Publications

KEY: Bold text- GVSU professor *GVSU undergraduate(s) **Graduate student 

De Roo C., McLean E., Liu R., DUSPs: an update on their activity regulation and roles in metabolic diseases. Curr Opin in Physiol, 2025, 100816.

Ham, A.C., Evaluating the effect of sex on mortality risks within medieval Ireland. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 2025, 186: e70040.

He, W., MacRenaris, K. W., Griebel, A., Kwesiga, M.P., Freitas, E., Gillette, A., ... & Guillory Ii, R. J., Semi-quantitative elemental imaging of corrosion products from bioabsorbable Mg vascular implants in vivo. Bioactive materials, 2025, 43, 225-239.

Laudicina, N. M., *Piasecki, E., Stoller, M., Cartmill, M., Obstetric Constraints in Six Monkey Genera. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 2025, 187(3), e70092.

*Long, E., *Piasecki, E., Uy, J., Laudicina, N., The Effects of Gut Volume and Parity on the Pubis. Humans, 2025, 5(2), 13.

McLean, E., De Roo, C., Maag, A., Coble, M., Cano, J., Liu, R., ERK1/2 inhibition alleviates diabetic cardiomyopathy by suppressing fatty acid metabolism. Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed), 2025, 30(1), 26700.

Nolasco de Carvalho, G.V., Spitsbergen, J.B., Linn, D.M., Linn, C.L., An alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist induces retinal neurogenesis and restores electrophysiological function following blast-induced ocular trauma in adult mice. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2025, 19.

Norconk, M.A., Thompson, C.L., Vreedzam, A., Atsalis, S., Ledogar, J.A., Landburg, C. & Wright, B.W., Ecological resilience in a primate community in Suriname affected by gold mining. Biotropica, 2025, 57(2): e70007.

*Schena, N. C., *Baker, K. M., *Stark, A. A., Thomas, D.P., Cleary, I.A., Constitutive ALS3 expression in Candida albicans has differential effects on yeast-locked tet-NRG1 and brg1D strains.  Folia Microbiologica, 2025, Jul 1. Online ahead of print.

Stanek, T., Leung, W., Schaffer, C. D., ...The Genetics Education Partnership (Burg, M.), Reed, L., Elgin, S. C.R., Arrigo, C., & Ellison, C., Recombination Suppression Drives Expansion of the Drosophila Dot Chromosome. Molecular Biology & Evolution / Oxford University Press, 2025, 42(12), 13.

Professor Grants/Funding (2025)

GVSU Biomedical Sciences Department Research Award. (Professor John Capodilupo)

GVSU Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research Grant. (Professor Erin Brandt)

GVSU Biomedical Sciences Sponsorship. Burg, M., Detection of histamine metabolites in mutants that disrupt discrete steps in histamine metabolism in Drosophila melanogaster. (Professor M. Burg)

GVSU Career Center Internship Mini Grant. Development of the Biomedical Sciences Internship Program: Grant funds will be used to develop a user-friendly, informational webpage for the Biomedical Sciences internship program. (Professor Cynthia Thompson)

GVSU Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence, Catalyst Grant for Research and Creativity. Project: Determining the molecular mechanisms regulating Dusp8 gene expression and protein stability. (Professor R.J. Liu)

GVSU Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence, Collaborative Catalyst Award. (Professor Kristin Renkema)

GVSU Center for Scholarship and Creative Excellence, Dissemination Grant. (Professor Natalie Laudicina)

GVSU Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence, Dissemination Grant. Project: Studying the regulation of DUSP8 activity in HEK293 cells. (Professor R.J. Liu)

GVSU Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence, Dissemination Travel Grant. (Professor Ian Cleary)

GVSU Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence, Mini Grant. Project: ERK1/2inhibition alleviates diabetic cardiomyopathy by suppressing fatty acid metabolism. (Professor R.J. Liu)

GVSU Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence, Scholarly Dissemination Grant. (Professor Martin Burg)

GVSU Graduate College, Special Projects Graduate Assistantship. (Professor Kristin Renkema)

GVSU Graduate College Sponsorship, Special Project Graduate Assistantship: Drosophila Research Lab Support. (Professor Martin Burg)

GVSU Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, MS3 Grant. Project: Determining the transcriptional regulation of Dusp8 gene. (Professor R.J. Liu)

GVSU Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, P. Douglas Kindschi Undergraduate Research Fellowship in the Sciences. Project: Examining the function and interactions of C. auris phosphatases in C. albicans. With Brady Curtin and Derek Thomas. (Professor Ian Cleary)

GVSU Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, S3 Grant. Project: Do PEST amino acids within DUSP8 protein regulate its cellular level. (Professor R.J. Liu)

GVSU Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, Summer Student Scholars, Project: Do two genes from Candida albicans have the same function in the emerging and drug resistant human pathogen Candida auris? With Makenna May and Derek Thomas. (Professor Ian Cleary)

GVSU Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, Summer Student Scholars, PI: Kaley VanSuch. (Professor Kristin Renkema)

GVSU Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, Undergraduate Research Assistantship, Vertebrate Microfossil Lab - Fall and Winter. (Professor Laura Stroik)

GVSU Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, Undergraduate Research Assistantship, Vertebrate Microfossil Lab - Spring and Summer. (Professor Laura Stroik)

GVSU Open Access Publishing Support Fund, Project: Humans manuscript with undergraduates. (Professor Natalie Laudicina)

GVSU Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center Faculty Associate 2024-2025-award. (Professor John Capodilupo)

GVSU Presidential Research Grant, Alyssa Hussey, co-author. Project: Funds to support graduate research on the efficacy of a beet powder supplement to treat hypertension. (Professor Frank Sylvester)

GVSU Student Summer Scholars Program Sponsorship, Michmerhuizen, S. (Co-Principal), Burg, M. G. (Co-Principal), Project: Epitope labeling of the AANATL7protein using CRISPR/cas9-mediated Homology Directed Repair (HDR) in D. melanogaster. (Professor Martin Burg)

Microbiology Society, Event Grant. Candida and Candidiasis 2025, Germany. (Professor Ian Cleary)

National Science Foundation SBE Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Project: Anthropological Investigation of Demographic Variability in the Ancient Oral Microbiome, 2023-2025. (Professor Allison Ham)

National Science Foundation Senior Research Grant, Principal Investigator, Stroik, L., Collaborative Research Project: After the Bridgerian crash -mammalian paleocommunities and paleoecologies during the middle Eocene, 2020-2025. (Professor Laura Stroik)

Society Event Grant, Candida and Candidiasis, Germany. Microbiology Society. (Professor Ian Cleary)

Skytron, LLC., Project: Visium UV-C Fixtures: A Test of Germicidal Effectiveness on Surfaces in a Simulated Operating Room. (Professor Doug Graham)

Undergraduate Research Grant NNH24ZHA003C, Michigan Space Grant Consortium, NASA, Co-PI: Olivia Brodie. (Professor Kristin Renkema)

Conferences, Presentations, and Posters 

KEY: Bold text- GVSU professor *GVSU undergraduate(s)  **Graduate student 

Brandt, E.E., Sex and survival in conflict: singing, dancing, and jumping arthropods. Grand Valley State University, Department of Biology, Allendale, MI, October, 2025.

Brandt, E.E., Sex and survival in conflict: singing, dancing, and jumping arthropods. Loyola University of Chicago, Department of Environmental Sustainability, Chicago, IL, April, 2025.

Brandt, E.E., Sex and survival in conflict: singing, dancing, and jumping arthropods. Grand Valley State University Department of Biomedical Sciences, Allendale, MI, February, 2025. 

Brandt, E.E., Under (hydraulic) pressure: an integrative approach to spider jumping. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, Atlanta, GA, January, 2025.

*Britton, C., *Garcia, M.A., Thomas, D.P., Cleary, I.A., Rescuing Candida albicans adhesion and stress resistance defects in yeast-locked strains. Candida and Candidiasis, Berlin, Germany, 2025.

*Brodie OG, Renkema, K.R. Developing adaptable immunology research techniques suitable for space. NASA Michigan Space Grant Consortium Fall Conference, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, October 2025.

*Bordie OG, *VanSuch KN, **Groothuis LM, Tonc E, Renkema K.R. Designing and implementing an undergraduate immunology laboratory manual for open-access publication. Autumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL, November 2025.

Burg, M. (Presenter Only), Weibrecht, K. (Presenter Only), Ealy, M. (Presenter Only), Campbell, C. (Presenter Only), Rahimov, F. (Presenter Only), Shiang, R. (Presenter Only), Life After a PhD: How to Succeed in Science. 50th Anniversary of the Genetics Ph.D. program, University of Iowa, Genetics Ph.D. program, Iowa City, IA, June 13, 2025.

Cubitt, M. (Presenter & Author), Miller, O. (Author Only), Lamp, J. (Author Only), Burg, M. (Presenter & Author),  Identification of AANATL-7 expression using the UAS-GAL4 system in D. melanogaster to determine where histamine acetylation is occurring in vivo. National Drosophila Conference, Genetics Society of America, San Diego, CA, March 19, 2025.

**Groothuis LM, *VanSuch KN, *Brodie OG, Tonc E, Renkema K.R., Measuring student engagement and scientific literacy by developing and publishing an open access immunology laboratory manual. Autumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL, November, 2025.

Ham, A.C., Weyrich, L.S., Survival and the ancient oral microbiome in London, England (1066-1853 CE). Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Baltimore, MD, March, 2025.

**Kelley, Jaylyn, Sylvester Frank, The role of temperature and oxygenation in kidney transplant storage optimization. Michigan Physiological Society Conference 2025, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, June, 2025.

Laudicina, N.M., *Long, E., Pelvic dimension comparisons between precocial and altricial species and the idea of human "secondary altriciality". Podium presentation for invited symposium at the American Association of Biological Anthropologists meeting, Baltimore, MD. March, 2025.

Linn, D.M., Warner S., Pelt, E., Saber, T., Linn C.L., Dose-dependent stimulation of primary pig retinal pigment epithelium with PNU-282987 induces neurogenesis in primary pig retinal cell culture: Evidence from Ki67 staining. Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA, 56: 25.18, 2025.

*May, M.D., *Noyes, C.P., Cleary, I.A., Thomas, D.P., Conservation of function between Candida albicans filamentation regulators and Candida auris genes. Candida and Candidiasis, Berlin, Germany, 2025.

Miller, C.K., Zimmer, V., Wiseman, A., Tommy, K., Zipfel, B., DeSilva, J.M., New insights into the knee of Australopithecus africanus. 94th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, Baltimore, MD, 2025.

Miller, C.K., Speaker at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) faculty symposium, GVSU, October, 2025.

Nolasco de Carvalho G.V., Spitsbergen J.B., Linn D.M., Linn C.L., An alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist treatment induces retinal neurogenesis and restores electrophysiological function following blast-induced ocular trauma in adult mice. Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA 56: 25.16, 2025.

**Relan, A., **DeRemer-Young, P., Laudicina, N., VanSickle, C., Advanced Maternal Age Pregnancies and the Birth Canal: Investigating the Role of Skeletal Remodeling. Osteopathic Medical Conference and Exposition (OMED25), Nashville, TN, September, 2025.

Renkema K.R., Accessing and publishing current immunology pedagogy research. Autumn Immunology Conference Education Roundtable, Autumn Immunology Conference, Chicago, IL, November, 2025.

Renkema K.R., Following CD8+ T cell fate throughout the ages. Immunobiology Symposium, Tucson, AZ, November, 2025.

Renkema K.R., Microbial experience influences B16 melanoma tumor growth. Hamilton College, Clinton, NY, October, 2025.

Renkema, K.R., Measuring student engagement and scientific literacy by developing and publishing an open-access immunology laboratory manual. American Association of Immunologists Immunology Conference, Honolulu, HI, May 2025.

Stroik, L.,  Climate & Ecosystems exhibit. John Bartley Science Museum Collaboration, Muskegon, MI, 2025.

Stroik, L., After the Bridgerian Crash: Mammals and Climate Change in the Middle Eocene.  John Bartley Science Museum, Muskegon, MI, September 16, 2025.

Townsend, K.B. Thompson, L., Clifford, C., Friscia, A., Murphey, P.C., Stroik, L., Higgins, P., Kumpf, A., Race to adapt: engaging diverse public audiences with vertebrate responses to climate change via interactive media and field-based learning. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Birmingham, United Kingdom, 2025.

Vanzo-Sparks H.K., Linn DM, Linn C.L., Transcriptomic and immunocytochemical analysis of Müller Glia reprogramming induced by α7 nAChR-activated RPE signaling. Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA 56: 25.17, 2025.

Warner S., Saber T., Abooalsaman N., Bard E., Linn D., Characterization of neurogenesis of adult pig retinal cells by a selective nicotinic agonist using a 2-step culture system. West Michigan Regional Undergraduate Science Research Conference: 19:100, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, 2025.

Webb,  J., Kolanowski, M., Ramsson, E., Yorgason, J. T., Effect of melatonin on striatal cholinergic interneuron-mediated dopamine transmission. Program No.PSTR004.09., 2025 Neuroscience Meeting Planner, Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA., 2025.

Yokley, T.R., Laudicina, N.M., Kufeldt, C., **Furtner, M., **Rhinehart, P., Anemone, R.L., Primates from Smiley Draw: Geologic, Geospatial, and Biostratigraphic Investigations of an Extraordinarily Rich Fossil Assemblage in the Great Divide Basin of Southwestern Wyoming. American Association of Biological Anthropologists Conference, Baltimore, MD, March, 2025.

Student Posters and Presentations: Student Scholars Day, Summer Showcase, and West Michigan Undergraduate Science Research Conference

KEY: Bold text- GVSU professor *GVSU undergraduate(s) **GVSU Graduate Students

*Aiken, C., Baxter, M.A., Effect of Polar Mutation in SPI-6 of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium on Biofilm Formation and Fitness. GVSU Student Scholarship Day, 2025.

Baldus, Michael, Bollinger, Selah, Driesenga, Jaclyn, Frielink, Jessica, Hacker, Samantha, Kelley, Andrew, Ruiter, Dylan, Stroik, Laura Advancing microfossil processing techniques and faunal analysis from the Duchesne River Formation, Uinta Basin, Utah. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

*Britton, C., *Garcia, M.A., Thomas, D.P. Cleary, I.A., Rescuing Candida albicans adhesion and stress resistance defects in yeast-locked strains. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

Capodilupo, J., *Kordbacheh, Arash; *Ranabothu, Akash, Benskey, M. (MSU Professor), Synucleinopathy Decreases Expression of the Complement Regulator CD55 in Nigral Dopamine Neurons Prior To Neurodegeneration. West Michigan Regional Undergraduate Science Research Conference, 2025.

Capodilupo, J., *Krasin, Kates; *Valkenburg, Jamie; *Welsh, Cleary, *Lake, Emmett, Kenney, J. (Professor), Isoforms of GAP-43: Making Connections to Alzheimer's Disease. West Michigan Regional Undergraduate Science Research Conference, 2025.

Capodilupo, J., *Veen, Connor; *Krasin, Kates; *Lutz, Caitlin; *Reed, Jacob; *Valkenburg, Jamie; Kenney, J. (Professor), Isoforms of GAP-43: Making Connections to Alzheimer's Disease. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

*Cubitt, M., Burg, M. (Author Only), Identification of AANATL-7 Expression Using the UAS-GAL4 Systemin D. melanogaster to Determine Where Histamine Acetylation is Occurring in vivo. GVSU Student Scholarship Day, 2025.

*Curtin, B.M., Cleary, I.A., Thomas, D.P., Do Two Similar Phosphatases Act on the same Substrates? GVSU Summer Scholars Showcase and West Michigan Regional Undergraduate Science Research Conference, Grand Rapids, MI, 2025.

*Eshelman, M., *Valkenburg, J., *Rizzo, E., *McDowell, A., *Gallagos-Sanchez, L., *Memelli, G., *Morgan, G., *Phillips, T., Shabani, S., Methamphetamine and morphine use has profound effects on body temperature. West Michigan Regional Undergraduate Science Research Conference, 2025.

**Groothuis, L., Laudicina, N., Stroik, L. K., Richiert, D., Reed, J., Anatomical and Clinical Implications of an Eye Removal Surgery: A Case-Study. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

**Kelley, J., Sylvester, F., Storage optimization for kidney transplantation. GVSU, Student Scholars Day, 2025.

*Le, T., *Budde, J., *Smith, D., *Nichols, D., *Bechtel, C., *Vidal, L., Sylvester, F.,  Nature’s Truth supplement including red beetroot induce vasodilation in porcine coronary arteries. GVSU Student Scholars Day 2025.

*Louwerse, D., *Skym, M., Burg, M. (Author Only), The Identification of Phenotypes Associated with Mutations in the AANATL-7 Gene in Drosophila melanogaster. GVSU Student Scholars Day, Allendale, MI, 2025.

Long, E. , Laudicina, N., Pelvic dimension comparisons between precocial and altricial species and the idea of human "secondary altriciality", Student Scholars Day, 2025.

*Maag, A, Liu, R., Identifying the key amino acids within DUSP8 protein that determine its activity. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

*May, M.D., Cleary, I.A., Thomas, D.P., The role of two Candida albicans genes in the multidrug-resistant Candida auris. GVSU Summer Scholars Showcase, 2025.

*May, M.D., Cleary, I.A., Thomas, D.P., The Role of Several Candida albicans Genes in Multidrug-Resistant Candida auris. West Michigan Regional Undergraduate Science Research Conference, 2025.

*Nichols, D. , *Sharif, A., *Rozema, J., *Wimberley, T., *Lukins, J., *Monterusso, G., Burg, M. (Author Only), Exploring Insulin Signaling Genes Across Drosophila Genomes: A Classroom Research Experience in Comparative Genomics using the PATHWAYS Project. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

*Osowski, G., *Bechtel, C., *Porter, C., *Vidal, L., *Nichols, D., *Smith, D., *Balla, T., *Kue, J., Sylvester, F., Physiological effects of beetroot on pulmonary arteries. GVSU Student Scholarship Day, 2025.

*Piper, L.  Burg, M., (Author Only), Determining the Identity of Histamine Metabolites in the CNS of Drosophila melanogaster Using Mutations that Disrupt Histamine Metabolism. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

Pulte, R., Laudicina, N., Mammalian Teeth from the Great Divide Basin. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

Reed, J.C., *Fischer, H., Histological Analysis of Macaca mulatta Dura Mater Collagen Fiber Organization. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

*Rizzo, E., *Eshelman, M.,*Valkenburg, J., *McDowell, A., *Gallagos-Sanchez, L., *Memelli, G., *Morgan, G., *Phillips, T., Shabani, S., Interaction of trace amine-associated receptor 1 and mu-opioid receptor influence on motivational behaviors. West Michigan Regional Undergraduate Science Research Conference, 2025.

*Sligh, Ashley, Liu, R. Understanding Bicuspid Aortic Valve: Global Prevalence, Genetic Factors, Long-Term Outcomes, Treatment Approaches and Knowledge Gaps. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

*Steinebach, Cayden; *Koratich, Rebecca; *Brower, Danielle; *Sandman, Olivia; *Neubacher, Anthony (Presenters and Authors), and Graham, D. (Author). Composition of the Gut Microbiome Plays a Role in Protecting C. elegans against Viral Infection and Drug Exposure. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

*Steinebach, Cayden (Author and Presenter), Graham, D. (Author). Cellulose Breakdown in the Human Gut via Plasmid Vector Insertion into Gut Microbiota. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

**Vanast, L., Laudicina, N., Stroik, L. K., Richiert, D., Reed, J, Observing the Causes and Effects of Scoliosis in an 80 Year-Old Female Cadaver. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

**Zimmerman, S., Laudicina, N., Stroik, L. K., Richiert, D., Reed, J., Breast Cancer Staging and the Importance of Early Detection. GVSU Student Scholars Day, 2025.

Student Grants

OURS grant, Awarded to Cayden Steinebach for: Introducing Cellulolytic Gene Cel7a into E. coli.  (Professor Doug Graham)

P. Douglas Kindschi Undergraduate Research Fellowship in the Sciences Grant, GVSU Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, Awarded to Brady Curtin for: Examining the function and interactions of C. auris phosphatases in C. albicans. (Formerly of GVSU, Professor Derek Thomas)

Student Summer Scholar (S3) 2025.  GVSU Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, Awarded to Makenna May for: Do two genes from Candida albicans have the same function in the emerging and drug resistant human pathogen Candida auris? (Formerly of GVSU, Professor Derek Thomas)

Student Awards

Cayden Steinebach , 2025 Kindschi fellow. (Professor Doug Graham)

Sawyer Barton, Frederik Meijer Honors College's Excellence in Collaborative Research Award for her Honor's Thesis: "Developing a noninvasive technique for heat shock protein quantification in mammalian feces." Sawyer, a biology major, did her research fully in the Biomedical Sciences Department. (Professor Cynthia Thompson)

Emma Long, 2025 BMS Undergraduate Excellence in a Discipline Award. (Professor Natalie Laudicina)