Kristy St. Rose presenting her work. Nine students doing research with HNSC faculty members presented their latest findings at the Brooklyn College Science Day event on May 3, 2019. Congratulations to Kaydine Edwards, Claudine Guerra, Hunter Korsmo, Nelsia Marquis, Anika Raihan, Matthew C. Scott, Kristy St. Rose, Hoda Tantawi, and Mariam Tsurtsumia on their outstanding research work. Congratulations to Mariam Tsurtsumia and Matthew Scott on winning first place for best presentation by undergraduates as well as Hunter Korsmo on winning second place for best presentation by graduates. Kristy St. Rose and Hoda Tantawi (HNSC undergraduate students) Kristy St. Rose and Hoda Tantawi (HNSC undergraduate students) Mentor: Matias Caviglia Poster title: Mouse model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Kristy and Hoda presented our research showing a mouse model of non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) that has metabolic, gut microbiota, and hepatic alterations that reproduce the alterations in humans. We are using this model to investigate the mechanisms of NAFLD. Hunter Korsmo (graduate student in the CUNY Biochemistry Ph.D. program) Hunter Korsmo (graduate student in the CUNY Biochemistry Ph.D. program) Mentor: Xinyin Jiang Poster title: Maternal choline supplementation during gestational diabetes causes long-term phenotypic changes in offspring This work investigates the influence of choline supplementation during a pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes on weight gain and blood glucose control of offspring. Results suggest that choline supplementation reduces hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance in male offspring when they are faced with a postnatal obesogenic environment. Kaydine Edwards (HNSC undergraduate student and MARC scholar) Kaydine Edwards (HNSC undergraduate student and MARC scholar) Mentor: Xinyin Jiang Poster title: The effect of choline on DNA methylation in the hippocampus of the offspring of gestational diabetes mellitus mice This work investigates the interaction of maternal choline supplementation and gestational diabetes in determining DNA methylation of mouse offspring’s hippocampus in the long term. Results suggest that early choline supplementation increases global DNA methylation only in nongestational diabetic pregnancies in mice. Mariam Tsurtsumia and Matthew C. Scott (undergraduate students majoring in psychology and biology, respectively) Mariam Tsurtsumia and Matthew C. Scott (undergraduate students majoring in psychology and biology, respectively) Mentor: Enrique Pouget Poster title: Opioid use trends among white, black, and Latinx entrants to substance use treatment program, 1992–2016 Students obtained and processed data from over 11 million patient entries into drug treatment programs. We analyzed trends in use of heroin and prescription opioids over time, and compared black and Latinx patients to white patients. Results suggest that trends that were previously disparate by racial/ethnic group became more similar over time. This presentation was judged first place for best presentation by undergraduates. HNSC undergraduate students Anika Raihan (SEEK Program scholar), Nelsia Marquis, and Claudine Guerra (Macaulay Honors student) HNSC undergraduate students Anika Raihan (SEEK Program scholar), Nelsia Marquis, and Claudine Guerra (Macaulay Honors student) Mentor: Enrique Pouget Poster title: Associations of substance use and sexual behavior with perceived intergenerational changes in social norms This work examines the internal consistency of newly developed scales that assess how social norms regarding drug use and sexual behavior that puts individuals at risk for acquiring HIV infection are sometimes transferred from generation to generation. Results suggest that some drug-related and sex-related risk behaviors are associated with the extent of the generation gap young people perceive regarding their behaviors between themselves and people their age with older generations.
