2008 Capstone Activities for Human Biology Concentrators

The culminating requirement for the Human Biology concentration program is the Capstone Activity. The Capstone should capture the spirit of the program in the form of either an original research project; an advanced seminar; or (occasionally) an internship activity.

Proposed Capstones must be approved by the Concentration Advisor.

The Capstone must be carried out under the supervision of a Brown University professor, an investigator at a Brown-affiliated hospital, or in conjunction with an organization or university conducting a Brown University-sanctioned program.

It is expected that the Capstone will commence not before the 6th or 7th semester (or intervening summer) and for most, will take place during the senior year.

Should the goal be Honors in Human Biology, the Capstone should take the form of a substantial research project vis a vis BIOL 1950/1960. (see listings at http://bms.brown.edu/bug/research.html)

Here is a list that will provide some past history on projects undertaken.

Sample Capstone Projects in Human Biology
(Honors or 1950/1960)

Faculty Sponsor

HB Theme

Project Title
Bruce Becker

H/D

Adult women with physical disabilities in Rhode Island and their access to reproductive health care.
Philip Lieberman BB Role of subcortical circuits in regulating motor and cognitive control
Sheila Blumstein BB Effects of aging and brain injury on the interaction of lexical access and spoken word production.
Robert Reenan HD RNA thermometers
Lawrence Street BB FMRI study of a population of at risk cardiovascular disease patients
Celia Lescano H/D Effects of Family Environment Upon Sexual risk Behaviors.
Heather Leslie EE The effects of thermal stress on barnacle distribution and survival in Narragansett Bay
Fred Jackson HD The impact of tumeric consumption on Alzheimer's disease in India
Stephen McGarvey HD The role of the community health worker in facilitating provider-patient communication about diabetes in American Samoa
Curt Beckwith, MD HD Integration into care of HIV positive refugees in RI
Roberta Gordon HD Distribution of information and its effects on access to health care services
Patricia Risica H/D Create web site for pediatricians on counseling for obesity prevention ("Obesity: Behaviroral Intervention for all Children").
Laura Stroud EE Child Stress Lab
Laura Stroud HD The effects of nicotine on breast-fed neonates
Patricia Symonds H/D Scaling-up Antiretroviiral Therapy in Papua New Guinea, Haiti, and Botswana.
Patricia Symonds BB Women, human rights and HIV/AIDS-internship with UNAIDS in Bangkok, Thailand
Stephen McGarvey/Geralyn Messerlian HD Investigating infertility in the women of Samoa
Mary Hixon EE Crafting an effective environmental science education
Wen-Ming Chu H/D Role of HMGb1 in TLR7-mediated cytokine response to R848.
Ulrike Mende HD Role of G protein-mediated signaling and RGS proteins in EPAC and periostin expression and localization in neonatal and adult
Abigail Harrison H/D Balancing Contradictory Ideals: How South African women make decisions about their reproductive health in the context of HIV/AIDS.
Steven Moss H/D Trefoil-binding proteins, H. pylori and gastric cancer.
Mary Flynn H/D Comparing a plant-based olive oil diet to a convential diet for improvement in fasting insulin levels and weight loss among women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer after the age of 50.
Lundy Braun H/D Masking Uncertainty: The Complex Biology of HPV and thte Social Implications of the HPV Vaccine.
Erna Kojic, MD H/D Prevalence of Anogenital HPV and HPV-Related Disease in HIV-Infected Women.
Suzanne delaMonte, MD H/D Role of Environmental Toxins as Mediators of Alzheimer's Disease-Type Neurodegeneration.
Alfred Ayala H/D Determination of the Effect of Intra-peritoneally Delivered Caspase-12 siRNA to the Development of not only Local Leukocyte Activation/Apoptosis but Overall Mortality during Sepsis.
Katherine Phillips B/B Severity of Interpersonal Problems in Individuals with Body Dysmorphic Disorder.
Michelle Lally, MD R/G Medical Exclusion Criteria in Clinical Trials Discourages Minority Involvement.
W.C. LaFrance, Jr., MD H/D B/B A lab test for differentiating epileptic from non-epileptic seizures.
Patricia Symonds H/D Organ donation and Transplanatation in Korea.
Lundy Braun H/D R/G Making sense of Race in Medicine: Genetic vs. Social Explanations for Breast Cancer Disparities.
Judith Owens, MD H/D Sleep Habits and Stimulant Use in a Population of College-Aged Adolescents.
Johanna Schmitt E/E Natural Variation in the Ability of Cold to Induce Germination and Reunduce Dormany in Arabidopsis Thaliana.
Stephen McGarvey H/D Health of modernizing populations in Samoa areas.
Stephen Sheinkopf H/D Fetal neurobehavioral assessment in response to social stimulus
Patricia Risica H/D Emerging contraception: Patient behaviors.
John Boekamp H/D B/B Maternal Affect and Child Behavior.
Steven Moss H/D The role of helobacter pylori in gastric carcinogenesis.
Alvaro Tinajero H/D Reform of the US Health Care System.
Cynthia Jackson H/D Expressing mutations in RMRP responsible for causing Cartilage Hair Hypoplasia.
Debra Lobato R/G The impact of family and culture in children's/adolescent's lives.
Robert Vanderslice H/D R/G The economic and public health implications of denying health care to immigrants in RI.
Kim Gans H/D Applying Behavior Change theory to RI statewide intervention to increase physical activity.
Betty Vohr B/B Mother-Infant Interactions and Language Development among Children with Hearing Loss.
Judith Shaw B/B Effect of parental involvement on the misbehavioral setting.
Laurie Heller B/B The role of a transient in event perception.
Laura Stroud H/D Difference in dimorphic physiological response to achievement stressors in children of mothers who smoked while pregnant.
Lundy Braun R/G African-American views of health.
Laura Stroud H/D The Effect of Physical Fitness on Physiological Reactivity to Psychological Stress: A Meta-Analysis.
Stephen Sheinkopf B/B Vagal tone in autistic disorders.
Stephen McGarvey H/D Schistosomiasis Japoncium & Wasting: Infection induced Cachexia and the effect of cytokines.
Laura Stroud H/D Studies in behavioral medicine regarding Children.
Marc Tatar H/D Diet induced gene expression in Drosophila.
Stephen McGarvey H/D Longitudinal Analysis of the Effects of Coconut Consumption on Blood Lipids in Moderinizing Samoans.
Jennifer Mitty H/D DOTS drug adherence among HIV positive women who have children.
Sharon Swartz H/D Sealing of bone microstructure.
Mark Lurie H/D R/G Factors associated with wanting and receiving HIV test results in Umtata, South Africa.
Stephen McGarvey H/D I Wanna be like Tua: Physical Activity and Health in the Samoas
Anne DeGroot H/D Vaccine safety and design for cancers caused by Epstein-Barr virus.
Stephen McGarvey H/D The Power of Cheese: TV, SES, and Childhood Obesity in Samoa.
Patricia Risica H/D R/G Alaskan Native’s diets and diabetes.
Rich H/D Opiate replacement therapy for incarcerarted populations.
Laura Stroud H/D B/B Children and stress.
Mary Flynn H/D Comparison of two different diets for weight loss in women with breast cancer.
Hugh Keeping H/D Determination of the optimal post-operative OP cells for spinal fusion in the New Zealand.
Maureen Phipps H/D Attitudes toward pregnancy among adolescents.
Susan Cu-Uvin H/D R/G Refugees and HIV.
Mary Carskadon H/D B/B A study in the causes and effects of insomnia.
Donald Giddon H/D R/G Female motivations for muscle morphology.
Melissa Clark H/D R/G Sexual histories: tracing the origins of the current United States partner notification systems.
Laura Stroud H/D B/B Physiological responses to stress in children.
Anne Fausto-Sterling R/G Race and the Body in Brazilian Science.
Mary Flynn H/D Effect of a diet on biomarkers for breast cancer in overweight/obese women with a history of breast cancer.
Mark Lurie H/D R/G Trust 7 reliance in a South African mining community: implication for HIV risk-taking behaviors.
Jeffrey Borkan H/D Joint narratives of Illness:  A Qualitative Study.
George Yap H/D IL-12 production by Dendritic Cells at the site of infection with Toxoplasma gandii.
Mark Bertness E/E Possible differences between diurnal and nocturnal populations of hydrozoan medusae in Bocas del Toro, Panama.
Stephen Gregory H/D The role of NKT cells in host defense to listeria monocytogens infection.
Jisu Li H/D Cell culture models for the study of Hepatitis B virus receptor and co-receptor.
Geralyn Lambert-Messerlian H/D Serum mullerian inhibiting substance levels to predict pregnancy success after in vitro fertilization.
William Fairbrother H/D Identifying gene sequences that can function as splicing enhancers
Stephen McGarvey H/D Prenatal influences in birth weight and childhood growth of Samoans.
Mary Carskadon H/D Forced desynchrony on circadian rhythms and sleep states.
Allesandra Kazuura B/B School nurse and pediatric nurse survey: Adolescent smoking prevention and cessation.
Laura Stroud B/B Anxiety and the stress response.
Mary Hixon H/D The role of Art 1 in the suppression of apoptosis in the peripubertal testis following exposure to MEH
Ji Su Li H/D Regulatory effects of HCV core protein localized in subcellular compartment
Celia Lescano B/B Development of a family-based health promotion intervention.
Bruce Becker B/B Preteen/adolescent patient and parent perceived weight and perception of BMI in the ED.
Catherine Dube H/D Maximizing the effectiveness of E-prescribing between physicians and community pharmacies.
Alison Delong H/D PP2A; transmission, development and fertilization in single and multiple protein phosphotose 2A mutants
Laura Stroud H/D TTURC pilot and K23 studies at the Coro Center. "Stress responses in children"
Ruth Colwill E/E The effects of food enrichment on oral stereotypes in captive giraffes.
Michelle Lally H/D Investigation of reasons of nonenrollment of minortiy populations in clinical trials.
Edward Feller H/D Eating disorders in athletes.
Mary Hixon H/D Determining a functional role for AKt1 in the regulation of utero-placental development.
Roland Merchant H/D Incidence of internet-facilitated sexual assault.
Wendy Verhoek-Oftedahl B/B Youth on violence: Re-evaluating statistics on youth homicide.
Betty Vohr H/D Maternal hypertension in African American mothers and its effect on extreme low birthweight neonatal outcomes.
Abigail Harrison H/D Beliefs and attitudes about contraception and fertility among young women in South Africa.
Conrad Johanson H/D Transport clearance of beta amyloid peptide from the central nervous system.
Laurent Brard H/D The cytoxicity of the salen-metal complex to ovarian cancer cells.
Steve Correira B/B The Montreal cognitive assessment (MOCA) as a screening tool in patients with CADASIL.
Anne DeGroot B/B Evaluating women's knowledge of and attitudes towards HIV/AIDs in Sikoro, Mali.
Anne DeGroot H/D An assessment of factors contributing to HIV/AIDs knowledge in Sikoro, Mali, and the development of a culturally apropriate education model.
Sarah Everhart R/G Disability and sexuality; challenges of cultural norms.
Jisu Li H/D Cell culture models for the study of Hepatitis B virus receptor and co-receptor
Bonnie O'Connor B/B Explore and evaluate different ways of treating chronic pain.
Laura Stroud H/D HPA reactivity and maternal smoking during pregnancy.
Wendy Verhoek-Oftedahl B/B Youth on violence: re-evaluating statistics on youth homicide.
Betty Vohr B/B

The effects of maternal stress, support, and resources on the language development of deaf children.
Alessandra Kazura H/D Adolescent smoking prevention and cessation.
Bruce Becker H/D Adolescents and their parents perception of body mass index in relationship to food and exercise choices: A study at Hasbro Pediatric Emergency Department
Geralyn Messerllian H/D Ascertaining the usefulness of Mullerian-Inhibiting Substance (MIS) in predicting patient response during in vitro fertilization.
Mark Bertness E/E Comparative studies of Panamanian Hydrozoan Medusae.
Edward Feller H/D Eating disorders in athletes.
Laura Stroud B/B Effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on fetal neurobehavior.
Katrina Gamble H/D Examing the policies that address the HIV/AIDS epidemic specifically in the African American community.
Ji Sue Li H/D Hepatitis C viral infection and hepatocyte lipid accumulation: Rose of Apolipoprotein C-IV in Steatosis.
Stephen McGarvey H/D Influences of birth weight in American Samoa
Susanne de la Monte BB Investigating a link between Diabetes and Alzheimers.
Laurent Brard H/D Isothiocyanates and the study of tumors.
John Tyler B/B Makin' Moves Mentoring: Defining Youth Mental/Physical Development.
Abigail Harrison H/D Navigating the paradoxes: sexuality, pregnancy and contraception in rural South Africa.
Celia Lescano H/D The development of Latino STYLE's family-based health promotion intervention.
Stephen Gregory H/D The role of NKT cells in host defense to Listeria monocytogenes.
Wendy Verhoek-Oftedaho R/G Youth on Violence: Re-evaluating statistics on homicide from perspectives of Providence youth.
Cassandra Stanton H/D Health Promotion among preadolescents
Laurent Brossay H/D Investigating the role of natural T cells during the adaptive immune response to MCMV
James Simmons E/E Bio acoustic analysis of bullfrog drowsing activity
Casey Dunn H/D Genetic characterization of the siphonophore Nanomia Bijuga through CDNA sequencing
Susan Cu-Uvin, MD H/D Changing marital structure, women's agency and 4 N/AIDs prevalence in South African townships
Mary Flynn H/D Comparison of recommendations for National Cancer Institute versus a plant-based olive oil diet on weight loss in overweight women with breast cancer
John Boekamp B/B Maternal mood and child behavior
Stephen Sheinkopf B/B Fetal neurobehavioral assessment in response to social stimulii
Lundy Braun H/D Race 7 medicine: exploring differences in breast cancer survival rates
Patricia Symonds B/B Organ transplantation and the media in Korea and the US
Curt Lafrance, Jr. B/B A placebo controlled, RCT of sertoline in patients with psychogenetic nonepileptic seizures
Michelle Lally, MD H/D Investigation of reasons of non-enrollment of minority populations in clinical trials
Ji Su Li, MD B/B Hepatitis C-viral cycle and liver steatosis
Amy Salisbury H/D The effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on fetal and infance neurobehavior
Erika Edwards H/D Anatomy of viburnun; evolutionary implications
Andrea Simmons R/G Gender specific disparities in risk perception for contracting HIV/AIDs
Alfred Ayala H/D Determination of the effect of intraperitoneally delivered caspase-12SIRNA to the development of local leukocyte
Sharon Swartz H/D Effects of evolutionary history and dietary demands on maternal properties and tissue architecture in minnow teeth
Stephen McGarvey H/D Physical activity patterns among modernizing Samoan children and adolescents
Suzanne De La Monte, MD B/B Role of environmental toxins as mediators of Alzheimer-type neurodegeneration
Erna Kojic, MD H/D Prevalence of anogenital HPV and HPV-related disease in HIV-infected women
Mary Flynn H/D Comparing a plant based olive oil diet to a conventional diet in women diagnosed with breast cancer after age 50 for improvement in biomarkers and weight loss
Laura Stroud HD TTURC Pilot 7.K23 Study
Stephen McGarvey BB Ovarian function and obesity in Samoan women
Laura Stroud BB Child and adolescent stress lab
Steven Moss HD Trefoil-binding proteins, H pylori and gastric cancer
Emily Harrison, MD H/D Women's perspectives on contraception and fertility
Carmen Marsit B/B Alternations of Mirna profiles in testicular cells
Patricia Symonds H/D The scale-up of antiretroviral therapy in Papua, New Guinea, Cuba, Haiti and Bostswana
Wen-Ming Chu H/D Rose of HMGB1 in TLR-mediated cytokine response to R848
Edward Hawrot B/B Pharmacological characterizaation of Alpha 3 Alpha 1 -containing Nachr subtypes
Laura Stroud B/B Examine the relationship between stress and cortisol levels in children
Cynthia Rosengard H/D Family-based interventions for incarcerated adolescents; a research to practice approach
Kent Anderson H/D Physician compliance to preferred practice patients for bacterial keratitis and diabetic retinopathy
Carmen Marsit H/D Effects of bisphenol A and tributyltin exposure on MRNA profiles on placental cells
Patricia Risica B/B Effects of family environment upon sexual risk-taking among clinically depressed adolescents
Kim Gans H/D A community-based intervention to increase physical activity levels in Central Falls, RI
Judith Owens, MD B/B Delayed phase sleep syndrome and addictive behaviors
Conrad Johanson B/B Investigation into the interrelationship between amyloid accumulation, cognition, and stem cell functionality in the aging rat
Carl Saab H/D Neuron-microglial interactions in spinal cord inflammation
Stephen Carr H/D Prenatal screening trends at the PreNatal Diagnosis Center of women and Infants' Hospital , RI
Kim Gans H/D Evaluating the effect of a multi-level worksite program to prevent weight gain


Examples of Post-Grad Activities: Human Biology Concentrators

• MPH/PhD in Public Health

• Medical School

• Research in Infant Development Center

• Hospital Research Assistantship

• MPH in Global Environmental Health

• Pursue literature studies

• Attending Tuck Business Bridge Program / MBA

• Work with Children with Disabilities; Physical Therapist

• Law School

• Teaching