As the global population of people over 65 increases, so does the risk for developing dementia such as Alzheimer’s Disease. This neurodegenerative disease leads to severe cognitive decline and memory deficits as a result of dysregulation in neurons. While the symptoms of Alzheimer's are well-characterized, the mechanisms contributing to this disease pathology are not fully understood. In this study, I used rhesus macaques as models for age-related cognitive decline based on their similarities in brain structure with humans. The RNA sequencing data in this study came from four different types of glial cells in the entorhinal cortex of the brain: oligodendrocytes, microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). I observed that glial cell classes exhibit sex differences in cell composition, with males generally displaying greater changes in cell composition with age than females. A greater number of differentially expressed genes were upregulated with age than were downregulated. Multiple genes in every glial cell class were directly related to neuronal function and maintenance. Generally, genes upregulated with age in these cells were related to synaptic signaling and neuron development. These findings showcase changes in glial cells that could potentially be linked to cellular pathways involved in Alzheimer’s pathogenesis. With a more robust understanding of how specific genes in these types of cells change with age, it could be possible to improve early disease detection methods.

This investigation investigates the impact of ARAF knockdown on the invasion capabilities of breast epithelial cells carrying the TP53 R273C mutation, a prevalent genetic alteration in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Through the use of invasion assays, the study uncovers an unexpected increase in invasion following ARAF knockdown in mutant cell lines. Further analysis hints at the presence of a novel truncated ARAF protein, challenging traditional notions of ARAF's role in cancer. These findings offer insights into potential therapeutic targets for TNBC and underscore the significance of exploring the functional implications of genetic mutations in cancer progression.

This thesis explores the dynamics of zoonotic reservoirs in the Peromyscus genus, illuminating their critical function in the spread of zoonotic viruses and their public health consequences. Through analysis of research publications on viruses in Peromyscus species, this study articulates a framework for synthesizing diverse types of evidence, e.g. about species-specific immune responses and ecological interactions, to determine reservoir host status. A comprehensive examination of the collected literature reveals significant gaps in the accepted meanings of "competence" and "reservoir," highlighting the intricacy of the ecology of disease. By integrating these insights with a reorganized spillover chart derived from Plowright et al. (2017) zoonotic spillover frameworks, the thesis provides a clearer understanding of transmission dynamics and advances conceptual foundations for a broader database of reservoir host species.

The primary objective of this study is to explore the lived experience of individuals in CCRCs, with a focus on healthy aging within the United States healthcare system, using Arizona as a representative example of broader regional healthcare structures. This objective was guided by three research questions: 1) How do residents in CCRCs perceive healthy aging within the context of their community? 2) Do specific features of the built environment either facilitate or hinder individual health objectives? 3) Is there a connection between healthy aging and access to healthcare within CCRCs? The anticipated outcomes aim to offer fresh perspectives on residents' perceptions within these communities, examining how particular features either bolster or pose challenges to their health objectives. These perspectives will ultimately offer new insights into planned community design at a granular level within the American context.

By 2050, feeding the world will require a 70% increase in food production with fewer water resources due to climate change. New strategies are needed to replace current approaches. C3 photosynthesis is inefficient due to photorespiration, but synthetic biology offers a way to increase photosynthetic efficiency and crop yields, such as the tartronyl-CoA (TaCo) pathway. This project assesses the TaCo pathway in the chloroplast of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and represents a pivotal step toward its practical application in higher plants for use in agriculture and biotechnology.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia is one of the world’s coldest capital cities with roughly 1.5 million residents. About fifty percent of the city’s residents are off the electrical grid and millions continue to live nomadic lifestyles, raising livestock for food. Problematically, residents often turn to raw coal - Mongolia’s largest export - as a means to cook food and stay warm. Project Koyash is a philanthropic engineering initiative that was founded in the Arizona State University Program Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) to combat the air quality crisis plaguing the ger districts of Ulaanbaatar. Koyash has already deployed 13 fully functional and autonomous units consisting of a solar powered air filtration system in Ulaanbaatar. Koyash innovated a solution of solar panels, air filters, batteries, inverters, PCB Arduinos, and other necessary components for providing crucial humanitarian services. The team is working to send more units and develop a local supply chain for the systems. This thesis project explores the development of Koyash, assesses the human health implications of air pollution, and reflects on the entire process.

A genome wide association study (GWAS) of treatment outcomes for citalopram and escitalopram, two frontline SSRI treatments for Major Depressive Disorder, was conducted with 529 subjects on an imputed dataset. While no variants of genome-wide significance were identified, various potentially interesting variants were identified that warrant further exploration. These findings have the potential to elucidate novel mechanisms underlying drug response for SSRIs. This work will be continued further, with machine learning and deep learning analyses to perform non-linear analyses and employing a biologist or geneticist to provide more specialized knowledge for interpretation of results.

Protist-dependent termites participate in an obligate symbiosis with the community of protists in their hindgut. The termite host and protist symbionts are interdependent, with the host relying on their symbionts to digest the cellulose in their wood-based diet. Cospeciation is commonly observed between hosts and their symbiotic protists due to the strict vertical inheritance of symbionts via a process called proctodeal trophallaxis (anus-to-mouth feeding). While codiversification is an expected pattern, not all protist lineages follow this trend and must be investigated on a case-by-case basis. Protist hindgut communities were characterized from termite hosts of the major lineage Neoisoptera (excluding Termitidae, which lack symbiotic protists) in order to observe the differential pattern of cospeciation between protist lineages and host. 18S sequencing was performed on isolated protist cells from the phylum Parabasalia, specifically the genera: Pseudotrichonympha, Holomastigotoides, Cononympha, and Cthulhu and used to infer their phylogenies, evaluate their presence/absence across Neoisoptera hosts, and assess their congruency with the host tree. Pseudotrichonympha is observed to be present in almost all investigated termites and displays a strong pattern of codiversification with hosts, all having a single, unique species present (except one host with two). Holomastigotoides and Cononympha are missing in many host species and subfamilies and are generally found to have 2 species per host (sometimes 3-4 Holomastigotoides species). Cthulhu was present at the lowest frequency which may suggest it is not host specific. This investigation highlights variability of termite and protist coevolution, even when examining symbionts from the same host lineage.

Type one diabetes is a complex disease and may affect physical and mental health. These mental health effects include the impacts of stigma which may result from misconceptions. Physical health effects may include not following diabetes self-management behaviors, which increases the risk of short-term hypoglycemia complications and long-term hyperglycemia complications. This online study investigated how stigma affects type one diabetes self-management behaviors. This study sample was adults aged 18 years or older with type one diabetes. These participants were recruited from online social media platforms including Instagram, Reddit, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts. Quantitative data was collected through an online survey and qualitative data was collected through an online interview. Results show that misunderstanding type one diabetes is a major factor that results in social stigma behaviors. As a result, the majority of adults with type one diabetes experience internal stigma and affected self-management behaviors to a certain extent, depending on the amount of support, education, and experience the individual has.