Development and Optimization of Cat Intestine Microphysiological Devices to Study T. Gondii Sexual Development is sponsored by Wisconsin Partnership Program. Funding for developing a miniature cat intestine in an organ-on-a-chip approach to study Toxoplasma gondii sexual reproduction outside of feline hosts.

Development and Optimization of Cat Intestine Microphysiological Devices to Study T. Gondii Sexual Development - Wisconsin Partnership Program Development and Optimization of Cat Intestine Microphysiological Devices to Study T. Gondii Sexual Development The project, Development and Optimization of Cat Intestine Microphysiological Devices to Study T.

Gondii Sexual Development , led by postdoctoral fellow Andrew Gale, PhD, aims to develop a miniature cat intestine in an organ-on-a-chip approach to enable the study of Toxoplasma gondii sexual reproduction outside of feline hosts. Because T. gondii can infect humans but completes its sexual cycle only in cats, research on this stage has been limited.

Creating a microphysiological device that mimics the cat intestine would provide a new model for studying the parasite’s life cycle, accelerating the development of treatments and vaccines that could reduce oocyst production and prevent the spread of T. gondii. Laura Knoll, PhD, professor and associate dean, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, UW–Madison, serves as the supervising mentor.

Policy Impacts on Children’s Health and Academic Outcomes The project, Policy Impacts on Children’s Health and Academic Outcomes, led by postdoctoral trainee Youngjin Stephanie Hong, PhD, MSW, examines how health and income policies influence the health and academic outcomes of children in low-income families.

Using national data on school-age children, the study investigates how certain policies interact to impact indicators such as health care utilization, parental financial and time investments and broader family functioning and children’s health and academic outcomes. Understanding the effects of these policies will help inform future decisions to strengthen stability and promote the well-being of Wisconsin families and children.

Maureen Durkin, PhD, DrPH, department chair and professor, Population Health Sciences, UW–Madison, serves as the supervising mentor.

Determining the Impact of Innate Immunity on the Production of Cryptic Proteins from Defective Influenza Virus Genomes The project, Determining the Impact of Innate Immunity on the Production of Cryptic Proteins from Defective Influenza Virus Genomes, led by research associate Elizabeth Horton, PhD, investigates how the body’s innate immune system influences the production of cryptic proteins from defective influenza virus genomes.

Because influenza remains a health threat in Wisconsin and globally, and resistance to existing antiviral drugs is growing, understanding how these defective viral products naturally limit infection could reveal new therapeutic pathways. Andrew Mehle, PhD, professor, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, UW–Madison, serves as the supervising mentor.