91AV

The 91AV College of Osteopathic Medicine Research Committee has announced the winners of the 2016 Peter Morgane Research Fellowship.

The Peter Morgane Research Fellowship provides an opportunity for 91AV COM students who wish to participate and obtain experience in biomedical, clinical, experiential or translational research. Research projects can have a basic science, community health, clinical, or osteopathic orientation. This year, the committee received an unprecedented number of applications, granting more than $60,000 for 20 student research projects. Funding was provided through the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Office of Research and Scholarship and the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences. The winners are:

Kevin Budziszewski (Class of 2019)
Project title: Three-dimensional Reconstruction of Embryonic Heart and Outflow Tract in Mouse 
Mutants Defective in Primary Cilia Function and Cardiovascular Development

Mentor: Kerry Tucker, Ph.D., 91AV COM 


Amy Callahan (Class of 2019)
Project title: Anisotropic Modeling of Alternating Electric Fields Therapy for Glioblastoma

Mentor: Eric Wong, M.D., Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School 


Ann Chacko (Class of 2019)
Project title: An Investigation of the Physical Properties of the Primary Cilium Using Atomic 
Force Microscopy (AFM)

Mentor: Kerry Tucker, Ph.D., 91AV COM 


Alexander Chassé (Class of 2019)
Project title: Atomic Force Microscopy Examination of Age Related and OA Induced Joint 
Degeneration in Female and Male Mice

Mentor: Tamara King, Ph.D., 91AV COM 


Sandi Chen and Andrew Wuu (Class of 2018)
Project title: Characterizing Aflatoxin M1 in Breast Milk in the Guatemalan Highlands

Mentor: David Mokler, Ph.D., 91AV COM and 
Noel Solomons, M.D., International Nutrition Foundation & Tufts University 


Kyle Draleau (Class of 2019)
Project title: Correlations of Pain Influencing Behaviors to Hyperalgesia and Their Potential 
Cumulative Role in the Development of Opioid Induced Hyperalgesia

Mentor: Ling Cao, M.D. Ph.D., 91AV COM

Catherine Farsaci (Class of 2019)
Project title: An Exploration of the Peripheral Mechanisms Driving Cancer-Induced Bone Pain in 
Mouse Models


Mentor: Tamara King, Ph.D., 91AV COM 


Jessica Harnisch (Class of 2019)
Project title: Family Medicine Physicians and Geriatricians Perspective on Caring for Older 
Adults in Rural Maine Mentor: Stacey Thieme, DO, 91AV COM 


Cosmin Iacoban (Class of 2019)
Project title: Determining Whether Peptide MOR and DOR Agonists Mediate Pain Relief of 
Ongoing and Breakthrough Cancer Bone Pain Through Activation of Peripheral 
Receptors in a Rat Model of Cancer Induced Bone Pain

Mentor: Tamara King, Ph.D., 91AV COM 


Aleksandra Kolnick (Class of 2019)
Project title: The Effects of Chronic Pain on Motor Learning and Proprioception in Knee 
Osteoarthritis


Mentor: Katherine Rudolph, P.T., Ph.D., 91AV WCHP 


Patrick Kurpaska (Class of 2019)
Project title: Prognostic Significance of Circulating Receptor Tyrosine Kinases in Patients Being 
Treated With Immunotherapy for Metastatic Melanoma


Mentor: Ryan Sullivan, M.D., M.S., Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School 


Brooke Learned (Class of 2019)
Project title: Role of DRG Macrophages in the Peripheral Cannabinoid Analgesic Response

Mentor: Katherine Hanlon, Ph.D., 91AV COM 


Tiago Martins (Class of 2019)
Project title: Utilization of Apple iOS ResearchKit to Survey Patient and Health Care Providers on 
Perception of Various Pain Symptoms Mentor: Ling Cao, M.D., Ph.D., 91AV COM 


Sarah Mauney (Class of 2019)
Project title: GRK3 in Modulation of Peripheral Nociception

Mentor: Derek Molliver, Ph.D., 91AV COM 


Casey Neville (Class of 2019)
Project title: Brainstem Toxicity/Necrosis in Pediatric Proton Therapy Patients


Mentor: Torunn Yock, M.D., M.P.H., Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School 


Manuela Noriega (Class of 2019)
Project title: The Effects of Cannabinoid Agonists on Differentiation and Function Breast Cancer 
Monocytes


Mentor: Katherine Hanlon, Ph.D., 91AV COM 


Sanjay Rau (Class of 2019)
Project title: Effects of Morphine Pretreatment on LP-BM5 Infection Induced Changes in Various 
Brain Regions


Mentor: Ling Cao, M.D., Ph.D., 91AV COM 


Jacob Warner (Class of 2019)
Project title: Selectomics, Mycoplasma, Diversifying Selection, Pathogen Forecasting, Systems 
Biology


Mentor: Meghan May, Ph.D., 91AV COM 


Tahlia Wolfgang (Class of 2019)
Project title: Optimizing the After Visit Summary for Outpatient Clinics in Southern Maine

Mentor: Jacquelyn Cawley, D.O., MaineHealth & 91AV COM