Undergraduate students from the University of Utah, along with students from Utah State University, will showcase their research for Utah lawmakers and the general public on Friday, Jan. 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the rotunda at the Utah State Capitol.

Research on Capitol Hill is an annual event that gives lawmakers and the public a glimpse of the breadth of research programs at the U and reinforces the value of state-funded higher education.

Students presenting at the event practice engaging in public outreach and polishing presentation skills. By explaining their research in clear, non-technical terms to event attendees including legislators, junior high students and parents, presenters practice communicating their work succinctly and accessibly.

The 25 presenters from the U this year hail from broad disciplines across campus, including engineering, medicine and social sciences.

Find the full list of research project titles from the U below.

2023 Student Presenters

Arnel Besic

“Electropolymerized Organic Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductors for Use in Bioelectronic Devices”

Lauren Carn

“Improving Mental Health Through the Arts”

Eliza Diggins

“Constructing International Trade Networks to Predict the Origin of Trade Mediated Pathogens”

Kenzie Fleming

“Developing Asynchronous Teleconsultation Supports for Educators Who  Serve Rural Students with Disabilities”

Tanner Frahm

“Fully Magnetically Levitated Continuous Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device: Are We There Yet?”

Jordyn Gagon 

“Control of Isolation Induced Aggression Through Activation of Medial Prefrontal Cortex Neurons”

Sydney Gilliland

“Evaluating the Usability of a Revised Symptom Assessment App for Children with Cancer”

Brendan Hatch

“Social Safety Among Multiracial Individuals in Utah”

Rachel Hill

“The binding affinity of HDV antigen to mtDNA and its role in Sjogren’s syndrome patients”

Oliver Hubbard

“Reducing Drug Adsorption in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Circuits: Propofol Extraction and Analysis”

Hakop Kardzhyan

“Health Narratives of Children with Cancer Using an mHealth App”

Kistel Lusted

“Temperature Dependence of Biooxidation of Coal-Based Pyrite”

Carter Niedert

“Identification of Potential Oncogenes via a RNAi Screen in Drosophila Melanogaster”

Emily Nuibe

“Norepinephrine as a Mediator of Cardiac Arrhythmia with Hypoglycemia”

Kiyo Obayashi 

“The Role of the Unfolded Protein Response in Cellular Quiescence”

Nizhoni Porter

“Dietary Blueberries to Improve Oral Dysbiosis”

Timinalnisa Powaukee

“Immediate Lymphatic reconstruction for preventing cancer-related lymphedema: preliminary experience of a single center”

Keaton Rosquist

“Blueberry Supplementation Improves Gut Health in Preclinical Model”

Gillian Ruppel

“Paper Stars, Shattered Jars”

Sarthak Tiwari

“Combining Machine Learning Approaches with Light Scattering Spectroscopy to Differentiate Tissue Using Nuclear Density”

Rebecca Urban

“Timing Cues Enhance Intensity Discrimination at Low Electrocutaneous Pulse  Frequencies”

Nathan Wallace

“A Low-Cost, Multiarticulate, Upper-Limb Exoskeleton”

Caton Weinberger

“​​Infant Attachment Security as a Predictor of Academic Outcomes among Children who Experienced Early Adversity: A Mediational Analysis Examining Executive Functioning and Language Skills during Early Childhood”

Emi Wickens

“Family Caregivers: A qualitative study of similarities and differences among a variety of caregiver experiences”

Zane Zobell

“Characterization of GJA1-20k Expression in the AC16 Proliferating Cardiomyocyte Cell Line”