Project Mentor
Dr. Paola Bargagna-Mohan
Neuroscience
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Description
| Project Description | The cornea is the transparent tissue in the front of the eye, and its main function is to refract light. Injury/insult and diseases compromise corneal clarity, cause fibrosis and scarring, and ultimately blindness (4th leading cause of worldwide blindness). The corneal myofibroblasts are a differentiated mesenchymal cells known to cause fibrosis, and they are well studied. Now, we have discovered another type of corneal cells that actively contribute to corneal fibrosis: the corneal Schwann cells. This is the first time these cells are studied/explored in mouse corneas. The student researcher will contribute to characterizing these cells during wound healing and/or pathological fibrosis. |
| Project Direction | Corneal Schwann cells are not yet characterized in the cornea, and nothing is know about their contribution to healing/fibrosis after injury.
In vivo and in vitro experiments will be conducted to understand corneal Schwann cell’s role after injury. |
| Mentorship and Supervision | A defined project will be prepared for the summer. Training of the candidate student will depend on her/his prior experience(s), if any. Training will be performed by myself, and/or other students currently in the lab. Monitoring and results will be discussed daily; we prefer to challenge our students, so candidates will have the opportunity to rationalize potential mistakes, discuss alternative strategies. Feedback will be provided at every step of the learning curve, and during experiments. |
| Student Qualifications | There are not specific qualifications needed. However, a good understanding of general cell biology is suggested to speed the start of the project. General lab techniques: cell culture, immunohistochemistry, western blotting, flow cytometry, tissue sectioning (cryostat). We are willing to teach specific skills. Our main goals are: 1- to help the student(s) to understand and acquire new knowledge about the specific project 2- to achieve results, potentially to be used for meeting abstracts and/or papers. |
| Summer Schedule Options | Research Dates: May 28 to August 2, 2019 Schedule: M-F, 9am-5pm |
| Project Continuation | Fall 2019, Spring 2020 |
| Academic Year Time Commitment | 9 hours/week |
| Possible Thesis Project | Yes |
Application
Submit an online application for this research opportunity at https://quest.uconn.edu/prog/HRP19-1/. The application deadline is Monday, February 4, 2019.
This application requires a cover letter, a resume or CV, a brief statement of research interests, and a brief statement of career interests.