SOM Theses and Dissertations
Recent Submissions
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Organization of the Red Nucleus within motor circuits
The motor system is remarkable in its ability to perform a range of complex movements with skill and precision. Although computational theories explore how the motor system executes a range of motor commands, the anatomical ... -
Diagnostic approaches and outcomes in patients with neuroinflammation
Background Neuroinflammation is detected by elevated white blood cells in the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). A variety of factors cause neuroinflammation including infection, autoimmunity, trauma, degenerative processes, ... -
Prioritizing candidate genes in disjoint sets using graph kernels on underlying protein-protein networks
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have become the main approach for studying the genetic architecture of common diseases and traits. GWAS correlate variants at genomic loci with the trait under study. Recovery of the ... -
Transcriptome signatures and signaling pathways in heart failure
Current heart failure treatment is based on targeting symptoms and left ventricle dysfunction severity, relying on a common HF pathway paradigm to justify common treatments for HF patients. This common strategy may belie ... -
MAVS dependent and independent innate immune mechanisms that restrict alphavirus infection
Host inflammatory responses are essential for control of infection but also can cause tissue injury. An improved understanding of protective and pathologic inflammatory responses will allow for immunomodulatory therapeutics ... -
Termination of RNA polymerase II transcription by the 5’-3’ exonuclease Xrn2
Termination of transcription occurs when RNA polymerase (pol) II dissociates from the DNA template and releases a newly-made mRNA molecule. Interestingly, an active debate fueled by conflicting reports over the last three ... -
Compensatory signaling mechanisms promote resistance to SRC inhibition in thyroid cancer
Much effort has been devoted to understanding the complex molecular mechanisms that contribute to the progression of advanced papillary and anaplastic thyroid cancers (ATC). Recently, a BRAF and MEK inhibitor combination ... -
Dysregulation of the host immune response by the human papillomavirus oncoprotein E7
High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are causally associated with multiple cancers. HPV persistence is necessary for cancer progression, but factors that drive cancer progression and how HPV evades the host immune ... -
Shedding light on type III taste cells
Type III taste cells in mammalian taste buds are required for the transmission of sour (acid) and some salty taste information (Huang et al. 2006; Oka et al. 2013). Several aspects of Type III cell function in the intact ... -
Regulation of central B cell selection by the ERK and PI3K signaling pathways
In some patients with autoimmune diseases, autoreactive B cells are able to bypass central tolerance mechanisms to escape into the periphery and promote disease. A better understanding of the molecular pathways that control ... -
Mechanisms of circadian rhythm protein period2 in cardioprotection
Throughout evolutionary time, all organisms and species on Earth evolved with an adaptation to consistent oscillations of sunlight and darkness, now recognized as ‘circadian rhythm.’ Single-cellular to multi-system organisms ... -
Understanding structured-viral 3’UTR control of protein sysnthesis
In addition to the well-known 5’ cap and 3’ poly(A) tail, it is becoming increasingly clear that signals based on structured RNA elements within a messenger 3’ untranslated region (3’ UTR) can enhance translation in ... -
Non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: the importance of visual, vestibular, and oculomotor deficits
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting approximately 1–2% of people 65 years of age and older1,2 and 3–5% of people over the age of 85.2 Parkinson’s has long been characterized ... -
Variation in the genome : insights into genome evolution and population history
Since the completion of the human genome project, a key task confronting geneticists is to link the structural features of genomic sequence to function. Function derives its meaning from evolution; thus, the evolution of ... -
Pharmacogenetic prediction of metoprolol effectiveness cohort : a pragmatic trial examining genomics, phenomics, and metabolomics
Background: Detailed pharmacogenomic, pharmacokinetic, and metabolic data are now freely accessible for a large range of drugs. The drug metabolizing enzyme CYP2D6 metabolizes approximately 25% of all xenobiotics, including ... -
Rationalizing postoperative pain therapy after discharge
Background: Compassionate and effective pain management after surgery represents a foundation of humane medical care. Starting in the late 1990s, we have observed a marked rise in the sales of prescription opioids that has ... -
The tryptophan catabolizing enzyme TDO2 as an immunotherapeutic target in breast cancer
Tryptophan catabolism is an attractive target for reducing tumor progression and improving antitumor immunity in multiple cancers. In triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), tumor infiltration by CD8 T cells correlates with ... -
Investigating molecular pathways controlling resistance to obesity and NAFLD in plin2-null mice
Obesity and its associated disorder, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), comprise serious public health challenges in the modern world. Despite intense study, current treatments for obesity and NAFLD have proven ... -
Public health and population health : leveraging electronic health record data for local population health surveillance
Background: While measurement is a population health priority, traditional data sources provide limited local health insights. Local public health agencies (LPHAs) are evaluating the feasibility of using electronic health ... -
The role of ETV6 germline mutations in B cell development and predisposition to leukemia
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common cancer in children, and the tumor suppressor ETV6 has long been associated with the disease, most commonly as part of the ETV6-RUNX1 translocation. Our group and others ...
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