Article 1

Modular derivation of diverse, regionally discrete human posterior CNS neurons enables discovery of transcriptomic patterns

Authors
Nisha R Iyer, Junha Shin, Stephanie Cuskey, Yucheng Tian, Noah R Nicol, Tessa E Doersch, Frank Seipel, Sunnie Grace McCalla, Sushmita Roy, Randolph S Ashton

Journal: Science Advances, 2022
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn7430
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Summary: This study developed a novel method to generate diverse neurons from the posterior central nervous system (pCNS) using human pluripotent stem cells. The research established a modular differentiation approach that mimics natural development patterns, allowing the creation of region-specific neurons. Through extensive molecular analysis, including single-cell RNA sequencing, the study identified hundreds of genetic markers that help understand how these neurons develop and specialize.

My Contribution: As an undergraduate researcher over two years, I conducted various molecular and imaging analyses, including:

  • Quantitative real-time PCR (qrtPCR)
  • RNA sequencing sample preparation
  • Immunocytochemistry (ICC) and immunohistochemistry (IHC)
  • R1 Confocal microscopy imaging

Article 2

Genomic Consequences of GRHL2 Overexpression in ER+ Breast Cancer Cells

Authors
Kaelyn O Allen, BS, Christy Zheng, BS, Natalia Solodin, BS, Mary S Ozers, PhD, Christopher L Warren, PhD, Paige E Messa, BS, Noah R Nicol, BS, Daniel T Vogt, PhD, Mark B Meyer, Elaine T Alarid, PhD

Journal: Journal of the Endocrine Society, 2024
DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvae163.1809
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Poster: View Poster

Abstract: This study investigates the role of GRHL2, a nuclear transcription factor, in hormone-positive breast cancer progression. Using a tetracycline-inducible MCF7 cell model, the research examines how GRHL2 overexpression affects genomic binding and chromatin landscape changes. The study focuses on understanding GRHL2’s potential function as a pioneer factor and its impact on genes associated with cancer metastasis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

My Contribution: Working for Proteovista LLC, I led the bioinformatics analysis, including:

  • Microarray data extraction and processing
  • Creation of data visualizations for analysis
  • Development of computational pipelines for data interpretation