Hello everyone! My name is Kylie Wishneski and I am a rising junior majoring in bioengineering and pursuing minors in chemistry and neuroscience. I am thrilled to continue my research at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine as a Health Sciences Research fellow. Working under Dr. Mike Modo, my research focuses on the quantification of neurogenesis throughout the brain following a stroke. Currently, there are no existing treatments that replace tissue loss caused by strokes. The Modo Lab is testing a porcine-derived extracellular matrix (ECM) in combination with betacellulin (BTC), a neural growth factor, to see if we can drive the formation of new tissue in the stroke cavity. The ECM should serve as a bioscaffold to provide support for cells to form new tissue in the cavity, while the BTC will drive the formation of new neurons, or neurogenesis. 

This summer, I will be performing immunohistochemical stainings of rat brain cryosections to quantify several different types of cells as measures of neurogenesis. The main 3 cell types we are interested in are Sox2 positive neural stem cells, DCX positive migrating neural progenitor cells, and NeuN positive mature neurons. I am analyzing these cell types in 3 main regions of the brain: the subventricular zone (SVZ) which is a primary site for neurogenesis, the striatum or the space in the midbrain between the ventricle and the stroke cavity, and in the ECM injected into the stroke cavity. Quantification of these cell types throughout the brain will hopefully paint a picture of the extent to which neurogenesis is occurring in response to the stroke and the treatments that were applied. Further down the line, we hope to use other biological markers to gain a more in depth understanding of the nature of the tissues forming. Our goals are to determine if new tissues are compatible with existing tissue in structure and function, to measure the immune response taking place, and to ensure that none of the growth has become cancerous. While there are many factors to consider, each one plays a crucial role in furthering our understanding of the effects of strokes and the process of tissue regeneration in the brain. 

Following the completion of my degree, I aim to attend graduate school. However, I have not decided if I would like to pursue a Master’s degree, or a PhD. This summer research fellowship will allow me to gain longer term, full time research experience which will help me determine if I feel a research based degree (and potentially career) is what I feel the most passionate about. Just a few weeks in, I have already begun to understand the challenges that accompany novel research, but I have also seen how rewarding it can be. Even if I do not decide to pursue research as a career, this summer fellowship will allow me to develop my organizational, planning, and execution skills as well as provide me with the opportunity to explore scientific communication. I am looking forward to what the rest of the summer will bring!