SPARK Research Showcase from the College of Applied Health Sciences

SPARK research showcase

1. 2023-2024 SPARK Research Showcase College of Applied Health Sciences

2. Zachary Abrams SPARK student Dr. Mullen SPARK mentor Darkhan Baizan Graduate Student Exercise, Technology, and Cognition Laboratory MODD / ETC GPT First Project: MODD (Motion D e tection Device) The purpose of this project was to create a functioning 3x3 floor grid with lights and pressure sensors in each box to measure an individual’s reaction time. The lights create arrows to show which box a person should move to as quickly as possible. My contribution: assisted Darkhan with soldering the lights and pressure sensors under each of the nine grid boxes and conducted mock trials. Future of the project: begin conducting trials with willing participants and record data. Second Project: ETC GPT Purpose: Create a functioning ChatGPT AI program that contains information specifically relevant to exercise, technology, and cognition. The program has been developed and needs to be tested with mock prompts to assess validity and depth of responses. My contribution: obtained Ted Talk transcripts from health- related topics (along with research articles from trusted organizations (CDC/WHO)) and converted them into a format that could be uploaded into the program.

3. Public Health Preparedness Among UIUC Students in Extreme Heat Conditions Purpose: To assess how students living in dorms are impacted by extreme heat, the coping strategies they used, and their knowledge about the health Methods: Structural and descriptive coding of transcripts from interviewed students (thematic analysis) Current Status : Data analysis has been completed and the results will be shared as a poster presentation during the Undergraduate Research Symposium. My Role: Literature review, data collection, transcription, data analysis, and poster making Saiesha Bollapragada SPARK student Dr. Mariela Fernandez Kshitij Tewari SPARK mentors

4. Prenatal Auditory Experience Project Aim : Investigate infant sound levels in the neonatal intensive care unit and determine factors that could lead to adverse acoustic exposures. Method : LENA audio recorders were placed on the inside of the cribs and collected 24-hour audio recordings at a 16 kHz sampling rate. Current Status : Reviewing and analyzing follow- up data, beginning to conclude. My Role : I learned how to assess Otoacoustic Emissions data. I entered and analyzed the OAE data, along with Tymps data and Audiogram data. Additional Tasks : I ran our lab’s social media pages, read journal articles from the American- Speech- Language- Hearing Association (ASHA), and wrote weekly summaries on them. We also held a journal club during our lab meetings where I presented one of the articles I had read to our lab! Mary Bresnahan SPARK student Dr. Brian Monson SPARK mentor

5. Public School Absenteeism in the U.S. Purpose The purpose of collecting data regarding absenteeism is to analyze the patterns of chronic absenteeism over the years. Methods used in the study Gathered data from each state’s department of education site, as well as collected from other studies regarding chronic absenteeism. Where is the study in the research process? Most data collection is done but can be updated as data is posted throughout the years. Some conclusions have been made, but data can be further analyzed in addition to other future data collection. What work did you do as your contribution to the study? I collected most of the data but met with Dr. Mullen to further analyze the data. Dona Chong SPARK student Dr. Mullen SPARK mentor

6. Jack Colgan SPARK student Dr. Sharon Zou SPARK mentor Farm- to-Table Project The purpose of this study is to study consumer's eating and spending habits when it comes to farm- to- table restaurants or restaurants that utilize local ingredients by conducting interviews and analyzing qualitative data and language patterns. This study is currently in the analyzing data phase. My contribution to the study was proofreading, editing, and coding transcripts of consumer interviews.

7. Speech Intelligibility with Airpods Pro In this experiment, researchers investigated the effect of various Airpods Pro modes on speech intelligibility in noisy environments. The method: Record speech samples using different Airpods Pro modes. Have participants listen to these recordings and transcribe what they hear. Analyze this data to find out which mode resulted in the highest number of correctly transcribed keywords. With the data now collected and analyzed, we are preparing to present our conclusions at the Undergraduate Research Symposium! I have been involved in conducting hearing screenings, walking participants through the study, analyzing the data, and presenting it at the research symposium . Tess Giddens-White SPARK student Dr. Pasquale Bottalico Yoonjee Sim SPARK mentor, Doctor of Audiology student

8. Kate Gronlund SPARK student Dr. Mariela Fernandez, Kshitij Tewari SPARK mentors Latina and Latino Experts’ Perceptions of Activity-Friendly Routes to Everyday Destinations Aim: To identify the facilitators and constraints of physical activity (PA) in Latinx communities To investigate Latino transportation, land use, and perceived barriers of PA. Methods: This study includes an environmental scan of gray literature and individual interviews to identify themes related to our study objectives. Current Status: We are continuing to code academic and grey literature to identify possible policy, system, and environmental changes. My Contributions: My roles in this research were primarily focused on coding interview transcripts and literature related to our study. In addition to this, I found academic literature to support our findings.

9. Online Adult Entertainment Platforms: Understanding Motivations and Differences between the Users and Non-Users Purpose : This study aims to explore and compare the sexual perceptions, attitudes, motivations, and socio-demographic profiles among the users and non- users of the online adult entertainment platforms. Method : Participants 18+ years old would complete an online survey about their online sexual behaviors. My role : I learned how to review literature and my primary role was to recruit participants for the study, using multiple social media platforms. Claire Grossen SPARK student Dr. Liza Berdychevsky Sohyeon Kim SPARK mentors

10. Kate Harty SPARK student Dr. Bottalico & Xiyu Li SPARK mentors Vocal Effort in Dining Halls to Optimize Speech Intelligibility Purpose : to investigate the relationship between noise, room acoustics, and vocal effort in dining halls Method : Speech recordings were manipulated to resemble the room acoustics of each specific dining hall. Participants were required to listen and type what they heard (scores were based on accuracy). Current Status : Presentation of research My Role : I instructed participants on how to complete the speech intelligibility test. After the data was collected, I calculated the scores for participants which was later used for analysis.

11. Andrew Hurst SPARK student Dr. Shannon Mejia SPARK mentor Health Technology and Aging “ Subjective Aging and Technology Use ” The purpose of this study is to find how the use of technology can impact a person’s perception of their age in both positive and negative ways. For this project I matched passages from transcripts to predetermined “codes” or commonly found themes to find connections between participant experiences. “ Program Evaluation for a Community Partner To Aid in Improving Social Programming ” The purpose of this study is to find what opportunities community gardens allow for members of the community, and what changes can be made to better them. For this project I lead the outreach efforts to collect members for focus groups. I also helped create and match data to codes to organize data from transcripts.

12. A Service-Oriented Local Food Value Chain for Small Farms: Aligning Small Farms, Food Services, and Consumers Aim : Strengthening small farms- restaurants relationship to enhance local food supply chain Phases : Consumer study, Farmers and Restaurant Study, Extension Program Development Current Status: Phase 1 of research process; Consumer study - collecting and analyzing data My Role: I worked to transcribe interviews as well as code the data in which was produced Veronica LaSota SPARK student Sharon Zou SPARK mentor

13. Power of the Point: Predictors of Early Language Development in Fragile X Syndrome Purpose: To gain insight on skills that support early language development by evaluating communication and social abilities in toddlers with fragile X syndrome Methods: Mothers and their child play with toys. Developmental measures and surveys are administered to the child and mother Current Status: Collecting, transcribing, and coding data My Role: Score measures and enter them into REDCap, prepare supplies for in-person visits, and create social media content to connect with families Elise Lavaty SPARK student Dr. Laura Mattie SPARK mentor

14. Sophia Marin SPARK student Dr. Rachel Hoopsick SPARK mentor Research Overview: - Analyzed how trends in methamphetamine-related mortality rates between 1999 - 2022 differentiated between men and women, and to what extent polysubstance abuse drives increases. Why? - Differences in mortality between men and women were higher than differences in methamphetamine usage (between men and women), suggesting there must be a third variable (or a combination of variables) that explain mortality differences. Background: - Aggregate data around methamphetamine-caused mortality showed drastic and concerning increases, especially from 2019 to 2021. Results/Summary: - Although both men and women co-use methamphetamine with heroin/fentanyl at similar rate, men still have a higher mortality which is a result of a confluence of factors: higher overall usage/abuse of drugs, method of consumption (injection vs. snorting), treatment effectiveness, reasons for use and pharmacokinetic differences Possible explanations to explain why mortality is higher among males than females: - Women were 48% more likely to use methamphetamine as their first drug - Different modes of usage (injection vs. snorting) - Pharmacokinetic differences

15. Entrainment to Naturally and Rhythmically Spoken Speech: Effect of Age and Hearing Loss Purpose : To determine the effect that age, hearing capability, and type of model speech have on entrainment success. Methods : Subjects were presented with an entrainment task where they had to match their speech to that of a model speaker for multiple experimental conditions. Envelope correlation and minimum cost alignment were then used to measure how well they entrained their speech. Next Steps : The study currently has some data collected and analyzed. The next step would be to summarize the findings formally and construct another study to answer new questions. My Role : I assisted in converting the data collected into numerical and meaningful values. I also helped to summarize the study so that it can be formally summarized at a later date. Brianna Osmon SPARK student Dr. Daniel Fogerty SPARK mentor

16. Jackie Palmer SPARK student Dr. Wendy Rogers Varitnan Hattakitjamroen SPARK mentors SPARC and EADL Thesis SPARC: Supporting Personal Activities and Reinforcing Cognition Aim: Develop an application to assist older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment Methods: Conducting a scoping review to collect information on potential application features My role: Assist in scoping review by reading articles and completing excel sheets EADL: Enhanced Activities of Daily Living Thesis Aim: Perform a study to develop a measure for enhanced activities of daily living Methods: Conducting a literature review to collect information to include in the thesis paper My role: Assist in literature review and help make revisions to thesis drafts

17. Stress, Emotions, and Pain in the Postpartum Period Interview (SEPPPI) Purpose : explore women’s experiences of postpartum pain and depression to identify resources needed. Methods : demographic survey and qualitative interviews. Current Status : data collection completed; conducting data analysis. My Contributions : interview transcriptions, coding of qualitative data, coauthored Undergraduate Research Symposium poster. Next Steps : continue data analysis and disseminate findings. Audrey Schissler SPARK student Dr. Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo SPARK mentor

18. Illinois Mindfulness Well-Being Study (I’M Well) Purpose: The goal of this study is to test the feasibility and effectiveness of a community-based implementation of an evidence-based mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) with a low-income, predominantly minority population as a strategy to reduce stress-related health disparities. Methods: Participants will complete a pre-test assessment, participate in the 8-week intervention, and then post-test assessments. Participants will complete questionnaires at the pre-test and post-test assessments. Current Status: We are finalizing our materials and research methods. My contributions:  Conducted literature reviews Researched implementation sites and recruitment partners Created informational tables for Ryan’s Dissertation Proposal Presentation Helped create our consent and debrief forms Created instruments in REDCap , our data collection software Julia Stelter SPARK student Dr. Wendy Rogers SPARK mentor Ryan Santens

19. Clinical Trial for Enhanced Milieu Training – Sentence Focused Intervention Purpose: This is a clinical trial for children from ages 30- 49 months that are at risk of having developmental language disorder. The goal of the trial is to determine whether parent coaching increases parents’ use of intervention strategies and children’s language outcomes relative to a control group. Methods: All children have an assessment every three months where they interact with their parent while eating a snack, being read to, and playing with toys. Research Stage: The data collection for this project will end in March 2025. My role: I learned how to use software to create transcripts, transcribed the parent’s utterances in parent- child conversations, and learned about children’s language development through child utterances. Abigail Surburg SPARK student Dr. Pamela Hadley SPARK mentor

20. Megan Thing SPARK student Dr. Daniel Fogerty SPARK mentor Effects of age, hearing loss, and test modality on memory for backward digits For my first semester project, I read through and analyzed different studies that correlated with the study we conducted. The purpose of the study was to investigate how age and hearing loss may affect memory by using visual and auditory backward digit span tests. I inputted data from the study into spreadsheets and am now creating an abstract and poster for the Undergraduate Research Symposium.

21. Main Projects: bpMedManage Smartphone Application: An app designed to support self-management of hypertension medication adherence for persons with mild cognitive impairment I helped find solutions to refining the app based off feedback and results from usability testing (qualitative, quantitative, observational) I will be presenting what I learned about the usability testing and development of the app at the Undergraduate Research Symposium The app is currently being tested in a randomized control trial before it is widely available for users Video Technology-based Social Engagement Intervention for Family Care Partners of Persons with Dementia A focus group study aimed to obtain feedback from care partners about social engagement program delivered through a video technology platform I turned quantitative data gathered from the focus group participants into visual aids such as charts, graphs, and infographics to see how the study is affecting participants Data gathered from this was used to examine whether using a video chat system called OneClick could improve social engagement in older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment General Projects: Electroencephalogram (EEG): I assisted graduate students in pre-processing resting state EEG data and assisted in capping participants and collecting EEG data One of the projects is in its data analysis stage to prepare to present an early-stage doctoral project Alexa Worthley SPARK student Dr. Raksha Mudar SPARK mentor

22. Differences in the Multidimensional Sexual Self- Concept between Transgender and Cisgender Individuals Aim : Explore the similarities and differences between transgender and cisgender people’s views on sexual self-concept. Method : Online and in- person survey. We have implemented a Multidimensional Sexual Self- Concept Questionnaire. Current Status : We have conducted a literature review and collected and analyzed survey data ( N = 774). This study provides valuable insights into the understudied topic of sexual subjectivity across genders. My Role : I have conducted a literature search and portions of the annotated bibliography. I have also contributed to online and in- person recruitment and data collection and cleaning/ preparing data for the statistical analysis. Max Zagorski SPARK student Dr. Liza Berdychevsky Xue Yan SPARK mentor s