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2022
Highlights
A Magazine of Research,
Scholarship and Creative
research.sdsu.edu Activities at SDSU
Insights from the 2022 Highlights In This Issue
Featured Scholars
Kaveh Abhari Editor: Kellie Woodhouse
Vice President
Amanda Alker
Todd Anderson Deputy Editor: Sarah White
Renee Angwin Designer: Monika Lemp, 02 Insights from the Vice President
Elva Arredondo
Instructional Technology Services
Mary Baker-Ericzén 04 By the Numbers 2022
Leslie Booher
It’s ftting that the same year that San Diego State University reached the incredible Annie Buckley
Contributors: 05 SDSU Imperial Valley on the Rise
milestone of 125 years spent educating future generations, our institution also surpassed David Carruthers
Monica J. Casper Susanne Clara Bard, Debbie Brighton,
records for the most research-related funding secured in a single year — reaching Rachel Crawford, Michael Klitzing, 06 Investments in Innovation
Iana A. Castro
$164.5 million in fscal 2021-22. Jun Chen Chris Leap, Peggy Pico, Leslie L.J. The Next Tony Award Winners
Gregory Daddis Could Have an SDSU Program to Thank
SDSU is the fagship research institution of the 23-campus Reilly, Melinda Sevilla
Grace DeVega San Diego’s Next Innovation Hub
California State University and one of the top ten public Kelsey Dickson C.A.S.H.-ing In
research universities in the state. Our upward trajectory Matthew Edwards We welcome feedback: From Ships to Syringes
Tyler Felgenhauer
in research-related funding afrms the university is making 5500 Campanile Drive
Janet Franklin
progress toward its goal — outlined in its fve-year strategic Linda Gallo San Diego, CA 92182-8220 08 Student Spotlight
plan — of becoming a premier public research university. Kayla Gautereaux 619-594-5213 Training Tomorrow’s Engineers
Randall German dri-news@sdsu.edu
Our faculty make a tremendous contribution to California In Her Words: Lessons from the Lab
Rachel Haine-Schlagel
communities, to research that helps us better understand Laura J. Hall research.sdsu.edu An Arctic Adventure
Brian Hentschel
our world and confront the major challenges of our time,
Jack Hinzo
Support Us 10 Water & Wildlife
and to the students who work alongside them in their Eunha Hoh Evolving the Blue Economy
studios, labs and classrooms. In these pages you will read Carrie House
@SDSUResearch Recipes for Restoration
Hala Madanat about the transformative power of their transdisciplinary Pamela Jackson
Pascale Joassart- Marcelli Oyster Apple Watches
work. Researchers from every college consider complicated Paul Kaplan @SDSUResearch
Meeting Macaques
issues from a multitude of perspectives, and these diverse perspectives inform their Susan Kiene
What’s the Big Deal with Dirt?
problem solving. Bonnie Kraemer
Rohan Kumar Protecting California’s ‘Stunning Diversity’
Our artists’ ingenuity provides invaluable support for the creative community, through Laís Lima The Eternal Afterlife of Tiny Trash
David Lipson
innovations like a competitive incubator program for early-career playwrights and a novel
Xiaobai Liu
audio engineering app that makes some of the world’s most storied venues available to Paul Luelmo
18 Media Matters
musicians anywhere (pages 6 and 20). Our scientists work with industry to make their Kristen Hill Maher Through a Comic Lens History and
Stanley Maloy Social Justice Come Alive
ideas come to life, whether that’s overcoming scientifc and regulatory obstacles to make
Kyle Malter Reclaiming the Air - One Sonic Snapshot
aquaculture more prevalent in California or leveraging lessons learned from tubeworms Corinne McDaniels-Davidson at a Time
to further genetic modifcation (pages 10 and 7). And our scholars take a particular interest Amanda McClain Recommended Reading
in confronting injustice, tackling health disparities, addressing inequities in education, and Robert Mefe
Rebecca Mendoza
helping students explore these difcult topics through comics (pages 22, 26 and 18). Luke Miller 22 Drugs & Disease
Aina Narvasa Tackling Health Disparities
But one of the very best things about SDSU’s growing research enterprise is how seam-
Bill Nericcio Are Social Media Hashtags the New Joe Camel?
lessly our students are integrated into nearly every project. Roughly 1,740 undergraduates Eugene Olevsky
End of the Road for Ovarian Cancer
and 5,500 graduate students participate in research at SDSU each year. They make an Giang Pham This issue of Highlights is full of
Elizabeth Pollard extra features. Use this QR code to Untangling tRNA
immeasurable impact on our work, and get the chance to participate in unforgettable
Sonja Pruitt-Lord access extended articles, related
experiences — from considering climate change in the Arctic, to helping NASA engineers Penelope Quintana 26 Combatting Inequality in Education
videos, audio recordings and other
test moon rovers, to studying the psychological efects of disordered eating (pages 8 and Rachael Record
relevant links. Prison Arts Collective: A Forum for Expression
9). These students are our future, and our faculty do an incredible job helping prepare Erin Riley and Connection
Sarah Rieth
them to become the creators, entrepreneurs and scholars that will continue SDSU’s work Symbol Key: ‘Canary in the Coal Mine’
John Rodriguez
for generations to come. Nick Shikuma Diagnosing Language Disorders Equitably
Satish Sharma The article has an audio version Designing Canoes - and a New Method of Teaching
Setareh Sterling
The article has a Where Research Meets Practice
Manal Swairjo
Hala Madanat Greg Talavera supplementary video
Vice President for Research and Innovation Van Tarpley 32 Horizons
Emma Topolcsik The article has an online version Stepping up Signaling
Elisa Torresani Highways in the Sky
Satchi Venkataraman
Chris Warren Simulating Snowy Situations for Self-Driving Cars
On cover and opposite: Collage of images. Photos courtesy of researchers, Ken Jacques, Sarah White, Carrie Dada and NASA. Xiaofeng Xu Optimizing Extraterrestrial Construction and Repair
2 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 3
IMPERIAL VALLEY
By the Lithium Valley Vision
Recent SDSU IV investments tie directly into plans to develop
Numbers 164.5M
$ the region into California’s “Lithium Valley” centered around
the Salton Sea where scientists have recently discovered
Research-related one of the world’s largest untapped reserves of the rare
funding earth element. As the only four-year university in the Valley,
5,500 Graduate students SDSU IV is well positioned to build a pipeline of STEM
(science, technology, engineering and math) graduates to
23 Doctoral programs support the booming lithium industry.
350 Principal investigators
Research Focus
In recent years, SDSU IV researchers have collaborated with
SDSU Imperial
98 Centers and Institutes
Imperial County on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-
funded childhood obesity study, investigated asthma rates Valley on the Rise
near the Salton Sea, helped develop
and implement an air monitoring quality
system in the area, and much more.
50+ Postdoctoral scholars Faculty Hiring
8 3 Companies started
SDSU IV has seen a 350% increase in
faculty hiring since 2018. This includes
New NSF three new researchers hired as part
CAREER of SDSU FUERTE (Faculty Unifed
awards 30+ Books authored by faculty towards Excellence in Research and
Transformational Engagement), a
National Institutes of Health-funded
$
9.7M COVID-19-related funding efort focused on bolstering Latinx
health disparities research.
$
1.9M NASA funding Funding Infusion
SDSU IV is receiving $80 million
323
in California state funding to
2 National Academies of Sciences, support the construction of a STEM
1,740 Funders Engineering, and Medicine members campus and Innovation District in
Undergrad Brawley that will include labs and facilities with cutting-
researchers edge equipment, classrooms and space to collaborate With an infusion
$
32.8M National Institutes of Health funding with public and private partners.
of funding to support STEM
STEM Evolution
programs, bolster nursing
$
13M National Science Foundation funding To boost student success, SDSU IV math professors are developing
education and expand health
a National Science Foundation-funded summer bridge
program that will help newly admitted students brush up on
6 disparities research, SDSU Imperial
250 National Endowment for the Humanities awards necessary math skills, explore STEM career options, learn about
campus life, and make the most of their college experience. Valley (SDSU IV) is on the precipice
Musical
events
$
3.1B Annual economic impact predicted Nursing Expansion of a major expansion that will allow
for SDSU Mission Valley Imperial Valley has a severe shortage of qualifed healthcare the border-adjacent campus
workers — exacerbating health disparities in the area. Starting
this fall, SDSU IV is ofering an accelerated pre-licensure to better serve the surrounding
#1 Rank in research funding among bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program — and there’s community during a time of
761 California State Universities already a waiting list. The three-year program bolsters SDSU
IV’s existing RN to BSN program, funded by the California unprecedented growth.
Awards Department of Health Care Access and Information, which
29 Patent applications submitted has already graduated over 250 nurses since 2009.
4 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 5
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INVESTMENTS IN INNOVATION
C.A.S.H.-ing In products via social media. The
entrepreneur has a local focus: she
plans on connecting student athletes
Last year the U.S. Supreme Court
with small businesses, including
ruled the NCAA could no longer
restaurants, meal prep companies
prohibit student athletes from
and exercise studios.
seeking product endorsement deals.
ZIP Launchpad is providing guidance,
Enter C.A.S.H.: an app that connects
tools and support to develop their
student athletes with businesses idea and work toward launching their
to negotiate mutually benefcial company, and Sterling hopes to get
endorsement deals. her app in the hands of student
With the assistance of the Zahn athletes in the not-too-distant future.
Innovation Platform (ZIP) Launchpad, “We wanted to build something that
Setareh Sterling’s app pairs student athletes with
management major Setareh Sterling would be for every athlete — for ev- sponsorship opportunities. Courtesy photo
created C.A.S.H. — Competitive
The Next Tony Award Winners Could and encourages them to innovate
and take risks in their storytelling. Athlete Sponsorship Hub — a digital
ery sport and skill level — and bridge
the gap between student athletes would have gotten as far as we’ve
Have an SDSU Program to Thank Mefe and his team work with one creative
platform that matches businesses
with student athletes to endorse their
and possible sponsors,” Sterling
says. “Without ZIP, I don’t think we
gotten. It’s going to have a very lasting,
meaningful impact on our lives.”
team for a two-year period, helping
It took Lin-Manuel Miranda seven years early-career writers with the university’s
the writer consider how elements like
to write the hit Broadway show “Hamilton,” musical theater MFA program to help
score, choreography, and costume
and the acclaimed playwright is no workshop their musicals over a two-
From Ships
and set design will infuence their
exception. It can take years for writers year period. Malter and Shikuma completed SDSU’s who are hindered by the time-consuming
script. Writers visit campus several semester-long Innovation Corps
to refne their musicals. process of genetically modifying their
to Syringes
The donor-funded incubator, led by times for extended workshops, during (I-Corps) program, led by Stanley own microorganisms. Further along
San Diego State University launched Robert Mefe, head of the SDSU which MFA students perform their Maloy, a microbiologist and former their journey, they’ll adapt the bacteria’s
the New Musical Initiative in 2016, MFA Musical Theatre Program, scripts so writers can take notes and Imagine a syringe that’s small enough associate vice president for innovation. nanosyringe to inject medicinal drugs
a competitive incubator and writers- supports writers who are exploring work to revise and improve their work. to inject cells with whatever proteins Hearing from the I-Corps instructors, into a variety of cell types.
in-residence program that partners difcult subjects through their art, At the end of the two-year period, the you desire. With the potential to who themselves were scientists, “I like the freedom of starting a company,”
musical is given a full-scale production revolutionize scientifc experiments in about their missteps and successes in says Malter. “When you have control
by the same cohort of MFA students academia and industry, biologist Nick starting companies was instrumental over what you’re doing, it makes it a lot
who helped workshop it all along. Shikuma is leveraging an injection
San Diego’s Next Innovation Hub
in helping Shikuma and his team think easier to have a passion for it. It’s easier
“Writing a successful musical is equiv- mechanism and its ability to genetically through the next steps for their venture, to steer the ship because no one else is
alent to developing a patent on a new modify other organisms to start a Metamorphotech. Shikuma was going to do it.”
With 1.6 million square feet of ofce, technology, laboratory and research space, biotechnology company. awarded funding from the SDSU Pilot
drug. You have to try things out, test
the San Diego State University Mission Valley Innovation District will facilitate Innovation Fund to help the team
Below: Amanda Alker examines a petri dish of bacteria.
them in front of people and see what’s But entrepreneurship defnitely was not Photo: Sarah White
collaborations between SDSU researchers and public and private partners. along the road to commercialization.
going to make the best theater,” Mefe on Shikuma’s radar when he received a Background: Tubeworm that the Metamorphotech team
studies. Illustration: BioRender
It will consist of several hubs where transdisciplinary collaborators will combine says, noting that the initiative’s most grant from the Ofce of Naval Research “The Metamorphotech
their eforts to solve urgent societal challenges. Construction related to the recent call for musicals received over to reduce the more than $180 million team is a wonderful
frst hub — the Health Innovation Hub — is expected to begin in 2023. Initial 150 applications. “Our incubator is a they spend on removing marine organ- example of how a
partners include diagnostic testing company Quidel Corporation, the Naval coveted resource. It gives new voices isms from ships’ hulls. Upon discovering surprising basic science
Health Research Center and the Family Health Centers of San Diego. a platform, and it provides our MFA that ship-sticking tubeworms grow into discovery can be adapted
The Innovation District will also include an entrepreneurship center and students with an opportunity to work their adult form thanks to a bacterium to solve complex
start-up incubator to support university spinofs and innovators. with professionals in the feld.” injecting its own proteins, Shikuma and problems in a wide
his now-graduated doctoral students variety of areas, from
In April 2022, “Postcard American Town,” Kyle Malter (‘22) and Amanda Alker marine sciences to
a musical written by Lynne Shankel and (‘22) sought resources to help share agriculture to human
Crystal Skillman, debuted in San Diego these fndings beyond the lab. health,” says Maloy.
after participating in the multiyear
incubator process. The contemporary “Once we had the intellectual property, The team plans to
we were interested in fguring out provide gene-editing
musical examines the hardship of
how it could be commercialized,” says services and custom
cultural discrimination and the
Malter, who wanted to become an strains of marine bacteria
importance of community activism.
entrepreneur at a very early age. for fellow academics
The musical Postcard American Town debuted in
May 2022 after two years working with SDSU’s
New Musical Initiative. Photo: Ken Jacques
6 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 7
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Student Spotlight In Her Words me how to become an independent
researcher.
SDSU is the perfect institution for I got involved in research because
research because, even though it’s I knew I wanted to study eating disor-
such a large school and we have a ders and go on to a clinical psychology
huge research backing, it feels small; graduate program. Eating disorders
it feels like everyone involved in run in my family and I had to experience
research knows everyone. eating disorder treatment when I was
I have a lot of friends who are ten to thirteen. I want to see how I can
working with multiple faculty help those who are in treatment and
in diferent groups and they’re how I can, hopefully, come up with
sort of mixing these ideas some sort of new treatment options.
from diferent departments
Even if you don’t want to go to grad-
on campus. Most problems in
uate school, research is important
society are not one discipline
and need expertise from because it teaches you how to be a
Rebecca Mendoza is a senior multiple diferent perspectives. good worker, how to think analytically
psychology major and the president of and critically of knowledge, something
the Undergraduate Research Committee. Research has been the most reward- that’s applicable to any job.
As a researcher in the Body Image, ing experience for me because, at
SDSU, I can get one-on-one help, There’s also so many ways on campus
Sexuality and Health Lab, she has
collected, analyzed and presented data whereas, I believe, if I was at another that research can be used, either for
for several projects, including a personally institution, I couldn’t get that kind of credit for classes or as funding for
meaningful investigation of the correlations mentorship. My mentors helped me tuition through diferent programs.
between disordered eating and trauma through everything that I needed and Research has made college possible
in adolescence. Photo: Carrie Dada they genuinely care about teaching for me by helping pay my tuition.
Featured Photo: Environmental engineer Aina Narvasa interned at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio this summer. The second-year
master’s student worked on the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) project, which aims to send a rover to the south pole of the moon to
investigate the concentration of water ice there. In the above photo, she sets up terrain similar to the moon’s surface in order to test the rover’s navigation
capabilities. NASA Courtesy Photo. Photo essay available.
Mentored by biologist Donatella Zona, culture and the place,” she says.
Bernabe is helping track the efects of Back in San Diego, Bernabe will
climate change on Arctic ecosystems.
Training Tomorrow’s Engineers
visualize and compare her new data
in industry,” he says. “I enjoy how As the permafrost melts, methane with historical Arctic data from Zona’s
challenging it is.” gasses that were trapped in the ice previous trips. She hopes to also
Figuring out how these structures are released into the atmosphere. work on a project in local chaparral
Buzzing with over a dozen student Now that frst cast and another with a
researchers, Satchi Venkataraman’s green sheen sit on the desks of aero- work on diferent scales could inform
human-sized underground caves on
An Arctic In addition to taking depth measure-
ments, she helped graduate students
ecosystems, which she studied
during her frst SURP.
Adventure
aerospace engineering lab is space engineering master’s student
Tyler Felgenhauer and undergraduate the moon, foam insulation materials, collect data on the temperature and “I didn’t start out very interested in
developing new composite materials concentration of nitrous oxide of the soil.
engineering student Emma Topolcsik. and even hydrogen energy storage. ecology, but I ended up enjoying it
to use in planes, spacecraft and
They are trying to determine how the + In the tundra surrounding Utqiagvik, “There’s lots of stuf happening in way more than I thought I would,”
potential lunar dwellings. With funding
air-flled tunnels and cavities manage Alaska — the northernmost town in the soil that’s important to how the Bernabe says. “Don’t limit yourself.
from the California Space Grant the United States and home to nearly
to not collapse under the pressure of world works. It’s really cool to see the You never know what you’re going
Consortium, he is training talented 5,000 people — Kristine Bernabe to be interested in.”
surrounding dirt or creatures passing impact our research has and how
and diverse students to be the stuck a long probe into the ground it’s very relevant to current problems
over the surface.
research engineers of tomorrow. until she reached frozen earth. we’re facing today,” she says.
Using X-ray computed tomography and The cell and molecular biology major
Under Pressure Outside of collecting data, Bernabe
digital tools, they created models of measured how much of the permafrost shared in traditional Inupiat meals
Venkataraman was scrolling through these ant nests, allowing them to run sim- had thawed as part of her second time of bowhead whale and caribou with
Etsy looking for gift ideas when he ulations of over 3.5 million data points participating in SDSU’s Summer Under- scientists from Texas and Germany.
stumbled upon a metal cast of a fre ant to compare the nests’ load-bearing graduate Research Program (SURP). Other highlights included attending
nest. He added it to his cart with his properties to simpler fractal structures. a whaling season festival and
“SURP is a good way to get frst-hand
mind full of new ideas about how this For Felgenhauer, this is a once in a experience with doing your own seeing four wild polar bears.
could help him answer research ques- lifetime project. “It’s very intriguing experiments and analyzing data,” “While you’re doing the science,
tions about nature-inspired materials. and I wouldn’t be able to work on this says Bernabe. “And it’s paid!” you’re also learning about the
Emma Topolcsik examines physical model of ant nest. Kristine Bernabe collects water samples in the Arctic. Courtesy Photo
Photo: Sarah White
8 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 9
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WATER & WILDLIFE
By Sarah White Pain Points
San Diego State University researchers are SDSU master’s student Leslie Booher and
overcoming the obstacles — both regulatory her partner Torre Polizzi faced the hurdles
and scientifc — to make it a reality. of permitting and trying to adapt East Coast
SDSU biologist Matthew Edwards and post- growing advice when starting their kelp
doctoral researcher and microbial ecologist farming company, Sunken Seaweed.
Laís Lima (Ph.D., ‘21) are leading a team of The couple frst teamed up with Edwards to
nonprofts, government agencies, tribal
study how Ulva lactuca, or sea lettuce, could
partners and labs across the country to identify
be used to capture toxins in the San Diego
and solve problems that are keeping Pacifc
Bay. But they had bigger dreams for the
Ocean kelp farming dead in the water.
scale of kelp farming.
Why Kelp? When the National Science Foundation put
Seaweeds, the category to which 30 types out a call for what Lima described as “a
of kelp belong, account for 27% of global moonshot idea: something very collaborative,
marine agriculture production. The multiple very applied and out there” to reinvent the
uses of seaweed — in food, carbon so-called blue economy, or aquatic
sequestering, ceremonial art and alternative agriculture, the four kelp enthusiasts put
energy, to name a few — are estimated to their hat in the ring.
comprise a $16.7 billion industry worldwide.
“It feels like we’re living in a historical
But over 97% of seaweed is produced in
moment because this industry has so much
Asia, with the U.S. contributing less than
potential to be renewable, sustainable and
1% to international markets.
What if verdant, sustainable farms could bring a lot of value to people,” Booher says.
The slow growth of the industry on the West
produce alternative fuel sources and nutritious Coast is partly attributable to the decimation After receiving an initial round of funding in
of over 95% of California kelp forests due to the fall of 2021, Booher and Polizzi spear-
food for indigenous communities and headed interviews with eager farmers and
warming waters and an explosion of sea urchin
international markets while simultaneously populations. Also to blame is a confusing web participated in tribal councils in partnership
helping slow climate change? of local, state and federal rules for securing with the Native Conservancy. Interviewees
permission to start kelp farms. echoed the couple’s own experience:
navigating the hoops of the regulations
That’s the untapped potential for aquaculture The frst North American kelp farm was
and permits was a discouraging, time-
permitted in 2010. In the 12 years since,
along the West Coast. around 100 farms have been permitted in the consuming and expensive process.
eastern U.S., where sugar kelp is extensively In addition to the challenges of getting started,
farmed. On the western coast, however, just farmers also face other barriers to success,
20 farms started in Alaska, where kelp is an including an inconsistent demand from
important part of tribal culture. And on the buyers, the prevalence of pests, and kelp
7,863-mile stretch of coast from California to mysteriously not growing as well as expected.
Washington, fewer than 10 seaweed farms
have been permitted. Continues on next page
10 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 11
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WATER & WILDLIFE
Continued from previous page
To alleviate these woes, the team is
microbiome communities.”
Yet which microbes are benefcial
similar bacterial communities — which
prevent undesirable biofouling organ- Recipes for
Restoration
working with Greenwave, an ocean isms from growing on the kelp blades
partners to boost crop productivity is
farming nonproft, to develop a free — to a natural kelp bed nearby, sug-
much less understood in the ocean.
online hub for future kelp farmers. The gesting that these farms likely have
hub will provide streamlined permitting Applying their expertise in metagenom- no negative impacts on the ocean Sea urchin gonads are a prized
software, a network of customers and ics and ecology, the researchers ecosystem. Additionally, diferent gastronomic delicacy called uni,
a best practices manual informed by are analyzing which microscopic kelp species relied on a so researchers at the Coastal and
Lima and Edwards’s research. organisms cohabitate with healthy kelp variety of microbial partners for
Marine Institute Laboratory — led
and what roles they play in growth. cycling nitrogen, which is often
“In science, usually the approach is by Brian Hentschel, Todd
more limited in warming waters.
to investigate interesting questions. In one of the biggest and most Anderson and Renee Angwin —
With this project, everything we think spatially distributed kelp sampling In the next phase of the project,
remove urchins from the ocean
about and design has to help people, projects ever, the SDSU team and SDSU researchers and their
and study their gonad devel-
a sector, a community,” Lima says. their partners used custom-made collaborators will further analyze
microbial genomes to verify which opment in the lab. Comparing
syringes called super suckers to
Mysterious Microbes combinations of bacterial communities, purple sea urchin growth before
collect both the seawater environment
Answering the unknowns of what helps temperature, fow rate and depth and after they eat manufactured
and seaweed tissue from over 125
kelp grow best will require taking a of farm will be most productive. feed and natural kelp diets has
samples from seven species.
page out of the terrestrial farm playbook. Developing probiotics to enhance had promising results for more
Lima’s preliminary analysis of these diferent physical characteristics of
“In land agriculture, the microbiome sustainable farming. Providing
samples revealed 30 types of kelp is on the horizon.
is already recognized as important farmers with lab-based methods
bacteria and viruses that could
for cycling nutrients and photosyn- “It’s very exciting to be in this position for uni production can further aid
beneft kelp growth.
thesis,” says Lima. “Corn and soy where science meets business,”
kelp forest restoration efforts.
have been optimized with their Giant kelp samples from farms had Edwards says. + + Purple sea urchins after their gonads are removed. Courtesy Photo
Torre Polizzi and micro2macro team member assess health of farmed kelp lines. Courtesy Photo
Oyster Apple Watches
Oysters are the ocean’s cockroaches,
surviving stressful situations like
warming waters and algal blooms.
Students in marine biologist Luke
Miller’s lab are studying the physiology
of these intertidal organisms. To do
so, they manufactured “glorifed
oyster Apple Watches” out of
four inches of PVC pipe, a circuit
board, a couple of wires, a magnet,
an LED and a couple of sensors.
Afxed with a little bit of glue on the
oysters’ shells, these devices track
oyster heart rates and when the
bivalves open and close their shells.
This research will identify oysters’
preferred growing conditions to inform
aquaculture farming practices and
eforts to bring oyster species back
from near extinction along the
Pacifc coast.
Lauren Strope afxes sensors to oyster and assembles circuitry for underwater monitoring. Photo: Chris Leap
12 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 13
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WATER & WILDLIFE
Protecting
Janet Franklin’s research has found that several
Meeting
San Diego species are threatened by climate
change, including the flora pictured below.
California’s
Macaques
‘Stunning
Diversity’ Acanthomintha ilicifolia
San Diego Mesa Mint
Healthy ecosystems support all life,
making possible critical environmental
resources like clean water and grasslands
Macaques and cows on the side of the road in Indonesia. Photo: Melissa Callado that support agriculture.
For thousands of years, humans and As climate change accelerates, these
National Science Foundation to
primates have lived in close prox- ecosystems are shifting at a rapid
bring students to Sulawesi for ex- Researchers assemble structure as part of experiment to measure effects of rainfall on plant growth after wildfire and drought.
imity, sharing resources. In recent pace — forcing human and ecological
tended fieldwork experiences. Us-
history, this has resulted in conflict ing cameras positioned amidst the communities to adjust to new
where agricultural land meets the
forest’s edge in Indonesia.
trees and direct observation, they
will investigate how endangered
What’s the Big Deal with Dirt? environmental realities like water scarcity.
Working with tribal groups, state agencies
With funding from the ASIANetwork, moor macaques shift their foraging Wildfire and drought can have Xiaofeng Xu are analyzing soil and fellow scientists, and supported by the
and in collaboration with Indonesian and movement in increasingly an- devastating effects on human lives, samples from a recently burned National Science Foundation, conservation
ecologists, ethnoprimatologist Erin thropogenic environments and how but also on the soil beneath our feet. nature preserve in San Marcos to biogeographer and National Academy of
Riley mentors undergraduates in these endangered primates can better understand how the ecosystem Sciences member Janet Franklin studies
When fire eliminates native plants,
studying human-primate conflict contribute to forest regeneration recovers from the fire and sparse the effects of environmental change on
fungi and bacteria that create natural
mitigation and primate conservation. through seed dispersal. glues, soil does not clump together as the diversity of plant life and the essential
Hesperocyparis forbesii
rainfall. Using data from drones and
Students learn about Indonesian Below: extensively. And stickier soil can store rain shelters, they will refine models habitats plant communities provide for all
culture and harvesting practices, as Left: A moor macaque eating in a ficus tree more carbon, which helps counteract of soils’ role in climate change around species in California. She uses species
Photos: Lavinia German
well as how to conduct unobtrusive humans’ excessive emissions. the world, taking into account soil distribution modeling to predict the fate of
Top right: SDSU undergraduates in Java,
observations of wildlife. Indonesia observing the Javan gibbon.
With the support of a National clumpiness and seasonal growth native flora — like San Diego Mesa Mint
Bottom right: SDSU undergraduates Melissa Science Foundation RAPID grant,
Building on this project, she was Callado (pink) and Jadyn Skipper (purple) with
pattern differences between native and Engelmann Oak — threatened by
recently awarded a grant from the primate conservationist Rahayu Oktaviani. biologists David Lipson and and invasive plant species. climate change, urban sprawl and an
abundance of wildfire.
By understanding shifts in the ecosystem,
policymakers can adjust their planning Ceanothus verrucosus
Wart-stemmed Ceanothus
to better protect ecosystems and prepare
for the future in the face of rapid climate
change driven by greenhouse gas emissions.
“The stunning diversity of plant life in California
is just a marvel of evolution. These
ecosys-tems have been self sustaining
for millions of years and have sustained
human life here for more than 10,000
years,” Franklin says. “We have to know
how to prioritize efforts to protect our
environment. and anticipate the ebbs
and flows of ecosystems that are quickly
changing and the downstream effect on
wildlife, water, forests and people.” Quercus engelmannii
A moor macaque eating in a ficus tree Photos: Lavinia German Scientists use cameras on a drone to calculate how much greenery covers a large area of land. Courtesy photos
14 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 15
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WATER & WILDLIFE
many environmental contaminants
The Eternal
that they were able to propose better
potential habitat locations.
Afterlife of Tiny Trash
Beyond the lab, Hoh leveraged her
‘broad is better’ approach to establish
a vast network of transdisciplinary
teams, with unlikely research
partners in psychology, nutrition
and engineering, to name a few.
She also developed collaborative
partnerships with a dozen research
teams at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
On left page: A whale skeleton found on the Baja
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California shore had much lower chemical
contaminants than similar carcasses in Southern
techniques that identify all the and other universities and organizations. California. Condors scavenge food from deceased
marine mammals. Photo: Ignacio Vilchis
chemicals in a given sample, Today, Hoh remains dedicated to
On this page:
known or unknown. discovering more POPs — those
Top left: Baja condor
The new approach paid off eternal tiny tidbits of chemical trash
Above: A dolphin spine found on the on Baja
immediately. Researchers identifed that invisibly infltrate our environment, California coast had much lower chemical
chemicals that stick around forever, potentially making their way into our contaminants than similar carcasses in Southern
By Peggy Pico to pursue chemistry in college. they impact humans, wildlife, lungs, water and food from
California. Photo: Ignacio Vilchis
known as persistent organic pollutants Below: SDSU Environmental Health Lab members
It’s not something most young She complied, won over by and our environment,” says Hoh. unexpected sources. + + Eunha Hoh and Margaret Stack. Photo: Carrie Dada
(POPs), in fame retardants and
girls think about. But Eunha his insistence that chemistry Through a novel approach of documented long-lasting tobacco
Hoh did. contains the basic, and often molecular-level analysis, she and byproducts in thirdhand smoke.
“I always knew I’d be a invisible, building blocks of life. her team discovered chemical They also discovered previously
pollutants, often from everyday unknown chemicals from degraded
scientist,” says the San Diego Armed with a master’s degree in
items like cloth microfbers microplastics and emerging contami-
State University public health chemistry, Hoh landed a presti- nants from the breakdown of known
researcher, “I was good at and tire dust—the microscopic
gious job at a major electronics toxins, including devolved DDT
math and I loved reading debris deposited on freeways
manufacturer. A few years compounds disrupting reproduction
books about invisible things.” and streets by millions of cars. in California condors, risking their
later, she visited the company’s
Hoh explains further, “The comeback in the wild.
Many kids long for superpowers production facility and came friction between tires and the
to uncover hidden secrets. face-to-face with a grim reality: “We have worked with the Hoh Lab
road leaves tiny particles that at SDSU for more than fve years on
But as a child, Hoh experienced “I was shocked to see hundreds are blown or washed away into different projects, and it has proven
the real magic of discovery from of liters of toxic chemicals and nearby water. With so many to be an excellent collaboration.
her dad — a research and solvents pouring from the cars on the road, I want to know Together, our areas of expertise
development scientist for the enormous wastewater pipeline.” what that is doing to our envi- have allowed us to take a rather
defense department in South ronment, fsh, air and health— integrative look into the possible
The discovery reignited Hoh’s
Korea. “When my dad returned and our fndings could lead to effects of contaminant exposure on
childhood pursuit and launched
from his many work trips to the more environmentally friendly the reproductive success of the Baja
her quest to expose hidden and
U.S., he brought me encyclopedias formulated tire products.” condor fock scavenging marine
invisible toxic chemicals. Now, mammal carcasses along the shores “The most rewarding treasure I’m looking for is in the
and books from NASA and
she and her extensive transdis- To uncover the unknown, Hoh of the Gulf of California,” says Chris
science museums,” she says, ciplinary research teams scour future, where non-targeted detection methods are a
designed a non-targeted tech- Tubbs, associate director of
“I devoured them, and my oceans, freshwater, air, farms, nique for luring toxic organic reproductive sciences at conventional practice, leading to better-designed
fascination for invisible molecules houses and roads to “fnd rarely chemicals out of hiding. Instead San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
and mysteries grew stronger.” tested pollutants and novel con- systems to protect and clean up our environments.”
of using a standard method to As a result, Hoh’s team proved for
Hoh’s dad encouraged her taminants previously unknown search for known toxins like the frst time that condors along the Eunha Hoh
scientifc curiosity, advising her and to better understand how DDT, she developed new California coast were exposed to so
16 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 17
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foraccess all
Section
MEDIA MATTERS
were engaged in an existential
struggle between good and evil,”
says history Professor Gregory
A. Daddis who teaches Comics
Grace
and Cold War America, a course that
Bill
encourages students to think deeply
about some of the core principles of
By Leslie L.J. Reilly
social justice: equality, equity, rights
The future is bright for students, course, we studied several and participation.
Jack
researchers and comicphiles. non-mainstream comic books
and graphic novels and learned “At frst glance, students think it is
Founded this year, the San Diego “Studying ancient history through
many key insights into the easy — you know ‘comics are for
State University Center for Comics the lens of comic books makes
human condition. The class kids’ — but when I link comics to
Studies — the permanent home for the content feel action-packed
opened my eyes as to how millennia-long practices of humans
academic excellence and research and alive, which helps students
diferent yet similar all humans are leaving traces, from the cave paintings
in the study of comics — provides both become engaged and feel
and that if you keep digging, you’ll of Lascaux to Parisian grafti and
students a new way to study social connected to the fgures, stories
uncover new revelations about street art, things begin to open
“The Comics and History course and events about which they are
justice, history, and the humanities. up,” says English Professor Bill
yourself,” says Rohan Kumar,
VAN
breaks any preconceptions about the learning. I loved the class and
Nericcio who teaches the
With a focus on research and artform. It changed the trajectory of a sophomore majoring in statistics
course titled I/Eyegasm 21st would recommend it to everyone!”
analysis, students enrolled in a my college experience, and ultimately and data science.
Century Comics, Photography, “Historians and biographers use says fourth-year history student
growing number of interdisciplinary my career. I originally went into the
Cinema, and Cultural Studies. the comics medium to help readers Grace deVega.
accounting program, but after taking
comics courses discover that experience high levels of immersion,
the class I seriously could not see
comics aren’t simply a “lowbrow” empathy and complexity as they
myself as an accountant. This class
artform. Instead, comics illuminate confront the past. Creators also
showed me what I really enjoy doing,”
issues of identity, race, religion, contribute counter-histories and
says Jack Hinzo, a junior
Pamela
education and the politics of ‘histories of the future’ that shed light
majoring in English.
representation. on our common human story,” says
Elizabeth
“By examining Cold War comics, Van Tarpley, a history lecturer
Scholars Elizabeth Pollard and
students have the opportunity to who teaches a Graphic History
Pamela Jackson co-direct the
evaluate how these visual arts course where students explore
center, which has received It has been a career highlight to
depicted race, identity, gender, and selected historical problems, eras
funding from the National see our students’ passion for the
social justice during a time when and events through the lens of
Endowment for the Humanities graphic medium grow as we ofer
Rohan
many U.S. citizens believed they graphic histories and novels.
and Institute of Museum and more opportunities for student
“The new center will provide an
Library Services to bolster comics engagement and increase the number
opportunity to shine a well-deserved
education at SDSU — through of classes that teach comics. I
spotlight on the innovative work
activities like developing innovative “Going into the class, I was skeptical envision opportunities for faculty,
faculty and students at SDSU are
comics curricula, creating 10 new as to what this course could ofer students, comics creators, publishers
already doing with comics — and
comics courses and a certifcate besides checking of a general and fans to come together to build
to take that work to the next level,”
program in comic studies, and education requirement. After all, one community around the study of
Gregory
says Elizabeth Pollard,
ofering workshops that bring wouldn’t expect a course taught about comics,” says Pamela
history professor and co-director
scholars to campus to energize the Superman and Spider-Man comics to Jackson, pop culture librarian
feld of comic studies. + be very deep. Throughout the and comic arts curator. of the Center for Comics Studies.
Photos: Chris Leap
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for SectionMEDIA MATTERS
Above: Both an experienced musician and an avid adventurer, Warren has
traveled the globe capturing sound environments — from concert halls and
famous churches to lava tubes and bat caves — and replicating them
for EchoThief. The results have been, at times, surprising. In the giant
subterranean artillery batteries of an abandoned fortress in Washington,
sound resonated as much as six seconds — nearly three times the reverbance
of a concert hall. Photo: Paul W. Koester
Background: Chris Warren has digitized sound environments from all over the
Reclaiming the Air - One Sonic Snapshot at a Time world, including Nancy Lake Tunnel in Alaska (pictured here). Photo: Chris Warren
By Kellie Woodhouse
The space is part of the ensemble. was such a blow to musicians and our ability to be creative.” Warren was fascinated by the relationship between sound the height of the initial COVID-19 lockdown, sitting alone in
It’s a fact every musician knows, but one that was doubly Gautereaux tried practicing in her living room, but the and space. Play a note in the middle of a field, and the her living room but, thanks to EchoThief, sounding as if she
emphasized during the pandemic. Overnight, musicians experience lacked warmth and ebullience. The environment soundwaves unfurl evenly across the open space until they was in large chamber hall of Saint Martin of Tours Church in
saw beloved venues — churches, concert halls, opera felt dead. The soundwaves thunked against her walls and died. dissipate into the air. But walk into a cave and play that same La Mesa, where she performed countless concerts. The large
houses, stadiums — shut down and lock their doors, with sound, it will bounce around the walls and amplify tenfold. stained glass windows, the pews packed with people, the
She missed the concert hall, with the rich resonance of her voice crucifixes placed about the hall — all of these elements may
no idea when they would reopen. Warren created an algorithm that captures the sound envi-
echoing against the walls and warming the ears of an audience. have been missing but, if she closed her eyes, Gautereaux
For classical vocalist Kayla Gautereaux, the experience ronments of resonant spaces. His program EchoThief takes
Gautereaux, a 2014 graduate of San Diego State University’s impulse responses — high resolution sonic snapshots — of was back at the church, singing as if she had never left.
was visceral.
School of Music and Dance, was sharing her disappointment any space, digitizes the exact acoustical recipe and then has “Through EchoThief, I was able to go back and visit a
“I cannot emphasize this enough: space is so import-
with a friend and fellow graduate when she learned about the the ability to apply that acoustic environment to any sound. space that had brought me so much joy,” Gautereaux says.
ant to sound. It changes the whole ambiance of what a
research of Chris Warren, an assistant professor of digital EchoThief is so precise it measures exactly how long a sound “It was a therapeutic experience during an uncertain time,
performer and audience member is experiencing,” says
composition and sound design at SDSU. resonates within a space before evaporating into silence. a time when there was no way I could have experienced
Gautereaux, an assistant professor with the Boston
Conservatory. “Being ripped away from our spaces Long before the pandemic upended the performing arts, Gautereaux recalls being in her small Boston apartment during that environment.” +
RECOMMENDED READING
Unequal Neighbors: “Babylost: Racism, Survival, The $16 Taco: Contested Crimesploitation: Crime,
Place Stigma and the Making and the Quiet Politics of Infant Geographies of Food, Ethnicity, Punishment, and Pleasure in
of a Local Border Mortality, from A to Z” and Gentrification Reality TV (Cultural Lives of Law)
Political scientists Kristen Hill Maher The U.S. infant mortality rate is among the Having “discovered” the flavors of barbacoa, True crime has sensationalized the nation,
and David Carruthers examine San highest in the industrialized world, and bibimbap, bánh mi, sambusas and pupusas, and public affairs professor Paul Kaplan
Diego and Tijuana’s intertwined histories, Black and Indigenous babies are far more white middle-class eaters are increasingly investigates the moral and ethical challenges
likely than white babies to die in their first venturing into historically segregated presented by the genre in his new book,
cultures and economies. The duo draws
year of life. Monica J. Casper, a sociol- neighborhoods in search of eateries run co-authored by Emory University’s Daniel
on a large body of original media, archival by — and for — immigrants and people of
ogist and dean of the College of Arts LaChance. The authors highlight the
and interview materials from the bi-national color. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in
and Letters, explores social and cultural troubling nature of a genre that presents
urban region, and considers the role of San Diego, geographer Pascale Joassart-
dimensions of infant death through 58 itself as ethical and righteous, even
place stigma in reinforcing actual and Marcelli illustrates how food can both
alphabetical entries, from Absence to ZIP as its entertainment value hinges
imagined inequalities between these cities. emplace and displace immigrants, shedding
Code. Her book is a sociological study of upon suffering.
light on the larger process of gentrification
infant death, an archive of loss and grief,
and the emotional, cultural, economic
and a clarion call for social change. and physical displacement it produces. 21
20 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 Click or Scan
for SectionDRUGS AND DISEASE
Tackling Health
Disparities
SBLRC studies have
By Susanne Clara Bard revealed high rates of un-
Routine screening for cervical cancer can lead to diagnosed diabetes in the
earlier diagnosis, improved treatment outcomes and Latinx community, as well
reduced mortality. But when a family’s basic needs as a relationship between
aren’t being met, screening may be delayed. neighborhood environ-
ments and an increased
“When you’re worried about where your next paycheck
risk of hypertension and
is coming from, or whether your kids will be able to eat,
diabetes.
you’re not necessarily prioritizing cancer screening,” says
public health researcher Corinne McDaniels-Davidson, The SBLRC has also
who adds that screening and follow-up rates are lower shown that an integrated
among marginalized populations. care intervention address-
ing behavioral and physi-
McDaniels-Davidson is one of many SDSU faculty who
cal health needs of people
study how health disparities disproportionately impact
with diabetes improves
marginalized populations by partnering with communities
both diabetes manage-
to better understand and implement interventions that
ment and psychological
address deeply-rooted social and economic inequities.
well-being.
“When we think about health disparities we’re really talking
about diferences in health and health care between Environmental
groups that stem from these broader inequities,” says Justice
speech and language professor Sonja Pruitt-Lord.
The San Ysidro Port of Entry, linking Mexico
SDSU is well-positioned to take on health disparities. to the U.S., is one of the busiest border cross-
“We have been intertwined with the community for so ings in the world. But few of the people living in the adjacent
long that the SDSU name is trusted in the community,” community beneft economically from the trade that
says McDaniels-Davidson. “That makes it possible to do passes through. Instead, San Ysidro’s residents — mostly
work that others might not be able to do.” low-income and more than 90% of them Latinx — breathe
Health Care Inequities in pollutants from idling vehicles waiting to cross the
border and from trucks passing through their community.
In addition to studying disparities in cancer
screening, McDaniels-Davidson and her team Public health professor Penelope “Jenny” Quintana has
partnered with the County of San Diego early in partnered with Casa Familiar, a community development
the COVID-19 pandemic to implement a community health agency in San Ysidro, to measure exposure to trafc
worker-led contact tracing program. She also collaborated pollutants for more than 15 years.
with epidemiologist Susan Kiene to implement a National Recently, she has received funding from Caltrans,
Institutes of Health-funded community testing program, an California’s transportation agency, to monitor air quality
efort that included middle schoolers in the Sweetwater related to heavy-duty truck emissions along the border Photo credits from
Union High School District and their family members. and to share this information with the community. The
top to bottom:
Annabel Clark,
“When you are able to partner with communities to address project will serve as a baseline for assessing the efect Courtesy of Robert
whatever health issue is important to them, you start to build of ongoing improvements to truck movement and Wood Johnson
Foundation
these very tight relationships,” says McDaniels-Davidson. emissions in the border region. BrightSide Produce
SDSU’s South Bay Latino Research Center (SBLRC), co- She thinks the air quality data will help shape policy, for BrightSide Produce
directed by psychology professors Greg Talavera and example, increasing stafng at the border crossing in Chris Leap
Linda Gallo, is another trusted community partner. It order to reduce wait times and building particulate-free Mani Albrecht, U.S.
Customs and Border
has long been a leader in community-engaged health gyms where children can safely exercise. Protection
disparities research and culturally-informed interventions
to improve health among Latinx populations. Continued on next page
22 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 HIGHLIGHTS FALL 2022 23
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for SectionDRUGS AND DISEASE
Continued from previous page families with finding affordable housing, paying bills and
Now, vaping companies are leveraging
“When you start measuring it and publishing the data, it accessing mental health services. “All of these things are
social media hashtags, which are cur-
really brings a lot more attention and political will to the connected,” she says.
rently not restricted by FDA regula-
problem,” says Quintana. BrightSide Produce, the brainchild of marketing professor tions, to reach their target audiences.
Iana A. Castro, takes a direct approach to reducing food
insecurity. Student interns and staff distribute fresh pro- Health communications researcher
Un
duce, purchased from wholesalers and local farmers, to Rachael Record worries that co-opting
underserved communities of National City and San Diego tobacco prevention hashtags such
tan
on a weekly basis. as #smokefree and #kickthehabit
could lead young consumers to
gl
“BrightSide’s primary goal is to make sure that everyone
has access to fresh, affordable produce,” she says. inaccurately perceive vaping as a
ing
Researchers and policy makers alike are concerned
about the high percentage of young adults who vape. safer alternative to smoking, despite
Castro says it is run like a non-profit, and the student
interns take on responsibilities related to their interests these products having nicotine levels
and majors. Are Social Media similar to combustible cigarettes.
National City, a community in San Diego’s South Bay, has Hashtags the In work funded by the University
neighborhoods that are considered food deserts because
they are located more than a mile away from a supermarket. New Joe Camel?
of Southern California, Record is
analyzing how frequently these tRNA
“Because of the presence of BrightSide in 13 stores in From celebrity endorsed TV anti-tobacco hashtags are used on
National City, all residents now have access to produce commercials in the 1950s to creating youth-oriented vaping social media
How is transfer RNA (tRNA) — one
Food Insecurity within a half mile of their homes,” says Castro. kid-friendly characters like Joe Camel posts and how many likes, comments
of the fundamental components of
in the 1990s, tobacco companies and shares they receive to make the
Assistant professor of nutrition Amanda McClain Family and Community Interventions translating DNA into usable proteins
have a long history of quickly adapting case for more restrictive advertising
has seen the choices families face when struggling — made? Biochemist Manal Swairjo
to access nutritious, culturally appropriate food. Family and community connections can be a popular marketing strategies. policies.
and her students are on a mission
powerful way to address health disparities.
“Food insecurity isn’t just about money, it’s all the things that to find out and, in the process,
come along with living in or near poverty in the United States.” Through a partnership with the YMCA, determine how mutations in tRNA
she says. “One month, you’re paying bills and not buying psychology researcher Elva Arredondo and her team
that result in neurological diseases
enough food, and the next month you’re buying enough food recently tested a pilot project that promotes physical
can be prevented.
and not buying the necessary medication or paying bills.” activity and
wellbeing among Using X-ray crystallography and
Her research has found links between the stress of margin-
alization — food insecurity, poverty, identifying as a racial
Latinx mothers End of the Road cryo-electron microscopy techniques
and their pre-ado- to examine details of molecular
or ethnic minority — and the risk of developing obesity and
cardiovascular disease. Recently, her team found that San lescent daughters. for Ovarian Cancer structure, Swairjo has narrowed in
Diego agencies are tackling food insecurity holistically. At this age, girls on how a vitamin called queuine is
In addition to connecting families to food and food assis- tend to become salvaged by bacterial and human
tance, cross-agency partnerships enable agencies to assist less active and enzymes and then integrated into
Biologist Carrie House is trying to prevent the
are bombarded tRNA molecules as queuosine.
recurrence of ovarian cancer. Her lab, funded by
with social media
the Rivkin Center, is elucidating the series of molecules Because viruses and bacteria
messages about
and interactions that allow cancer cells to regrow following chemotherapy. also use queuosine to change the
body image. Young women and their mothers participate in a
workout class at a local school. Photo: Chris Leap
Several types of cells near treated tumors, like macrophages or fat cells, structure of their genetic material,
“We’re engaging
can release chemicals that make lingering cancer cells act like stem cells, this research, supported by the
their mothers because mothers still have an influential role
capable of differentiating into additional tumors. Department of Health and Human
at that stage,” says Arredondo. “They can role model phys-
House’s work has shown that specific cytokines, small proteins that usually Services’ National Institute of
ical activity, which is connected to lower risk of depression,
to healthier eating, to family engagement and connections. help repair tissues, also detrimentally kickstart the transformation into General Medical Sciences, could
So it’s a very holistic intervention and approach.” stem-like cells. Blocking the cell receptors for these cytokines in tumors lead to tools that complement the
in mice slowed the transformation process and led to the mice living longer. revolutionary CRISPR method of
Arredondo also studies how community-engaged inter-
editing DNA in living creatures to
ventions can be successful over the long term. Thus, those receptors are good targets for future drugs to keep patients
cancer-free after treatment. target specific genes by recognizing
“SDSU has all these programs at work,” she says. “We are con- the location of queuosine.
stantly thinking about how to translate them into practice, adapt
them to diverse communities and sustain them.” + A tRNA strand with location of queuosine highlighted
This column: BrightSide Produce members deliver food in National City. Photo: Carrie Dada
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