Tasha Nelson Participated in Buena Vista University's Eleventh Annual Scholars Day

2015 May 22

Buena Vista University's eleventh annual Scholars Day was held Friday, April 24. The event provided students from all disciplines an opportunity to present their best presentations, original research, academic posters, artistic creations and performances to their peers, professors and the public.

This year's Scholars Day event featured 43 presentations from 86 students, exploring topics from art and business to science and history.

Tasha Nelson, a senior biology major from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was one of the students who participated. Nelson's presentation was titled Are we starting out right? : The effects of anti-depressants during development , and the project's abstract is as follows:

In the 50’s little was known about the effects of pharmaceuticals, nutrition, and abused drugs on the health of the developing baby. In the 60’s, Thalidomide was prescribed to treat nausea in pregnant women which led to numerous birth defects in the children. In the 90’s, David Barker developed the Barker Hypothesis, stating low birth rate and premature birth has a relationship to adult diseases when they reach middle age. Currently, studies are looking at the effects of the possible toxic pharmaceuticals on the developing fetus. However, more research needs to be done on effect of the brain development. In my honors research, I have been researching the effects of antidepressants on brain development.

Nelson also had a second presentation titled: The Effects of In-Utero Fluoxetine Exposure on Brain Development. The abstract for this presentation is as follows:

Depression is a serious medical concern that affects roughly 20% of women during and after pregnancy. The most common form of depression medication are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medications. The most popular SSRI is fluoxetine. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of fluoxetine given to stressed adult mice on the serotonin transporters and cortisol receptors of their pups. To do this, pregnant mice were stressed and treated with PBS, 0.3mg/ml fluoxetine, or 1.0mg/ml fluoxetine. Pup brains were analyzed for serotonin transporters and cortisol receptors in the ventromedial nucleus of hypothalamus, paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus, and hippocampus. Results demonstrated a significant change in the serotonin transporters in the PVN region of the brain. In addition, preliminary data shows an increase in cortisol receptors in the higher dose.

The keynote speaker for the event was Jeff Anderson, Class of 2003, who is the executive director of communications for the Minnesota Vikings. Anderson is entering his thirteenth season with the Vikings and plays a lead role in the organization's external and strategic communications.

"For some Scholars Day is the culmination of their work at BVU, and for others it becomes the springboard that sends them into a field they had not previously anticipated," said Dr. Steven Mills, assistant professor of Spanish and chair of the events committee who organized the event. "Either way, those who participate find in it a valuable growing experience and a strong sense of accomplishment."

Photos from this year's and previous Scholars Day events, along with a video from this year's event, are available online at www.bvu.edu/scholarsday.