The Inter-relationship of Human Anatomy and Gene Inheritance

Aliyah Deonarayan, Verrazzano Class of 2026, completing major in Nursing

Throughout my time completing my research paper, I learned so much about the human body and its capabilities. The research idea first blossomed in my Human Anatomy and Physiology lab led by Professor Antonella Guadagnino, who became my mentor. In her class, I learned to understand anatomy with an open mind.

Growing up and adoring my culture played a huge part in accepting my body. To understand that our bodies can adapt in such significant ways to better our chances at survival makes it a fascinating fact that we unknowingly have. So much of my life was having a sense of belonging and connecting with groups of people with the same ethnic background as me. On my grandfather’s side there are so many different ethnicities such as Brazilian, Australian, and even English. I’ve known my whole life that I am ethnically Indian, but learning about my grandfather made me excited to learn more about other cultures and characteristics. It made me realize how different we all look yet are all the same.

After taking the Human Anatomy and Physiology course, I became curious as to why there are so many variations for one general body part. Such as, why do we have different colored hair, why do we have such unique noses, why do we have different bone structures? I took the same theory Charles Darwin had proven to be known as survival of the fittest, and placed it towards humans with different backgrounds. We all know certain groups of people tend to have similar qualities, but what it boils down to is, what do they have in common ethnically?

Our environment influences our bodies, which I used to brush over as, “Oh that’s just how I am”, but never considered why. For example, I never understood why I grew up so skinny and was taunted for it, but after deep research that is further discussed in my paper, I learned that it is in fact related to my Indian heritage. Learning about what makes my body react a certain way was very interesting and even helped me to know what the best diet routine to follow to improve my physique. History lies deep within us providing a world of curiosity, which we can always find.

By the Eyes of Primo Levi

Jennifer De Litteris, Verrazzano class of 2024, completed major in English Literature and Italian Studies (7-12)

Primo Levi's "Survival in Auschwitz" is not simply about his journey and endurance within the concentration camp, but portrays the unforgettable dehumanization of the Jewish prisoners. Through my research, I embarked on a journey that challenged my understanding of the meaning of dehumanization. Levi wanted readers to understand through his way of writing the impact the Nazis had on the way the prisoners lived their lives. He allowed me to think about the depths of human cruelty and suffering and this exploration left a profound impact, not only on my perspective of the Holocaust but also on the importance of preserving these narratives.

Levi's account conveys how the prisoners' identities were ripped away. From arrival, their names are replaced with numbers, clothing is confiscated, and individuality is erased. This was the Nazi's way to abolish a population of people and through his stories he allows us to understand the dehumanization process. As a reader, I was forced to confront and understand the meaning of dehumanization by taking a step back in comprehending how each prisoner can be ripped off their humanity and life. Levi gives us a clear picture of the loss of personal possessions and lives of many family members. For example, a comb, a photograph – these seemingly trivial objects holding the reminder of a life before the camp. With all of that, scholars pay close attention to how memory and language play an important role in how the prisoners survived. Despite the relentless brutality, through memory and language he records important details like the names of fellow inmates, the camp's structure, even the routines of daily life. This act becomes a reclamation of self, a refusal to be erased completely.

Furthermore, Levi's experiences raise critical questions about the ethics of survival. The book hints at the moral compromises some prisoners were forced to make to survive. Exploring these choices through additional survivor accounts and historical analysis would offer a nuanced perspective on the complexities of surviving such an ordeal. "Survival in Auschwitz" serves not only as a historical document but also as a cautionary tale. Dehumanization, in various forms, continues to plague our world. Recognizing the tactics used in Auschwitz can equip us to identify and resist similar tactics employed in modern conflicts and societal divisions.

By continuing to study and share Levi's work, we honor the memory of those who perished and ensure that their stories are not forgotten. His words serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy, compassion, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.

This exploration of Levi's work has been a deeply personal and transformative experience. While the subject matter is harrowing, the act of reading and reflecting has fostered a deeper appreciation for the human capacity for resilience and the necessity of preserving these narratives for future generations.

 

Medieval and Early Modern Cultures Reflection

Rolla Khass, Verrazzano Class of 2025, completing major in SLS  

Rolla working on Tatreez tapestry

The SLS 302 course on Medieval and Early Modern Cultures, is filled with medieval writings based on women's rights, chivalric behavior, religious morals, love, war, and beautiful imagery for the seasons of the year that demonstrate an appreciation for nature and much more.

Of all of the historical stories we have read, one that stayed with me was Chaucer's Wife of Bath, which reveals a complicated worldview about the power relationship between men and women. The Wife of Bath, Alison, shares her experiences with marriage and her opinion of the role women play while maintaining her independence. I wanted to compare the connection between historical context and the present perspectives on gender roles and education.

This work speaks to me because it sheds light on the complicated issues of women's current lives and voices in the past. During Chaucer's era, women were usually seen as inferior to men, mainly destined to household duties. However, Alison identifies herself by being bold, assertive, and openly expressive about her desires and experiences. The story of The Wife of Bath explores power relations in marriage and the larger social implications of women's freedom.

In my life, the progress toward gender equality in education and careers has been notable, but obstacles still exist. There are women today who stand on their own disregarding any traditional and cultural views of where and how women should be, through the lens of men.

Thinking about the character’s story, I noticed similarities with the ongoing fight for women's rights and representation. Her story emphasizes the value of speaking up, and how education can empower people to question traditional norms. This has helped women today to stand up for our values of self-empowerment, by challenging societal standards and working hard to get themselves to the top.

Alison’s emphasis on human experiences as sources of learning is fascinating. She prioritizes her life’s lessons over traditional academic education, which reflects on my belief in practical knowledge and wisdom. There is a rising respect for different learning experiences and their benefits in today's schools.

The “Wife of Bath” is varied with layers of personalities demonstrating both the limitations placed on women and their abilities to flourish within those limitations, especially on someone like me, as a Muslim Arab.

However, these limitations are not meant to limit me, but to keep me safe as a Muslim, and I am content with it in many ways. I can picture Chaucer's character Alison with how things are now. As a woman, I can say I am able to flourish within the cultural limitations placed on me, where I can balance work life as an Islamic teacher and college student. I have an independent life with a busy work schedule and a home life where I assist with cooking, cleaning and much more. I have an old soul many say, who loves the old ways where women stay home and bake, cook, care for others, yet doesn't limit them from being a successful self-built woman.

My Palestinian identity ties in with this, where Palestinian women are taught to stay at home, enjoy their hobbies, and spend their days at the beach in Palestine, which is what both of my parents were taught, being raised in Gaza. This is where the cultural limitations and stereotypes of women staying at home come from and one my mom had to break so that her children could flourish, enjoying their road to success in the outside world.

That being said, because we were able to do what we wanted outside of the house, I became more interested in doing things at home. I learned the hobbies that my Palestinian ancestral grandmothers did at home, called Tatreez. Tatreez is Palestinian embroidery, and not only have I loved to stay at home and do embroidery, but I’ve taken what I’ve learned and created a business from this.

I’ve reached a stage where I know I can balance my at-home life with a successful life on the outside world. Chaucer's “Wife of Bath” supports this view where Alison has strength with what she wants and with no care about how she is judged. It was the era of women discovering their worth, where male authors shared the literature of strong women making their mark. Overall, I found this course to be very relatable with the present world in many aspects.

Reflecting on My Capstone: Alliances and Disease as Decisive Factors in the Siege of Tenochtitlan (1520-1521)

Luan Draga, Verrazzano Class of 2024, completed major in History

I found my capstone project enjoyable; stressful at times, but very fun to do. I love history and my topic was very interesting to me which made the process much easier, especially with my mentor, Dr. Wing, who was incredibly helpful. He’s an expert in this field and supported me in what books to look into, apart from ideas on how to expand my research. There were many long days reading and long nights typing, but in the end, I’ve felt incredibly satisfied with my final product. In my entire academic career, this is the longest work I have ever completed, reaching 35 pages and sourcing more than 10 books. Actually, I purchased all of the books that I sourced and as a result my library at home has expanded, some of which I’m happy to put on display.

I also want to add that I loved presenting this research. It was really enjoyable to share with people this important topic of why Tenochtitlan fell, because often times important perspectives in history are overlooked or completely ignored. I had to speak in front of many people and discuss in detail the events that occurred, followed up by many of their questions, and it made me realize that I also enjoy teaching. Another aspect that made this process fun was creating the poster because I was able to express my creativity and create a nice, neat, and colorful poster to get my point across.

Doing the research was tough at times, but it was also interesting because I was able to find new sources to investigate and branch off of to continue more research. I made use of primary sources of both Spanish and Indigenous perspectives while writing my honors thesis to get a better grasp of the overall event. The research was the difficult part because it was very time-consuming and often exhausting, but it made my understanding of my topic and of the overall history of the topic very rich.

I am thankful for the immense help, guidance, and encouragement Dr. Wing gave me, and I will always be grateful for it. I don’t think I could have asked for a better mentor to oversee this honors thesis. I also want to thank Dr. Kimball for the revisions on the essay that were very helpful in adding the final touches.

I highly recommend students to pick a mentor they are comfortable with and get along with to do this huge project and to be very careful with their time management. As long as you do these two things, you will be successful and the process will be much easier.

Investigating Impact of Differential Metabolic Gene Expressions on a Panel of Cancers

Rachel Tbeile Mann, Verrazzano Class of 2024, completed major in Psychology and minor in Biology

I have always enjoyed researching topics that interest me, and this project was no different. I had decided to graduate earlier than I expected to, so I was working on a shorter timeline but still enjoyed the process of researching and developing this thesis.

After taking radiation biology with Dr. Liu-Sullivan, I knew that I wanted to explore this topic further and reached out to her at the end of the semester about doing research. Initially, the focus of the research was going to be an investigation of drinking water quality of zip codes that are near the now closed Fresh Kills Landfill. However, the project had to be redesigned.

The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) water quality database is only based on one water sample for all of New York, making a comparison of different zip codes impossible. As I had been a part of a research group, we decided to base our project instead on studying five types of cancers that are unusually prevalent among the Staten Island population. We each studied one of those cancers (I studied pancreatic cancer) and how varying levels of gene expression of three genes impact patient prognostics and overall survival.

To analyze the impact of gene expression on patient prognostics and overall survival, I used the KAPLAN-MEIER PLOTTER, which is a comprehensive database that provides information on differential gene expressions using Affimetrix, RNAseq, and DNA sets. This website provides figures that can then be analyzed to gain insight on differential gene expression.

The three genes I studied were: leptin, insulin, and insulin-growth factor. Insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas, controls blood sugar levels to maintain homeostasis. A regulatory protein called insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) controls growth hormones and stimulates the formation of new bones and tissues. Leptin is a protein hormone that is secreted by adipocytes and is vital to the body's energy balance. Leptin stimulates the growth of cancer cells, motility, and metastasis when a malignant tumor appears, although it is not always a cause of cancer.

It is interesting to note that while I expected differential levels of gene expression to have significant impacts on patient prognostic and survival in pancreatic cancer, that was not the case for all of the genes I had studied. Since my results weren’t what I expected, I feel like I gained even more insight on this topic than anticipated.

Through this thesis, I gained a better understanding of how research is conducted in the science world and learned that it doesn’t always go as expected. I also improved my collaboration and data analysis skills. Overall, I am grateful for this experience and especially for the unwavering guidance and support of my mentor throughout this process.