Motivating Learners

I participated in the "Mindset GPS" course that assists faculty to learn teaching skills and techniques that will assist students to succeed. Specifically, we are taught techniques to help students with Growth Mindset, Purpose and Relevance, and Sense of Belonging. These techniques can be especially useful with first generation students, such as those attending CSUN. The techniques I have learned can be applied towards the course I teach, which is Introduction to Biology.

The effect of rocky intertidal foundation species loss on tidepool biogeochemistry and microbiomes

Foundation species create shelter, enhance biodiversity, and maintain ecosystem functioning within their environment. Within the rocky intertidal ecosystem, a coastal ecosystem dominated by mussels and surfgrass, foundation species are expected to decrease in abundance with climate change, extreme climatic events, and increased human impact. However, there is a need to better understand how foundati...

RUI: Collaborative: Defining the biogeochemical context and ecological impacts of SGD on coral reefs

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is the flow of water from land through the coastal seafloor into the nearby ocean. Approximately 13,000 km3 of groundwater is discharged into coastal environments every year, yet the effects of this fresh and often nutrient rich SGD are still poorly understood for coral reef ecosystems. This SGD input is driven by changes in precipitation, human land use, sea-...

Watch where you walk: Human visual perception and motion of the lower limbs while navigating obstacles in a fatigued state

Most individuals navigate (or step up and over) obstacles on a regular basis as they walk through their environment. When they are in a physically fatigued state, this almost automatic task can become more difficult. This state can therefore lead to a higher risk of trips and falls during navigation. For example, firefighters, while carrying out job-related duties, have a hig...

An investigation of the impact of immersive virtual reality practice on visual and mechanical abilities

Immersive virtual reality (VR) systems have recently become widely available to the lay public. With this recent availability, many researchers and clinicians are introducing VR for training of new motor skills, including occupational techniques, sport-specific drills, and rehabilitation of movement disorders. The benefit of using VR for motor skill training is that, compared to real-world...

Genomics of adaptation over space and time

Medicago truncatula, or barrel medick, a close relative of the alfalfa sprouts you’ve seen in salad bars, is a model for research on the legume-rhizobium mutualism nitrogen fixation mutualism. It is native to the Mediterranean, which includes regions that have seen substantial increases in average annual temperature due to climate change over the few decades. This makes barrel medick a uniquely useful species in which to study the genome-wide effects of...

Mutualism faces the heat

Joshua trees, which are cultural icons and ecological keystones of the Mojave Desert, are exclusively pollinated by highly specialized moths. The moths lay eggs in Joshua tree flowers, then deliberately apply pollen to fertilize the flowers so that, when the flowers develop into fruit, the moths' larvae can eat some of the seeds inside. This unique and mutually beneficial relationship is under threat by changes in land use and climate across the Mojave, and the Yoder Lab...

Pathways to Success for Hispanic Students as Registered Dietitians

The Pathways to Success for Hispanic Students as Registered Dietitians project (Pathways) develops a comprehensive cooperative pipeline for recruiting, retaining, and supporting undergraduate and graduate students in order to prepare them for careers as Registered Dietitians. Through a cooperative initiative between CSUN and Mission College, the two institutions plan to collaborate by developing and institutionalizing a pipeline o...

Role of Slit molecules in neural crest delamination

The neural crest provides a unique population of migratory stem cells with which to study a variety of cell and neural developmental processes. Neural crest cells emerge from the neuroepithelium in development and transform into a mesenchymal/migratory population. Several inhibitory molecules have been shown to play important roles in neural crest migration including the chemorepulsive molecules Slit 1-3. Slit molecules were initially discovered...

Role of multiple antibiotic efflux pumps in the removal of cellular metabolites

Bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics are one of the major challenges to public health worldwide. Bacterial pumps capable of effluxing multiple antibiotics out of cells are major contributors to this problem, and are also involved in virulence. These pumps are present in all bacteria, and are well conserved in many cases. AcrAB>TolC is the main multidrug efflux in Escherichia)coli and many other important patho...