New York City I May 9, 2024
Showcasing graduate research from across STEM and Health Sciences.
Karina Thapa and Gagan Preet Singh — M.S. in Data Analytics and Visualization
Christine Chery — M.S. in Biotechnology Management and Entrepreneurship
Cindy Salinas — M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology
Amanda Brenner — Occupational Therapy Doctorate
Simone Northman — M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies
Karina Thapa and Gagan Preet Singh — M.S. in Data Analytics and Visualization
Christine Chery — M.S. in Biotechnology Management and Entrepreneurship
Cindy Salinas — M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology
Amanda Brenner — Occupational Therapy Doctorate
Simone Northman — M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies
Author: Sheng-Han Yueh, Artificial Intelligence
Faculty Mentor: Youshan Zhang, Ph.D.
Using advanced computer vision and generative AI to create high-quality medical images, specifically X-rays of dog hips, to improve diagnosis of Canine Hip Dysplasia, a common genetic disorder in dogs.
Authors: Ruslan Gokhman, Radek Holik and Manish Kumar Thota, Artificial Intelligence
Faculty Mentor: Youshan Zhang, Ph.D.
A novel Visual Question Explanation (VQE) system developed using a specialized dataset from machine learning lectures that offers detailed, context-aware explanations for educational content.
Authors: Sayed Raheel Hussain, Thirupathi Kadari and Pinxue Lin, Artificial Intelligence
Faculty Mentor: Youshan Zhang, Ph.D.
A specialized language model to improve AI performance in the veterinary field, developed using over 500 GB of veterinary data to address knowledge gaps in animal diseases, treatments and clinical procedures.
Authors: Saratsuhas Vijayababu, Yujie Wu and Shengjie Zhao, Artificial Intelligence
Faculty Mentor: Youshan Zhang, Ph.D.
A smart chatbot that combines advanced language models and natural language processing techniques to help people understand complex machine-learning ideas through an easy-to-use AI platform.
Authors: Haider Ali, Sahil Kumar, Deepa Paikar and Kiran Vutukuri, Artificial Intelligence
Faculty Mentor: Youshan Zhang, Ph.D.
Introducing KatzBot, a new and improved chatbot for Yeshiva University that uses advanced Large Language Models (LLMs) to provide fast access to information about academic programs, admissions, student life, and more.
Authors: Jordan Armstrong and Volkan Uzundag, Data Analytics
Faculty Mentor: Andrew Catlin
This research examined how curtailment, the intentional reduction of renewable energy output, affects California’s energy production and grid reliability, using statistical analysis and machine learning.
Authors: Dengyi Liu and Minghao Wang, Data Analytics
Faculty Mentor: Andrew Catlin
The team evaluated the effectiveness of transformer-based natural language processing models in accurately identifying antisemitic speech online, to enhance content moderation strategies in social media and other digital spaces.
Authors: Karina Thapa and Gagan Preet Singh, Data Analytics
Faculty Advisor: Andrew Catlin
Industry Mentor: Brian Rowe, Zeomancer
The team developed a microservice-based architecture for Zeomancer, an IoT device that collects and analyzes data directly from the soil and provides hyper-local weather forecasts to Tanzanian farmers’ mobile devices.
Author: Natania Birnbaum, Biotechnology Entrepreneurship
Faculty Mentor: Robert Friedman, MBA
Industry Mentor: John McShane, Katz School M.S. ’22, Growmics
A analysis of the biology, genetics, cultivation methods and market potential of duckweed, a small water plant that is nutrient-dense, resilient, easily modified genetically and can grow in microgravity, making it ideal for space farming.
Author: Christine Chery, Biotechnology Entrepreneurship
Faculty Mentors: Rana Khan, Ph.D., and Robert Friedman, MBA
An analysis performed for Sapience Therapeutics, Inc., on treating bladder and endometrial cancers with a new peptide called JunAP, which is important in cancer development and immune suppression.
Author: Shriya Jitendra Kalburge, Biotechnology Entrepreneurship
Faculty Mentor: Ran Drori, Ph.D.
Researchers demonstrated that COMSOL modeling can effectively study heat flow in biological samples, such as heart tissue, and improve our understanding of freezing processes in food and biological heat transfer.
Author: Yining Zhang, Biotechnology Entrepreneurship
Faculty Mentor: Ran Drori, Ph.D.
This study examined the special properties of antifreeze proteins, peptides and glycopeptides, which help various organisms survive freezing temperatures by binding to small ice crystals and preventing further growth.
Authors: Chia-Yu Hsu, Zaruhi Karapetyan and Vivek Pachava, Biotechnology Entrepreneurship
Faculty Mentor: Anderson Oliveira, Ph.D.
The research, using bioluminescence imaging, found that light emission increases when certain chemicals, such as coelenterazine or calcium, are added to luciferases and photoproteins, warranting further studies to improve these proteins for better use in medical research.
Author: Ron Harush, Cybersecurity
Faculty Mentor: Elad Hod, M.S., CISSP
This study demonstrated the value of integrating different intelligence disciplines—specifically Open-Source Intelligence and Geospatial Intelligence—to improve intelligence gathering and address security issues for government agencies.
Author: Ariella Mermelstein, Mathematics
Faculty Mentor: Jochen Raimann, Ph.D., Renal Research Institute
The study compared methods used in clinical nephrology for monitoring fluid, body composition, and nutritional changes in patients undergoing hemodialysis or needing close monitoring of fluid status in clinical settings.
Author: Moshe Gordon, Physics
Faculty Mentor: Fredy Zypman, Ph.D.
This study found a higher rate of pre-term births among infants born to COVID-19-positive mothers compared to those born to mothers without COVID-19 and that, overall, infants born during the COVID-19 pandemic were shorter in length up to nine months after birth.
Authors: Nathaly Camargo, Bharath Prabhu and Saahas Ramaul, Digital Marketing and Media
Faculty Mentor: Joseph Panzarella, Program Director
The team proposed a marketing plan for the nonprofit Dance Project of Washington Heights, aiming to strengthen the organization’s relationship with the community and to encourage more people to get involved in dance education.
Authors: Jesse Sattler, Tanvi Shah and Koren Jacob, Digital Marketing and Media
Faculty Mentor: Thomas Kennon, Industry Professor and Director of Consulting, YU Innovation Lab
This market research project revealed strategies for Heights Meditation & Yoga to increase its impact and better meet customer expectations by identifying different types of customers, improving their online presence, forming partnerships and building a stronger sense of community.
Author: Mansi Kamboj, Digital Marketing and Media
Faculty Mentor: Joseph Panzarella, Program Director
This study examined the potential of the Basura model—a new way to handle garbage in cities—to foster a sustainable urban landscape and proposed targeted strategies to further empower communities with the knowledge and infrastructure to tackle waste management challenges more effectively.
Author: Amanda Brenner, Occupational Therapy
Faculty Mentor: Alexandra Laghezza, Ph.D., OTR/L, CDP
Community Partner: Afya Foundation
This12-week educational program uses occupational therapy principles to help former inmates find jobs and learn skills for life outside of prison, with the goal of reducing recidivism, the likelihood that former inmates will commit new crimes and return to prison.
Authors: Piermiline Datilus and Suzan Khavkin, Occupational Therapy
Faculty Mentor: Amiya Waldman-Levi, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA
Collaborator: Anita Bundy, Sc.D., OT/L, FAOTA, FOTARA, Colorado State University
The researchers found significant positive correlations between student GPA and anxiety levels and between their playfulness and leisure; they found a negative correlation between playfulness and anxiety levels and playfulness and coping skills.
Authors: Rachel Hirsch and Jessica Kwok, Occupational Therapy
Faculty Mentor: Amiya Waldman-Levi, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA
Collaborators: Alexandra Laghezza, Ph.D., OTR/L, CDP and Jeanine Stancanelli, MPH, OTD, OTR/L, Mercy University
This study compared the effectiveness of online vs. in-person delivery of an eight-week Healthy Aging Wellness program, which includes yoga, mindfulness and social activities.
Author: Ashley Mathew, Occupational Therapy
Faculty Mentors: Alexandra Laghezza, Ph.D., OTR/L, CDP, and Elizabeth Seng, Ph.D., Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology
This study, using surveys like the Role Checklist and the Migraine-Specific Quality-of-Life Questionnaire, demonstrated that severe migraine headaches are linked to lower job satisfaction and performance.
Author: Simone Northman, Physician Assistant Studies
Faculty Mentor: Margaret Ewen, M.S., PA-C
Research confirmed that managing preeclampsia, a complication in pregnancy where the mother’s blood pressure gets dangerously high, was was slightly safer for the baby compared with delivering the baby right away.
Author: Lukas Cooper, Physician Assistant Studies
Faculty Mentor: Margaret Ewen, M.S., PA-C
The study confirmed that adding alteplase, a medication to dissolved blockages in blood vessels, did not further improve brain function after an ischemic stroke and avoiding alteplase could reduce bleeding-related risks.
Author: Alaa Etouni, Physician Assistant Studies
Faculty Mentor: Margaret Ewen, M.S., PA-C
A systematic literature review found that treating H.pylori infection was strongly linked to reducing iron deficiency anemia, which happens when the body lacks enough iron to make red blood cells.
Author: Kayla Tanen, Physician Assistant Studies
Faculty Mentor: Margaret Ewen, M.S., PA-C
A systematic literature review found that babies born to mothers using continuous glucose monitoring systems tend to have lower birth weights compared to those whose mothers used regular blood sugar checks.
Author: Rachel Eliav, Speech-Language Pathology
Faculty Mentor: Andrew Christler, M.A, MBA, CCC-SLP
This study aimed to provide parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with information and resources to enhance parental training in behavior management strategies, ultimately improving outcomes in speech therapy.
Author: Rachel Horwitz, Speech-Language Pathology
Faculty Mentor: Elisabeth Mlawski, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
This study highlights promising interventions and challenges in training paraprofessionals, or teaching assistants, to support children in using high-tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, which are essential for individuals with speech and language impairments.
Author: Cindy Salinas, Speech-Language Pathology
Faculty Advisor: Andrew Christler, M.A., MBA, CCC-SLP
This project aimed to identify and emphasize the specific roles that speech-language pathologists can play in treating Bell’s Palsy, which affects facial muscles and can lead to speech and swallowing difficulties.
