Thesis Thursday

I’m a senior this year, double majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Neuroscience and Cognitive Science. I’ve been working in the Charest Lab for almost 2 years, studying the role of the Ras-mTOR pathway, specifically the protein mTORC2. Our research focuses on chemotaxis, and how these gradients are involved in the metastasis of breast cancer cells.

Aside from school and lab, I’m very involved in the Tucson community. I started my own political organization with some of my friends called Stand Up, Fight Back Tucson, organizing protests and rallies to fight for civil rights. Our org. works with other local mutual aide and civil rights organizations as well! I also love music, and I’m a jazz singer, singing around Tucson with different jazz bands.

Susan D. Perez is a Graduate Associate in the Department of Environmental Science in the College of Agriculture at the University of Arizona.  She considers herself a person with a lot of curiosity whose main goal in grad school is to learn how to answer more of those questions.  Susan enjoys spending time with her husband, hiking, gardening, and singing classical and liturgical music.

music for Thesis Thursday is from Crowander, the name of the track is “Your Eyes”

Thesis Thursday is edited, produced and sometimes hosted by Bridgitte Thum at KXCI Community Media in Tucson, Arizona.

Hi, my name is Joshua Castillo, and I am a senior at the Univeristy of Arizona double majoring in

Molecular and Cellular Biology and Physiology. I currently work in the Zarnescu lab where we

study neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS using fruit flies as our model organism. Outside

of the lab, I enjoy playing video games, hanging out with friends and plant shopping.

 

 

music for Thesis Thursday is from Crowander, the name of the track is “Your Eyes”

Thesis Thursday is edited, produced and sometimes hosted by Bridgitte Thum at KXCI Community Media in Tucson, Arizona.

Hello! My name is Cassandra Myers, and I am currently a junior at the University of Arizona studying pharmaceutical science with a minor in biochemistry. I am part of the Cherrington lab, where we study liver disease, specifically non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and how it affects people’s ability to metabolize and eliminate drugs. Currently, I am helping with our bariatric study by performing the genotyping for each of our patients. I isolate the DNA from the blood samples of our patients and search for polymorphisms in specific genes that may have given them NASH. I have deeply enjoyed being able to be a part of the Cherrington lab and learn more about pharmacology and toxicology. In my free time, I have become more involved with the Society of Toxicology and have joined their ToxMSDT program, where I will get the opportunity to learn more about toxicology from professionals in the field. Additionally, I am a part of the University of Arizona’s Black Girls Fitness Club (Bfit), where we encourage a safe space for black women to work out. Outside of these activities, I enjoy hiking, yoga, gardening, and exploring Tucson.

The music in this episode comes from Crowander, the track is called “Your Eyes”

This episode of Thesis Thursdays was hosted, recorded and produced by Bridgitte Thum.

Thank You for listening to and supporting community radio at KXCI.org

Born and raised in northwest Iran I earned my bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, Iran in 2016. I moved to the United States in 2017 to get my master’s in analytical chemistry from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Now I’m at the University of Arizona pursuing my doctorate.

My name is Elijah Keeswood. I am Navajo and Apache. I will be a senior at the University of Arizona. I major in Biomedical Engineering and minor in Biochemistry. I work with Dr. Anne Cress at the University of Arizona Cancer Research Center. Our research focuses on epithelial cancer invasion and metastasis.

My main job in the lab is to analyze the images of the cancer samples from ourexperiments. These samples are new and never been seen before. Since they are specific, I must figure out ways of manipulating features of the analysis software to meet the needs of analyzing these samples. I am looking at these images for hours, but I like it, so I believe that I have an aptitude for visual activities. In my free time I enjoy drawing, watching movies, and playing fighting video games. I also like finding new music. I have found a lot, thanks to KXCI.

Hi, I’m Joshua Hack! I will be a senior in Fall 2021 majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, with minors in Music and Marine Science and will also be starting a Master’s program in Molecular and Cellular Biology. I’ve been working in the Hammer Lab for the last year and a half studying the rare pediatric disease SCN8A Epilepsy caused by changes in the gene that encodes for a specific sodium channel (SCN8A) located in the center of the brain. My project has focused on developing a model to predict the severity of disease outcome in patients based on where in the gene their changes occur. Outside of the lab, I am a bassist in the University of Arizona Symphony Orchestra, and I enjoy hiking, SCUBA diving, cooking, baking, and reading philosophy and world-building fantasy.

Hello everyone! My name is Sami Muslmani and I am a rising Junior at the University of Arizona. I am double majoring in Biochemistry and Neuroscience and Cognitive Science with a minor is Spanish. I have worked in Dr. Marvin Slepian’s Cardiology lab for roughly 2 and a half years now since high school, where we explore three main areas: 1. the role of cell-matrix interactions in vascular disease, 2. basic aspects of cell-material interactions and 3. the impact of physical forces (notably shear and sound) on platelet activation. This summer, we have started a new project to identify the role of water channels within platelets and the resulting effect of shear stress and low sodium conditions on platelet function. Moving forward, I hope to become a physician and provide clinical aid to impoverished areas across the globe. Beyond academics, I enjoy staying active at the Rec center, watching movies, trying new food spots around Tucson, and traveling to new cities with friends.

 

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Music for this web version of Thesis Thursday is provided by Crowander. The track is called “Your Eyes”

This episode of Thesis Thursday was hosted and produced by Bridgitte Thum.

Thank You!

Giovanni is a rising senior at the University of Arizona majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences and minoring in Health and Human Values. He is currently working as an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Ralph Fregosi’s neurophysiology lab, investigating the effects of developmental nicotine exposure on respiratory signaling. After graduating, Giovanni hopes to become employed as a research assistant in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industry. In the future, he hopes to pursue further education by obtaining a graduate degree. In his free time, Giovanni enjoys hiking, running, weightlifting, and video games

Hi! My name is Atley Moberly and I am an incoming senior at the University of Arizona. I am majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Nutritional Sciences with minors in Biochemistry and Spanish. Soon to be 2 years, I have worked with Dr. Paul Langlais where we investigate insulin signaling, insulin resistance, and glucose uptake specifically related to the cytoskeleton of the cell. We are beginning on some new projects to identify key proteins in insulin signaling that I am very excited to be involved in. In the future, I hope to become a physician and work in the field of endocrinology to further delve into the science of diabetes. Outside of academics, I enjoy reading, cooking, and spending time with my friends and family.