The Graduate Student Association (GSA) and the Graduate College welcome the Drexel community to join us for our next Scholars Share: Conversations on Graduate Student Research to hear from current graduate students about their research endeavors and a faculty moderator who will facilitate questions and discussion from the audience. Lunch is provided to attendees.

Wednesday, April 24, 2019
12:00 - 1:00PM
Graduate Student Lounge
Main Building, Lower Level, Room 010A
3141 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Watch the Recording [YouTube]

View Event Photos [Flickr]

Featured Speakers:

Christine Call

PhD Program in Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences

When Physical Activity Isn't Enough: Correlates or Weight Gain Among Active Young Adults

Christine is a fourth year PhD student in Drexel's clinical psychology program, where she is mentored by Meghan Butryn, PhD and is a member of the WELL (Weight Eating and Lifestyle Science) Center. After receiving her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Princeton University in 2012, she worked as a research assistant at the Columbia Center for Eating Disorders, where she primarily coordinated a multi-site medication trial for the treatment of anorexia nervosa. Upon beginning graduate school at Drexel, Christine began to explore her interest in behavioral treatments for obesity and weight gain prevention. She is particularly interested in identifying predictors of treatment outcomes in behavioral weight loss and weight gain prevention programs. She is also interested in examining the impact of physical activity on eating and weight problems.

Christine will present on the finding's of her master's thesis, which examined the relationship of behavioral and psychological factors to weight change in a sample of young adults who were meeting national physical activity guidelines. Young adults are at high risk for excess weight gain, which is concerning given that weight gain early in adulthood increases the risk of obesity-related comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. While physical activity is often portrayed as a powerful predictor of weight gain prevention, the relationship between physical activity and weight is complicated by other behavioral and psychological factors that also impact weight. It is crucial, therefore, to understand which factors are associated with weight gain, even when individuals are engaging in the recommended amount of physical activity. Christine will discuss her findings and their implications, as well as the challenges of conducting research on this topic.

Asia Sarycheva

PhD Program in Materials Science and Engineering
College of Engineering

Transparent and Flexible Communication: Materials Science is Changing Antennas

Asia is a third year PhD student in the Materials Science and Engineering department. She graduated from Moscow State University with master’s degree in chemistry, then joined Dr. Yury Gogotsi’s nanomaterials research group. During her time at Drexel, Asia has published two first-author papers and is involved in collaborative research with her peers. She mentored three senior design teams, one of which won 2nd place in the 2018 College of Engineering competition. She is also involved in the Materials Science community as President of the Materials Research Society Drexel student chapter. Her research focuses on fundamental studies of 2D materials MXenes, especially their vibrations, bonding and composition via Raman Spectroscopy.

During her doctoral studies, Asia is exploring various applications of MXenes. Last year, her work on MXene antennas and RFID tags was published in Science Advances and was featured as one of the Drexel "Top Stories of the Year". Asia will focus her talk around MXene antennas and RFID tags and will explain how new materials, MXenes, discovered at Drexel University, will open avenues for flexible, wearable and transparent antennas.

Caitlyn Rice

MS Program in Drug Discovery and Development
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies, College of Medicine

Allosteric Modulations of the Dopamine Transporter: A Potential Therapy for Cocaine Addiction

Caitlyn is a second year master's student in the Drug Discovery and Development program, studying in Dr. Ole Mortensen's lab. She is originally from Macedonia, Ohio and went to Kent State University for her bachelor's degree in biological science. In her senior year, she took a course called "Neurobiology of Drug Addiction" which sparked her interest in addictions research and motivation to go on for her master's degree. Caitlyn is curious about how the brain works and the various pathways that can be controlled and hijacked by addictive drugs. Since working with Dr. Mortensen and her peers, her curiosity about drug addiction and its impact on the brain has expanded.

Caitlyn will discuss dopamine in the brain, the dopamine transporter, how cocaine works, what cocaine addiction is and prevalence, a brief overview of our compound and how it works, and our ultimate goal, challenges, and benefits of my study.

Faculty Moderator:

Michael Ryan, PhD

Director of Academic Support, Graduate Pipeline Programs
Associate Department Head of Graduate Studies, Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Assistant Teaching Professor, College of Engineering