UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1207 | Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement

Submission information

Submission Number: 1207

Submission ID: 20631

Submission UUID: 3fb66eef-d4f5-4bd7-88e1-30134d10b87b

Submission URI: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal

Submission Update: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=35wKUn19DYSm28N7AVWdRlNh9d8swFfj_ZLGeSNSNAE

Created: Sun, 08/17/2025 - 07:17 PM

Completed: Sun, 08/17/2025 - 07:17 PM

Changed: Mon, 08/25/2025 - 12:47 PM

Remote IP address: 217.180.196.104

Submitted by: Anonymous

Language: English

Is draft: No

Webform: UROP Project Proposal Portal

Submitted to: UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal

Research Mentor Information

Primary Research Mentor Name Douglas Storace

Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns {Empty}

When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific? Dr.

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) dstorace@fsu.edu

Position Title Faculty

FSU College (if applicable) Arts and Sciences

FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation Biological Science

Headshot (optional) {Empty}

Additional Research Mentor(s)

Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above) Leticia Leong

Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns {Empty}

Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific? Dr.

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) lleong@bio.fsu.edu

Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable) Bridger Menlove

Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns {Empty}

Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific? Mr.

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) bm23b@fsu.edu

Overall Project Details

Title of the Project Measuring Changes in Glomerular Volume Due to Diet Induced Obesity

Project Keywords Imaging, neuroscience, Obesity, Neurodegeneration, Data analysis, Data science, programming, MATLAB

Are you currently looking for research assistants? Yes

Number of Research Assistants Needed 1

Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) Open to all majors

Project Location: On FSU Main Campus

If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? Yes

Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s): In-person

Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work? 10

Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work? During business hours

Overall Research Project Description The research project aims to look at how diet induced obesity shifts the anatomical and functional activity of specific cell structures in the olfactory bulb, called glomeruli in mice. These structures are the main unit for olfactory processing, and we aim to investigate how these cells shift in their activity and the known degeneration that occur with prolonged exposure to poor diets.

Research Tasks Research assistants will be expected to work on a laptop or lab computer to analyze structural morphology of glomeruli (cell structures) using downloadable imaging software. Assistants will also be expected to learn simple commands in MATLAB to support their analysis. Students (if interested) may also participate in the development of code to support the analysis that will be completed.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Soft skills that will be necessary for this work include attention to detail, patience, critical thinking, logical reasoning and communication.
Assistants may already have and will develop image processing knowledge, basic programming skills, and an understanding of the biological context of their images

Mentoring Philosophy My goal is to support you to become a confident, capable and independent researcher. My mentoring approach is a three-step process designed to help you master new tasks and concepts:
Watch and Learn: First, I'll demonstrate a task from start to finish, explaining each step so you can see how it's done.
Practice with Guidance: Next, you'll complete the task while I'm present. I'll provide real-time guidance and feedback as you take the lead.
Independent Practice: Finally, you'll complete the task on your own. I'll be in the room as a resource, but the work will be entirely yours. I’ll review it at the end with you to ensure successful completion.
As you build competence, I'll step back, giving you more autonomy. You'll take ownership of your work, though I'll always be here to support you. I'll expect weekly updates and will review all your work to ensure we stay on track.

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable): storacelab.com

Please add any additional information here (if applicable): {Empty}

Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable? No

Roundtable times and Zoom links

UROP Program Elements

Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication Yes

UROP Performance Evaluation Yes

Materials Grant Yes

UROP Poster Presentation Yes

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Year 2025

update url https://cre.fsu.edu/urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=35wKUn19DYSm28N7AVWdRlNh9d8swFfj_ZLGeSNSNAE