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Research Projects
LABORATORY
RESEARCH
Factors associated with completion of substance use disorder treatment (SUD) among adolescents in the Florida Justice System
May 2018 to Present
Study of Teen Opioid Misuse and Prevention | UF Healthstreet
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As a third year student and Ph. D preparatory program scholar with the UF Graduate School, I collaborated with Dr. Micah E. Johnson and explored the subspecialties of epidemiology.
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In this project, we analyzed the sociodemographic factors such as age, race, gender, annual household income, criminal history, academic history, and personal history and their relationships with substance abuse disorder treatment compliance. We hypothesized that individuals with increased accessibility to treatment will have a higher chance of completing treatment. Also we considered emotional support (along with financial support) and hypothesized those with strong support levels will increase the likelihood of completing SUD treatment.
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Consequences on body size of a host-parasite interaction in novel range
January 2018 to May 2018
Dale Lab | UF Entomology and Nematology Department
During my second year at UF, my mentor, Dr. Pablo Allen, introduced me to Dr. Adam Dale’s lab. Under a research grant provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, Dr. Dale conducted a project that contributes to the field of ecology and environmental economy. In this lab, I have built experimental units for the field, prepared specimens for experimentation, phenotypically identified parasites and insects, and recorded data pertaining to body sizes.
In this project, we are observing the patterns in body size of invasive species, such as the southern mole cricket, when they are introduced to a novel range. While results are still pending, we hypothesize that without their native enemies, parasites, energy is diverted toward body size. We hope to see a difference in body size between infected and uninfected mole crickets.
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Long-term sperm storage in the cactus-feeding bug, Narnia femorata
May 2017 - December 2017
Miller Lab | UF Entomology and Nematology Department
As a first year student, I was given the opportunity to explore the field of ecology at the Miller Lab. Dr. Christine Miller and her post-doctorate, Pablo Allen, were in search of undergraduates who had no prior research experience. They have allowed me to produce hypotheses, create methods, conduct statistical analysis, and collaborate with colleagues to discuss our findings. With our results, we have co-authored a published paper in the Annals of Entomological Society of America Journal by Oxford Press.
In this project, we have discovered that invasive species that practice polyandry may bear a reproductive organ called the spermatheca, which allows for sperm storage in female insects. Females may use this to bias paternity in their offspring to increase fitness. However, our results show that females do not use sperm storage for this reason. Sperm storage is assumed to function for adaptive purposes when invasive species are placed in a novel environment.