Project Mentor

Dr. Caroline Dealy
Departments of Craniofacial Sciences/Cell Biology/Orthopedic Surgery/Biomedical Engineering

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Description

Project Description	The long term goal of this project is to develop a treatment for Osteoarthritis, a painful and debilitating disease caused by loss of articular cartilage of the joints (eg, knee or jaw). We have found that BMP and EGFR signals act antagonistically to control cartilage growth. We want to better understand this interaction so we can one day stimulate re-growth of articular cartilage lost in osteoarthritis. We found that mice that lack BMP develop osteoarthritis. We are testing the hypothesis that EGFR signals are upregulated in these mice, and that this is involved in cartilage loss. For this purpose this summer project will quantify levels of EGFR signaling and other cellular responses in the knee and/or jaw cartilage of these mice, using immunohistochemistry, image analysis and statistical analysis. Most of the tissue is already available; work with living animals will not be required. After the project is complete, the student will learn how to prepare and present a research poster which will be given at Frontiers and possibly at an additional nearby conference.
Project Direction	Articular cartilage is the smooth, shock absorbing tissue that covers the ends of the long bones of the joints. In osteoarthritis, this tissue is lost, and pain and disability ensues. People have thought that osteoarthritis is the inevitable consequence of ageing and that the cartilage just “wears out”. However, we now know that what actually happens in osteoarthritis is that in response to injurious signals, the chondrocytes of the cartilage revert to a progenitor or “stem-cell” like state, and adopt behaviors similar to embryonic chondrocytes. This is interpreted as an attempt by the chondrocytes to repair damage caused by the injurious signal, but the repair is not properly executed, and the result is less cartilage, instead of more. By understanding how this happens, and identifying the signals that control proper vs improper regenerative responses, we may be able to develop a way to re-grow cartilage in patients who have osteoarthritis. Several projects in the lab are pursing these directions, these are projects that the student could become involved in over the academic year and into next summer, and ideally, into an honors or similar project.
Mentorship and Supervision	The selected student will join a team of fellow undergrads, grad students and research staff. My mentor philosophy is to develop specific goals and for the student to develop autonomy in at least some aspect of their project by midsummer, so they can experience a sense of ownership of their research project and satisfaction in reaching their goals. In addition to informal meetings, I meet at least twice formally with each student each week. One meeting is to discuss research plans/progress/challenges and the other is a group meeting where everyone in the lab takes turns presenting – their research, a paper they are interested in, or a novel technology related to the project. These meetings may be in person or via Web. On a day to day basis in the lab, students are paired with a senior undergrad or grad student from whom they will learn technical skills and receive peer advice. My lab is collaborative, everyone pitches in to help each other out as needed.
Student Qualifications	The most important qualification is genuine excitement to engage in scientific research; ideally (assuming the student is a rising sophomore) with intent to carry a project developed over the summer forward over the student’s academic career, culminating in an honors or similar project, and a research publication and presentation at an external scientific conference. Prior experience is not required, we will teach all technical skills. The student should be a good verbal communicator and a good writer, and they should like to read. In addition to a common goal to enhance basic understanding of biological events, most of the projects in my lab also have a goal to become translated to a clinical therapy. The process of translation of scientific discovery into a clinical therapy is called “research commercialization” and this involves patenting, market analysis, corporate partners and investors. While these considerations are not part of the summer project directly, they do influence experimental design, and become part of the research conversation. Accordingly, having strong interest in research commercialization as a concept, is a plus.
Summer Schedule Options	Research Dates: May 23 to July 29, 2022 Schedule: M-F, 9am-5pm
Project Continuation	Fall 2022, Spring 2023
Academic Year Time Commitment	6- 9 hours/week
Possible Thesis Project	Yes

Application

Submit an online application for this research opportunity at https://quest.uconn.edu/prog/HRP22-8. The application deadline is Monday, January 31, 2022.

This application requires a resume or CV, an unofficial transcript, a brief statement of research interests, and a brief statement of career interests. References should be available upon request.