Regis neuroscience students Akshita Duvvuri ‘26 and Dylan Slichko ‘26 attended the NEURON conference at Quinnipiac University on April 11 to present their research alongside students from across the Northeast.
NEURON, or the Northeast Under/graduate Research Organization for Neuroscience, provides an open forum for undergraduate and graduate students to discuss their research and enhance collaboration among neuroscience educators.
Duvvuri and Slichko presented their research on the effects of experimental treatment on brain volume outcomes in a model of traumatic brain injury.
Slichko’s research showed that the corpus callosum, a structure important for connecting the two hemispheres of the brain, is significantly reduced in size after injury to sensory/motor cortex. In contrast, Duvvuri showed that prefrontal cortex, a region important for short term and working memory, was largely intact, after injury to sensory/motor cortex. These findings suggest that injury to sensory motor regions of the brain differentially alter the structure of adjacent brain areas, and may provide context for clinical profiles seen after injury to sensory motor cortex in humans.
Duvvuri and Slichko were accompanied by Regis Professor of Neuroscience Steven Threlkeld, PhD, who shared that, "Neuroscience students at Regis complete a minimum of 240 hours of mentored research, culminating in the presentation of their findings at a scientific conference. These conference presentations allow Regis students to engage with the broader scientific community and network with peers and industry professionals."