On Thursday May 2nd and Friday May 3rd, the Matthews Lab attended the annual research days for the Departments of Physiology and Obstetrics & Gynaecology, respectively. These research days provide an important platform for trainees to present their research to their fellow peers.
This was the 39th annual Frontiers in Physiology (or “FIP”) research day, which welcomed Dr. Richard D. Palmiter as the Keynote Speaker. Dr. Palmiter, from the University of Washington and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, is known for his work on how specific neuronal populations mediate appetite, and is considered to be the “founding father” of transgenic mice from his 1982 Nature paper, found here.
This year, the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology celebrated their 36th annual research day, welcoming Dr. John DeLancey as the Keynote Speaker. Dr. DeLancey is a Professor of Gynaecology and Professor of Urology at the University of Michigan, and is known for his work in advanced imaging and biomechanics that has uncovered some of the basic mechanisms of pelvic floor disorders. More information about Dr. DeLancey and his research can be found here.
The projects from the Matthews Lab that were presented at these research days this year are as follows:
Involvement of germ cell microRNAs in the transgenerational effects of prenatal glucocorticoid exposure (Hirotaka Hamada – Oral presentation)
Exposure to infection mimics alters drug transporter function in a human blood-brain barrier model (Guinever Imperio – Poster presentation)
Antenatal synthetic glucocorticoid exposure mediates gene expression at the post-natal blood-testes barrier (Elizabeth Eng – Poster presentation)
Differential DNA methylation from various time-to-freeze periods of dried blood spots (Bona Kim – Poster presentation)
The intergenerational effects of synthetic glucocorticoid exposure during the paternal preconception period (Chris Casciaro – Poster presentation)
Effects of synthetic glucocorticoids on human neuronal gene expression and DNA methylation in vitro (Connor Mabbott – Poster Presentation)
Seasonality and the immune system during pregnancy: Implications for child neurodevelopment and women with seasonal affective disorder (Cindy Zhang – Poster Presentation)