Robert Wang

Alternative splicing is a phenomenon that allows for a single gene to encode multiple gene products, contributing to the large diversity of proteins encoded by the genomes of more complex organisms such as humans. Genetic mutations that disrupt splicing mechanisms are among the leading causes of human hereditary disorders. However, current approaches for determining the effects of such genetic mutations on alternative splicing are not well defined. My project uses machine learning methods on genomic features to predict the impact of variants on human alternative splicing. These predictions may be […]

Lauren Tabor

I work within the Fleiszig laboratory, which focuses on Pseudomonas eye infections. This summer, I will be studying the role of specific genes within the pqq operon, an operon formerly known to be involved in ethanol oxidation. I will be exploring the unknown role of this operon in facilitating antimicrobial resistance when Pseudomonas is grown in tear fluid.

Christen Moore

Photomultiplier tubes convert light into an electrical signal. These are useful for light yield measurements of organic scintillators being conducted by my mentor, Dr. Bethany Goldblum, and members of the Bay Area Neutron Group at the 88-Inch Cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in support of neutron detection for nuclear security applications. To properly measure the scintillator light yield, the response function of the photomultiplier tube, the signal output for a given light input, must be characterized. In some cases, this response is non-linear, which if not quantified, can lead […]

Abby Blaine

I will be working on an article focusing on how emotional communication from others powerfully affects an infant’s behavior, and more specifically, how emotional signaling from the mother can affect the infant’s behavior towards objects and events about which the infant is uncertain. This article will center on the importance of face, voice and gesture on the infant’s behavior regulation, how enduring these effects are at different ages of infancy, and the development of the infant’s responsiveness to these emotional signals. It will also identify the age of onset of […]

Alan Jiang

I research the effects technological advances (such as expert systems and databases/data collection) and associated practices (like routine use exceptions) have had on privacy. I also research legislative attempts to address these issues, such as the Privacy Act of 1974.

Celeste Gonzalez

Math Crew is a group geared towards first-year elementary school teachers, facilitated by Mallika Scott, my mentor who is working under Professor Alan Schoenfeld, as she recognized the need for a space to discuss relevant issues that teachers face on the day-to-day basis and support theses teacher’s vision of creating a more equitable math classroom. Through qualitatively analyzing one hour videos, emails and end of the semester teacher responses, the goal of this research is to demonstrate the changes these teachers experienced by participating in Math Crew.

Xinyu Li

The D’Esposito Lab studies the neural bases underlying high-level cognitive processes such as working memory. My goal for this summer is to understand how frequency-specific stimulation can entrain the neuronal oscillations underlying these processes. The enhancement or disruption of working memory by rhythmic stimulation can have broader implications for treatments that target cognitive deficits, which are common to numerous developmental, neurological, and psychiatric disorders.

Kore Lum

My summer research will focus on understanding how selection from two different bacteriophages impacts the evolution of a bacterial population. I will use experimental evolution, microbiological assays, and genome sequencing to determine whether the plant pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae, is able to evolve resistance against each of two bacteriophages either in isolation or when applied as a cocktail. I will perform this in vitro and measure how multiple selection pressures alter the evolutionary potential of the bacterium.

Apoorva Polisetty

My current research uses data from the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS) to examine how people with schizophrenia conceptualize and experience their social worlds. With an emphasis on perceived barriers and motivations for social interaction as well as pleasure derived from those interactions, we hope to better our understanding of the complex dynamics underlying impaired social functioning in family relationships, romantic relationships and friendships among those with the disorder.

Sonia Hamilton

This summer, I will continue to lead the Digital Verification Corps, a team that partners with Amnesty International to respond to various international human rights violations in real time. The DVC performs the discovery and verification of open source information to provide vital information to Amnesty International in their support of their research and reporting. Much like a task force, the DVC is a fast-paced, versatile team that investigates immediate human rights situations spanning the globe.