����ý

Undergraduates at ����ý Jupiter Presented Recent Research Findings During Annual Campus Event

����ý’s John D. MacArthur Campus at Jupiter hosted its annual Fall Research Symposium on Nov. 21, featuring presentations of 17 undergraduate research projects.

The research covered a range of biological and biomedical, social, and economic topics, including exploring novel treatments for breast cancer, the effects of prenatal oxycodone exposure, diagnosing early Alzheimer’s disease, and the importance of representation in female entrepreneurship. The symposium offered students an opportunity to practice explaining their work to individuals with differing levels of scientific expertise, answer questions and receive feedback on their findings.

Students conducted their research in labs throughout the biomedical research hub at the Jupiter campus, including at Florida Atlantic’s Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, the Zeiss Microscopy Solutions Center, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI), and the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology. Several students also conducted their research with off-campus partner organizations, including the Center for Child Counseling in Palm Beach Gardens.

For instance, Avinash Kanakam, a student in the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, is studying the neuroscience behind overeating under the mentorship of Sarah Stern, Ph.D., research group leader at MPFI.

“A certain type of neuron fires for preferential eating,” Kanakam said. “Mice eat unexciting food when they are hungry, but they still eat exciting food when they should be full.”

Kanakam is working to identify the neurons that are firing during this process of eating when the body does not actually need food. He said he hopes to target these neurons to potentially create therapeutics to combat overeating.

Lauren Reynolds, also a Wilkes Honors College student and a Morton Research Scholar, presented her work facilitating a therapeutic intervention program. Dubbed “SNAP” – Stop Now and Plan – it is designed to alleviate psychological and behavioral issues resulting from adverse childhood experiences.

“SNAP helps children develop skills to deal with emotions and have positive interpersonal communication by using interactive exercises and games,” Reynolds said. “I saw first-hand a girl who came in with severe emotional issues due to abuse, and by session nine was able to interact, participate and implement the skills taught in the program.”

The symposium, which is hosted by the campus’s Office of Academic Affairs, was attended by undergraduate and graduate students, Florida Atlantic faculty and staff, scientists from partner institutions, and members of the public.


Avinash Kanakam


Lauren Reynolds