Prior STAR Student Project Titles

Prior STAR Student Project Titles

As a requirement of the STAR program, students must submit a one page summary and present a poster of their research findings at the end of summer STARS in Science Poster Presentation. Below are the titles of recent summer STAR projects. Click on a project title to view posters presented in prior years. 

For more information, please contact us at svmstarprogram@ucdavis.edu.

2024 STAR Student Projects:
Student NameClass Mentor/sProject Title
Elizabeth Berry2026Austin ViallDevelopment of a Novel Flow Cytometric Assay for Detection of Canine Neutrophil Extracellular Traps
Nicole Chan2027Melanie AmmersbachEstablishment of rhesus macaque cerebrospinal fluid normal reference intervals and biochemical and cytologic changes associated with disease
Katherine Choo2026Sharif AlyEvaluation of Chromogenic Gram Positive and Gram Negative Agar for Identification of Milk Pathogens from Lactating Dairy Cows
Andrew Fahman2027Jonathan DearDevelopment and evaluation of a point-of-care assay for Babesia conradae detection in canines
Manjari Ganesan2026Melissa BainBehavioral euthanasia: Dog owners’ emotional strain when euthanizing a “healthy” animal
Christian Guerzon2027Krista KellerIn-vitro inhibition of pravastatin against 3 isolates of N. guarroi 
Juliann (Juju) Hallum2026Ching-Hsien ChenMechanistic characterization of profibrotic macrophages in progressive pulmonary fibrosis 
Rachel Hirota2026Hugues BeaufrereReference intervals for lipoproteins and blood lipids in cockatiels
Rachael Hoh2027Heather KnychIdentification of An Optimal Dose and Administration Sites for Transdermal Buprenorphine in Horses
Erin Howell2027Brian BirdCatching the wave: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) surveillance among livestock and humans during a potential epidemic in Tanzania
Abigail Hsu2027Tierra Smiley EvansSeroprevalence of elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus (EEHV) in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and African elephants (Loxodonta Africana) in human care
Kevin Jacques2026Stefan KellerCharacterizing the quality of small intestinal biopsy sections using artificial intelligence
Angelica Klawiter2027Karen ShapiroCharacterizing the diversity and zoonotic potential of fecal parasites in urban and exurban San Joaquin Kit Foxes
Matthew Kramer2027Danika BannaschUsing RNA sequencing data to determine active LINE-1 elements in dogs
Casey Kwok2027Denis Marcellin-LittleValidation of a canine femur replica for mechanical testing of orthopedic implants 
Brian Lam2027Sara ThomasyOcular structural and functional changes in immature rhesus macaques with an OPA1A8S mutation
Sooyoung Lee2027Meera HellerIodine Supplementation to prevent infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (pinkeye) in beef cattle
Mindy Nguyen2027Alessia CenaniComparison Between Epidural Versus Intraperitoneal-incisional Bupivacaine in Cats Undergoing Elective Ovariohysterectomy with Opioid-Free Multimodal Anesthesia in Vietnam
Hannah Pham2027Michael KentDefining Variations in the Size of Normal Pituitary Glands and Pituitary Macroadenomas of Brachy-, Dolicho-, and Mesocephalic Dogs
Benjamin Shih2027James AngelastroActivation of B2-andrenergic receptor leads to ATF5 expression via the B-arestin pathway
Ellis Song2027Karen ShapiroValidating a point-of-care test for Toxoplasma gondii infection in southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis)
Laney Stephens2027Grace VanHoy/Melanie AmmersbachDetermination of reference intervals for venous blood gas and coagulation assays in miniature pigs 
Juliana Sullivan2026Luke WittenburgPharmacokinetic analysis of vinblastine in tumor bearing cats and analysis of population covariates
Anne Werum2026Julie DechantPharamcokinetics and Pharmadodynamics of Intravenously Admininstered Transexamic Acid in Horses
Sonyia Williams2027Denise Imai-LeonardApplication of genomic analysis to the investigation of an unusually apathogenic Corynebacterium bovis outbreak 
Raymond Zurich2027Anna DenicolThe role of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) in bovine preantral follicle cell proliferation and apoptosis

 

2023 STAR Student Projects:
Student NameClassMentor/sProject Title
Dominic Baechler2026Luke WittenburgInvestigation of a Drug Interaction Between Omeprazole & Vinblastine in an In Vitro Model
Joseph Baldetti2025Peter DickinsonOvercoming Technical Issues In Veterinary Research
Ashley Batra2026Pam LeinThe influence of xenobiotic metabolism on the developmental neurotoxicity of PCB 11 in CYP-humanized mice
Calvin Cha2026Karl JandreyAnticoagulation Assessment of Rivaroxaban Treatment in Cats Using Viscoelastic Coagulation Monitor (VCM-Vet™)
Vy Chu2025Cecilia GiuliviAge-dependent decline in vitamin B6 status in healthy domestic cats
Nicole Cox2026Boaz ArziMHC I Knockout Through B2M Disruption to Enhance Allogeneic Feline Mesenchymal Stem Cells Immunomodulation
Ariana Daldemian2025Kent PinkertonThe Effects of Cigarettes and Vapes on the Lung
Brittany Davis2025Melissa BaumanEvaluating social development in a nonhuman primate model of maternal immune activation
Catherine Dombroski2025Brian BennettPolygenic Risk Scoring of Healthy US Adults in a Cross-Sectional Metabolic Phenotyping Study
Madelyn Dupre2026Clare YellowleyEvaluating the sex-dependent effects of manipulating osteocytic HIF-a expression on skeletal development
Alexis (Lexi) Durant2025David Guzman and Michelle HawkinsAntinociceptive Effects of Hydromorphone In Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) 
Ashleigh Flores2025Bart WeimerStruvite Stones and the Microbiome
Rachel Formaker2026Amir KolCombined MSC-antiviral treatment for systemic inflammation and lymphoid tissue regeneration in cats with FIP 
Nicole Gonzales2025Natalia VapniarskyTemporomandibular Joint Disc Cartilage
Marin Green2026Danika BannaschHemimelia in Chihuahuas
Juliann (Juju) Hallum2026Crystal RogersDetermining the role of SOX9 in avian beak development and morphogenesis 
Rachel Hirota2026Michelle HawkinsSedation in Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) for non-invasive clinical techniques
Brandon Lao2026Michael Kent and Gino CortopassiMTORC-1 Inhibition by Meclizine in Canine Osteosarcoma Cells
Trang Le2026Soohyun KimEvaluation of the optic nerve head and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer using optical coherence tomography in normal canines
Nathan Ma2025Woutrina Smith and Pamela YochemRisk Assessment and Pathogen Surveillance in Endangered Freshwater Turtle Species in Hong Kong
Collin Meyer2026Esteban Soto MartinezThe immune response of Nile Tilapia vaccinated with novel diatom-based oral vaccines against piscine francisellosis
Gabrielle Nelson2026Heather KnychPharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics & anti-nociceptive effects of transdermal buprenorphine administration in horses
Leena Park2026Damian GenetosTracking skeletal health in canine skeletal metastatic prostate carcinoma
Mina Park2026Sina MarsilioCorrelation between Cobalamin and Small Intestinal Histopathologic Changes in Cats with Chronic Enteropathy
Bryan Puentes2026Brian LeonardDevelopment and validation of a self-prepared phenol red thread test
Rachel Qiao2026Amir KolCombined MSC-antiviral treatment for T cell injury in cats with spontaneous feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)
Raneesh Ramarapu2025Sara ThomasySingle Cell Transcriptomics of the TAZ-deficient Murine Corneal Endothelium
Marielle Rikkelman2026Pam LeinVariation on endothelial tight junctions in the TgF344-AD rat in Alzheimer’s disease
Sadie Scott2026Stanley MarksPrevalence of Bacterial, Viral, and Parasitic Enteropathogens in 300 Dogs Frequenting Dog Parks
Min Shin2026Melanie GareauAltered serotonergic and GABA signaling in the gut in a mouse model of impaired maternally inherited UBE3A
Kulani Simafranca2025Christine ToedebuschSpatial transcriptomic analysis of canine metastatic melanoma: Defining RNA signatures of primary tumors and the brain microenvironment
Amalie Luneng Solli2026Woutrina Smith and Karen ShapiroValidation of an indirect fluorescent antibody test for Sarcocystis neurona infection in CA Sea Lions
Juliana Sullivan2026Heather KnychPharmacokinetics & Anti-inflammatory Effects of Intramuscular Corticosteroids
Madeleine Thompson2025Esteban Soto MartinezIn-vitro virulence and genetic diversity of hypermucoviscous K2 serotype Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from California sea lions (Zalophus californianus)
Jingjing Wang2026Lillian Cruz OrengoThe effects of deferoxamine (DFO) on murine traumatic brain injury
Morgan Weed2026Denis Marcellin-LittleMechanical validation of a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) prosthesis for companion animals

 

2022 STAR Student Projects:
Student NameClassMentor/sProject Title
Jenna Acutt2024Sara ThomasyEstablishment of Normative Electroretinographic (ERG) Data and Development of a Rapid ERG Test for Congenital Stationary Night Blindness in Horses
Elizabeth Ashley2028Karen ShapiroEvaluating Sarcocystis neurona genotypes and environmental factors as drivers of mass mortality events in southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis)
Megan Brobst2025Munashe ChigerweEvaluation of a continuous glucose monitoring system for use in normoglycemic, hypoglycemic, and hyperglycemic goats, and calves
Audrey Chou2024Frank J.M. VerstraeteDental and temporomandibular joint pathology of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Shannon Cook2025Denise M Imai-LeonardThe role of diet and genetics in hemochromatosis in captive Microtus californicus scirpensis
Evan Cosgrove2025Sina MarsilioAssessment of Mucosal Fibrosis and its Correlation with Disease Severity and Outcome in Cats with Chronic Enteropathy using Dual-Mode Emission and Transmission Microscopy
Michelle Cowell2025Tierra Smiley EvansInvestigation of the immunological response to primary and recurring infection with elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) in Asian (Elaphus maximus) and African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in North American AZA institutions
Brittany Davis2025Eliza Bliss-MoreauValidation of automated MRI segmentation protocols of neuroanatomical regions of the rhesus macaque brain
Catherine Dombroski2025Bethany CummingsDetermining the impact of GIP receptor signaling on alpha cell GLP-1 production
Alexis (Lexi) Durant2025Marcela Uhart and Ralph VanstreelsUnderstanding the factors driving severity and anatomic distribution of Fibropapillomatosis in sea turtles at a high prevalence area in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean
Ashleigh Flores2025Bart WeimerThe role of bacteria in the formation of struvite enteroliths in equids
Mary Garrison2025Karen ShapiroApplication of molecular diagnostics to investigate the prevalence of Tritrichomonas infection in cats
Sarah Gill2025Crystal M RipplingerAssessment of cardiac function and electrophysiology in a novel cAMP reporter mouse line
Nicole Gonzales2025Michael MienaltowskiUnderstanding the Tenogenic and Cytoprotective Roles of Vitamin C
Amanda Gonzalez2024Krystle ReaganApplication of machine learning methods to predict antimicrobial resistant UTIs in dogs
Sophie Gretler2024Renee TsolisCharacterization of murine infection with a mutant strain of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi), a model for Typhoid fever in humans
Stephanie Han2025Ronald LiEffects of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors on NETosis and Apoptosis in Canine Neutrophils
Daniela Jimenez2024Christine ToedebuschCharacterizing the cellular topography and the corresponding immunobiologic molecular signatures of the myeloid cell populations within the canine brain
Mary Ann Lee2024Sina MarsilioTemporal dynamics and community shifts of canine gut microbiome after fecal microbiota transplantation
Madison Luker2024Luke WittenburgRegulation of folate metabolism by microRNA-34a identifies a potential combination therapy against osteosarcoma
Avery Mandel2025Jessica MorganCharacterizing the Cardiac Phenotype of Quarter Horses with Equine Neuroaxonal Dystrophy
Emma Marshall2025Crystal RogersThe molecular and phenotypic consequences of naproxen exposure during early development on neural crest cell-derived cartilage formation in the axolotl
Samuel McCuskey2024Brian LeonardDevelopment of a Corneal Scaffold as a Tool for Assessing Ocular Surface Health
Danielle Myers2025Simon AnthonySurveillance for Novel Paramyxoviruses in West African Bats
Nicole Neely2024Brian MurphyAssociations between feline infectious peritonitis virus spike genotype and treatment success of cats on antiviral therapeutics
Julianne Nussbaum 2024Stuart Meyers Preservation of Ovarian Tissues for Fertility Preservation and Genome Resource Banking
Danielle Oertle2025Danika BannaschLMNA as a candidate gene for Dilated Cardiomyopathy with severe myocardial fibrosis (DCM-MCF) in Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers
Lisa Pacumio2025Hugues BeaufrereValidation of beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) as a plasma biomarker for hepatic lipidosis in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps)
Meghan Poth2025Heather Knych A tale of two metabolites: an analysis of the pharmacokinetics of morphine when administered orally
Celeste Pritchard2024Amandine LejeuneRetrospective assessment of the efficacy and toxicity of carboplatin in the treatment of macroscopic mesenchymal neoplasia in dogs
Lauren Quigley2024Allison GagnonEchocardiographic Effects of Oral Trazodone on Left Ventricular Function in Healthy Dogs
Raneesh Ramarapu2025Crystal RogersIdentifying the role of β-III Tubulin (TUBB3) in neural crest cell formation, migration, and differentiation into craniofacial tissues
Alex Serna2025Joshua A SternCharacterizing a novel feline model of Mucolipidosis II – defining the cardiovascular phenotype and genotype-phenotype relationships
Sarah Smith2025Brian BirdWildfire impacts on virus-host dynamics in the Sierra Nevadas - Alterations in Sin Nombre hantavirus prevalence and Peromyscus maniculatus abundance in the Red Clover Valley
Callie Wilcox2025Carrie J. FinnoEffect of Bisphosphonate Clodronate on Gene Expression in the Horse