A'nya
Smith
Sponsor: Artyom Kopp, Ph.D. Ag Evolution & Ecology The Drosophila sex comb is a recently evolved, male-specific modification of the ancestral mechanosensory bristle used during mating. Sex comb bristles are comparatively much thicker and longer than mechanosensory bristles. A larger bristle could arise due to earlier development onset or accelerated growth. Previous work showed early specification is insufficient to explain sex comb formation. Sex comb's early specification results from positionality, as female homologs exhibit the same specification pattern. Therefore, we hypothesize that the sex comb arises through accelerated growth. Firstly, we visualized bristle growth throughout development of sex comb and mechanosensory bristles using RFP-tagged bristle markers. Results supported the accelerated growth hypothesis. We then conducted single-cell RNA-sequencing comparing sex comb and mechanosensory bristle cells and found increased expression of genes related to ATP production and endoreplication, DNA replication without cell division. Testing whether increases in ploidy and energy availability are required to produce a sex comb, we used the GAL4-UAS system to perturb cell cycle or ATP production related genes to decrease ploidy or energy availability in sex comb cells, producing phenotypes resembling the mechanosensory bristle. Together, these results demonstrate the crucial role of accelerated growth through endoreplication and energy increase in producing the novel sex comb. Exploring the Racial Bias of Endometriosis and its Effects on The Diagnosis and Follow Up Care of Black Women
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A'nya Smith
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Endometriosis has historically been framed as a disease of "civilization," only affecting white women of higher class. The racialization of this disease began with private patients being served, denoting the relationship of diagnosis to socioeconomic status and race. The lack of diagnosis in Black women in the mid- twentieth century resulted in an overwhelming lack of treatment for Black women with endometriosis today, with their symptoms frequently mischaracterized and dismissed. This has led to an acknowledgement and advocacy for the clinical consequences, we designed a case study exploring the lived experience of a Black woman who had a delayed endometriosis diagnosis. We will implement this case study in upper-division pre-health courses to task students with analyzing the physiological mechanisms of endometriosis in Black women in conjunction with to more fully identify causes, increase medical provider awareness of the injustice surrounding racialized care, and advocate to address endometriosis healthcare disparities. Systematic accountability in promoting ethical diagnostic protocols will improve the quality of treatment and equitability for anyone that may struggle with endometriosis. Investigation of Hyperfusion on Mitochondrial Transport by Constitutively Active Kinesin Clive Smith
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UC Davis / Neuro Physio & Behavior / 2026
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A'nya Smith