Category: Oral Presentation

Power and Control in the lives of Female Victims and Perpetrators of Domestic Violence: An Empirical Investigation

Presenter: Nicole Snyder, International Studies: Focus on Gender and Power

Panel: Gender, Power & Change

Mentor: Deborah Baumgold, Political Science

AM Session Panels

Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm

Location: Century D

The discourse of domestic violence typically defines domestic violence in terms of physical assault. This project critically examines this assumption using the insights of Steven Lukes’ theory of power. He theorizes that power is wielded in three dimensions. The first dimension is overt conflict. The second dimension is having the power to control the conversation. The third dimension is power over another. Each dimension builds and reinforces the next, resulting in powerlessness. It brings to bear as evidence the oral stories of ten women concerning their personal domestic violence experience. It demonstrates that, as experienced by these women, there is more to domestic violence than domestic assault. Rather, the design and purpose of domestic violence is to reduce and eventually remove agency. Victims are survivors of a process that erodes their sense of self, stifles their liberty and obstructs access to rights.

Femininity and Athleticism: Title IX at the University of Oregon

Presenter: Lauren Goss, History

Panel: Gender, Power & Change

Mentor: Ellen Herman, History

AM Session Panels

Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm

Location: Century D

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 addressed the discrimination of students at any educational institution that received federal funding. Intended to focus on unfair admission practices, Title IX is best known for improving the treatment of female intercollegiate athletes. However, the intricacies of reconciling the federal standards of equality presented substantial challenges, and each institution confronted the ideological intersection of femininity and athleticism in various ways. The University of Oregon administration remedied cases of overt discrimination, most notably in facility access, but acute examples persisted. Becky Sisley, the first and only women’s athletic director for the University of Oregon, served as the driving force for changing athletic policies for women athletes. In extensive interviews, former female athletes corroborate this struggle for recognition. Archival evidence shows the University of Oregon administration presented concerns about increased funding for women’s athletics during the 1970’s. However, the Women’s Intercollegiate Association survived on a meager budget and remained autonomous until the Athletic Department combined men’s and women’s athletics in 1977. The merger, and Sisley’s resignation shortly thereafter, hindered any further attempts for reaching true equality. Discrimination against female athletes persists at the University of Oregon and there is just cause to explore gender equality in all aspects of higher education.

Effects of Tamoxifen on Cell Labeling in the Mouse Brain: A Model for Studying Glioma Formation

Presenter: Anita Kasina, Biology

Panel: Genes, Cells & Jaws

Mentor: Rui Galvao, Institute of Molecular Biology

AM Session Panels

Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm

Location: Century A

Malignant gliomas are an aggressive and incurable form of cancer with thousands of new cases annually, many of which result in death within one year. Previously, we identified Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells (OPCs) as the cell of origin for glioma. We are now examining wild-type (WT) and cancer-prone OPCs on a molecular level to understand the mechanisms by which OPCs form gliomas. Specifically, we are investigating whether brain injury, known to stimulate transient proliferation of WT OPCs, can cause uncontrolled proliferation of mutant OPCs, and ultimately cancer. We inactivated the tumor suppressor genes p53 and NF1 specifically in adult brain OPCs using an OPC-specific gene promoter, NG2, to drive the expression of an inducible form of the DNA recombinase Cre, which is activated by the drug Tamoxifen (TMX). We are currently optimizing TMX delivery to better control the number of mutated cells. We have found that delivering TMX over consecutive days greatly increases the number of mutant OPCs. Mice given 1, 3, 5, and 7 days of TMX had a significant increase in labeling from 1 to 3 and 3 to 5 days but not from 5 to 7 days, indicating 5 days as the ideal maximal dose. We are now quantifying TMX-induced mutagenesis in other brain areas to identify regional differences. Overall, this data provides a solid basis for future experiments using TMX to induce mutations in OPCs, giving us the level of control necessary to understand the differences between WT and mutant OPC proliferation that ultimately cause cancer.

Hdac4 is Required by Early Cranial Neural Crest Cells for the Development of the Zebrafish Palate

Presenter: Vishesh Khanna, Biology

Panel: Genes, Cells & Jaws

Mentor: April DeLaurier, Biology

AM Session Panels

Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm

Location: Century A

Palate deformities are one of the most common congenital birth defects. It is estimated that one in 1000 babies is born with either a cleft lip or a cleft palate. In 2006, single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene HDAC4 were found to be linked to cleft palate-like defects in humans. In zebrafish, Morpholino-mediated knockdown of hdac4 results in cartilage abnormalities at 6 days post-fertilization, specifically a clefting of the skeletal elements in the roof of the zebrafish mouth. By using fluorescent in situ hybridization, we show that hdac4 knockdown results in the loss of a specific subset of neural crest cells that normally migrate deep to the eye rudiment. Based upon our findings in this animal model, we can propose that human cleft palate resulting from the HDAC4 mutation might ultimately be due to defects in a homologous subset of neural crest cells.

Identification and Study of Genes Involved in DNA Methylation in Fungal Species Neurospora crassa

Presenter: Ariel Morrison, Biology

Panel: Genes, Cells & Jaws

Mentor: Eric Selker, Institute of Molecular Biology

AM Session Panels

Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm

Location: Century A

DNA methylation is an essential feature for proper development in many mammalian and plant species. However it is absent or nonessential in some organisms, including the fungal species Neurospora crassa. I am studying the effects of DNA methylation on Neurospora, with hopes to isolate all known genes involved in the process. Neurospora is sensitive to the drugs Basta and Hygromycin, due to two inactive genes, bar and hph. However, a loss of methylation activates these genes, creating a resistancy to these drugs. By mutagenising samples of Neurospora, I can selectively isolate dim (defective in methylation), mutants by their response to the drugs. Their genome can then be studied and the information gained can be applied to the eukaryote genome.