Ryan Mellott Presents at Buena Vista University's Thirteenth Annual Scholars Day

2017 May 1

Buena Vista University's (BVU) thirteenth annual Scholars Day was held Saturday, April 29. The event provided students from all disciplines an opportunity to present their best original research, academic posters, artistic creations and performances to their peers, professors and the public.

This year's Scholars Day event featured 63 presentations from 120 students, exploring topics from literature and business to science and history.

Ryan Mellott, a senior biology major from Westminster , was one of the students who participated. Mellott's presentation was titled "Prevention of microglia activation with endocannabinoid agonist," and the project's abstract is as follows:

In cases of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, microglia play a very important role of slowing down the early stages. However, studies have shown that throughout the progression of the disease state, the microglia lose the ability to phagocytose the proteins that accumulate as the disease progresses. The other, functional effects of the microglia still continue to happen and speed up the deterioration of the neurons. Compounds that influence microglia activation could be used to slow down disease progression of specific neurodegenerative diseases. Other studies have shown that activating the CB-1 and CB-2 receptors, normally activated by endocannabinoids, using an agonist has prevented the microglia from becoming activated. To test this theory on a mouse model of the disease, we injected the mice with a Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to activate microglia in the brain. We then injected the animals with an agonist that binds CB-1 receptors. In the study, we used a control group, LPS only group, and LPS with agonist. We then sacrificed the mice and removed the brain to examine microglia activation. A change in microglia activation following CB-1 activation could indicate a neuroprotective role of the endocannabinoids system.

The keynote speaker for the event was Adrienne B. Haynes, a 2010 BVU graduate, who is an attorney and business woman who specializes in helping entrepreneurs develop sustainable infrastructure and business practices. Haynes is the managing partner of SEED Law, a business law firm, and owner of SEED Collective, a consultancy. She is the founder of the nonprofit, the Construction Business Institute, and is active in both the Multicultural Business Coalition and Black Female Attorneys network. Haynes is also a member of the BVU National Alumni Association Board of Directors.

"This is a special event because it gives students' a real-life platform where they can showcase their success beyond exams and grades," said Dr. Steven Mills, assistant professor of Spanish and chair of the events committee who organized the event. "With a Scholars Day presentation, students take their hard work and form it into a new medium or method for discussion. They become experts on their topic and then stand in front of peers and become teachers about what they have done and how it adds to the greater corpus of knowledge in their field."

This year marked the first time Scholars Day and the annual Student Recognition Dinner - which was held later that evening - were combined.

"For the first time, those who presented as part of Scholars Day received an invitation to the dinner and were recognized alongside all the others receiving honors and awards for academic excellence," added Mills. "They deserved to be a part of the celebration of hard work and dedication."