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Meet the Winners of the 2025 Bass Connections Student Research Awards

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Bass Connections Student Research Awards provide support for students to pursue self-directed research projects under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Student projects can be individual or collaborative in nature and may continue an aspect of research begun on a Bass Connections project team or tackle a new interdisciplinary challenge.

Six graduate students and 29 undergraduates will pursue faculty-mentored research projects this summer and next year with grant funding from Bass Connections. Their projects explore a diverse range of topics, including developing AI applications for traumatic brain injury care; the genetics of deep-diving adaptations in whales; the impact of mindfulness interventions on stress management for undergraduate students; and the development of new medical appliances to improve the lives of stoma patients in Tanzania and Uganda.

Collaborative Research Projects

Assessing the Burden of pTBI Neuropsychiatric Sequelae in Lagos, Nigeria

  • Chukwuebuka Asogwa (Medicine and Surgery ’27, University of Ibadan, Nigeria)
  • Suraj Chatoth (Biology and Global Health ’27)
  • Aditi Iyer (Neuroscience ’27)

This project will assess the prevalence of psychiatric conditions in Nigerian children in the aftermath of pediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI). Expanding on the research of the Building Sustainable Neurosurgical Systems in Developing Countries team, this team will conduct a retrospective review of medical records from 2020 to 2024 to analyze demographics, injury characteristics, neuropsychiatric outcomes and follow-up care. The study will assess healthcare resource availability, access to neuropsychiatric services and adherence to follow-up care, and findings will be compared with international standards to highlight disparities and areas for improvement. Ultimately, the group’s work will guide policy reforms and enhance access to specialized care for pTBI patients in the region. Alvan Ukachukwu will serve as the faculty mentor.

Cost of Continued Intermediate Rehabilitation After Acute Hospital Discharge from Neurosurgical Care for Patients in Mbarara, Uganda

  • Caleb Lian (Neuroscience ’27)
  • Anushka Kumar (Program II ’27)

This study aims to expand upon the Role of Rehabilitation in Ugandan Neurosurgical Transitional Care team, which has been working on culturally appropriate discharge planning protocols for neurosurgical patients in Uganda. Working with Ugandan partners, Kumar and Lian will calculate the financial impact to patients and caregivers for private rehabilitation services after patients are discharged from the hospital. Their findings will inform the rehabilitation needs of the local neurosurgical population as well as patient and caregiver support necessary during rehabilitation care. Kira Bullock will serve as the faculty mentor.

Developing AI Applications for Traumatic Brain Injury Care

  • Daniel Elsharkawy (Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science ’27)
  • Ahilan Eraniyan (Evolutionary Anthropology ’27)
  • Zakk Heile (Math ’27)
  • Maya Hoteit (Biology ’27)
  • Vivienne Wluka (Neuroscience ’27)

Expanding on the work of the Discovering AI Applications for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Care team, this group will begin developing and testing AI models aimed at improving TBI outcomes. Team members will assess electronic health record data, run predictive models and gather feedback from clinical stakeholders to ensure their care models address real-world needs, with the ultimate goal of publishing both qualitative and quantitative findings. Bradley Kolls and Samuel Berchuck will serve as the faculty mentors.

Evaluating Social Needs Among Head and Neck Cancer Survivors Nationwide

  • Huda Haque (English and Chemistry ’26)
  • Alexandra Hunter (Medical student ’27)
  • Ayush Khanna (Health Policy ’27)
  • Rebecca Zasloff (Medical student ’26)

This project will expand on the work of the Understanding Disparities in Follow-Up Care for Head and Neck Cancer team to analyze the social needs of head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors across the United States. Team members will identify and characterize unmet social needs, explore how sociodemographic factors influence these needs and examine the role of racial and ethnic disparities in post-treatment care. The findings from this mixed-methods study will provide a nuanced understanding of the social contexts influencing HNC survivorship and guide the development of targeted interventions to reduce disparities in future cancer care initiatives. Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters will serve as the faculty mentor.

Improving Mental and Physical Health in Children with Stomas in Uganda

  • Wigdan Hissein, (Psychology and Global Health ’26)
  • Anna McPherson (Chemistry and Global Health ’27)

This project will expand on the work of the Expanding Laparoscopic Simulation in Uganda team to explore the lived experiences of children living with stomas in Uganda. Children with stomas face significant stigma, social exclusion and psychological distress. This group will collect data through in-depth interviews, focus groups and participatory activities with children, caregivers and healthcare professionals to gather insights into children’s experiences as well as possible avenues for intervention. Building on these insights, the team will design and pilot a culturally appropriate psycho-social stoma care intervention to improve mental well-being and social inclusion in this population. Tamara Fitzgerald will serve as the faculty mentor.

Investigating the Social Determinants of Adolescent Pregnancy in Cusco

  • Ally Carey (Psychology and Global Health ’26)
  • Kate Seneshen (Public Policy and Global Health ’26)

Carey and Seneshen aim to identify the social determinants of adolescent pregnancy in the Cusco region of Peru. The pair will survey adolescents who have experienced pregnancy under the age of 19, along with a control group of adolescents who have not experienced pregnancy, to examine how factors such as race, income, education, physical and emotional safety, family, contraception use and attitude about sexual health affect the risk of adolescent pregnancy. The team’s findings will be reported to Peruvian health leaders to inform reproductive health decision-making in the region. Ernesto Ortiz will serve as the faculty mentor.

Low-cost Colostomy Bags for Stoma Patients in Tanzania

  • Chinelo Agwuegbo (Chemistry ’26)
  • Jessica Alvarez (Neuroscience and Global Health ’27)
  • Westbrook Jensen (Biomedical Engineering ’26)
  • Rati Pillai (Biomedical Engineering ’27)

The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of an innovative, low-cost colostomy bag (“LowCostomy”) for stoma patients. Team members will conduct a clinical trial in Tanzania to assess the safety and effectiveness of the LowCostomy appliance and its component materials (including its unique beeswax-pine resin buffer), providing a foundation for its approval and distribution in Tanzania. By leveraging prior safety tests conducted in the United States and incorporating feedback from preliminary surveys in Tanzania, the study will address both functional and aesthetic needs of ostomy patients in resource-limited settings. Ann Saterbak and Steve McClelland will serve as the faculty mentors.

Marine Mammal Methylation: The Key to Low-Oxygen Resilience in Deep Divers

  • Hannah Baetge, (Marine Science & Conservation ’26)
  • Austin Simpson (Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology ’26)
  • Emma Stewart (Ph.D. student in Pathology)

This project will build on the work of the Learning from Whales team, which has been examining how the cells of marine mammals respond to stress, especially from deep dives that limit oxygen. Team members will examine additional cell types (e.g., brain, heart, lung, skin) in parallel with human tissue samples to see how different organs and species handle low-oxygen conditions and environments. This approach will help identify adaptive mechanisms that allow for survival under low-oxygen conditions and could offer new insights to treat oxygen-related human health conditions such as strokes and COVID-19. Jason Somarelli will serve as the faculty mentor.

Psychological Predictors of Interest in Mindfulness-Based Interventions

  • Noella Barron (Psychology and Linguistics ’26)
  • Kiana Sabugo (Ph.D. student in Cognitive Neuroscience)
  • Joshua Wagner (Neuroscience ’25)

This project will build off findings from the Creating a Contemplative Community team to better understand what influences a person’s interest in using mindfulness to manage stress. Mindfulness-based interventions have risen to prominence as a form of stress management due to their impressive efficacy and relative ease of implementation. In this study, participants will be administered surveys designed to identify psychological factors that predispose individuals to express interest in mindfulness-based interventions. Ultimately, by illuminating the psychological factors and mindset of individuals who express interest in mindfulness, the study seeks to expand the reach of mindfulness to all who may benefit from this intervention. Moria Smoski will serve as the faculty mentor.

Understanding Intergroup Conflict Across Cultures

  • Ying (Jennifer) Hu (Psychology ’26)
  • Alexis Magnano, (International Comparative Studies and Political Science ’27)
  • Rose Montae Marie Simons (Undeclared ’28)

This project will build on the findings of the Understanding Conflict: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Latin America, China and Europe team to explore potential cultural differences in mind perception and examine how cultural context shapes cognitive and moral processes. The team will complete literature reviews, conduct research on cultural differences and explore the use of natural language processing methods to collect and analyze textual data. The team’s research aims to broaden our understanding of how cognitive and cultural factors shape social dynamics. Cristina E. Salvador will serve as the faculty mentor.

Individual Research Projects

Functional Connectomes of Neural Network

  • Mason Wu (Computer Science and Statistical Science ’26)

This project will build on the work of the Analyzing Alzheimer’s Biomarkers Through Dynamic Brain Topology team, which has been analyzing fMRI data from Alzheimer’s patients to study disease progression. Using neuroscience and machine learning techniques, Wu will study activation signals and the internal structure of neural networks in the brain. The overall objective is to characterize the collective dynamics of brain networks over time, which can enhance researchers’ and clinicians’ understanding of pathological shifts across the lifespan. Tananun Songdechakraiwut will serve as the faculty mentor.

Hope and the Experience of Unemployment for Basotho Women

  • Matlhabeli Molaoli (Ph.D. student in Cultural Anthropology ’30)

This project will examine the experience of chronic unemployment in the lives of educated Basotho women, as well as the corporate, government and non-profit interventions meant to address it. Through ethnographic fieldwork in Maseru, Lesotho, Molaoli will closely follow unemployed women as they print, photocopy and certify job application materials, and carry out their everyday lives in an economy plagued by chronic and widespread unemployment. This project expands on the work of the What Is Hope? Bridging the Gap Between Lived Experience and Research team, which has been gathering rich qualitative data on experiences of hope across contexts. Ultimately, Molaoli’s work will enrich our understanding of what hope means for individuals struggling to create a better life for themselves and future generations in countries with labor markets very different from that of the United States. Charles Piot will serve as the faculty mentor.

Identifying Digital Biomarkers of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

  • Harrison Kane (Biomedical Engineering and Computer Science ’26)

This project will explore how digital tools such as wearable devices can help identify potential biomarkers of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD), a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Building on the work of the Outsourcing the Digital Biomarker Discovery Pipeline team, this study will develop machine learning models to classify ASCVD presence and assess risk using key features such as heart rate variability, physical activity trends and wearable data gaps. By integrating continuous, real-time monitoring into cardiovascular risk assessment, this project could democratize access to early disease detection and improve preventative care, particularly for underserved populations. Jessilyn Dunn will serve as the faculty mentor.

Reading Incongruity, Silence and Subjectivity in Trauma Survivor Testimony

  • Annabel Tang (Program II ’27)

This project will explore the nuances of memory and subjectivity in testimonial narratives of trauma. This work builds off of research on pedagogy and trauma theory conducted by the Developing Best Practices for Trauma-Informed Teaching and Learning team. Tang will conduct a literature review on memory and trauma; study the structure of non-linear trauma narratives; and produce a research paper with findings relevant to trauma theory and recovery. Ultimately, Tang hopes to answer questions about the way that trauma manifests in story and communication. Calvin Cheung-Miaw will serve as the faculty mentor.

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