The Fodstad Laboratory is an online lab lead by Dr. Fodstad and Jadon Meringer to understand and improve the lives of people with functional and developmental disabilities so that they can receive better care and be more successful.

My internship's focus was involvement in IU Health Simon Cancer Center's Hereditary Renal and Prostate Cancer Clinic. This multidisciplinary clinic focuses on kidney and prostate cancer patients and possible genetic conditions that could have caused ... ave caused their cancer. In this role, I scheduled patients, collected family histories, uploaded information into the research database, mailed patient letters, and helped with sample collection. During the clinic, family history was reviewed, possible risk factors for hereditary cancer syndromes were discussed, and genetic testing was offered. If the patient chose to test, they would get their blood drawn and sent to a lab. When the results were finalized, the patient was contacted to review them. If a patient tested positive, cancer risks and health screening recommendations were discussed. Family members would be recommended to undergo testing to determine if they also carry the gene variant which increases one's risk of cancer. During clinic days, I observed the cases as the healthcare team spoke with patients. This project mainly goes over the importance of that work such as how it affects the patients and their families, the process behind it, and some important conditions tested for which can impact patients and their family's future medical care. Read more

Interested in genetics? What about cancer research? Stop by our table to learn about Dr. Mendonca's Radiation Oncology research. We work with cells that have been altered genetically to test if any particular knockout affects radiation sensitivity. W ... ty. We work with Murine Embryonic Cells (MEF) that have P53-/- , P53 -/- & MDM2 -/- , and P53-/- & MDM2-/- & MDMX -/- knocked out. Come by to learn more and see our results! Read more

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be diagnosed before two years of age, but the average age of diagnosis is typically later (over four years old). When children are diagnosed later in life, they can miss early interventions that can im ... prove developmental outcomes. These interventions include applied behavioral analysis, developmental therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and developmental preschool. Along with delays in receiving a diagnosis there comes other difficulties: wait lists, insurance barriers, cost, geographic location and lack of therapists hinder the ability to access intervention services. Community based models of early diagnosis can lead to earlier diagnosis and streamlined access to early interventions and community support. The younger a child can receive their diagnosis, the sooner they can be introduced to pivotal intervention services. The research I participated in studied rates of service enrollment and access barriers for children ages 14-47 months of age at six months after first ASD diagnosis, as well as whether community-based models of diagnosis lead to improved enrollment in intervention that can improve outcomes. Read more

Dexamethasone is a commonly used drug with a variety of uses such as anti-inflammatory and antinausea. In the field of oncology, it is often used to treat nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy and radiation therapy patients. Chemotherapy is highly emet ... ogenic as it attacks rapidly-dividing cells such as those that line the walls of organs in the digestive system. Chemo-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is one of the most common, and damaging side effects of chemotherapy. This project is a literature review on the uses and outcomes of dexamethasone as an antiemetic for CINV. CINV affects a patient's ability to do daily activities, nourishment, and overall outcomes by affecting both the patient's body and treatment plan. Chemo is sometimes given further apart due to CINV, this can greatly affect patient outcomes, especially in cases of aggressive forms of cancer. Direct effects of CINV can be fatigue, malnutrition, and dehydration. Dexamethasone is often used in tandem with other antiemetic drugs for the most effective regimen possible. There was a focus in the project on a continuous pump of antiemetics, which allows for preventative and continual treatment of CINV. This allows for a higher tolerance of treatment and better patient outcomes. Read more

My project showcases trends that were seen in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) relating to diabetes. When the body doesn't produce enough insulin to let blood sugar enter the cells for use as energy, DKA begins to develop. Instead, the liver converts fat ... fat into ketone-producing chemicals called ketones when it breaks down fat for energy. A medical emergency called DKA might include early warning signs like high ketones. My project encompasses patients who were admitted due to DKA in the past year. I analyzed different parameters in the patient population. This included gender, age at DKA presentation, years of T1D dx, the primary reason for DKA, an technology use, among others. By extracting these values and analyzing this data, we can better understand any common factors, that can help guide improved prevention strategies. Our overall goal is to reduce the number of patients who present with DKA. Read more

At LEADS internship we study the development of early onset Alzheimer's disease. This population of individuals has many unknown factors about what causes EOAD in one's lifetime, and LEADS works to solve that. As a nationally known study, LEADS site ... EADS site 037 focuses on enrolling participants into three groups. They recruit a control group of cognitive normal (CN) participants, a comparison group of early onset non-Alzheimer's disease (EOnonAD) participants, and the main study group of early onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) participants. With this data through imaging, fluid biomarkers, and neuropsych testing we are working to build a profile of the causes of EOAD. Not only working with other LEADS sites around the United States, we also work with a wide variety of sister research groups to look into comparisons of early onset Alzheimer's disease with many cognitively known impairments. Read more

As part of the Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering (ICRME) laboratory, our team is focused on developing novel strategies to improve perfusion in diabetic ischemic tissue. This project specifically aims to enhance wound recovery ... in diabetic patients by examining the genetic and epigenetic factors that contribute to poor circulation and delayed healing. As an LHSI intern, my responsibilities include learning and conducting laboratory techniques such as DNA isolation, DNA quality assessment, gene promoter methylation studies and immunohistochemistry to better understand the underlying genetics. Specifically, I have received extensive training in completing DNA methylation assays using murine DNA samples, including DNA Bisulfite Conversion, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and sending samples for Sanger sequencing. The DNA sequences obtained are then aligned to the target genome to quantify the extent of methylation. The findings from this project could have significant implications for diabetic patients, particularly those with critical ischemic limb and non healing diabetic ulcers. By understanding the genetic and epigenetic factors that contribute to diabetic wound healing impairment, our research may lead to the development of new therapies and interventions that can improve the quality of life for those living with this condition. Acknowledgement: The laboratory of Dr. Kanhaiya Singh is supported by U.S. Department of Defense grant W81XWH-22-1-0146. We would like to thank Dr. Chandan K Sen, Director, ICRME for his kind support during this internship duration. Read more

Kids Healthcast covers child-focused health topics that parents, teachers, caregivers, and anyone else who works with children might be interested in through a monthly 20 to 30 minute podcast. And what does it include? It is recorded by pediatricians ... at the Indiana University School of Medicine, so you'll be getting up-to-date and accurate information from people who see firsthand what needs to be talked about. Each month includes Health News, Medical Trivia, Parenting tips, and two key segments on children's health. As the interns, what do we do? We record and edit for the podcast, as well as manage all of its social medias. Read more

The Reach Out and Read (ROR) program encourages parents to read aloud to their children to promote literacy development. We found that there is no research around parents reading to babies before they are born. There is a ROR program at Riley Fetal C ... enter where each parent who receives prenatal counseling at the Fetal Center is given a book to read to their baby before birth. My team and I developed a survey based on literature review and expert opinion aiming to explore parents' perceptions and experiences after their participation in the prenatal ROR program. I had several meetings with the family support program at Riley NICU, the Fetal Center research coordinator, and my mentor. I learned how to do literature searches, how to use EndNote, and different research methods. I reviewed literature on relevant topics and provided feedback to the team. I was responsible for documenting meeting minutes and sharing them with the team. I fully participated in the creation of the survey. The survey is IRB approved and is being distributed amongst parents in two different languages. I plan to continue my work with UROP support to publish our findings and contribute to efforts promoting literacy for children. Read more