Work from my MEJO 121 Digital Storytelling class this semester!
Regulatory T Cells & Activation in Acute Lung Injury
About Brie
Brie Banten is a current senior at UNC Chapel Hill from Wilmington, North Carolina. Brie is studying Biology with a minor in Medical Anthropology on a pre-medical track. Additionally, she is an Undergraduate Research Assistant in a Mock Lab at UNC’s medical school. In her lab, she focuses on immunological processes and molecular mechanisms underlying lung repair and resolution following acute lung injury. Currently, Brie’s lab is studying how Sik-1 cells help or hurt regulatory T Cells (T-regs) and their activation in acute lung injuries.
How T-Regs Work:
Regulatory T Cells (T-regs) are white blood cells that regulate the immune system’s response to substances inside and outside the body. Sik-1 cells (salt-inducible kinase 1) is a protein kinase that regulates many cellular processes. T-regs support recovery from acute lung injury (ALI) induced by LPS, S. pneumoniae, and influenza. T-regs support ALI recovery through controlling pro-inflammatory immune cells (which cause tissue damage), but also signal to the tissue itself to promote recovery. In Brie’s lab, researchers sedate and inject the lungs of mice with LPS. Following this, they measure the cells over a 7 day period. The lab is currently testing the hypothesis that ‘Sik-1 cells suppress the function of T-reg cells.
Hills and Valleys
About Hallie
Hallie Thompson is a UNC Gymnastics alumna. She graduated from UNC in May 2023 with degrees in Spanish language & cultures and exercise & sport science. More recently, she graduated with her master’s in applied professional studies in 2024. During her time at UNC, Hallie suffered two ACL tears. In January of 2022, Hallie suffered a season-ending injury in the first meet of the season. She rejoined the beam lineup on January 23, 2023, after suffering from her second ACL injury 381 days prior. For the 2024 season, Hallie returned to UNC for her fifth year as a graduate student. She competed in all 12 beam lineups with eight routines of 9.75+.
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