IGP:
Life Sciences

Mentor / Lab:
Dr. Richard van Rijn

Specific Research Area / Project:
Analyzing the role of beta - arrestin 1 in Opioid Induced Seizures

Undergraduate Institution:
Purdue University

Lab / Personal work-related websites:

Lab Website

Research Profile:

Arrestins are a family of proteins that play an important role in G-protein coupled receptor signaling. They act as signal transduction regulators by binding to phosphorylated receptors and uncoupling the receptor from the corresponding G protein, terminating GPCR signaling. Within the arrestin family, the ß - arrestins, known as ß - arrestin 1 and ß - arrestin 2, bind to a wide variety of GPCRs and are largely expressed in the central nervous system. Recently, ß - arrestin 1 has been implicated to be involved in opioid induced seizures, however the mechanism behind this relationship remains unclear. The misuse of opioid drugs and the addition to opioid drugs, commonly deemed as the opioid crisis, is a serious problem in the United States. Prescription opioid drugs largely contribute to drug overdose related deaths and in 2017 it was estimated that over 1 million people suffered from substance abuse disorders relating to opioids. Seeing the widespread use and misuse of these drugs, there is a clear need to understand the downstream biological effects of opioids. We would like to investigate ß - arrestin 1's role in opioid induced seizures by determining the neuropathology of this phenomenon and analyzing the potential neuroprotective effects of the protein.

About Me:

As you may have noticed, I did my undergraduate studies here at Purdue and then decided to stay for graduate school! It was not something that I originally planned, but as I was applying for graduate programs, I kept getting a sense that my time at Purdue was not finished. So I stayed here and I'm quite happy I did! The lab I work in now is focused on analyzing the biologial impact of perscription drug and alcohol misuse, two things which largely effect my family and my community. I have a deep compassion for those that are hurting from addition and substance abuse, and I hope that the work I do in my lab can contribute in anyway to the betterment of those suffering from the disease of addiction.