Undergraduate Program Book

David S. Bruce, Barbara A. Horwitz, & John M. Horowitz

In 2004, the American Physiological Society initiated two awards for excellence in undergraduate research: the David S. Bruce Outstanding Undergraduate Abstract Award and David S. Bruce Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award. These competitive awards are presented to undergraduate students who demonstrate excellence in communicating their research at the American Physiology Summit.

The Bruce Awards were initially established in memory of David S. Bruce, PhD, from Wheaton College to honor his commitment in promoting undergraduate involvement in research, the American Physiological Society annual meeting and research-related careers.

In 2017, American Physiological Society renamed the awards as the “Barbara A. Horwitz and John M. Horowitz Outstanding Undergraduate Abstract Awards” and “Barbara A. Horwitz and John M. Horwitz Excellence in Undergraduate Research Awards” in recognition of a generous gift from American Physiological Society members Barbara A. Horwitz and John M. Horowitz, who are strong supporters and mentors of undergraduate researchers.

Below is the Undergraduate Presenters at the 2026 David Bruce Undergraduate Poster Session and Horwitz/Horowitz Awards Ceremony recognizing the undergraduate researcher.

Board #	First Name	Last Name	Institution	Poster Name
1	Mary Helene	Marmande	University of South Alabama	Differential expression of cardiac renin-angiotensin system components in obesity and potential implications for blood pressure control
2	Joslyn	Claypool	Michigan State University	Adenosine modulates neurovascular coupling in awake, behaving mice
3	Kate	Rooker	Mayo Clinic	Atrophy & Reduced Oxidative Capacity in Type-Identified Tibialis Anterior Muscle Fibers with Age
4	Anjali	Iyer	University of Cincinnati	Restoring T cell power: mRNA nanoparticles boost T cell immunity in head and neck cancer
5	Meg	Rankin	The Australian National University	Heat stress augments cool-seeking behaviour during exercise and recovery but does not modify the relative contributions of afferent signals driving this behaviour
6	Ayrion	Moody	University of North Texas	Does Baseline Vascular Function Impact Peripheral Resistance Responses During Central Hypovolemia?
7	Sultan	Khanfar	University of Florida	Early Microglial Pruning of Inhibitory Synapses in the Paraventricular Nucleus of the Hypothalamus Underlies Sympathetic Overactivation in Pulmonary Hypertension
8	Colton	Geurink	Winona State University	Q-Collar effects on reaction time, task switching and heart rate
9	Mariam	Malik	San Jose State University	Voltage-gated Sodium Channel Nav1.1 is Necessary for Muscle Spindle Afferent Function in Adult Mice
10	Davis	Ross	Penn State University	Oral Salsalate Does Not Alter Brachial Artery Macrovascular Endothelial Function in Healthy Non-Hispanic Black Women
11	Varishini	Deochand	University of Western Ontario - Robarts Research Institute	Functional rationalization of actin cytoskeletal dynamics in the genesis of myogenic tone
12	Frankie	Molitor	University of Illinois Springfield	Kvβ1.2 enhances Kv1.5 sensitivity to redox-induced membrane hyperpolarization in HEK293 cells
13	Alina	Niu	Emory University	Reactive Hyperemia Index is Inversely Associated with Exercise-Induced increases in Systolic Blood Pressure in CKD
14	Jonel	Reyes	University of Florida	Effect of age on the development of acute Doxorubicin-induced respiratory muscle dysfunction
15	Clarisse	Kamen	Boston University	Virtual Hot and Cold Landscapes Elicit Similar Responses in Men and Women Exercising in Neutral and Hot Environments
16	Grant	Maxa	University of Delaware	Central arterial wave reflection in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Potential effects of ambulation and corticosteroid treatment
17	Sol	Swenson	Augusta University	Hypertensive female BPH/2J mice have increased renal Xist expression and vascular dysfunction
18	Snehvir	Kaur	IU Indianapolis	Investigating the roles of NKCC1 and pNKCC1 in CSF regulation in a genetic rodent model of hydrocephalus.
19	Xucheng	Zheng	Bates College	Exercise regulates lncRNA expression in mouse subcutaneous white adipose tissue (scWAT)
20	Tiya	Sharma	University of California, Davis	Traffic-related air pollution, stress, and sex: from inflammatory response to cardiovascular regulation in rats
21	Mariella	Cusack	Alma College	Relationship between bone hemodynamics and bone mineral density in healthy young adults
22	Katie	Vu	University of North Texas Health Science Center	Is 5-minutes enough? The impact of Pulsatile Perfusion Therapy timing on cerebral blood flow and tissue oxygenation responses during simulated hemorrhage in humans.
23	Max	Gusmer	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Time-restricted eating decreases norepinephrine, but not epinephrine or muscle sympathetic nerve activity, in healthy middle-aged adults
24	Kiki	Liss-‘s-Gravemade	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Age-related differences in sympathetic and hemodynamic responses in physically active adults
25	Kailash	Sastry	The Ohio State University Medical Center	An automated deep learning framework for objective segmentation and quantification of diaphragm EMG across physiological states
26	Corinne	Kelling	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Impact of Age at Menopause on Autonomic Cardiovascular Function
27	Fiona	Meslin	Children's National Hospital \| George Washington University	Investigating age-dependent adaptations in myocardial response to milrinone, using a preclinical mode
28	Meghan	Bradley	University of Arizona	Cerebral Vascular Dysfunction in Humanized ApoE4 Knock-In Mice
29	Vina	Vedala	University of Missouri	Hypoxic vasodilation in pre- and perimenopausal females: role of β-adrenergic receptors
30	Renee	Washart	Ursinus College	Fluoxetine reduces physical activity and promotes adiposity in female mice
31	Maia	Sheppard	Williams College	β-Guanidinopropionic Acid (β-GPA) induces weight loss and torpor in mice through a leptin-independent mechanism
32	Rachel	Lee	University of Florida	Time-restricted feeding for five weeks does not improve renal injury markers in aged male mice
33	Lillian	Witherington	Augusta University	Greater Netrin-1 in Male ADPKD Mice Drives Enhanced Cyst Growth Compared to Females
34	Lindy	Odegard	Drake University	Effects of Statin Treatment on Muscular and Cardiorespiratory Adaptations to High Intensity Interval Training in Aged Mice
35	Tomas	Novak	Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic	Segmental pulmonary vascular remodeling in heart failure induced by chronic volume overload
36	Ava	Fleury	University of Missouri	Right atrial calcium homeostasis in a mouse model of obstructive sleep apnea
37	Joshua	Mason	Michigan State University	The association between morning blood pressure surge and cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity in young healthy females
38	Paige	Pointer	University of Oklahoma	Establishing sex-specific baseline values for cerebrovascular critical closing pressure and resistance area product during supine rest in healthy, young adults
39	Jodi	Chiou	Texas A&M University	Relaxation of Coronary Smooth Muscle by Dobutamine
40	Anjali	Iyer	University of Cincinnati	Restoring T cell power: mRNA nanoparticles boost T cell immunity in head and neck cancer
41	Carlee	Freeman	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	The impact of ovarian hormones on skeletal muscle remodeling and function following volumetric muscle loss
42	Bhavya	Jaiswal	The University of Texas at Dallas	Investigating the Role of Sigma-2 Receptor/TMEM97 in Bladder Pain Using a Chemotherapy-Induced Bladder Injury Model
43	Annika	Nichols	George Fox University	Angiotensin II stimulates cardiac sympathetic denervation via p75NTR
44	Beck	Fitzpatrick	University of Iowa	Structure-Function Relationships in Mucociliary Clearance: Impact of CCDC40 Mutations on functional Wild-Type Airway Epithelial Cells
45	Amaan	Faruqi	Benedictine University	Bile acid cytotoxicity in human dermal fibroblasts: mechanistic insights into effluent-induced peristomal skin damage
46	Enoch	Yang	University of Saskatchewan	VO2 kinetics during walk testing in patients with Fontan circulation
47	Anika	Kakarla	Williams College	Inhibition of Daily Torpor in Mice Requires Calories, Not Just Feeding: A Potential Role for GLP-1
48	Jessie	Vozar	High Point University	Impact of dietary berberine supplementation on heat shock, inflammatory, and apoptotic responses to exercise - heat stress
49	Gabrielle	Morrison	University of South Florida	mtDAMPS inhibit lung epithelial cell via activating TREM-1 and cGAS-STING pathway in macrophage
50	Faithful	Egharevba	Howard University	Urinary levels of complement membrane attack complex inhibitory protein CD59 correlate with hemoglobinuria, endothelial injury, and stages of sickle cell disease-associated chronic kidney disease
51	Anne	Davis	University of Minnesota	Relationship Between BDNF/TrkB and Circulating Testosterone in the Phrenic Motor Nucleus of Male Rats
52	Allison	Miller	Purdue University	Acute physiological responses to combined lower-leg heat therapy and intermittent pneumatic compression in individuals with type 2 diabetes and peripheral artery disease
53	Nick	Sorensen	High Point Univerrsity	Retrospective Analysis of Dietary Antioxidants and Arterial Stiffness in Young and Middle-Aged Adult Males
54	Katerina	Popke	University of British Columbia	Effects of perceived stress on metabolic health in physiology students
55	Ethan	Burd	Seton Hill University	Impact of targeted tongue exercise on genioglossus sarcomere and mitochondria morphology in a rodent model of hypoglossal motor neuron death
56	George	Yots	University at Buffalo	Delayed Deployment of Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) in a Porcine Model of Cardiac Arrest
57	Ishaa	Jain	Benedictine University	Effects of long-term, low-dose Bisphenol A exposure on development and cytotoxicity in Xenopus laevis
58	Lydia	Best	William & Mary	Evidence that Bmal1 regulates the plasma osmotic set-point in male rats
59	Spencer	Pardee	Taylor University	Effects of Angiotensin II on sympathetic nerves in the kidneys
60	Lap Khoi Nguyen	Tran	The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Proximal Tubule ETA Receptor Deletion Reduces Renal Iron Overload in Acute Iron Overload Murine Model
61	Lauren	Brawt	Alma College	Relationship Between Bone Hemodynamics and Bone Mineral Density in Young Healthy Adults
62	Matieis	Mayes	University of Iowa	ITGA6 Expression Plays a Critical Role in Regulating Airway Basal Cell Stemness
63	Nathalie Cristina	Orozco-Fersiva	University of Colorado Boulder	Circulating Endothelial Cell-Derived Microvesicles are Elevated with Periodontitis and Adversely Affect Human Cerebral Microvascular Endothelial Cells
64	Josi	Gallo	Purdue University	Cutaneous microvascular responses to local heating at the plantar hallux in type 2 diabetes and peripheral artery disease
65	Jennifer	Nogueira Coelho	University of South Florida	Gliflozin-induced differences in renal effects
66	Joseph	Scangas	University of Massachusetts Boston	Sex Differences in Load- and Structure-Dependent Arterial Stiffening After Isometric Handgrip Exercise
67	Anna	Park	Wayne State University	Overexpression of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla (RVLM) Increases Blood Pressure in Normotensive Rats
68	Alexandria	Chin	Ursinus College	Sex and Age Modulate the Blood Pressure and Cardiac Hypertrophy Response to L-NAME
69	Gracie	Ritchey	High Point University	Pedal vessel calcifications in diabetic neuropathic feet with Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD) Syndrome
70	John	Brown	University of Evansville	Chronic heat stress induces neurodegeneration and accelerates aging phenotypes in mice
71	Brett	Wineinger	University of Iowa	Akt Activity is a Critical Regulator of Airway Epithelial Cell Fate Decisions
72	Laya	Neelisetty	New York Institute of Technology	The silent metabolic burden: hyperglycemia in a VCD mouse model of menopause
73	Alejandra	Ayala Becerra	Williams College	GLP-1R agonist blocks torpor in mice while GLP-1R deletion does not disrupt normal torpor behavior
74	Bryanna	Broderick	University of Florida	Sex differences in the kidney circadian transcriptome
75	Donovan	Neudorf	University of Saskatchewan	The effects of repetitive, non-concussive head acceleration events on brain morphology
76	Caroline	Penner	Seattle University	Home vs away: differences in sleep and athletic performance in NCAA division I women's soccer players
77	Claire	Walker	Emory University	Impact of Comorbid PTSD and Hypertension on Arterial Stiffness Compared to PTSD, Hypertension, and Healthy Controls
78	Kyle	Heise	Skidmore College	The Effects of Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) on the Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Vascular Occlusion Test (NIRS-VOT)
79	Jessica	Zhang	Johns Hopkins University	GPR39 deletion protects mpkCCD cells from lithium-induced loss of AQP2
80	Emily	Chan	Purdue University	Near-infrared spectroscopy assessment of plantar forefoot reactive hyperemia in type 2 diabetes and peripheral artery disease
81	Carina	Sun	Williams College	Dissociation between weight regain and glucose tolerance after cessation of alternate-day fasting and semaglutide
82	Robin	Harington	University of Guelph	Light-Dependent Regulation of Autophagy Genes in the Heart
83	Ayla	Cook	Union University	Progesterone Interaction with Estrogen Receptor Alpha to Modulate Wheel Running Activity in Mice
84	Owen	Butzlaff	Iowa State University	Central blood pressure and arterial stiffness in firefighters and matched controls
85	Jonathan	Sedano	Seattle Children's Research Institute	Enkephalinergic and Tachykinergic Neurons Project to the Neural Pacemaker for Breathing—the preBötzinger Complex
86	Elsie	Dahnert	Winona State University	Q-Collar effects on vision, hearing and heart rate
87	David	Valdez Rendon	Baylor University	Reliability of Beat-to-Beat Blood Pressure Variability in Humans
88	Hannah	Cheeran	Tulane University	Estradiol Alters Estrogen Receptor Signaling and Worsens Renal Injury in Hypertensive Menopausal Rats
89	Emma	Rosenkoetter	The University of Alabama at Birmingham	The Absence of ETA on Dendritic Cells Reduces Immune Activation and Protects Against Obesity-Induced Kidney Injury in Male, not Female, Mice

Undergraduate Program Book

David S. Bruce, Barbara A. Horwitz, & John M. Horowitz

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