GREETINGS
Michael Alfieri, PhD Dean of the College of Engineering, Letters, and Sciences
Dear pre-health community,
I hope this message finds you well. It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I welcome you to the latest edition of our Pre-Health Newsletter. As the Dean of the College of Engineering, Letters, and Sciences at Viterbo University, I am thrilled to share this newsletter with you.
First and foremost, I am delighted to report the remarkable success of our recent graduating seniors in their pursuit of health professions. It is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and perseverance of both our students and our outstanding faculty. We take immense pride in announcing that all our recent Pre-Health graduates are continuing on their paths toward their health professions careers, including successfully securing positions in physician assistant, veterinary technician, EMT, dentistry post-bacc, and master’s in nursing programs. Their accomplishments reflect not only their passion for and dedication to health care, but also the exceptional quality of education and support they receive here at Viterbo. We couldn't be prouder of their achievements, and we are excited to follow their journeys as they embark on their careers in health care.
Furthermore, I am pleased to share that our incoming first-year class is incredibly promising. They bring a wealth of experiences, backgrounds, and talents that will undoubtedly enrich our pre-health community. I have no doubt that they will continue the tradition of excellence that characterizes our program. One of our first-year students is highlighted in this newsletter.
Our third annual Agnes W.H. Tan Science Symposium was a success. This year’s theme focused on promising breakthroughs in research and treatment of traumatic brain injuries. More information is provided in the newsletter including a key role one of our neuroscience majors played in the symposium. In the coming months, we have a lineup of exciting events and opportunities designed to support and guide our pre-health students as they navigate their academic and professional paths. From mentoring and thoughtful advising programs to research opportunities, we are committed to providing the guidance and resources needed for each student's success.
I would like to take this moment to express my sincere gratitude to our dedicated faculty, staff, alumni, partners, and advisory board who have played a pivotal role in shaping the success of our Pre-Health Program. Your unwavering support and commitment to our students have made all the difference.
As we embark on another exciting academic year, I encourage you all to stay engaged with our community, explore the opportunities presented in this newsletter, and continue engaging with our Pre-Health Program preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Warm regards,
Distinguished Alumni
Meet Andrew Santoso '13, a shining example of dedication and ambition. When he first arrived at Viterbo, Andrew's path was uncertain, but his passion for the healing arts was unmistakable.
Santoso will be one of 10 people honored at Viterbo University's annual Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony on Friday, Oct. 13, as part of Viterbo Days.
Santoso explains,
“I’ve been incredibly privileged in my academic and professional career. I would’ve never dreamed as a kid that I’d spend a month living in New York doing physiology experiments or that’d I’d have an opportunity to present at an international conference in Japan. I feel so grateful to those who’ve mentored me and have shown me my potential and the best parts of myself.”
Read more about his incredible journey here.
Meet Julia
Hello, I'm Julia, and I'm thrilled to be starting my first year at Viterbo University! My academic journey here involves majoring in biochemistry and minoring in Spanish, with the ultimate goal of becoming a gastroenterologist.
My fascination with gastroenterology began two years ago when I delved into the intriguing world of the gut microbiome. The notion that our digestive system hosts an entire ecosystem, one that significantly influences other bodily systems such as our brain and immune system, has captivated my interest ever since. The link between cultivating a healthy gut microbiome and one of my other passions, food, further motivated me. The prospect of blending my love for plant-based cooking with a deeper understanding of our gut microbiome is precisely why I chose the path of gastroenterology.
I am so excited for my next four years here at Viterbo! Go V-hawks!
SURF project spotlight:
Exploring the Impact of Stress on Learning: Amanda Tranberg's Current SURF Project
In the world of scientific exploration, Amanda Tranberg stands out as a dedicated researcher whose passion for understanding the intricacies of the natural world knows no bounds. Following her previous Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) project, which delved into the "Influence of Black Light on Nocturnal Insects of Different Ecosystems," Amanda has once again embarked on the journey of discovery. This time, she's diving into the realm of psychology and animal behavior with her latest SURF project titled "How Mild Unpredictable Stress Affects Non-Hippocampal Learning."
Amanda's current study aims to shed light on the importance of unpredictable stress in shaping problem-solving abilities and behavioral flexibility. Stress, as we know, can have severe consequences, such as hindering the formation of long-term memories and its association with depression disorders. Through meticulous research, Amanda is unraveling the intricate relationship between stress and learning.
To conduct her experiments, Amanda employed a specialized operant chamber designed by Jon and Ric from the Engineering department. Operant conditioning, a type of learning that rewards specific actions, played a central role in the study. Rats were trained to perform two distinct learning tasks within the chamber:
First Learning Task: Associating a lever with a blue light.
Second Learning Task: Pairing a nose poke with a sound.
The operant chamber, equipped with a Raspberry Pi program, recorded lever presses, nose pokes, and the time it took for the rats to complete each task. To introduce stress into the equation, rats were periodically exposed to mild stressors, such as reduced bedding and wet bedding, for one week before learning the second task. A 15% sugar water reward system was used to reinforce correct actions.
The results of Amanda's study are both intriguing and enlightening. Observational data suggests that rats subjected to mild unpredictable stress displayed remarkable perseverance when attempting to learn the second task. They seemed fixated on the first learning task, indicating that stress significantly impacts behavior flexibility and learning processes.
Amanda Tranberg's work is an excellent example of the valuable contributions undergraduate researchers make to our understanding of the world. Her dedication to uncovering the effects of stress on learning not only expands our knowledge in the field but also highlights the importance of considering stress as a factor in various aspects of cognitive function.
Symposium Recap
Dr. Ann McKee is named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World and one of the 50 Most Influential People in Healthcare by Time magazine. McKee was named Bostonian of the Year 2017 by the Boston Globe and received the Henry Wisniewski Lifetime Achievement Award in Alzheimer’s Disease Research by the Alzheimer’s Association.
She came to Viterbo University and shared her groundbreaking work on the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts, concussion, and blast injury in contact sports athletes and military veterans. McKee revolutionized scientific thought regarding head trauma; she demonstrated that repetitive head trauma can trigger CTE, a devastating neurodegenerative disease. Dr. McKee directs the BU Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Center. She created the UNITE brain bank, the world’s largest repository of brains from individuals exposed to traumatic brain injuries (over 1350).
Amanda Tranberg, a forth year neuroscience major introduced McKee and explained how her personal experience with epilepsy sparked her interest in looking at brain scans. Additionally, when her grandpa was diagnosed with dementia, she explained that,
Throughout the progression of the disease, I was able to help him by researching how dementia affects the brain. Research has been a powerful tool not only for myself but also for my family because we were then able to understand where he was cognitively.
Amanda's introduction helped us understand the importance of this topic to students.
There were nearly 400 people who participated in the symposium in-person and virtually.
See the keynote speech and introduction here.
STEM Club Launches
The STEM club has officially taken off, riding on a wave of renewed enthusiasm as we distance ourselves from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students are coming together to launch this exciting initiative aimed at engaging their peers in the captivating realms of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
To kickstart this endeavor, an inspiring gathering was hosted at Dr. Gabe's house, fostering connections and allowing students to find their niche within the club's framework. Over thirty students gathered to play kickball and eat pizza.
One integral segment of the club is dedicated to outreach efforts, and at its helm is Bella Brunton, who will lead the charge in connecting students with impactful outreach opportunities. Among the exciting prospects under consideration is the possibility of bringing a dynamic science show to local schools, offering a delightful glimpse into the world of STEM through entertaining and educational experiments.
PRE-HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD
A continued thank you to Viterbo’s Pre-Health advisory board for their support:
Paul Molling, DO - Mayo Clinic Health System
Jacob Erickson, DO - Sports Medicine - Mayo Clinic Health System
Adam Zart, PharmD - Sterling Pharmacy
Christina O'Neill, DVM - Companion Animal Care Center in Winona
Melissa Naylor, PA-C - Mayo Clinic Health System
Averi Kotnour, PA-C - Gundersen Health System
Chris Suilmann, PT - Twin Cities Orthopedics in Burnsville, Minn.
Randall Nall, MD - Covenant Medical Center