UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #576
Submission information
Submission Number: 576
Submission ID: 9151
Submission UUID: 5ca8d540-a161-4bd3-9256-20e643a7a5d7
Submission URI: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal
Submission Update: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=bEB60vKo-5oJG_-T8kY_XdsLp_2O2WVB9OokXk8WwUQ
Created: Fri, 08/25/2023 - 10:03 AM
Completed: Fri, 08/25/2023 - 11:08 AM
Changed: Wed, 09/20/2023 - 01:18 PM
Remote IP address: 144.174.212.100
Submitted by: Anonymous
Language: English
Is draft: No
Webform: UROP Project Proposal Portal
Submitted to: UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal
Primary Research Mentor Name | Elizabeth Brown |
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Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns | She/Her |
When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific? | Dr. |
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) | EBBrown@bio.fsu.edu |
Position Title | Faculty |
FSU College (if applicable) | Arts and Sciences |
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation | Biological Sciences |
Headshot (optional) |
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Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above) | |
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns | |
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific? | |
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) | |
Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable) | |
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns | |
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific? | |
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) | |
Title of the Project | Aging-dependent regulation of taste preference |
Project Keywords | Behavior, Aging, Taste, Chemosensory, Drosophila |
Are you currently looking for research assistants? | No |
Number of Research Assistants Needed | 3 |
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) | Biological Sciences, Neuroscience, related STEM fields |
Project Location: | On FSU Main Campus |
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? | |
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? | 8-10 |
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work? | During business hours |
Overall Research Project Description | Deficits in smell and taste are associated with healthy aging, as well as numerous neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). However, how these changes occur, particularly with respect to taste, remains largely unexplored. We use the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model. We previously found that aging impairs taste response to sugars, but not fatty acids, revealing modality-specific deficits in taste. This decline in sugar taste response is associated with changes in gene expression within the neurons that are activated by sugars. Students joining this project will confirm these findings using quantification of gene expression, behavioral assays, and statistical analysis, with the ultimate goal of characterizing novel candidate gene(s) that function in these sensory neurons during aging. |
Research Tasks | Students will begin by learning care and maintenance of fly lines, executing behavioral experiments, and running statistical analysis. Advanced techniques include performing dissections, immunohistochemistry, and quantification of gene expression. |
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: | A broad understanding of the fundamental concepts in genetics and molecular biology is recommended. Students must be reliable and be detail-oriented. Training in Drosophila husbandry and techniques will be provided. |
Mentoring Philosophy | I am deeply invested in mentoring trainees and believe communication and common goals are key features of successful mentorship. While I initially plan to provide hand-on guidance and support to incoming students, they will be encouraged to become more independent and develop their own research questions over time. I will also encourage student(s) to learn from other members of the lab, as I believe peer-to-peer learning increases engagement and promotes collaboration. I am committed to creating a safe and inclusive research environment and encourage students typically underrepresented in STEM to apply. |
Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable): | https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2WBYd1oAAAAJ&hl=en |
Please add any additional information here (if applicable): | |
Roundtable times and Zoom links | Wednesday September 6 from 2:30 to 3:00 PM (https://fsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJArc-yrpj0rEtS2siVIUO9_rhnYmzUllymu) Thursday September 7 from 2:30 to 3:00 PM (https://fsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJctde-rrD0rHtKXHzZzXpx0tID9okcaVQ13) |
Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication | Yes |
UROP Performance Evaluation | Yes |
Materials Grant | Yes |
UROP Poster Presentation | Yes |
Year | 2023 |
update url | https://cre.fsu.edu/urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?element_parents=elements/research_mentor_information/headshot_optional_&ajax_form=1&_wrapper_format=drupal_ajax&token=bEB60vKo-5oJG_-T8kY_XdsLp_2O2WVB9OokXk8WwUQ |