Students Receive Research Fellowship Grants

The competition, open to all students from the four major Touro campuses (TU, TUC, Touro University Nevada, and New York Medical College), awards the grants based on excellence of the proposed research. These are the four students and their projects that won this year:

Effects of Single, Double, and Triple Electrolyte Imbalances on the QTc Interval

Henry Dinh (CO 2026)

Long QTc intervals have the potential to trigger Torsades de Pointes, ventricular fibrillation, and sudden death. A number of reports have indicated that low calcium and low potassium increase the QTc interval. However, it is not clear if more than one electrolyte imbalance will increase the QTc interval and therefore increase the risk of a dangerous arrhythmia. This study investigates the effects of single, double, and triple electrolyte imbalances in calcium, potassium, and magnesium on the QT interval using an ECG database consisting of electrocardiograms and laboratory values from 461,000 patients over a 19-year study period.

Practice-Based Learning Improvement – How much time do Internal Medicine Residents spend supplementing patient care with outside resources?

Jeannette Ilyev (CO 2023)

One of the core tenants set forth by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) states that “residents must demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate their care of patients, to appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, and to continuously improve patient care based on constant self-evaluation and lifelong learning,” also known as Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PBLI). In an Internal Medicine Residency setting, trends such as increased EMR use and decreased direct patient care have been characterized. However, there has been minimal research evaluating the amount of time Internal Medicine Residents apply towards referencing supplemental resources related to their patient care, or in other words, towards developing the skills required for Practice Based Learning and Improvement. The study consists of a short, voluntary, online survey to quantify the amount of time and source of General Internal Medicine Residents’ supplemental resources related to patient care, as well as questions regarding their perception of their learner status, their perceived value of supplemental materials, and their personal indications for consulting supplementary resources.

Effects of Urolithin A on Mitochondrial Respiratory Function and its Relationship with IF1

Abraham Karimi (CO 2026)

Description of project:

The mitochondria is the part of the cell that is important for many reasons but one of them is energy production. With aging, there is an increased likelihood of altered mitochondrial function appearing and thus a deficiency in the energy molecule ATP. This can progressively contribute to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. This study focuses on a metabolite called urolithin A (UA) which is formed from the gut breaking down plant compounds known as ellagitannins. UA has been shown to improve longevity in the worm species C. elegans. This is because UA is believed to induce the organism to eliminate its own damaged mitochondria, a process known as mitophagy. The purpose of this study is to investigate a potential binding target that UA interacts with called inhibitory factor 1 (IF1) and see if it can narrow down the mechanism of how UA induces mitophagy. UA is also believed to cause shifts in the activity of the protein complexes in the mitochondria that drive the turnover of oxygen to ATP. The study will be analyzing these energy shifts in the complexes as well to better understand the changes that are taking place.

Regulation of axon development by Psilocybin (5-HTR) in vivo, in Xenopus laevis tadpoles

Joseph Siprut (CO 2026)

Recent findings in psychedelic research demonstrated that serotonergic hallucinogens could act as antidepressive agents. This, along with their increasing cultural acceptance and use, warrants study of their properties and influences on the body. It is believed that structural neuroplasticity is the critical factor in producing these antidepressive effects, as the literature indicates that serotonergic psychedelics increase key structural and functional components of neuronal circuits, such as dendritic spine density and functional synapses. It has also been shown that the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor - a receptor targeted by psilocybin - regulates microtubule assembly during growth in rat cortical and sensory neurons.

Years of research have determined the signaling factor, B-catenin, is involved in the development of the ophthalmic nerve in living tadpoles of the aquatic frog, Xenopus laevis. This model system is well suited to elucidating mechanisms of neuronal development because it has strong genetic similarity to humans, is amenable to specific molecular and genetic manipulation, and allows for imaging of individual nerve axons and growth cones directly in their native environment. The current objective is to establish whether the serotonin receptor 5-HT2A signals through B-catenin to modulate nerve growth cone and axon pathfinding in developing nerves. Given the evolutionary conservation of signaling pathways, the results may also establish a fundamental mechanism for how endogenous and exogenous serotonergic substances might affect neuronal circuits in humans. In the long term, this research could advance the understanding of the mechanisms involved neuroplastic effects of serotonergic hallucinogens and potentially lead to novel therapies in the future.