2025 RCIF: Research, Creativity, and Innovation Forum

Does internalized stigma predict neural reactivity to social exclusion in depressed persons living with HIV?Location: 62Mentor: Dr. Roger McIntoshDepression affects more than one-third of people living with HIV (PLWH). PLWH are routinely confronted with heightened psychosocial stressors... Read More →

DIFFERENTIAL IMPACTS OF ANXIETY ON REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AND WILLIAMS SYNDROMELocation: 85Mentor: Dr. Michael AlessandriRepetitive behaviors (RRBs) are a hallmark feature of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and part of its diagnostic criteria, while anxiety... Read More →

Journaling’s Effect on Stress Reduction: A Quantitative Survey InvestigationLocation: 21Mentor: Dr. Tim WatsonGlobally, stress is a widespread problem that affects both mental and physical health. According to the University of Rochester’s article titled “Journaling for Emotional... Read More →

Polyamine Metabolites Revealed by Zebrafish Optic Nerve Regenerative Metabolomics and Their Effect on Neurite Outgrowth in Murine Retinal Ganglion Cells Location: 47Mentor: Dr. Sanjoy BhattacharyaZebrafish (Danio rerio) exhibit a remarkable ability to regenerate their adult optic... Read More →

Journaling’s Effect on Stress Reduction: A Quantitative Survey InvestigationLocation: 21Mentor: Dr. Tim WatsonGlobally, stress is a widespread problem that affects both mental and physical health. According to the University of Rochester’s article titled “Journaling for Emotional... Read More →

Investigating the effects of BTK A428D mutation and TRAF3 deletion on BTK degrader resistanceLocation: 82Mentor: Dr. Justin TaylorChronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common adult leukemia in western populations, comprising around 30% of leukemias in the United States. CLL... Read More →

Neural Mechanisms of Memory Retrieval Across Neurological and Psychiatric DisordersLocation: 56Mentor: Mr. Mingbo CaiMemory retrieval deficits are a key cognitive impairment across various neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, major... Read More →

Investigating Mitochondrial Damage in GABAergic Neurons and Spinal Cord Epigenetic Modifications Following Spinal Cord Injury-Induced Chronic PainLocation: 65Mentor: Dr. Stanislava JergovaSpinal cord injury (SCI) results in chronic neuropathic pain with a lack of long-standing treatments... Read More →

A Retrospective Comparison of Phaco-stent vs. Phaco-goniotomy in Glaucoma Patients Location: 52Mentor: Dr. Luis VazquezThe purpose of this study is to compare surgical outcomes of phaco-goniotomy or phaco-stent in patients with mild to moderate glaucoma and visually significant cataracts... Read More →

Quorum Sensing Modulation in Microbiota by Endogenous Hormones and NeurotransmittersLocation: 64Mentor: Mr. Kevin NunoQuorum sensing (QS) is a biological process that is integral to the survival of all microbiota. QS is known to play an important role in biofilm formation and virulence... Read More →

Eliminating Hepatitis C in South Florida: Overcoming Barriers and Advancing SolutionsLocation: 28Mentor: Dr. Dushyantha JayaweeraHepatitis C (HCV) remains a significant public health challenge worldwide with more than 1.3 million deaths annually. Many advancements made in the last... Read More →