Grace Crowe, a junior majoring in biology’s physiology, neuroscience, and behavior sequence, won the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 2023 Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium (CAURS). This annual meeting is hosted at Northwestern University and Grace’s poster presentation titled “Mechanisms of Initiation and Termination of Cortical Spreading Depression in Migraine Disorders” was selected from more than 80 presenters.
Crowe studies cortical spreading depression (CSD), the process thought to underly the visual auras that are precursors to migraines. She used a computational model to simulate the complex interactions between cortical neurons and ion concentrations in the surrounding extracellular space during CSD. This approach allowed her to investigate the parameters that lead to CSD and under what conditions the spread of the visual auras might be interrupted. About 30% of all migraineurs experience visual auras and Crowe hopes that her research will advance our understanding of what triggers an aura.
Crowe is a participant in ISU’s NexSTEM Program and intends to enter medical school after finishing her bachelor’s degree. Her research is part of an interdisciplinary collaboration between Professor Wolfgang Stein from the School of Biological Sciences, and Professor Allison Harris from the Physics Department. Harris, an expert in high-performance computational modeling, and Stein, a neurophysiologist who studies environmental influences on brain cells, were impressed that within just a few months Crowe had collected and analyzed several hours of simulated brain activity on ISU’s high-performance computers.
Crowe’s enthusiasm and dedication paid off at the CAURS conference, where her project was recognized for its innovative approach to studying the mechanisms of CSD and her ability to convey her work to a broad audience. Crowe’s presentation was supported by an ISU Research Symposium Presentation Grant, which provided her with financial assistance to attend the conference and present her research. This grant is one of many opportunities available to ISU students to support their research and creative projects.
Crowe’s success at the CAURS conference is a testament to the outstanding research being conducted by ISU faculty, the research opportunities available to students, and the beneficial support provided by the university community. Her project demonstrates the potential for computational models to advance our understanding of complex biological systems and the value of interdisciplinary collaborations.
