HPU RELAUNCHES BIOMEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

An impressive body of student scientific research was on display at this year's HPU Biomedical and Health Science Research Symposium, held on May 8 in Multipurpose Room 3 at HPU’s Aloha Tower Marketplace. Fourteen students from the College of Natural and Computational Sciences (CNCS) presented original research spanning marine science, chemistry, biology, and biomedicine, drawing about 50 students, faculty, alumni, and community members to the symposium.

This spring's symposium showed strong turnout and the breadth of student research set the stage for expanded events next year. Plans are in the works to establish the symposium as an annual tradition beginning in fall 2026, with December the anticipated date. The fall symposium will again be held in Multipurpose Room 3, and like this spring's event, it will showcase the work of HPU undergraduate students.

This spring’s symposium offered students a platform to present their research to peers, faculty, and staff, and to share with the wider HPU community the new scientific work taking shape across campus. For many of the undergraduates in attendance, it marked an early experience presenting original research in a formal setting.

HPU Professor David Horgen, Ph.D., opened the symposium with welcoming remarks and recognition of the student research underway within CNCS. Two faculty presentations followed. Associate Professor Christopher Capaldo, Ph.D., presented "Exploring the Molecular Basis of Biological Resilience," and Assistant Professor Kimberly Mullane, Ph.D., presented "Electrochemical Characterization of Yb and Eu Complexes for Application to Rare Earth Elements."

A graduate school and career pathways panel brought four HPU alumni back to campus to discuss the paths their degrees have opened.

Panelists included Mark Balintag, B.S., a 2017 chemistry graduate, is a chemist with the U.S. Army. Jessie Nguyen, M.S., a 2022 biochemistry graduate, earned her master's degree in molecular biology and bioengineering at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa (UHM). Margo Vynoslavska, B.S., a 2020 chemistry graduate, is a doctoral student in chemistry at UHM. Isabelle Yazel Eiser, B.S., M.S., B.S.N., R.N., a 2021 biochemistry graduate, is a doctoral student in tropical medicine, medical microbiology, and pharmacology at the John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Eight judges reviewed the student posters and recognized the strongest presentations of the afternoon. The research on display reflected the range of work underway in HPU's laboratories.

The top 4 winning posters were presented by Abraham Dare (advisor: HPU Assistant Professor Jessica Jacob, Ph.D.), Amelia Stevenson (advisor: Mullane), Lillie Jordanov (advisor: Mullane), and Charlotte Nixon (advisor: Mullane). Congratulations to the winners of the poster competition. 

Below is a description of each presentation below, showing off the breath of expertise and topics under study. 

Amelia Stevenson worked with Mullane on research entitled, "Synthesis and Electrochemical Characterization of DTMA Complexes of Eu(III), Yb(III), and Gd(III)." She synthesized europium, ytterbium, and gadolinium complexes and measured their reduction potentials, work directed toward developing safer MRI contrast agents amid growing concern about gadolinium that escapes its ligand and becomes toxic in the body. 

Kiana Walker, mentored by Jacob, presented research entitled, "Testing the Effectiveness of Synthetic Positive Controls for Disease Detection in Cetaceans." She developed synthetic controls for detecting two pathogens found in whales and dolphins, Brucella ceti and Cetacean Poxvirus, both of which can be transmitted to humans, improving the safety and reliability of laboratory diagnostics.

Isabella Garcia worked with Horgen on research entitled, "Waixenicin A Derivatives Are Potent Leads for Hypoxic Ischemic Brain Injury." She studied derivatives of waixenicin A, a compound from an endemic Hawaiian soft coral that inhibits an ion channel involved in brain cell death following oxygen loss. Several of her derivatives reduced brain injury in mouse models, and two lead compounds demonstrated strong selectivity.

Kaesha Yanes, mentored by Mullane, presented research entitled, "Synthesis and Redox Characterization of Eu Complexes with Varying Ligand Environments for MRI Applications." She investigated europium as an alternative to gadolinium in MRI contrast agents by tuning the ligand environment to access a specific redox state.

Charlotte Nixon, working with Mullane, presented research entitled, "Design and Characterization of Lanthanide Complexes for Applications in Stable MRI Contrast Agents." She synthesized cyclen-based ligands designed to bind lanthanide ions more tightly, with the aim of producing contrast agents that resist breaking apart inside the body.

Kaylee Tanig contributed to research entitled, "Ciguatoxin Detection in Reef Fish and Benthic Algae from Reef Environments in Hawaii," with Horgen. The project used mass spectrometry to detect ciguatoxins, the marine biotoxins responsible for ciguatera poisoning, in reef fish and algae around Oahu, identifying nine suspected ciguatoxins in algae samples.

Tristan Mussmacher worked with Associate Professor Yongli Chen, Ph.D., on research entitled, "Modulation of the Type A GABA Receptors by Kavalactones." He presented on how kavain, a compound found in kava, acts on a receptor subtype associated with anxiety, research that may help explain the calming effects of kava.

Shelby Hale, mentored by Horgen, presented research entitled, "Identification and Characterization of Novel Antiviral Compounds from Hawaiian Marine Natural Products." She presented on the screening of roughly 500 marine extracts and isolated two lead antiviral compounds from a marine cyanobacterium that strongly inhibited SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory testing, compounds that may represent entirely new chemical entities.

Brody Goudy worked with Mullane on research entitled, "Synthesis and Characterization of Eu(III) and Yb(III) Complexes for Biomedical Imaging Applications." He synthesized a novel ligand and coordinated it to europium and ytterbium, comparing the stability of the resulting complexes with established MRI contrast agents.

Lillie Jordanov, also under Mullane, presented research entitled, "Synthesis and Characterization of Eu(III)DOTA and Yb(III)DOTA Complexes for Biomedical Imaging Applications." She synthesized and characterized lanthanide-DOTA complexes to study how they decompose, addressing concerns about contrast agents that linger in patients after imaging.

Isabella Acosta Figueredo worked with Capaldo on research entitled, "Effects of Inflammatory Cytokines on Microplastic Transport Across a Mucus-Producing Intestinal Epithelium." She presented on how inflammatory signals affect the movement of microplastics across a model of the intestinal lining and found that inflammation appeared to increase the number of particles that crossed the barrier.

Ava Dufort, a graduate student and coauthor on the project, presented research entitled, "Assessing Competitive Interactions of Clinical and Environmental Vibrio vulnificus Genotypes Using qPCR."  Ava presented on behalf of Faith Goodlow who was unable to attend. Both were mentored by mentored by Associate Professor Olivia Nigro, Ph.D. Dufont presented on the project that examined how clinical and environmental strains of Vibrio vulnificus, a marine bacterium responsible for serious infections and death, compete with one another in the environment using qPCR to track their growth under conditions mimicking various environments.

Abraham Dare worked with Jacob on research entitled, "Comparison of DNA Extraction Techniques Using Degraded Cetacean Tissue." Because tissue from stranded whales and dolphins loses usable DNA quickly, he compared three extraction kits to determine which best recovers high-quality DNA from badly degraded samples for the detection of bacterial pathogens.

Riley Kaai, mentored by Horgen, presented research entitled, "Adaptation of LC-MS Methods for Glycerophospholipids Involved in the Kennedy Pathway for Selenoprotein I." She reported on adaptation of a mass spectrometry methods to measure phospholipids associated with Selenoprotein I, investigating the role of a rare amino acid in the enzyme's function.

The spring symposium was organized by Jessie Nguyen, M.S., who served as chair, along with Emily Nguyen, B.S., and Horgen. Many of the presenting students are part of HPU's INBRE program, supported by the National Institutes of Health.

With the interest and momentum generated this spring, HPU looks ahead to its fall symposium and to establishing the event as a lasting tradition. CNCS continues to grow its research, the symposium will give each new class of students the opportunity to share their discoveries with the HPU community and to take an early step toward the laboratories, graduate programs, and careers that lie ahead.