SRI Blogs

“What is working with a research mentor going to be like?”  

That was first of the many questions I had once I started my summer research with the Schiff Family Research Institute at Summit. Over the course of the summer, I had the opportunity to work with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Division of Bioinformatics. I was able to work with a mentor, Dr. Marc Ruben, who provided specific one on one attention and made grasping the technical skills of his bioinformatics research a lot easier a lot more fun than initially I had expected. 

The research project I assisted with was looking at circadian rhythm biology by evaluating daily patterns in patients’ physiological measurements collected in the enormous hospital datasets. Specifically, his team is evaluating differences between the vital signs of early adolescents (10-12 years of age) and teens (13-18 years of age) in the ICU unit at Children’s and seeing if their vital sign waveform data could possibly tell us something unique about health state of ICU patients. The vital sign my mentor and I used as a biomarker was pulse, but there are plenty of other biomarkers that can be measured such as heart rate and blood pressure. Okay yes, at first this may not make any sense to you guys but let me break it down...  

Most of my project was statistics-based. I knew I wanted to do a statistics-based project after I took my AP Statistics class and found out that statistics can be used to answer many unknowns. On Day 1 of my summer experience, Dr. Ruben told me that all my project would be done on a software called R Studio, which uses the programming language R specifically designed for data analysis, statistical modeling, and data mining/visualization. For my research, Dr. Ruben would send me large, deidentified patient files from the Children’s database called EPIC which contained their pulse rate in 72-hour blocks represented by cosine models. For each patient and each block, I could measure their amplitude, peak to trough ratio, along with their start time in the ICU unit. This was just the beginning… At first, creating visualizations of the data was very easy. Even though ChatGPT is frowned upon by the school for some uses, in my research project, ChatGPT was my best friend to help learn how to code in R. Dr. Ruben told me it helps him create visualizations in under a minute by copying and pasting code which helps us save a lot of time.  

At first, I couldn’t see any initial trends within each different patient, so we tried to use more specific markers for each patient which included annotating the already existing patient data with their demographics. Cosine models were used again to model, but we modeled for specific demographics, such as patients of different races who are adolescent versus teens or different sex for adolescents and teens. Then, we combined these with the age models within their 72-hour blocks. This was the hardest part and the most confusing as there was so much going on at once. Throughout the whole process, Dr. Ruben was very understanding and quick to respond if I was ever confused with anything (which trust me I was); his responsive communication made my research experience very enjoyable.  

Although the overarching project is still a work in progress, both he and I were able to learn a lot throughout the whole summer. As I had hoped, I learned that working with a mentor can be a very fun and pleasurable experience if you can enjoy his or her research as much as they enjoy their own. Dr. Ruben, on the other hand, was able to see that maybe one day circadian rhythm biomarkers can tell us something about the health state of patients in the ICU. Maybe they can help us predict longevity of stay in this care unit, or another clinical outcome that the hospital could use to guide patient care and family counseling. Anyways, his research and my personal research experience go far beyond us and ultimately, we all have the same goal of one day, making a positive impact on the hospital for Cincinnati Children’s and children’s hospitals all around the country.  

Clemente Volk is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute.

Being able to collaborate with the NASA Glenn Research center was a great opportunity to do a unique project that could further help me in my academic journey for engineering. I want to study Aerospace Engineering and the collaborative project with NASA Glenn Research focused on one aspect of aerospace engineering: finding good ways to dampen sound from jet engines. It was also a good learning experience for me and Dr. Replogle because this was a new field and subject for both of us.  

First, I had to learn how to use TinkerCAD to design the acoustic dampening test apparatus. The test apparatus was a 2-inch tall by 2-inch wide cylinder with different infill patterns. I focused on using 2 different filler designs: pores and pyramids. The pores would be holes of the select shape through the entire cylinder. The pyramids would be like spikes ascending from the bottom of the cylinder. I got the inspiration of the spikes from looking at soundproof rooms and how sound proofing material would be projecting out of the walls to reduce sound. After I designed the test cylinders, I would then export them to the 3D printer for printing. 

To test the acoustic dampening properties, we used an impedance tube. I built a sound amplifier using a circuit to amplify the sound generated by a frequency app and transmit it to the speaker in the impedance tube. Sound in the impedance tube was measured using a microphone connected to an oscilloscope. Using a breadboard, wires, capacitors, etc. to create the amplifier was a quick process as I enjoy building things but there were a few troubleshooting moments. The hardest part was learning how to get the oscilloscope working.  

For the first few weeks of the project, we were uncertain about the data because the frequency we were told to monitor had very low sound voltage measurements, much lower than expected. After calibrating the oscilloscope, testing the control cylinder and communicating with the team at NASA, Dr. Replogle and I determined that our impedance tube had a different calibration than the ones previously used by NASA Glenn Research. Once we were able to collect data to create a reliable control spectrum, I proceeded to design other test cylinders and collect their acoustic dampening data.  

During the project, Dr. Replogle and I visited a former Schiff Family Science Research Institute student, Aaron Chow, at his company Vixiv. He showed us how he uses Calculus and AI to create complex designs that humans would not be able to create. They then use 3D printing to create these designs to help engineers create more efficient and cost-effective designs for different industries. While we were visiting, we learned about ways that I can improve upon my design and how much deeper and more detailed I can go into my project such as calculating the acoustic coefficient for my test designs. I thought it was interesting that materials and designs can have these mathematically derived coefficients. However, I then learned I would need at least 2 microphones, and our impedance tube only had 1. Aaron mentioned that I could try to change the size of the shapes, and it could disrupt the sound. One of the coolest designs I saw was a titanium bouncy ball they created that is super durable and light. 

After my visit with Vixiv, I continued to improve my design and figure out which designs were the most effective at reducing sound. As I continued to make designs, I got a lot more comfortable with TinkerCAD and 3D printing. NASA wanted me to focus primarily on our sound dampening at 630 Hz, and I found that the Hexagonal Pyramid spikes with a 0.18- inch base width had the greatest percentage sound reduction.  

Jet engine sound dampening is crucial for protecting human health, reducing environmental noise pollution, and meeting strict international noise regulations. Without sound dampening, engine noise can cause hearing damage, disrupt communities near airports, and limit where and when aircraft can operate. Noise reduction also benefits airlines by lowering fees and improving public perception. It also has a positive effect on wildlife by mitigating chronic stress, improving reproductive success, and enhancing habitat quality for various species, including birds and potentially other animals. Engineers address this challenge through advanced technologies like acoustic liners, optimized fan designs, and special exhaust nozzles to minimize noise while maintaining performance. Airports produce the most sound pollution compared to highways, roads, and even stadiums, therefore, it is in the best interest of society to find ways to minimize jet engine noise since airplane traffic has only kept increasing as global connections expand.  

Jack Phillabaum is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute.

Imagine living with a condition that causes tumors to grow in critical organs like your brain, kidneys, and heart, with little warning. I did not think this was possible, nor did I give the scenario much thought before my summer in the Gross lab in Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s neurology department. 

This bewildering situation is the reality for those affected by tuberous sclerosis. Tuberous sclerosis is caused by mutations in the TSC1 and TSC2 genes. These genes encode proteins that regulate cell growth and work within the mTOR pathway. When either TSC1 or TSC2 is dysfunctional, or in the most severe cases, absent, cell division is uncontrolled, therefore causing tumors throughout the body. We know these baseline facts about tuberous sclerosis, but what we wanted to figure out in the Gross lab is which mutations caused the most severe outcomes. 

I walked into the Gross Lab on the first day of summer and was informed that to solve this puzzle, we were going to use multiple Western blots. A Western blot is a laboratory technique that allows researchers to detect the presence, abundance, and size of specific proteins relative to the presence of specific TSC1 or TSC2 mutations. In our Western blot, we analyzed 6 different forms of neuron lysates, all of which were taken from mice still in utero. The first mouse sample, a control, contained Cre, a method to knock out our genes of interest. We expected this to be the most severe form of tuberous sclerosis, as it stops any proteins from inhibiting mTOR, leading to unregulated tumor growth. The next sample was from mice containing the wild-type Tsc genes, which should exhibit less severe disease because mTOR is inhibited, and we would expect no tumors would grow. The next 3 samples were various mutations of the Tsc2 gene that were found in the mice; XY and RW were hypothesized to be the most severe mutations, while RQ was hypothesized to be a milder mutation. One last sample had the no-virus treatment, which acted as a second control. This was important to include because it proves that any results that come from these blots are not due to lab techniques, and they are viable. 

After many Western blots were completed, the lab and I got unfortunate results. The Cre control was not showing the right level of mTOR activation compared to both the mutations and the wild-type Tsc gene. After talking with my mentor, Dr. Nina Gross, we determined that we do not know why Cre expressed this way in over 4 different Western blot trials. However, this study is far from over, and there are many other discoveries from others within my lab that will help answer the overarching research questions. Knowing which mutations on the TSC1 and TSC2 proteins lead to the most severe outcomes will fill in gaps of knowledge regarding the role of specific TSC1 and TSC2 mutations on mTOR complex functionality. Evaluating the impact of specific mutations will allow for genotype-phenotype correlations to identify personalized treatments and will therefore improve the quality of life for those living with inactive TSC1 and TSC2 and tuberous sclerosis. 

Beyond what I have learned about tuberous sclerosis and western blotting, I got a close-up view of how much science is unknown. A lot of what we study in school is what we as a society have learned; however, this summer, I discovered how important it is to ask essential questions like, why does this protein have this effect on this specific miRNA? How do we know? Do we trust this? Every unanswered question is a chance to make someone else’s life better. Scientists like those in the Gross lab are asking these essential questions to better the knowledge of society, and to eventually improve the quality of life for those living with tuberous sclerosis. I may not have left at the end of the summer with all the answers about my project, but with a deeper commitment to asking questions and an understanding of how much science impacts all our lives. 

Caroline Mulvihill is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute.

It’s a hot summer day on the 4th of July. You are in your backyard, grilling hamburgers and hotdogs and watching fireworks. You’re surrounded by close friends and family. One of your relatives, neighbors, or friends may be pregnant or have young children. While these activities are normal and fun parts of summer, there is an underlying risk behind all of them that you may not be aware of. Benzo[a]pyrene, or BaP, is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, or PAH. PAHs are carcinogenic environmental pollutants which individuals are exposed to as combustion byproducts, including grilled foods and firework discharge, as well as commercial products and waste incineration, making these chemicals a widespread public health issue. Moreso, this chemical can be neurotoxic and lead to developmental problems for a mother and her unborn baby. Is the fun surrounding these summer activities worth the risk for people around you? After exposure, how can the effects of BaP be lessened? 

The Curran lab within the Northern Kentucky University Neuroscience Department studies the effects of BaP on the health of a mother during pregnancy and the neurological function of her offspring using a mouse model The are also looking at the ability of exercise to mitigate the neurotoxic effects of BaP. Mice in our lab receive one of two treatments: BaP infused corn oil or regular corn oil. The mice are fed these treatments on pieces of cereal once a day during and after pregnancy to observe the gestational outcomes of both unexposed and exposed mice. After exposure, mice are placed in exercise groups and run on wheels daily to test if exercise can mitigate the effects of BaP. The outcomes of our mice were measured with various behavioral tests, which I was able to help perform. These included the Rotarod test for balance and coordination on a spinning platform, the Morris water maze swim test for spatial learning and memory, the zero maze anxiety test, the locomotor test for anxiety levels and movement, and the novel object test for learning and memory.  

Further, wet lab work including PCR genotyping, and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). PCR genotyping was used to identify genetic differences between the mice and verify the genotypes of our mice colony. HPLC was used to measure levels of dopamine and serotonin to observe the levels of neurotransmitters in portions of the brain, the hippocampus and striatum, in both exposed and control mice. BaP exposure for mice was observed to cause increased anxiety, aggression, and neurological deficits in both the mother and her offspring, and lower cognitive and motor function, as well as decrease dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain. 

My experience working under Dr. Curran was truly unique, and I learned far more than I ever could have imagined. My confidence in both a lab and professional setting grew immensely, and the support and constant help from my labmates taught me proper lab techniques, how to handle numerous situations, and so much more about the brain and how we can learn from it. I was able to handle mice and perform advanced wet lab techniques that I never would have seen until college or beyond, and my knowledge about and love for neuroscience and research grew every day I stepped into the lab. I learned how to answer tough questions, stay curious about our results, and communicate complex topics within our study to any audience. From this experience, I gained a deeper understanding of the research process and a love for learning far beyond what I imagined at the beginning of this summer. From my time in the Curran lab, I have grown into someone confident of my skills and abilities, but also always willing to ask for help and absorb more knowledge from those around me.  

Gabi McCauley is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute.

We’ve all heard about how crash tests in cars are done predominantly on male test dummies, and how that lowers the chances of women surviving wrecks. But what does that mean for the rest of science, and what can we do to fix it? 

This past summer, I worked with Dr. Kate Chard, the Associate Chief of Staff/Research at the Cincinnati Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, to find variations between different demographics in Embarrassment, Guilt, and Shame Scale scores of a unique group of participants. We focused on individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who were patients at the VA Medical Center. All were veterans.  

PTSD is a disorder that develops after a person has experienced a form of trauma. It is characterized by persistent, unwanted memories, actions to avoid the trauma, negative thinking, and negative changes in physical and emotional reactions (Mayo Clinic). It can be difficult to treat because of avoidant behaviors and symptoms such as embarrassment, guilt, and shame, keeping people from speaking about their struggles.  

The Embarrassment, Guilt, and Shame Scale (EGSS) is a scale that measures how prone a person is to embarrassment, guilt, and shame. This score can help to determine how severe someone’s PTSD could be. Understanding the relationship between EGSS and PTSD scores could help with deciding proper therapy depending on which of the three emotions is worst and help the patient manage these feelings and open up.  

Data was collected from former patients of the VA Medical Center and given to me without any identifying information. I used SPSS, a statistical processing software for social sciences, to run statistical tests on my data to determine if there was a significant difference between select demographic groups and PTSD and EGSS test scores. Demographic groups are groups of people determined by specific traits. These include race, age, sex, and other more specific groups, such as military branch, service era, or if they experienced the trauma in childhood or in combat. I started by comparing each individual emotion score and then the EGSS total against each type of group. For example, I’d run a statistical test comparing the test scores of men and women and seeing if there was a significant difference.

Most of the time during my analysis, there was “no significant difference.” I thought this was a bad thing because I wasn't “finding anything.” I sat down in a meeting with Dr. Chard and explained to her how I was feeling scared because I wasn't finding anything, and all her time was going to waste. She explained that what I was seeing was a good thing. In science, demographics not only gives us examples of what groups might be more predisposed to certain things or who might be affected by environmental factors more than others, but it also gives us information on how to develop future studies. If there's no significant difference between men and women or different races, for example, it doesn't matter who is included in the study group in an experiment because there is no difference in results between the groups.  

Going back to our example, if men and women had the same physical composition there would be no problem in testing cars crashes only on male test dummies, but because there is a physical difference, we have to test on the separate sexes. This is really important in science, especially when it comes to the medical field. Men and women might have different symptoms during a heart attack and that’s extremely important to study because it’s a matter of life or death. A 2025 study shows that men are still represented disproportionately more than women in medical research, where the differences in sex matters. 

NIH suggests planning studies that include underrepresented groups and representing people proportionately to the population. Knowing which groups are in need of specific representation is imperative to good science. As fellow explorers of our natural world and scientists, we should do our best to conduct research thoroughly and with integrity. I urge you to look for ways to correct the disparities in your daily life. Is there information missing, people overlooked, or things yet to be researched? You have the power to fill in those gaps! 

Alexis Lange is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute.

In school, I was taught that the brain has over 86 billion neurons and can transport information at 350 miles per hour. I found this quite difficult to believe at first. How could something so small contain so much? But when I saw an MRI for the first time during my project, my entire perspective changed. Every pattern and detail in the brain became visible. For the first time, I got an inside look at the organ that supports all of my daily functions.  

This summer I worked with Dr. Charu Venkatesan at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Venkatesan is a pediatric neurologist who specializes in fetal and neonatal neurology. The research project I worked on with her involved a defect called a cephalocele. A cephalocele is a rare birth defect where brain tissue herniates though an opening in the skull. Cephaloceles can be identified prenatally with MRI and can be classified based on location or content. However, due to limited studies looking at outcomes of prenatally diagnosed cephaloceles, physicians have trouble counseling families when they receive this diagnosis. Important questions like how to plan for delivery, what the child’s development might look like, or how long they might live haven’t been studied well enough to give parents the answers they need. 

To help aid these families, Dr. Venkatesan organized a retrospective study on all cephalocele cases seen at the Fetal Care Center at Cincinnati Children’s from 2010 to 2025. Her goals for the study were to include a variety of cephalocele locations, record any additional conditions the patient may have, and track the progress of each patient in detail to create a comprehensive picture of what may happen if a child is diagnosed with a cephalocele. This study is the largest of its kind so far in this field, analyzing outcomes in over 50 cephalocele patients. 

Dr. Venkatesan and I worked through patient data together. I was scared at first to tackle so much new information at once, but Dr. Venkatesan was very welcoming and open to answering any of my questions. We began by viewing each patient's fetal MRI, working with a radiologist to identify the location of the cephalocele and what brain contents were inside of it. After this, Dr. Venkatesan and I worked to record any other conditions, maternal data, surgeries, and overall outcome for 58 patients. 

After recording the data, Dr. Venkatesan and I began to analyze the data. About 50% of children with cephaloceles survived while the other 50% died either in utero, at birth, or after birth. Mortality was associated with more severe cephaloceles (brain tissue present in sac) or the presence of other severe brain malformations. After the completion of this project, Dr. Venkatesan hopes to expand the project even further, adding more patients to the data pool, thereby improving the accuracy of the data. 

This research experience has been incredibly rewarding in so many ways. First, I have learned so much about the brain and its functions. This knowledge has helped me better understand how neurological conditions arise when specific areas are damaged or don’t develop properly. Additionally, this experience taught me the importance of conducting research in fields that have not been studied thoroughly in the past. Without this type of critical research, these families would feel lost, not knowing what to expect for their future. This project taught me that research is a form of advocacy. Dr. Venkatesan is working to make sure that these families no longer feel scared and uncertain. Hopefully, our research, once published, will bring families comfort and valuable information they need. I am endlessly grateful for the opportunity to work with Dr. Venkatesan through The Schiff Family Science Research Institute. I cannot wait to present my project at the annual colloquium in the winter. 

Natalie Kenter is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute.

“The left side of the brain controls the right side of your body, and the right side of your brain controls the left side of your body” 

That was the first thing eight-year-old me told my parents when I got home from school. I officially learned my first fact of the brain, and my interest for the brain was planted at that moment. Then, in seventh grade I researched Tay-Sachs disease. I gained more knowledge of the brain and became intrigued with the idea of how one structural change in the brain can alter an individual's life. Carrying my passion for the brain in high school, I gained a new aspect of the brain, which was the psychological and cognitive aspect. The fascination that a mental illness can physically alter the brain both amazed and confused me. The desire to work in a lab where I could learn more about mental illnesses from a neurological perspective grew. 

The Schiff Family Science Research Institute (SRI) fulfilled my desire and allowed me to perform hands on research in my field of interest. Over the summer I spent 6-7 weeks researching the correlation of an inflammatory marker with specific brain areas’ volume and thickness for patients with bipolar disorder (BD). I was able to perform this research through the guidance of my mentor Dr. Fabiano Nery. Dr. Nery is a psychiatrist at the University of Cincinnati (UC) performing both clinical and research duties, specializing in mood disorder and bipolar disorder. I had the opportunity to perform research with him in the Stetson Building, containing the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience. 

Bipolar disorder affects an estimated 40 million people worldwide and remains a difficult condition to treat medically. Bipolar disorder presents complex neurological effects that many researchers aim to research and study. One aspect of BD that is explored by many researchers is its relationship to inflammatory markers. Through anatomical and functional fMRI’s, researchers have performed studies in hopes of drawing conclusions between the two. The research that I performed was analyzing how an increase of a specific inflammatory marker, C-reactive protein (CRP), relates to the decrease in volume, thickness, and area for brain regions that have a significant role in BD.  

Multiple studies have been performed in hopes of addressing these questions, but very few are able to link a relationship with BD. Our approach to this analysis was by gathering a multitude of patient data and sorting through the patients that had CRP values available. Including only those patients with BD diagnosis, CRP data and fMRI imaging, we then isolated specific brain regions dealing with emotional processing, such as the amygdala, hippocampus, insula, etc., and ran correlation test between these regions’ areas, thickness, and volume compared to serum CRP values. Once the statistical tests were completed, the conclusion was made that there was no significant relationship between CRP values and the certain brain regions.  

Despite the results yielding no significant relationship, I was able to gather crucial research skills and valuable communication skills to assist in conveying the results. Through this research opportunity, I was able to expand my knowledge on a topic that I was unfamiliar with and introduce myself to understanding mental illnesses through a neurological aspect. I had the ability to expand my critical thinking as I read through countless articles to better understand my research and nurture my interest. I was amazed by the idea that the human brain does not only structurally and chemically change when a tumor or excess of lipids is present, but physical brain changes can also be present in mental health struggles. Dr. Nery and I discussed limitations in our study, allowing me to embrace the results and understand that this provides another chance to ask more questions and is still very important to share with the scientific community.  

The ability to perform research for this topic has taught me a new aspect of mental illnesses and has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of how the scientific community can advocate and assist individuals dealing with mental health conditions. This research has confirmed my interest in the brain that was planted many years ago. The excitement I felt the first day I learned about the brain was present throughout this summer as I expanded my knowledge of the brain to a level I never would have imagined reaching. The ability to perform research has encouraged me to continue to pursue my hopes to become a neurosurgeon, alongside continuing research in this same field. 

Zaina Kamran is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute. 

A friendly reminder to all about microwaving best practices: heat liquid in the microwave in short time intervals. The first time going through the tissue staining process, I accidentally overheated a solution so much it exploded out of its container and all over the microwave. I would never make this mistake again and instead microwave it very slowly every time. 

My summer research experience was not what I thought it would be going into the Schiff Family Science Research Institute program, but I would not change it. I worked under the mentorship of Dr. Narmoneva, a biomedical engineer at UC College of Engineering and Applied Science, but physically did my project here at Summit under the eye of Dr. Replogle. 

The first time getting to Summit during the summer was different than what I was expecting. I set up my own work area that was near a fume hood and microwave in Dr. Replogle’s room. It was my little area that would not be changed throughout the duration of my project. Covered in liquid absorbent padding, it was exactly what I needed to be independent in doing the project by myself. I would start the staining protocol that first day with control slides; it was rough remembering all the intricate details of handling the slides, but I eventually learned how to get it right. 

The protocol I followed was Masson’s trichrome staining which stains the protein collagen blue. This was important because I was testing the wound healing capabilities of diabetic mice and collagen plays a crucial role in wound healing. Ulcers on appendages are a leading cause of amputation among diabetic people. They are consistently inflamed, and do not heal in the normal healing process, leading to many complications. I was testing a new treatment using mice as a model organism.  

The use of osteopontin, a protein proven to help with some wound healing, plus peptide nanofibers, a matrix that the cells can connect to, is hypothesized to help with the healing process of ulcers. The progression of the healing process can be determined by how much collagen is in the wound area. Excessive collagen due to the dysregulation of inflammatory pathways leads to impaired remodeling. Distinct amounts of collagen are needed for the ideal healing process. 

The trichrome staining protocol had three steps. The first was dehydrating and deparaffinizing the slides. Paraffin is a waxlike substance used to preserve the mouse tissue after treating the mouse with the nanopeptide and osteopontin. This step is mainly used to just prepare the tissue to be stained. Then, there is a multi-step staining process followed by the rehydration of the tissue on the slides. This whole process takes around 3.5 hours and results in multi-colored tissue that I can visually analyze using a microscope and computer programs to calculate the amount of collagen. 

The computer program I used to calculate the amount of collagen was ImageJ, a free image analysis program. I took photos of the mouse slides using a microscope camera. Trichrome stains collagen blue so using color thresholding, a way to isolate the blue color, I could find out the % of the photo that is blue and use that for the collagen calculation. The project is still ongoing with further analysis of the mouse slides to test for the optimized healing because of the treatment. The wounds will also be analyzed for collagen direction, biomechanical properties and inflammatory and immune cells. 

This project has bigger implications than the healing rate of diabetic wound healing. There is a potential to use this treatment, if proven successful, for other injuries such as pressure ulcers. I have gained a newfound understanding of the importance of clear scientific communication to the public because of my own confusion about aspects of the project. This project has opened my eyes incredibly to the world of science. I realize that even though I am in high school, I can contribute to the combined scientific knowledge of the world.  

Blake Hollenbeck is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute. 

Have you ever wondered how the early universe was formed? Many know about the Big Bang Theory, which states that the universe rapidly expanded from a single point, but few have knowledge of the Cosmic Microwave Background. 

The Cosmic Microwave Background, also known as CMB, is the leftover radiation from the Big Bang which initiated the growth of our universe. Although you may have never heard of it, the CMB is everywhere, invisible to the naked eye. For example, when you experience having static on a TV screen, about 1% of that is CMB radiation. Initially, the CMB was extremely hot and dense; however, now it has expanded with the universe and is very cold, with a temperature just above absolute zero. When we map the CMB, we are mapping the temperature of photons, particles of light, at the time where they last hit matter before the universe became too big for interaction, dating back to over 13 billion years ago. By mapping the CMB, we can see small fluctuations, or anisotropies, in temperatures which are significant because they reveal fluctuations in density in the early universe that eventually became the cause of new galaxies.  

In my summer research project, I worked with Dr. Colin Bischoff in the University of Cincinnati Physics Department. In our project, we aimed to simulate the Cosmic Microwave Background using Python code through Google CoLab. We first simulated angular power spectra of the CMB with different polarizations. The angular power spectra maps display variations in temperature at different angular scales in the sky, starting at a scale of multiple degrees to a fraction of a degree. These graphs then allowed us to determine which angular scales reveal anisotropies and to generate a simulated map of the CMB. 

Next, we simulated scanning periods for two telescopes oriented in different directions. This gave us a more realistic idea of the map, as we were only viewing one small section of the map, about 5%, as if we had a telescope scanning part of the sky for CMB radiation. Then, we simulated graphs of signal and noise to make the map more realistic. For example, clouds would act as noise and block the view of a real telescope viewing the sky. Finally, we were able to combine the original map, noise, and signal data to create a realistic simulation of what a telescope would view if it were scanning the sky for the CMB. We also created and analyzed new power spectra graphs with the comparison of the original and final simulated data in order to discover how noise bias had affected the graphs. 

My project is important because it helps us to better understand how to analyze the Cosmic Microwave Background and ultimately learn more about the universe. By showing step-by-step how to simulate and view the maps and power spectra, it will help teach others about the process and eventually allow them to analyze real graphs of the CMB. By learning how to recognize and understand the significance of temperature variations in the CMB radiation, it will allow scientists to further studies on the Big Bang Theory and the creation of galaxies and other objects in the universe. 

Overall, I had a great experience this summer and I am grateful to have learned so much about this topic. Prior to this project, I had never even heard of the Cosmic Microwave Background and knew virtually nothing about anything that I would be doing. However, I had always been interested in the universe and was open to a new experience. I also had to learn how to use Python, which was completely new to me. However, my mentor was extremely helpful in teaching me background knowledge last spring and new skills throughout the entire summer. This project has taught me so much, and I have learned so many new skills throughout my experience. I am excited to have helped others better understand the background of the universe and add to our knowledge in this field.

Callie Fox is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute. 

How does a high schooler end up in an operating room, not as the patient, but standing over the table with the surgeon? I’ll tell you what, I was not expecting it either. My name is Caitlyn Ferrer, and this summer I worked as a student researcher for Christ Hospitals’ Women’s Heart Center (WHC). Founded by my mentor, Dr. Odayme Quesada, the WHC has grown to be one of the top heart programs in the country. I was fortunate enough to be the sole high schooler working in the program, surrounded by MDs, PhDs, and undergrad and medical students.  

To explain what I specifically researched, I am going to ask a question. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the cause of heart disease? You likely said the buildup plaque in your arteries. Which is totally correct. Except, there is another main cause. A disease that affects 3-4 million people in the US, 70% of whom are women. This disease is called coronary microvascular and vasomotor dysfunction (CMVD), which does not affect the main arteries in the heart, but instead affects the underlying microvascular structures, causing chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue.  

The WHC focuses on patients with CMVD, with the main goal to properly diagnose and treat anyone who has coronary symptoms. CMVD is a very difficult disease to diagnose, as it requires very specific tests that are not quite universal. Historically, patients with CMVD were told that their symptoms were psychological and then sent home. Overall, the research and objective of the WHC is to spread information about CMVD to improve the quality of life for millions of patients.  

As someone who has absolutely no prior medical knowledge, I had to learn the ins and outs of CMVD and its presentation. My work was not in a lab; however, it was just as important. I focused on patient data entry into the WHC CMVD database, including all sorts of information. For example, I input patient questionnaires, stress test results, ECHOs, PETs, as well as provider visit forms. All this information translates into data that the WHC analyzes, interprets and then publishes as abstracts, posters, and manuscripts. My work was one of the first steps of the process: without accurate data, there is no basis for publishing.  

As well as data entry, I also worked alongside a medical student to write an abstract and poster for presenting at the Women’s Heart Symposium in October. Our project is essentially looking at patients who have diagnosed CMVD and comparing their self-reported questionnaire scores to see if there was a correlation between symptomology and the scores.  

My experience at the Women’s Heart Center was extremely beneficial for my future. Working at the WHC has only amplified my certainty in working to become a physician in the future, as I had a ton of different medical experiences through shadowing. I was able to observe many doctors in both the clinic, where patients are provided with outpatient services, the CATH lab, where patients undergo invasive functional testing to diagnose CMVD, as well as the OR I mentioned earlier, where patients undergo surgery. 

I had a very well-rounded experience of the process of clinical research, as I was able to see the entire process starting with the patient, all the way to publication and presentation, which I will see first-hand at the symposium. Having the opportunity to dive into the medical world from such a young age was a blessing. Not only do I have a tangible experience to talk about, but I received an insider’s view into what truly happens in the research process. And for that, I am truly grateful.  

Standing over the operating table in the OR seems like more than just a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Now, it feels like a glimpse into my future.  

Caitlyn Ferrer is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute. 

While my classmates spent their summers looking through microscopes and constructing complex devices, I had cats climb up my legs. My name is Meghana Curran, and through the Schiff Family Science Research Institute I studied contrafreeloading at the Cincinnati Zoo Center for Research on Endangered Wildlife, or CREW, with Dr. Katie Kalafut. 

Contrafreeloading is a behavior seen where animals prefer to work for their food rather than consume it for free. Studies have been done researching this phenomenon in pigeons, rats, even people! But one animal known not to contrafreeload is the domestic cat. Experiments have shown house cats act just like the cartoon feline Garfield, rarely making the choice to challenge their way of eating and instead taking the easiest option out. 

However, no peer-reviewed published study had only looked at cats, rather grouping them with other animals instead. My project’s goal was to take a closer look at domestic cats specifically and determine if they truly don’t contrafreeload. This study happened at CREW, which is home to an adorable cat colony who lives there and helps with their reproduction studies. Say hello to Cheshire, the calico girl I’m holding who is the sweetest cat ever. 

There were 29 female adult cats participating in the study which lived in 3 rooms. For the study, all the felines would go into individual crates, and the cat running the trial would be placed between two food options: a puzzle feeder on one side, and a free pile of the same food and size on the other. The cat would be released and had 20 minutes to eat while cameras watched its behavior. Two trials had the puzzle food positioned on the right, and the other two trials had the puzzle food positioned on the left.  

Looking at the footage of the cats consuming, a majority tended to choose the free food, running to it the second the crate opened no matter what side the free kibble was on, but there are always exceptions. Dorothea, a fluffy tortoiseshell, always chooses to eat the puzzle food, and barely touches the free food. There is no sure reason why, so please tell me your hypothesis! I would appreciate it to help explain her unique behavior. 

When not working with kitties, I learned the basics of the programming language R, which is being used to analyze the footage from the almost 116 trials performed during the study. When watching a video, an R script is open with a letter key assigned to a possible behavior for the cat, like “P” if eating from the puzzle food. When the cat starts eating, P is pressed once and is pressed once more when the cat is finished. Save the script and voila! Data has been saved to use later when I construct my figures.  

While this was a repetitive process, it reminded me that research is all about learning, which you can’t do without analysis. Every video gives new insight into how cats think, but without some standardization and coding, we won’t truly understand what we’re seeing, which is true for every study. 

While my study doesn’t fit the stereotypical image of science since I was literally trying to herd cats, it still teaches us a little more about our feline friends, and animals as a whole. Mental stimulation benefits everyone, even our pets, so maybe think of new ways you can feed your cat, dog, or guinea pig so they can think through challenges, and this is where you can be creative! You can buy pet food puzzles online, make your own, or even placing food in a new location for your furry friend to find can be ways to stimulate their mind and keep things new and exciting for them and improve their wellbeing.

Meghana Curran is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute. 

When I tell someone that I spent the summer with proteins, I usually get a funny look. Perhaps they’re imagining the stuff in their dinner and what appears on nutrition labels. Instead, the proteins I encountered this summer were those that floated around in a clear liquid, so small I could never see them with my eye. But those are the molecules, despite their tininess, that gave me the opportunity to explore the intricate and surprisingly beautiful world of biochemistry. 

Over the course of eight weeks, I worked in the Seegar Lab at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences. Made up of a lively group of students and scientists, the Seegar Lab seeks to solve the structures of proteins that have never been visualized before. Without knowledge of a molecule’s structure, it is difficult to fully grasp its capabilities and solving it is an essential step in improving medicine. 

The Seegar Lab studies a protein called ADAM17. Playing an integral role in human growth and development, ADAM17 participates in ectodomain shedding. During this process, ADAM17 cuts other proteins on the cell surface in order to begin a cell communication pathway. Cryo-electron microscopes, or CryoEMs, are the machines that make the structural analysis of ADAM17 and understanding of its ectodomain shedding all possible. As an incredibly powerful and manipulative microscope, a molecule as small as a protein can be visualized and then refined by computer programs until a model of its structure is developed.  

But in addition to studying the structure of ADAM17, the Seegar Lab works to determine the regions of the protein that are responsible for the molecule’s function. In order to puzzle out the exact few amino acids that could be responsible for a particular binding affinity or conformational change, a single amino acid can be modified. Site directed mutagenesis takes an original DNA sequence of a particular protein’s gene and substitutes one amino acid for another. In doing so, scientists can measure the change in function of the protein and compare it to its original counterpart, or “wild type” protein. If a significant change of function is observed, then that mutation says something important about the role that the region it is from plays. In the Seegar lab’s case, the function being tracked is ADAM17’s ability to cut other proteins on the cell surface.  

This idea is what I focused on this summer. My job in the lab was to create the mutagenesis constructs of iRhom1, a second protein studied that binds to and regulates the activity of ADAM17. A bound complex of iRhom1 and ADAM17 is a joint structure previously solved via CryoEM in the lab, and the mutagenesis of iRhom1 serves to reveal more about this unique molecular partnership.  

To create sequence verified iRhom1 DNA constructs, I first had to perform many molecular biology procedures. Through the mentorship and kind collaboration of one principal investigator, one postdoc scientist, three graduate students, and one undergraduate student, I was swiftly trained in the six steps of site directed mutagenesis: polymerase chain reaction, Dpn1 restriction enzyme digest, DNA purification, bacterial transformation, plasmid mini preparation, and DNA sequence verification. That’s a lot of words to describe how I was essentially altering iRhom1 DNA and using a host organism, E. Coli, to produce the DNA that I could then purify.  

Mutating iRhom1 is a straightforward process, in theory. The reality is that half, if not all, of your constructs do not end up with the correct amino acid substitution, forcing the whole process to start over again. As a beginner, I certainly had constructs that didn’t work the first time, the second time, or even the third. But I have never felt more satisfied than when the glutamic acid codon I had been looking for was in the sequence at last.  

In the end, a graduate student in the lab used the DNA constructs I made to express and purify iRhom1 protein and measure its effect on ADAM17 functionality. While not every mutation resulted in a significant change, there is one mutation, associated with the harmful heart condition cardiomyopathy, that resulted in significant functionality reduction that will spur further study. 

Working in the Seegar lab this summer was an extraordinary experience. I learned so much about biochemistry, structural biology, and the scientific community at large. It only makes me more excited about the future, for this summer showed me the educational and professional path in science that I want to take. On top of that, I got to meet and work with remarkably intelligent and kind people who made me feel like part of something truly special. I am grateful for the experience I’ve had, and it is with the utmost pride that I say I spent my summer with proteins.

Sophia Carazo is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute. 

When most people think of summer, they picture long days in the sun, vacations, and relaxation. For me, this summer looked a little different. I spent it inside the Mercy Health Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute.  

This summer, my “research lab” didn’t look like the typical room filled with microscopes and pipettes. Instead, I was mentored by Dr. Chilelli, an orthopedic surgeon, in a clinical research environment. When I first started, I was nervous about stepping into a new environment. I had never worked in a medical research setting before, and the idea of being mentored by an orthopedic surgeon was both exciting and intimidating. The first couple of days felt very intimidating but eventually I started to ease into the work and feel more comfortable. I realized that my role wasn’t about knowing everything but learning how to research and helping out wherever I could. I spent my time screening for patients who had undergone orthopedic surgery and identified who had multiple surgeries.  

Hip and knee surgeries are among the most common orthopedic procedures. While many patients recover well after a single surgery, some require multiple procedures due to complications or poor healing. Our study set out to explore whether vitamin D, an essential nutrient for bone and muscle health, could be connected to this difference in outcomes. Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin because our bodies produce it when exposed to sunlight. The specific question we asked was: do low vitamin D levels increase the likelihood of needing more than one surgery? If so, we could prevent surgeries by providing vitamin D supplements and save patients the struggle of having more than one surgery.  

Each day I came into the office, I reviewed charts of patients who had undergone more than one hip or knee surgery and collected specific demographic, clinical and health information. I then added this data into a spreadsheet, which will later be statistically analyzed. 

Although the data collection process is still ongoing, the significance of it can still be seen. By identifying preventable factors that lead to multiple surgeries, research like this can improve patient safety, reduce complications, and lower costs for both patients and the healthcare system. One of the biggest lessons I took away from this experience was the importance of patience in a research setting. At the beginning, I thought that research would be a quick process that I could finish during early summer, but I quickly realized that research doesn't move that fast. It took time to be approved to work with the data; it took time to understand the project and learn the process of reviewing patient charts. Once I became more comfortable with the process, our research went faster, and we started to prepare for the next step. As the analysis phase approaches, I am eager to see what the results reveal, knowing that our findings may contribute to improving patient safety, reducing complications, and lowering healthcare costs.  

Matthew Barhorst is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute. 

“So, what are you actually doing this summer?”

If I had a dollar for every time I was asked this question over the summer, I would be set for life. Nonetheless, my response is the same: I am working at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, within the Michael Health Child Health Equity Center under the mentorship of Dr. Carley Riley, researching scientific communication in the health equity field.

In sophomore year, when I was accepted to the Schiff Family Science Research Institute, or SRI, at The Summit, I anticipated working in a lab, wearing a white coat and running trials of some experiment each day, gaining insight into how science works in a lab setting. Instead, I gained a different type of opportunity to work within an inspiring team at Cincinnati Children’s, who work each day to make a difference in the lives of children in Hamilton County and promote health equity.

Health equity is the process of removing social and economic barriers to healthcare, such as discrimination and poverty. The overall research objective we explored this summer is how we can use scientific communication to urge community stakeholders to enact change for the promotion of heath equity in Hamilton County. A recent impact of Cincinnati Children’s partnering with the community to improve well-being was creating and publicizing bus routes that increase access to healthcare. In early October, the Together We Thrive (Gallup) Community Workshop will be examining a dataset measuring the standard of wellbeing in the area. This study utilized an address-based sampling frame, which provides a representative list of all US households, which means that the sample in the study is representative of the entire population of the county. The experts will be planning how to enact changes to improve the standard of well-being in Hamilton County.

 My first goal of the summer was to figure out how to communicate results. I dove into published scientific literature and gathered results from studies related to scientific communication, and visuals. I defined “visuals” as both data visualizations (visual displays of a data set) and as infographics (the use several data visualizations to communicate a narrative).

Next, I worked with a data set from the aforementioned study conducted by Gallup and synthesized the data into visuals that illustrate the trends in an effective manner to share with community stakeholders. I used what strategies I learned from the published studies and made the visuals with Excel and Canva. These visuals included data visualizations, maps, and definitions for clarity. The definitions and some of the visuals may be used at the upcoming workshop to help present the dataset.

The data I worked with included questions such as “You have a say in what goes on in the community (or area in which you live)” and asked participants to place their responses on a scale of “Strongly agree” to “Strongly Disagree”. By the end of the summer, I had created many visuals combining questions to analyze trends within the dataset and illustrate them for easy understanding.

In the final weeks of my research experience, I created a bookmark with questions I had created based on published studies on misinformation. Creating a sharable bookmark that summarizes how to vet resources ties into the rest of the experience well, and I put myself into the viewer’s perspective, thinking about what questions would help guide understanding of any scientific communication.

Although this was not the research experience I originally assumed I would have, I loved working with the data set and learned so much I could talk for hours about how amazing this experience was. Being a creative person involved in the arts at Summit, I also enjoyed pairing my artistic skills and principles with my analytical abilities. This project allowed me to combine my interest in science with my love of art. I also gained valuable insight into the field of health equity and scientific communication. This has allowed me to appreciate what happens in the non-clinical aspects of healthcare, and how more than just the healthcare given at local hospitals affects the standard of wellbeing in any area. It opened my eyes to a new way of looking at healthcare and will serve me well in any future field.

So, what I actually did this summer I will remember fondly. Knowing the real-world implications of the team’s work in health equity makes me believe that this small portion of research I explored will make an impact in the Greater Cincinnati area through the workshop, and that is a feeling that is unparalleled.

Haley Baker is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute. 

I remember the first time I saw the human brain. It was nothing like anything I’ve ever seen before. The grooves and intricacies were fascinating. How could this small object do so much? It can control how our body moves, how we communicate, and even how we breathe. I didn’t think I would ever get to do a study on the brain in depth, especially when in high school, but I was wrong. 

When I was accepted into The Schiff Family Science Research Institute (SRI) at The Summit my sophomore year, I could not have predicted that I would get the chance to do research on the brain, specifically the brain of fetuses. Not many people my age can say that they work with a mentor to research fetal brains. My mentor, Dr. Charu Venkatesan, is a neurologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital whospecializes in fetal neurology; the research project I assisted with investigated fetal cerebellar hemorrhages. 

Originally, I did not know a lot about cerebellar hemorrhages in adults much less fetal cerebellar hemorrhages. I did not understand how a fetus could even attain a bleed in their brain. This was because I always associated brain bleeds resulting from a force to the head. I soon learned that most people suffer from hemorrhages in their brain due to strokes. There are two different types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic strokes are caused by a blockage of an artery which results in a loss of necessary oxygen to the brain, while hemorrhagic strokes are caused by a ruptured artery that may or may not be due to impact to the head.

Within the realm of strokes and hemorrhages in the fetal cerebellum, there is very little published literature on the topic. The technology to observe and diagnose a fetus while in utero is relatively new so gaps exist in the knowledge on fetal brain hemorrhages. Advancements in the field of fetal imaging will rapidly improve treatment options and health outcomes as well as patient counseling. Our goal is to gather observations on the outcomes of patients diagnosed with a fetal cerebellar hemorrhage to improve counseling for families in the future. 

The study began with evaluating which patients could be included in the study. First, a broad search through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital charts was performed by my mentor to find any patient that was diagnosed with a hemorrhage in their cerebellum as a fetus. From there, my mentor and I evaluated deidentified data, starting with the fetus’s echocardiogram and MRI of the body and brain. Because our study is based on finding outcomes of cerebellar hemorrhages, we excluded any patient with severe body and/or heart malformations that could confound patient outcomes. Then, we looked at patient status and evaluations of those who were able to go back to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital after they were born. After analyzing clinical outcomes of these patients, we found that none of the patients had any severe health problems due to the hemorrhage in the cerebellum as a fetus. The major limitation to the study is the number of patients that we could include, it is a beginning to filling the gap in the knowledge.

This research project has been a transformative one for many reasons. First, it opened my eyes to how much effort and time goes into a research study. There are many variables that you have to evaluate, and you have to be very adaptable. It has also taught me the importance of doing research in fields that have not been thoroughly studied in the past. When one group initiates research in a field, it opens the door to many more ideas, many more projects and hopefully allows for doors to open in terms of greater understanding about a topic. From this project, I have also realized how lucky and fortunate I am for my health. Many of the patient charts I observed showed many challenges the patient was facing which can cause a lot of pain to families. Improving patient outcomes and minimizing family stress will positively impact society. Hopefully, the research I had the privilege of doing helps bring families comfort and hope for their baby’s future. I am very grateful for this experience and can’t wait to present my findings at the annual Schiff Family Science Research Institute Colloquium in January. 

Megan Marburger is a senior in The Summit Country Day School's Schiff Family Science Research Institute.