2024 USC High School Neuroscience Journal Club Capstone Project
The 2024 Semester Club's Projects were a mix of Research Reviews, Article Spotlights, and other scientific literature inspired projects.
Sunwoo Choi
Hi! My name is Sunwoo and I am a junior at Westwood High School. I've always been fascinated with habits, as they have been governing my life since before my memory's reach. As my life got busier and more competitive, one thing I realized was just how many winners, overachievers, and go-getters had a foundation of good habits. I wanted to explore the biological implications behind this phenomenon, and that's how I started researching around this fascinating gene, FOXP2. As I learned more and more about FOXP2 and it's effect on the brain, I realized just how much habit is connected with learning, and how all of these factors relate to such minuscule biological operations. Anyways, I hope you find my research interesting, and I can't wait to share!
Nathaniel Vasquez
I am a high school senior attending Loyola High School interested in computational and molecular neuroscience. Beyond strictly academic subjects, I enjoy playing music (piano and trombone), reading, and programming. For my project, I decided to pursue my curiosity in neurodegenerative diseases, specifically Parkinson's disease. My research overviewed the etiologies of Parkinson's disease, focusing on α-synuclein aggregation, Drp1 dysregulation, and dopaminergic neuron failure within the basal ganglia and substantial nigra. Once described, my paper introduced common treatments, including their benefits and limitations. Culminating research in mitochondrial dysfunction and Drp1 regulation, the manuscript asserted that finding a "Goldilocks zone" for phosphorylated Drp1-S616 and Drp1-S637 localization was the best course of action for Parkinson's disease treatments. Once hypothesized, research pointed to irisin, a myokine secreted in muscle contractions, and PINK1 gene modification. Once in equilibrium, mitochondrial dynamics would be stable, and thus, dopaminergic neurons would produce sufficient amounts of dopamine for motor functions. The purpose of this paper was to share the necessary information on contemporary treatments for such a dangerous and debilitating disease. My hope is that this literature will provide further context for new Parkinson’s disease treatments.
Ella Kim
Hello, my name is Ella Kim. I am deeply passionate about mental health and psychology, particularly in breaking the stigma surrounding adolescent mental health and raising awareness about its importance. This passion drives my dedication to focusing my projects on mental health and integrating my knowledge of psychology and neuroscience to make a meaningful impact.
Tasfia Uddin
Hello! My name is Tasfia Uddin and I am a current sophomore at 32nd St/USC MAE. I am very interested in STEM, most notably in the areas of research and neuroscience. For the project, my topic of focus was microplastics and their potential effects on cognitive and brain health. Researching plastic pollution allowed me to uncover the ubiquity of microplastics, tiny particles of plastic, in our environment as well as the human body. Consequently, I became focused on identifying the potential consequences of their pervasiveness. However, I realized the gap in current society's knowledge on the implications of such tiny plastics; thus, I decided to focus my project on the topic.
Tarun Purohit
Hello! I am Tarun Raj Purohit, a high school senior from Granada Hills Charter. I'm very interested in the health sciences, wishing to enter either the fields of orthopedics, cardiology, neuroscience, or osteopathic medicine in the future. A lot of my interest in neuroscience is chemistry-based; how chemical signals and reactions power the way our brain reacts. My written literature review was similarly inspired by chemotherapy, which I have always wanted to know about since one of my high school teachers had to undergo it for treatment. But instead of focusing on chemotherapy, I focused on its implications - and in particular, the phenomenon chemobrain, a post-chemo gradual cognitive decline relatively unknown in neuroscientific research. My review presented and analyzed a list of medicinal treatments that may provide the building blocks for discovering new treatments. Seeing the relative successes and limitations of these treatment strategies, I believe, will provide a valuable insight as to what we could develop in the future to better handle chemobrain. And as our information on neurodegenerative phenomena changes, so will treatments themselves.
Tahreem Saleem
Hi! My name is Sunwoo and I am a junior at Westwood High School. I've always been fascinated with habits, as they have been governing my life since before my memory's reach. As my life got busier and more competitive, one thing I realized was just how many winners, overachievers, and go-getters had a foundation of good habits. I wanted to explore the biological implications behind this phenomenon, and that's how I started researching around this fascinating gene, FOXP2. As I learned more and more about FOXP2 and it's effect on the brain, I realized just how much habit is connected with learning, and how all of these factors relate to such minuscule biological operations. Anyways, I hope you find my research interesting, and I can't wait to share!
Aadi Mahajan
This essay reflects my interest in the intersection of neuroscience, immunology, and therapeutic innovation. As someone passionate about unraveling the complexities of the human brain, I am particularly drawn to the challenges posed by neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. The project explores the multifaceted roles of microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD). It aims to analyze microglial activation, diversity, and interactions with neurons, highlighting their dual role in neuroprotection and neurotoxicity. By examining molecular mechanisms like the TREM2 and CX3CR1-CX3CL1 pathways and identifying specialized microglial subpopulations, the project seeks to uncover therapeutic strategies that target specific aspects of microglial biology. The ultimate goal is to advance our understanding of these processes to inform precision therapies that can mitigate disease progression and improve patient outcomes.