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Cristal Auger is an undergraduate researcher at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, concentrating in biology and data science with a minor in business. Within the Blakely Lab, she studies dopamine (DA) signaling using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. DA signaling is integral in cognitive function, with alterations leading to brain disorders including Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, autism, and addiction. The DA-dependent phenotype swimming-induced paralysis (Swip) indicates altered DA-signaling in C. elegans. DA-dependent Swip was screened for across 300 strains of the Million Mutation Project (MMP) library, a resource of chemically mutagenized and fully sequenced C. elegans lines. Her research in the lab consists of bioinformatic evaluations, AI analysis, and experimental trials to identify novel gene candidates responsible for altered DA-signaling in MMP lines where DA-dependent Swip has been found.

Ashley is an undergraduate researcher in the Blakely Lab studying how regulation of the serotonin transporter (SERT) shapes social behavior. SERT plays a critical role in maintaining serotonin homeostasis, and alterations in serotonin signaling have been implicated in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by changes in social function. Ashley contributes to studies of a genetically modified mouse model carrying an alanine substitution at SERT threonine 276 (SERT T276A), a site required for protein kinase G (PKG)-dependent regulation of SERT. Studies of these mice have revealed sex-dependent behavioral alterations, including reduced sociability in females. Building on these findings, Ashley’s project investigates whether disruption of SERT Thr276 regulation also alters maternal care, allowing her to determine whether the female social phenotype extends beyond sociability to social nurturing behaviors. Through behavioral studies of T276A females and their offspring, her work seeks to better understand how altered regulation of serotonin signaling influences distinct dimensions of female social behavior.

Ahmarne Hammett is an undergraduate student at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, majoring in cellular neuroscience with a minor in interdisciplinary ethics. Within the Blakely Lab, she assists with worm preparation, whether NGM agar plates or simply seeding these plates with E.coli bacteria. Alongside this, she assists with experiments and follow through with any protocols needed by her supervisor, Dr. Zaka Asif, such as performing bleach synchronization or preparing L4 worms for microscopic studies.

Sam Mittleman is an undergraduate student at the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, majoring in cellular neuroscience. Within the lab he is working to understand the connection between inflammation, the serotonin system, and neuropsychiatric disorders with a special interest in autism spectrum disorder with Dr. Paula Kurdziel. He helps with performing tasks and experiments in the lab. In his free time he enjoys reading books, playing games, and going out with friends.