2010-2011 Recipients Of The Degree Doctor Of Philosophy - Thesis Titles

Chun Mathers, B.S. Fudan University 2000, M.S. Fudan University 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Biochemistry

Thesis: Mechanisms and Functional Roles of Pseudouridines in RNAs

Sarah Bliss Matousek, B.S. Houghton College 2004, M.S. University of Rochester 2007; Neurobiology and Anatomy

Thesis: Chronic Neuroinflammation: Contribution of IL-1ß to Prostaglandin Production and Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology

Michael James Moravan, B.S. Clarkson University 2002, M.S. Clarkson University 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2007; Neurobiology and Anatomy

Thesis: Irradiation of Mouse Brain Leads to Neuroinflammation and Delayed Infiltration of Immune Cells: Role of Interleukin-1 and CCR2 Signaling

William Ryan Mowrey, B.S. SUNY Buffalo 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2007; Neuroscience

Thesis: Distributed Control of Sex Differences in the Locomotor Behavior of Caenorhabditis elegans

Ana Tablante Nunes, B.A. Wellesley College 2004, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Physiology

Thesis: Chemotherapeutic Agents and the Central Nervous System: Damage and Protection

Jason Edward Pike, B.S. Cornell University 2005, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Biochemistry

Thesis: Understanding Why Three Pathways are Needed for Synthesis of Eukaryotic Nuclear DNA

Feng Qian, B.Med. Fudan University 1998, M.S. National University of Singapore 2005; Health Services Research and Policy

Thesis: Drug-Eluting Stents in New York State: Utilization, Disparities, Cost, Outcomes and Practice Variation

Emelian Scosyrev, B.S. University of Alabama 2005, M.S. University of Alabama 2006; Epidemiology

Thesis: The Effect of Neo-adjuvant Platinum-based Combination Chemotherapy on Pathological Down- staging and Survival of Patients with Locally Advanced Bladder Cancer

Aththanyake Mudiyanselage Pramodh Bandara Seneviratne, B.S. University of Colombo-Sri Lanka 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2007; Pathology

Thesis: Understanding the Nature of Selective Inhibition of G-Protein ßγ Subunit Signaling Pathways by Small Molecules

Elizabeth Welty Sorensen, B.A. Oberlin College 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2006; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Mechanisms of Vascular and Immune Alteration via Local Cytokine Treatment of Melanoma

Jessica H. Spahn, B.S. Loyola University 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2006; Pathology

Thesis: FasL and IFNγ Effects on the CD8+ T cell Response to Hepatocellular Antigen

Brett Michael Stevens, B.S. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 2005, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Pharmacology

Thesis: The Redox/Fyn/c-Cb1 Pathway and its Interaction with Cool-1 and Heat Shock Protein 90 as a Novel Therapeutic Target in Human Glioblastoma

Vanessa W. Stevens, B.S. University of Rochester 2004; Epidemiology

Thesis: Antibiotic Exposure and Risk of Clostridium difficile Infection: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Xia Wang, B.S. Beijing Normal University 2000, M.S. Beijing Normal University 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2006; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: CD28 Regulation of Interleukin-2 Production

Ying Xian, B.Med. Beijing Medical University 1999; Health Services Research and Policy

Thesis: Do Healthcare Process and Outcomes Differ for Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Admitted to Designated Stroke Centers?

Hui Zhang, B.S. Nankai University 1998, M.S. Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2001, M.S. University of Rochester 2006, M.A. University of Rochester 2007; Statistics

Thesis: Distribution-free Models for Latent Population Mixtures

March 10, 2011 Conferral

Robert D. Bell, B.S. St. Bonaventure University 2004, M.S. University of Rochester 2009; Pathology

Thesis: Cerebral Vascular Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease

Olivia Kazumi Tono Block, B.A. St. John Fisher College 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2007; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Evaluation of Dengue Envelope Glycoprotein Domain III as a Subunit Vaccine Candidate for Prophylaxis of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever/Shock Syndrome

Tamara L. Caterino, B.S. St. John Fisher College 2002, M.S. University of Rochester 2006; Biochemistry

Thesis: Molecular Determinants of Linker Histone Binding to Nucleosomes

Kevin D. Cook, B.S. SUNY Buffalo 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2006; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: The Regulation of GATA-3 Expression and Function During Th2 Differentiation

Michael DeRan, B.S. St. Bonaventure University 2004, M.S. University of Rochester 2007; Biochemistry

Thesis: The Role of NPAT in S-Phase-Dependent Histone Gene Transcription and DNA Double-Strand Break Repair

David Anderson Dunn, B.S. Brigham Young University 1999, M.S. Brigham Young University 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2006; Pathology

Thesis: Allotopic Expression of ATP6 in the Mouse as a Model of Targeted Mitochondrial DNA Mutation

Amanda Lee Getty, B.A. Skidmore College 2004, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Biochemistry

Thesis: Studies of the Cell Biology of CLN3 and Cell Motility Defects in the Cln3-/- Mouse

Soner Gündemir, B.S. Middle East Technical University 2005, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Pharmacology

Thesis: Elucidating the Role of Transglutaminase 2 in Cellular Response to Hypoxic Stress

Chao Huang, B.S. Beijing Normal University 2001, M.S. Beijing Normal University 2004, M.S. University of Rochester 2006; Biochemistry

Thesis: 2’-O-methylation of Yeast Telomerase RNA

Youngnam Jin, B.S. Inha University 1997, M.S. Seoul National University 1999, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Pharmacology

Thesis: Transcriptional Dysregulation and Metabolic Defects in Huntington Disease: The Beneficial Effects of PPARgamma Activation

David W. Johnson, B.S. SUNY Oswego 2005, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Biochemistry

Thesis: Mitochondrial Membrane Fusion, pH Homeostasis and ROS Signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans

Michelle Megan Kiebala, B.S. SUNY Geneseo 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Targeting HIV-1 Associated Neurocognitive Disorder (HAND): Endogenous and Exogenous Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms

Miranda L. Lynch, B.S. California State University 1989, M.S. University of Colorado 2005, M.A. University of Rochester 2006; Statistics

Thesis: Estimation, Model Checking and Diagnostics in Finite Mixture Models for Point Mass Data: Methods in a Bayesian Framework

Stephen J. Raiker, B.A. LaSalle University 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2007; Neuroscience

Thesis: The Nogo-66 Receptor, NgR1, Regulates Structural and Functional Plasticity at Schaffer Collateral-Ca1 Synapses

Jason D. Salter, B.S. SUNY Brockport 2002, M.S. University of Rochester, 2007; Biochemistry

Thesis:  Biophysical Characterization of the HIV-1 Viral Infectivity Factor and the Intrinsic-Immunity Factor APOBEC3G

Arnulfo Torres Peña, B.A. Universidad Santo Tomas de Aquino 1991, M.D. Colegio Mayor del Rosario- Bogota 1997, M.S. Fordham University 2002, M.S. University of Rochester 2006; Neuroscience

Thesis: Extracellular Calcium as a Novel Mediator of Neuron-Glia Communication

Weiye Wang, B.S. Fudan University 2005, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Pharmacology

Thesis: A Novel Role of HDAC5 in Flow-Induced Gene Expression

May 13, 2011 Conferral

Maria Teresa Arévalo, B.S. University of Rochester 2004, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Dengue Viral Infection of Endothelial Cells and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever

Kendra Ann Bussey, B.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2005, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Identification and Characterization of Polymerase Mutations that Contribute to Influenza Adaptation to Mammalian Hosts

Fanny Lys Casado Peña, B.S. Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru 2003, M.S. Michigan Technological University 2006, M.S. University of Rochester 2009; Toxicology

Thesis: Activation of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Signaling by 2,3,7,8 Tetra-chlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) Alters Cell Function and Pathway-specific Gene Modulation of Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells

Winnie M. Chan, B.S. UC Santa Cruz 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Microbiology and Immunology

Thesis: Investigating the Function of Vaccinia Virus Protein A33 during Morphogenesis, Egress, and Infectivity

Eugene Chang, B.A. University of Chicago 2007, M.S. University of Rochester 2009; Pathology

Thesis: The Role of MK2 in Endothelial Biology

André R. Chappel, B.A. University of Rochester 2003; Health Services Research and Policy

Thesis: General Surgery – Is It Critical to Rural Hospital Performance?

Chun-Wei David Chen, B.S. National Taiwan University 1996, M.S. National Taiwan University 1998, M.S. University of Rochester 2009; Pathology

Thesis: The Role of Phospholipid Scramblase 1 in G-CSF-induced Granulopoiesis

Keith M. Connelly, B.S. University of Northern Iowa 2005, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Biochemistry

Thesis: Quality Control and Organization of Small Ribosomal Subunit Biogenesis

Maya K. Desai, B.S. UC San Diego 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Pharmacology

Thesis: The Genesis of Region-specific White Matter Deficits during Early Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis

Samantha Jean England, B.A. Lake Forest College 2004, M.S. University of Rochester 2007; Genetics

Thesis: Immature Erythroblasts with Extensive Ex Vivo Self-Renewal Capacity Emerge from the Early Mammalian Fetus

Kriti Gaur, B.A. Clark University 2004, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Biochemistry

Thesis: A Role for Tumor Suppressor Gene Birt-Hogg-Dubé in Regulating Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) Synthesis

Christopher M. Hine, B.S. Youngstown State University 2004, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Biochemistry

Thesis: Defying and Defeating Cancer: Hyaluronic Acid and the Rad51 Promoter

Rachel Mroczek Johnston, B.S. Elon University 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2007; Pathology

Thesis: The Role of Protease Activated Receptors in Osteoblast Differentiation

John Joseph Karijolich, B.A. Ripon College 2005, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Biochemistry

Thesis: Regulation of Translation by Box H/ACA RNP-mediated Post-transcriptional Modification

Jason R. LaCombe, B.A. SUNY Potsdam 2004, M.A. University of Rochester 2006; Statistics

Thesis: Non-Informative Priors for Structural Inference in Bayesian Networks

Susan Sojung Lee, B.A. Pomona College 2000, M.S. University of Rochester 2009; Neuroscience

Thesis: Audiovisual Integration During Language Comprehension: The Neural Basis of Social Communication in Autism and Typical Development

Ning Liu, B.S. Northeast Normal University of China 2000, M.S. University of Rochester 2005; Biochemistry

Thesis: Mechanism of ySWI/SNF and RSC Catalyzed Nucleosome Sliding

Michael S. Madejczyk, B.A. Alfred University 1999, M.S. University of Rochester 2009; Toxicology

Thesis: Identification and Characterization of Cellular Manganese Efflux Mechanisms

David Frank Meoli, B.A. Dartmouth College 2000, M.S. University of Rochester 2007; Pharmacology

Thesis: Vascular Cell Migration in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Clint Lee Miller, B.S. University of Maryland 2003, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Pharmacology

Thesis: Novel Roles for Phosphodiesterase 1 in Regulating Cyclic Nucleotide Signaling in Pathological Cardiac Remodeling

Min Sun Park, B.S. Sogang University 1999, M.S. Texas A&M University 2005, M.S. University of Rochester 2008; Biophysics

Thesis: Computational Studies of Proteins: Dynamics and Interactions with Small Molecules