understand this relationship, she examines how people perform on computer tasks aimed to tap into these thinking processes and how their performance may relate to anxiety symptoms. She also uses an electroencephalogram (EEG) to examine how electrical brain activity during these tasks relate to anxiety. By examining behavior, brain activity, and reports from participants about their anxiety, Lili aims to capture a fuller picture of the observable and unobservable aspects of anxiety as it relates to cognitive function. She also is particularly interested in how this relationship changes over development and may be related to biological factors, such as ovarian hormones.

If you’re interested in talking about your MSU research on the radio or nominating a student, please email Chelsie and Danny at [email protected]. Check The Sci-Files out on Twitter @SciFiles89FM and on Facebook!

This week on The Sci-Files, Chelsie and Danny interview Rachel Domagalski. Rachel is a Ph.D. student in the MSU Department of Mathematics. 

Networks are widely recognized as important for studying phenomena in multiple disciplines such as communication (how information is diffused), public health (disease spread), and political science (passing legislation). Signed networks are those that contain both positive and negative relationships between individuals. While collecting network data has its own challenges, in some contexts asking about negative relationships is not allowed or impractical. Rachel explores and refines the use of bipartite projections to infer otherwise unobserved or unobservable signed networks. There are several methods that exist for making these inferences, but it remains unknown how valid each one is and under what circumstances they should be used.

If you’re interested in talking about your MSU research on the radio or nominating a student, please email Chelsie and Danny at [email protected]. Check The Sci-Files out on Twitter @SciFiles89FM and on Facebook!