Expanding the analytical capacity of Nanopore sequencing for infectious disease surveillance and diagnostics in a One Health framework

The alarming increase in the scale at which infectious diseases spread and devastate global socioeconomics necessitates timely characterization of the disease-causing agent to devise effective intervention strategies to stop the spread of disease at the source of introduction. It is known that domestic and wild animals play significant roles in the transmission of pathogens to humans via direct contact or the ingestion of contaminated foods. Hence, the proposed project will partner with an animal health diagnostic lab, Prairie Diagnostic Services Inc.

Novel Serum Hormone Sampling Methodology: Applications for Understanding Ovarian Follicular Waves during the Human Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle involves a complex chain of events between the brain, ovaries, and uterus. At the beginningof a woman’s cycle, the follicles (fluid-filled sacs in the ovaries that contain the eggs) grow, then one follicle isselected for further growth and eventually ruptures to release the egg during ovulation. Previous research fromour group has shown that follicles grow in 2-3 waves throughout the cycle. This study aims to use a new methodof collecting blood samples to evaluate how hormones from the brain and ovaries regulate the growth of folliclewaves in the ovaries.