Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2011

Mentor:                        Craig M. Powell, MD, PhD
Department:                Neurology and Neurotherapeutics (joint in Psychiatry)
Room number:            ND4.502A
Mail Code:                   8813
Phone number:           214-645-6251
E-mail:             craig.powell@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title:                 Research on Animal Models of Autism or Alzheimer’s

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):  0941-07-01-1

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)
Animal-based basic research

Brief Description of Project:
The student(s) will contribute to ongoing behavioral, biochemical, or neuronal morphology studies in genetic animal models relevant to autism or Alzheimer’s Disease.  Such studies involve directly working with mice or mouse tissues to investigate the molecular and cellular basis of these neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

James Kim (SUMR Berkley undergraduate) 2004 & 2005 à Publication in JBCàMD student at UTSW
Shukla, K., Kim, J., Blundell, J. & Powell, C.M. (2007) Learning-induced GluR1 phosphorylation in the hippocampus resembles that induced by LTP. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 282, 18100-18107.

Kendall Walters (UTSW Medical Student à Switched to M.D./Ph.D. program 2005àMD student

Eric Williams (UTSW Medical Student) 2006

Nirav Das (UTSW Medical Student) 2008

Grace Tung (UTSW Medical Student) 2009

Michael Jennings (SUMR undergrad, Wake Forest University) 2010àMD student at UTSW