Postdoctoral Researchers
Jeremy Bigalke, PhD
Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation
Current Project(s):
Dr. Bigalke is characterizing the sympathetic nervous system response to acute psychosocial stress using direct assessment of peripheral, efferent sympathetic outflow to the muscle vasculature (microneurography). We all experience psychosocial stress on a daily basis. While the stress response is often adaptive and helps us overcome acute stressors, chronic stress exposure can result in detrimental effects on both psychological and physiological well-being. Dr. Bigalke is working to understand how our sympathetic nervous system responds to acute stress is crucial to understanding the impact of social stress on cardiovascular health in various populations.
He is also conducting a study assessing the impact of chronic insomnia on autonomic and cardiovascular function in the evening. Sleep and cardiovascular function are heavily intertwined, with chronic poor sleep potentially causing and exacerbating cardiovascular dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to assess the role of excessive sympathetic nervous system activity and cardiovascular hyperreactivity in the evening on the association between chronic insomnia and cardiovascular dysfunction.
Education:
- Michigan State University (2017) - BS, Physiology
- Michigan Technological University (2019) - MS, Kinesiology
- Montana State University (2023) - PhD, Psychological Science
Faculty Mentor:
Research Interest(s):
- The intersection between sleep, stress, and autonomic nervous system
Ankan Choudhury, PhD
Department of Human Sciences and Design
Current Project(s):
Dr. Choudhury is researching roles of pathogenic bacteria like enterotoxigenic B. fragilis and F. nucleatum in the gut microbiome to initiate and propagate gut inflammation diseases and their link in colorectal cancer. He is developing targeted antimicrobial therapy against F. nucleatum with a bioengineered probiotic delivery platform and engineering outer-membrane vesicles of enterotoxigenic B. fragilis as scaffolds for RNA payload. He is also using bioinformatics and statistical analysis to create predictive models based on fecal microbiome networks and the diet data of people suffering from colorectal cancer and receiving chemotherapy, to assess the progression of the disease and/or success of the therapy given to them.
Education:
- Jadavpur University (2013) - BS, Pharmaceutical Technology
- Jadavpur University (2015) - MS, Pharmacy
- Baylor University (2021) - PhD, Biology
Faculty Mentor:
Research Interest(s):
- Biology (Cell and Molecular, Health and Diseases)
- Microbiome and Bioinformatic Analysis
Priyanka Jaisinghani, PhD
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Current Project(s):
Dr. Jaisinghani is seeking to understand speech processing of Electro-acoustic stimulation (EAS) users, those using hearing aid (HA) and cochlear implant (CI) in the same ear, and bimodal listeners, those using HA and CI in opposite ears. Current research focuses on how well the frequency information from HA and CI is integrated into both approaches, which may explain their speech perception problems. These findings are important since speech signals are complex and contain many frequencies. Integrating closely and widely spaced (distant) frequencies is essential for good speech understanding, especially in noisy environments.
Education:
- All-India Institute of Speech and Hearing (2022) - PhD, Audiology
Faculty Mentor:
Research Interest(s):
- Managing individuals with hearing impairment with hearing aid (HA) and cochlear implants (CI).
- Advancements in HA and CI technologies and their programming/mapping strategies to improve speech perception.
Carla Nascimento, PhD
Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation
Current Project(s):
Dr. Nascimento is exploring gene expression and mitochondrial function in LLC-induced cachexia models. She is studying the effects caused by tumor and/or chemotherapy drugs commonly used for treatment in cancer patients aim to produce scientific evidence that may drive advances in the field for the development of new protocols for treatment on cancer.
Education:
- São Paulo State University (2009) - MS, Motricity Science
- São Paulo State University (2014) - PhD, Motricity Science
Faculty Mentor:
Research Interest(s):
- Biological Markers
- Aging
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Cancer
- Sarcopenia
- Cachexia
- Inflammation
- Oxidative Stress
- Gene Expression
- Factors associated to chronic diseases