Violet B

- Research Program Mentor

Bio

Project ideas

You are what you eat: a review of how diet impacts your gut microbiome

What is your favorite food? Have you considered all the ways that food may impact your body? Of course we know that food provides nutrition, energy, and even emotional and psychological benefits, but have you considered how that food impacts your gut microbiome? Through this project you will investigate the currently available information on how your favorite food might impact your gut microbiome through a literature search. As a researcher in the field of microbiome sciences for over six years I will guide you as you explore the field and bring new questions and findings to light. You will compile information using a collection of available published data to date. As you complete this project you will build your skills in: searching for relevant scientific literature, reading and interpreting scientific literature, biochemical concepts, biosynthetic pathways, host-microbiome interactions, and scientific writing.

What we do not know about ourselves: cryptic metabolism

You may feel like you know all that there is to know about yourself; however, you would be wrong. Everyday unexplained and unknown metabolism occurs within your own body. Have you ever considered that there are trillions of cells living inside you? These cells include bacteria that live in your gut microbiome. On a deeper level, have you considered how this bacteria may be producing unique compounds (called metabolites) each with the potential to have different and unknown outcomes on your health, lifespan, and even neurological function? In this project you will examine the scientific frontier of the human gut microbiome and its intersectionality with human health, aging, and disease states. You will conduct a primary literature search to identify previously unknown compounds that may be created by unique gut bacteria living inside you. You will examine the roles of these compounds and identify the potential for them to unlock never before recognized impacts on the human body through uncharacterized metabolic pathways. You will develop skills in biochemistry, genetics, and microbiology. Upon the completion of this project you will have a strong background in human metabolism, human disease states and therapeutics, and healthy aging and longevity. You will learn how to think critically, how to develop and investigate scientific questions, and ultimately how to communicate your knowledge and skills through a formal written literature review. Each of these skills will serve as fundamental building blocks in the foundations of your scientific education to be built on as you advance your career. As a mentor I can provide you with scientific insight to assist you as you develop this project. I have spent over six years in the field of biochemistry and the gut microbiome developing an expertise in how to best address the most relevant and exciting questions in the field. Through this project will write and publish a formal scientific literature review to share your own exciting findings and unique perspective with other scientists in the field. In this way you will directly contribute to the new and exciting work being conducted within the field, addressing pressing questions and moving the frontier of science forward!

The diary of diseases: a narrative of human disease through case studies and everything we have left to learn

It is likely that you have at some point in your life known someone who has struggled with chronic illness. Perhaps you yourself may have had this experience. These experiences of disease are recorded for scientific investigation through case studies. Case studies provide us as researchers with a unique window into what diseases can do on a fundamental scientific level. In this project you will use case studies to examine a variety of human diseases. You will conduct primary literature review to document and understand the fundamental biological, genetic, and metabolic basis of these diseases in addition to the key diagnostics, treatment options, and prognosis that patients may face. Once you have conducted your research and identified new insights into the research being done and the discoveries being made, you will report your findings biweekly through a public blog. This blog will share the narrative of chronic illness through the stories of patients who experience them while addressing the findings and developments being made at the forefront of science to address these diseases. This blog will be accessible to the general public, giving you the opportunity to share your unique insight with the general public, better informing the public of the state of research surrounding chronic disease in the world around them through the context of patients who are living with these diseases. This project will allow you the opportunity to examine a variety of diseases and the vast span of scientific knowledge in the field of translational medicine. Through this project you will build skills in complex problem solving, literature analysis, critical thinking, scientific communication, project management, and scientific inquiry. Additionally, you will explore the fields of genetics, medicine, biochemistry, physiology, chemistry, and pharmacology. As a researcher with over six years of experience in the field of chemistry and biochemistry as well as a background in english and literary analysis I will guide you as you develop your project exploring the intersectionality of translational medicine and the lived patient experience through the lens of chronic disease.

Teaching experience

Credentials