2013/2014 PhD Recipients Thesis Titles

2017-2018 PhD Thesis Titles 2016-2017 PhD Thesis Titles 2015-2016 PhD Thesis Titles

2012-2013 PhD Thesis Titles 2011-2012 PhD Thesis Titles 2010-2011 PhD Thesis Titles

Abeer Ayesh Abu Zeitone, B.S. University of Jordan, M.S. University of Jordan; Translational Biomedical Science

Thesis: A Translational Study of Different ß-blockers and Oral Contraceptives on the Risk of Cardiac Events in Patients with Long QT Syndrome

Joshua L. Allen, B.S. Ashland University, M.S. University of Rochester; Toxicology

Thesis: Persistent and Sex-Dependent Neurotoxicity Following Whole-Body Inhalation of Concentrated Ambient Ultrafine Particles during Postnatal Brain Development and/or Adulthood in Mice

Erik L. Allman, B.S. Millersville University, M.S. University of Rochester; Pharmacology

Thesis: Integrated Calcium and Proton Signaling during a Rhythmic Behavior in C. elegans

Sarah M. Amie, B.S. Sienna College, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Replication of HIV in Macrophages: Effects of SAMHD1 on dNTP Levels, Viral Mutagenesis, and Antiviral Efficacy

Brittany Lynn Baisch, B.A. Western Connecticut State University, M.S. University of Rochester; Toxicology

Thesis: Deposited Dose Rate and Dissolution of Nanoparticles in the Respiratory Tract Impact the Acute Inflammatory Response

Bradley W. Buczynski, B.S. University of Akron, M.S. University of Akron, M.S. University of Rochester; Toxicology

Thesis: Neonatal Hyperoxia as a Model to Investigate Long-Term Sequelae Associated with Preterm Birth

Andrew Michael Campbell, B.S. SUNY Geneseo, M.S. SUNY Albany, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: Disruption of ATM Function and Divergent Phenotypes in Two Mouse Models of Ataxia-telangiectasia

Mudit Chaand, B.S. University of Delhi, B.S. Rochester Institute of Technology, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Coordinated Regulation of Pathogenic Phenotypes and Host Response by the Vibrio cholerae Type Three Secretion System

PuiYee Chan, B.A. SUNY New Paltz, M.S. University of Rochester; Pharmacology

Thesis: The Molecular Chaperoning and GEF Functions of Ric-8 in Heterotrimeric G Protein Signaling

Juo-Fan (Iris) Chen, B.A. National Taiwan University, M.S. Columbia University, M.A. University of Rochester; Statistics

Thesis: State Space Models and Differential Equations for Dynamic Gene Regulatory Network Identification

Waaqo B. Daddacha, B.S. Minnesota State University, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: SAMHD1-mediated dNTP Pool Regulation in Macrophage: Effect on HIV-1 Reverse Transcription Kinetics and Fidelity

Anasuya Das, B.S. Stella Maris College, M.S. National Brain Research Center, M.S. University of Rochester; Neuroscience

Thesis: Retinotopic Organization and Properties of Perceptual Learning in Cortically Blind Fields

Danielle de Campo, B.A. University of Notre Dame, M.S. Syracuse University, M.S. University of Rochester; Neurobiology and Anatomy

Thesis: An Extended Amygdala Path with Implications for Early Life Stress

Nan Deng, B.S. Nankai University, M.S. Nankai University, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Diversity of Cytokine Expression Patterns in the Th1-Dominated Human Anti-Influenza CD4 T Cell Response is Due to Both Variable Expression of Cytokines by Committed Th1 Cells, and a Minor Population of Uncommitted IL-2+IFNy- Thpp Cells

Daniel Patrick Dever, B.A. St. John Fisher College, M.S. University of Rochester; Toxicology

Thesis: The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor and Cerebellar Granule Cell Neurogenesis: Implications for Development and Medulloblastoma Pathogenesis

Laura DiChiacchio, B.S. UC Irvine, M.S. University of Rochester; Biophysics

Thesis: Computational Prediction of RNA Secondary Structure with Applications to RNA Viruses

William G. Domm IV, B.S. Rutgers University, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Optimizing Antigen Delivery Approaches for HIV Immunization

Katie N. Evans, B.S. Truman State University, M.A. University of Rochester; Statistics

Thesis: Extensions to Model-Based Clustering for Mixed-Type Data: A New Model Framework, Variable Selection, and Outlier Detection

Kristin Ann Evans, B.A. LeMoyne College, M.S. Marywood University; Epidemiology

Thesis: The Relationship of Local High and Low Energy Density Food Prices to Children’s BMI

Kimberly Anjali Fernandes, B.S. University of Mumbai, M.S. Tate Institute of Fundamental Research, M.S. University of Rochester; Neuroscience

Thesis: The JNK Pathway is a Critical Regulator of Retinal Ganglion Cell Death Following Axonal Injury

Laura Beth Fornarola, B.S. University of Rochester, M.S. University of Rochester; Pharmacology

Thesis: The Role of PIN1 in Neuronal Programmed Cell Death Following Trophic Factor Deprivation

Anthony Ottavio Gaca, B.S. Michigan State University, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: The Physiological Significance of (p)ppGpp in Enterococcus faecalis

Simantini Ghosh, B.S. University of Calcutta, M.S. University of Calcutta, M.S. University of Rochester; Neurobiology and Anatomy

Thesis: The Effect of Sustained Overexpression of Interleukin-1ß on Pathology in Murine Models of Alzheimer’s disease and Tauopathy

Allison Rose Greminger, B.S. Cedar Crest College, M.S. University of Rochester; Toxicology

Thesis: Characterizing the Neurodevelopmental Sequelae in a Dual Insult Model of Gestational Iron Deficiency and Lead (Pb) Exposure

Joshua N. Horn, B.S. Rochester Institute of Technology, M.S. University of Rochester; Biophysics

Thesis: Exploring Lipid-Peptide Interactions Through Computer Simulation of Antimicrobial Lipopeptides and a G Protein-Coupled Receptor

Courtney M. Jones, B.S. SUNY Brockport, M.P.H. University of Rochester; Epidemiology

Thesis: Trauma Triage: The Effect of Age on EMS Provider Clinical Judgment and Prehospital Guidelines for Transportation of Injured Patients

Wei Kan, B.S. University of Toronto, M.S. University of Rochester; Pharmacology

Thesis: M3 Muscarinic Receptor Interaction with Phospholipase C ß3 Determines its Signaling Efficiency

Scott Alan Leddon, B.S. Empire State College, M.S. SUNY Brockport, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Analysis of the Antigen-Specificity of T Follicular Helper Cells Generated from the Endogenous CD4 T cell Repertoire

Joseph Arthur Liberman, B.S. Evergreen State College, M.S. University of Rochester; Biochemistry

Thesis: Structural and Functional Analysis of Gene Regulatory PreQ1 Riboswitches

Joanne Y. H. Lim, B.S. National University of Singapore, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Role of Interferons and Immunotherapy in Enhancing Radiation Treatment of Cancer

Kevin Kazuyuki Makino, B.A. Oberlin College; Health Services Research and Policy

Thesis: Income, Public Health Insurance Eligibility, and Children’s Insurance Status: Implications for Parental Distress, Parenting Behaviors, and Child Socio-Emotional Health

Kelly Ann Miller, B.S. University of Connecticut, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Regulation and Function of Vibrio cholera Type Three Secretion System Island Encoded Gene Products

John Mũnderu Mũchiri, B.S. University of Nairobi, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase: Dissociation during Strand Transfer and Effects of Efavirenz on RNase H Activity

Vivek Nanda, B.S. Rochester Institute of Technology, M.S. University of Rochester; Pharmacology

Thesis: Leiomodin1, a Novel SFR/MYOCD Target Gene Preferentially Expressed in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Laura Anh Nguyen, B.S. UC Davis, M.S. UC Davis, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: Factors that Affect HIV-1 Recombination Events and Viral Replication Kinetics during Reverse Transcription

Lisa Madalen Niswander, B.A. Middlebury College, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: Microenvironmental Regulation of Megakaryopoiesis and Thrombopoiesis by SDF-1

Lauren Elizabeth Parlett, B.S. Johns Hopkins University; Epidemiology

Thesis: The Association of Prenatal and Infant Phthalate Exposure and Childhood Asthma Symptoms

Akeisha Nichole Sanders, B.S. University of North Carolina, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Genetic and Phenotypic Analysis of Bacterial L,D-transpeptidases

Michele Lavinia-Ann Saul, B.S. Elizabethtown College, M.S. University of Rochester; Neurobiology and Anatomy

Thesis: Changes in Exploratory Behavior and Cell Proliferation in the Amygdala Following Repeated Variable Stress in Male Rats: Focus on Adolescence

Chung-Hsuan Shih, B.S. National Sun Yat-Sen University, M.S. Chang Gung University, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: Astrocyte-based Approaches to Therapeutic Interventions for CNS Diseases

Nathan Anthony Smith, B.S. Xavier University, M.S. University of Rochester; Neuroscience

Thesis: Astrocytes Role in Lipid Mediated Synaptic Activity

Kathleen C. Spellane, B.A. LeMoyne College, M.B.A. University of Rochester; Epidemiology

Thesis: Associations Between Prenatal Anxiety, Discrimination and Gestational Age at Birth

Irina Statnikova, B.S., M.S. Moscow State University, M.S. University of Rochester; Neuroscience

Thesis: GPi is Involved at Multiple Levels in Selection and Inhibition of Competing Motor Behaviors

Jacqueline Tung, B.S. Temple University, M.S. University of Rochester; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Multiple Regulatory Mechanisms Shape CD4 T Cell Immunodominance Hierarchies

John Varrone, B.S. Pennsylvania State University, M.S. Southern Connecticut State University, M.S. University of Rochester; Pathology

Thesis: Evaluation of Anti-Glucosaminidase Monoclonal Antibodies as a Passive Vaccination for Implant-Associated Staphylococcus aureus Osteomyelitis

Mridula A. Vinjamuri, B.E. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, M.S. University of Rochester; Genetics

Thesis: Novel Neuroendocrine Precursors, Marked by Transcription Factor Ascl3, Function in Neural Stem Cell Maintenance and Regeneration of Murine Olfactory Epithelium

Edward Vuong, B.A. New York University, M.S. University of Rochester; Genetics

Thesis: lep-5: A Long Noncoding RNA is a Novel Heterochronic Regulator in C. elegans

Wenhua Wang, B.A. Shandong University, M.S. Chinese Academy of Sciences, M.S. University of Rochester; Biophysics

Thesis: Structural and Functional Investigations of Phosphorylated Splicing Factor 1

Pan Wu, B.E. Beijing Technology and Business University, M.S. University of Toledo, M.A. University of Rochester; Statistics

Thesis: A New Class of Structural Functional Response Models for Causal Inference and Mediation Analysis

Jingping Xing, M.D. Shanghai Second Medical University; Health Services Research and Policy

Thesis: Medical Reimbursement and the Quality of Nursing Home Care: A Case Study of Medi-Cal Long-Term Reimbursement Act of 2004 in California

Hui Yang, B.S. Nankai University, M.A. University of Rochester; Statistics

Thesis: Model Selection and Model Averaging for Longitudinal Data with Application in Personalized Medicine

Yao Yu, B.S. Nanjing Institute of Meteorology, M.S. University of Toledo, M.A. University of Rochester; Statistics

Thesis: Single-index Model with Application in Estimation of ODE and Study of Gene Regulatory Network

Jeffrey Alan Zuber, B.S. University of Michigan, M.S. University of Michigan, M.S. University of Rochester; Biochemistry

Thesis: Identification of Mutations Affecting the Thermal Stability of Ste2p, a G Protein Coupled Receptor in S. cerevisiae