A More-Than-Lucky Day at the 2023 CURAs

If you were in the Wilkinson Student Center on October’s Friday the 13th and wandered into the Garden Court room, you would have been impressed. Far from being an unlucky Friday, students dressed in their best and, with smiles on their faces, professionally presented the innovative research they’ve conducted with BYU faculty. All their research, with topics ranging from lung health to evolution teaching strategies, was partially funded by College Undergraduate Research Awards (CURAs), grants given to passionate and inventive undergraduate researchers. Winners from each department of the College of Life Sciences were selected by judges and received additional cash prizes ranging up to $300.

With professionalism and passion, the participants of this year’s CURA Poster Competition showed that they are ready to go forth into the world and serve. From bridging language barriers in medicine to finding better grass for Utah’s dry climate, here are the winners of the 2023 CURAs.

Biology

1^st Kenneth Harrington — Role Models vs. Evolution Knowledge: Two Evolution Teaching Strategies Among Students with Varying Levels of Scientific Reasoning Skills
2^nd Yongyong Xia— A Survey of Student Preference of Testing Location
3^rd Lizzy Jenkins — Effects of Predation on Cognition in Brachyrhaphis Rhabdophora

Cell Biology & Physiology

1^st Kennedy Campbell — Chronic Effects of Tobacco Smoke-Induced Lung Inflammation on RAGE Signaling and Lung Morphology
1^st Kelaney Stalker — Identifying Endometrial Tissue in Menstrual Blood through Differential Methylation
3^rd Andrew Jenkins — CRISPR Screen for Novel Genes in Kushneria B5 Involved in Halotolerance
3^rd James Morgan — Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Mediated Depotentiation

Exercise Sciences

1^st Stepan Altuhov — The Effects of Percussion Massage on the Maintenance of Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Function during Limb Immobilization
1^st Isaac Edwards — Acute Effects of Running on Talar Cartilage Deformation in CAI Patients with and without Early Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
3^rd Joseph Larsen — Impact of 10 Days of Low Physical Activity on Blood Flow, Pressure, and VO2max during Exercise

Microbiology & Molecular Biology

1^st Joshua Bennett — Engineering and Characterization of Antibodies against Cancer Biomarker Thymidine Kinase 1
2^nd Amanda Carlson — Varying Mechanisms of Apoptosis Caused by Vpr Polymorphisms in HIV-1
3^rd Ty Skyles — Quasi-Longitudinal Study on the Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Uptake among College Students

Neuroscience

1^st Lauren Ford — Estrous Cycle-Dependent Modulation of Psychostimulant Effects on Striatal Neurotransmitter Release
2^nd Jacob Johnston — Thalamic Morphology in Primary Progressive Aphasia and Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type
3^rd Christian Ahrens — Role of ATP and Dopamine Exocytotic Pathways in Regulating Response to Cocaine in the NAc

Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Science

1^st Jared Carter — Adverse Effects of Global Nr4a3 Knockout in Mice on Glucose Sensitivity and Adipose Depot
2^nd Colter Tower — Accounting for Syringe Diffusion in the Isothermal Titration Calorimeter
3^rd Sydney Poulsen — Does Metformin Limit Oxidative Stress-Induced Negative Side Effects on Doxorubicin-Treated Skeletal Muscle Cells?

Plant & Wildlife Sciences

1^st Dean Peterson — Does Thiamine Affect Drosophila Melanogaster Dietary Yeast Preference?
2^nd Raechel Hunsaker — Competitive Seedling Interactions between Senecio Multilobatus and Plant Species of Various Seral Stages
3^rd Caden Seely — Having Our Grass and Water Too: Water Conservation with Hybrid Bermudagrass

Public Health

1^st Maggie Scribner — Bridging the Language Barrier – A Qualitative Analysis of Spanish Medical Interpretation between Medical Professionals and Patients
2^nd Alexandra Hatch — Maternal Health Lessons for Bountiful Children's Foundation Home-Based Lesson Program
3^rd Mariah Taylor — Sampling for Respirable Silica among Brick Kiln Workers in Bhaktapur, Nepal