Andrea M
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at University of Virginia
Expertise
Neuroscience, gut-brain axis, mood disorders, autoimmunity, gut microbiome and the immune system
Bio
I am a cat enthusiast and scientist in biomedical sciences. I currently work as a postdoc at the University of Florida. I majored in psychology and neuroscience at Centre College where I conducted behavior research on birds, monkeys, and rats. I currently work on the gut-brain axis in models of multiple sclerosis and mood disorders. I specialize in the intersection between bacteria, the immune system, and the nervous system. I have found that bacterial metabolism has the capacity to modify the immune environment that surrounds the brain. This in turn can change behavior, stress response, and autoimmunity. In my spare time I foster animals from the humane society and love running and rocking climbing. I also love to craft! Especially knitting and embroidery. I am passionate about helping young scientists and science enthusiasts learn about what it means to explore past the current edge of human knowledge.Project ideas
Diet, culture and YOU
You are what you eat, but how much does your diet explain your personality? Here we examine the current literature examining how diet, intestinal microbiome, and the culture around food can mediate behavior and mood. Much of biomedical science is focused on disease states, but here we will examine what is known about how healthy diets can influence us every day. As we learn and read the current primary literature together, we will understand current recommendations as well as the limit of our understanding. The result will be a review manuscript of the current scientific literature.
Do microorganisms control us?
One of my lab-mates is convinced that we act as "meat puppets" for the microorganisms with whom we coexist. Is this in fact the case? Do the bacteria of our guts dictate our food preferences? Can protozoan parasites cause us to be more reckless? Can a fungus actually turn someone into a zombie? These questions and more will be answered as we explore how several species coexist with microorganisms. Together we can develop a literature review of the relationships between macro- and micro- organisms, or create the next sci-fi novella based on our understanding of the potential of bacteria to change our lives.
Current Methods of Studying Stress
The human experience is complex and unique, however biomedical science primarily relies on animals models. Here we will examine whether or not animals can experience stress and how that can be tested in the lab. At the end of this experience, students will have a working understanding of how we study stress in laboratory. Students will be able to critically examine the validity of experimental models, and will use this knowledge to design a "grant proposal" for a series of experiments to answer the question of their choice.
