Symposium on Science, Technology and Health Making the World Smarter, Safer and Healthier Request Info Contact Us Artificial Intelligence Biotechnology Computer Science Cybersecurity Data Analytics and Visualization Digital Marketing and Media Mathematics Occupational Therapy Physician Assistant Physics Speech-Language Pathology 2024 Symposium on Science, Tech and Health New York City I May 9, 2024 Showcasing graduate research from across STEM and Health Sciences.READ THE PROCEEDINGSVIDEO HIGHLIGHTS I ALL PROJECTS Video Highlights Cloud-Powered Agricultural and Weather Forecasts in Tanzania Karina Thapa and Gagan Preet Singh — M.S. in Data Analytics and Visualization Cloud-Powered Agricultural and Weather Forecasts in Tanzania Opportunity Assessment of Novel Peptide Antagonist cJun Christine Chery — M.S. in Biotechnology Management and Entrepreneurship Opportunity Assessment of Novel Peptide Antagonist cJun Non-Pharmaceutical Treatments of Unilateral Bell’s Palsy Cindy Salinas — M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology Non-Pharmaceutical Treatments of Unilateral Bell’s Palsy Reducing Recidivism: An OT-Supported Transition Employment Program Amanda Brenner — Occupational Therapy Doctorate Reducing Recidivism: An OT-Supported Transition Employment Program Efficacy of Immediate Delivery vs. Expectant Management in Pregnant Women with Preeclampsia Simone Northman — M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies Efficacy of Immediate Delivery vs. Expectant Management in Pregnant Women with Preeclampsia Cloud-Powered Agricultural and Weather Forecasts in Tanzania Karina Thapa and Gagan Preet Singh — M.S. in Data Analytics and Visualization Cloud-Powered Agricultural and Weather Forecasts in Tanzania Opportunity Assessment of Novel Peptide Antagonist cJun Christine Chery — M.S. in Biotechnology Management and Entrepreneurship Opportunity Assessment of Novel Peptide Antagonist cJun Non-Pharmaceutical Treatments of Unilateral Bell’s Palsy Cindy Salinas — M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology Non-Pharmaceutical Treatments of Unilateral Bell’s Palsy Reducing Recidivism: An OT-Supported Transition Employment Program Amanda Brenner — Occupational Therapy Doctorate Reducing Recidivism: An OT-Supported Transition Employment Program Efficacy of Immediate Delivery vs. Expectant Management in Pregnant Women with Preeclampsia Simone Northman — M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies Efficacy of Immediate Delivery vs. Expectant Management in Pregnant Women with Preeclampsia All ProjectsArtificial Intelligence & Data AnalyticsBiotechnology Management & EntrepreneurshipCybersecurity, Math & PhysicsDigital Marketing & MediaOccupational TherapyPhysician Assistant StudiesSpeech-Language Pathology Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics Diffusion Data Augmentation for Enhancing Norberg Hip Angle EstimationAuthor: Sheng-Han Yueh, Artificial IntelligenceFaculty Mentor: Youshan Zhang, Ph.D. Using advanced computer vision and generative AI to create high-quality medical images, specifically X-rays of dog hips, to improve diagnosis of Canine Hip Dysplasia, a common genetic disorder in dogs. VIEW POSTER SparrowVQE: Enhanced Visual Question Explanation in Education Authors: Ruslan Gokhman, Radek Holik and Manish Kumar Thota, Artificial IntelligenceFaculty Mentor: Youshan Zhang, Ph.D. A novel Visual Question Explanation (VQE) system developed using a specialized dataset from machine learning lectures that offers detailed, context-aware explanations for educational content. VIEW POSTER VetMedGPT: Generative Pre-trained Transformer for Veterinary MedicineAuthors: Sayed Raheel Hussain, Thirupathi Kadari and Pinxue Lin, Artificial IntelligenceFaculty Mentor: Youshan Zhang, Ph.D. A specialized language model to improve AI performance in the veterinary field, developed using over 500 GB of veterinary data to address knowledge gaps in animal diseases, treatments and clinical procedures. VIEW POSTER AI-Tutor: Interactive Machine Learning Chatbot for Enhanced Educational EngagementAuthors: Saratsuhas Vijayababu, Yujie Wu and Shengjie Zhao, Artificial IntelligenceFaculty Mentor: Youshan Zhang, Ph.D.A smart chatbot that combines advanced language models and natural language processing techniques to help people understand complex machine-learning ideas through an easy-to-use AI platform. VIEW POSTER KatzBot: An Intelligent Chatbot Powered by Large Language ModelsAuthors: Haider Ali, Sahil Kumar, Deepa Paikar and Kiran Vutukuri, Artificial IntelligenceFaculty Mentor: Youshan Zhang, Ph.D.Introducing KatzBot, a new and improved chatbot for that uses advanced Large Language Models (LLMs) to provide fast access to information about academic programs, admissions, student life, and more. VIEW POSTER An Analysis of Solar Curtailment in California’s Energy MarketAuthors: Jordan Armstrong and Volkan Uzundag, Data AnalyticsFaculty Mentor: Andrew Catlin This research examined how curtailment, the intentional reduction of renewable energy output, affects California’s energy production and grid reliability, using statistical analysis and machine learning. VIEW POSTER Detecting Antisemitic Hate Speech Using Transformer-based Large Language ModelsAuthors: Dengyi Liu and Minghao Wang, Data Analytics Faculty Mentor: Andrew Catlin The team evaluated the effectiveness of transformer-based natural language processing models in accurately identifying antisemitic speech online, to enhance content moderation strategies in social media and other digital spaces. VIEW POSTER Cloud-Powered Agricultural and Weather Forecasts in TanzaniaAuthors: Karina Thapa and Gagan Preet Singh, Data AnalyticsFaculty Advisor: Andrew CatlinIndustry Mentor: Brian Rowe, ZeomancerThe team developed a microservice-based architecture for Zeomancer, an IoT device that collects and analyzes data directly from the soil and provides hyper-local weather forecasts to Tanzanian farmers’ mobile devices. VIEW POSTER Biotechnology Management & Entrepreneurship A Comprehensive Study of Duckweed for NASA/Hudson Alpha Proposal Author: Natania Birnbaum, Biotechnology EntrepreneurshipFaculty Mentor: Robert Friedman, MBAIndustry Mentor: John McShane, Katz School M.S. ’22, Growmics A analysis of the biology, genetics, cultivation methods and market potential of duckweed, a small water plant that is nutrient-dense, resilient, easily modified genetically and can grow in microgravity, making it ideal for space farming. VIEW POSTER Opportunity Assessment of Novel Peptide Antagonist cJunAuthor: Christine Chery, Biotechnology EntrepreneurshipFaculty Mentors: Rana Khan, Ph.D., and Robert Friedman, MBA  An analysis performed for Sapience Therapeutics, Inc., on treating bladder and endometrial cancers with a new peptide called JunAP, which is important in cancer development and immune suppression. VIEW POSTER  Simulation of Heat Transfer in Multilayered Biological Systems Using COMSOL Multiphysics Author: Shriya Jitendra Kalburge, Biotechnology EntrepreneurshipFaculty Mentor: Ran Drori, Ph.D.Researchers demonstrated that COMSOL modeling can effectively study heat flow in biological samples, such as heart tissue, and improve our understanding of freezing processes in food and biological heat transfer. VIEW POSTER Adsorption Rate of Antifreeze Proteins Determines Their Ice Growth Inhibition ActivityAuthor: Yining Zhang, Biotechnology EntrepreneurshipFaculty Mentor: Ran Drori, Ph.D.    This study examined the special properties of antifreeze proteins, peptides and glycopeptides, which help various organisms survive freezing temperatures by binding to small ice crystals and preventing further growth. VIEW POSTER Characterization of a Novel Coelenterazine-Dependent Luciferase and Photoprotein Authors: Chia-Yu Hsu, Zaruhi Karapetyan and Vivek Pachava, Biotechnology EntrepreneurshipFaculty Mentor: Anderson Oliveira, Ph.D.The research, using bioluminescence imaging, found that light emission increases when certain chemicals, such as coelenterazine or calcium, are added to luciferases and photoproteins, warranting further studies to improve these proteins for better use in medical research. VIEW POSTER Cybersecurity, Math & Physics Beyond Geospatial Frontiers: Charting the Landscape of GEOINT, OSINT, and Innovative Intelligence Solutions Author: Ron Harush, CybersecurityFaculty Mentor: Elad Hod, M.S., CISSP This study demonstrated the value of integrating different intelligence disciplines—specifically Open-Source Intelligence and Geospatial Intelligence—to improve intelligence gathering and address security issues for government agencies. VIEW POSTER Comparison of Total Body Water Measured by Bioimpedance Spectroscopy to Urea Kinetic Modeling and Anthropometric Estimates in Hemodialysis PatientsAuthor: Ariella Mermelstein, Mathematics Faculty Mentor: Jochen Raimann, Ph.D., Renal Research InstituteThe study compared methods used in clinical nephrology for monitoring fluid, body composition, and nutritional changes in patients undergoing hemodialysis or needing close monitoring of fluid status in clinical settings. VIEW POSTER Infant and Maternal Outcomes During the COVID-19 PandemicAuthor: Moshe Gordon, PhysicsFaculty Mentor: Fredy Zypman, Ph.D.This study found a higher rate of pre-term births among infants born to COVID-19-positive mothers compared to those born to mothers without COVID-19 and that, overall, infants born during the COVID-19 pandemic were shorter in length up to nine months after birth. VIEW POSTER Digital Marketing & Media Empowering Dance Project of Washington Heights: A Strategic Marketing Approach Authors: Nathaly Camargo, Bharath Prabhu and Saahas Ramaul, Digital Marketing and MediaFaculty Mentor: Joseph Panzarella, Program DirectorThe team proposed a marketing plan for the nonprofit Dance Project of Washington Heights, aiming to strengthen the organization’s relationship with the community and to encourage more people to get involved in dance education. VIEW POSTER Marketing Research Methods: Heights Meditation & YogaAuthors: Jesse Sattler, Tanvi Shah and Koren Jacob, Digital Marketing and Media Faculty Mentor: Thomas Kennon, Industry Professor and Director of Consulting, Innovation Lab This market research project revealed strategies for Heights Meditation & Yoga to increase its impact and better meet customer expectations by identifying different types of customers, improving their online presence, forming partnerships and building a stronger sense of community. VIEW POSTER Wasteful Pride: How a Bespoke Urban Waste Management Policy Improves the Lives of Residents Author: Mansi Kamboj, Digital Marketing and Media Faculty Mentor: Joseph Panzarella, Program DirectorThis study examined the potential of the Basura model—a new way to handle garbage in cities—to foster a sustainable urban landscape and proposed targeted strategies to further empower communities with the knowledge and infrastructure to tackle waste management challenges more effectively. VIEW POSTER Occupational Therapy Reducing Recidivism: An OT-Supported Transition Employment Program Author: Amanda Brenner, Occupational TherapyFaculty Mentor: Alexandra Laghezza, Ph.D., OTR/L, CDPCommunity Partner: Afya Foundation This12-week educational program uses occupational therapy principles to help former inmates find jobs and learn skills for life outside of prison, with the goal of reducing recidivism, the likelihood that former inmates will commit new crimes and return to prison. VIEW POSTER Enhancing Academic Performance: Positive Factors Impacting Graduate Health Professions Students Authors: Piermiline Datilus and Suzan Khavkin, Occupational TherapyFaculty Mentor: Amiya Waldman-Levi, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTACollaborator: Anita Bundy, Sc.D., OT/L, FAOTA, FOTARA, Colorado State University The researchers found significant positive correlations between student GPA and anxiety levels and between their playfulness and leisure; they found a negative correlation between playfulness and anxiety levels and playfulness and coping skills. VIEW POSTER Overcoming Social Isolation: Effectiveness of the Healthy Aging Wellness ProgramAuthors: Rachel Hirsch and Jessica Kwok, Occupational TherapyFaculty Mentor: Amiya Waldman-Levi, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTACollaborators: Alexandra Laghezza, Ph.D., OTR/L, CDP and Jeanine Stancanelli, MPH, OTD, OTR/L, Mercy UniversityThis study compared the effectiveness of online vs. in-person delivery of an eight-week Healthy Aging Wellness program, which includes yoga, mindfulness and social activities. VIEW POSTER Impact of Migraine Disability on Occupational Roles  Author: Ashley Mathew, Occupational TherapyFaculty Mentors: Alexandra Laghezza, Ph.D., OTR/L, CDP, and Elizabeth Seng, Ph.D., Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology This study, using surveys like the Role Checklist and the Migraine-Specific Quality-of-Life Questionnaire, demonstrated that severe migraine headaches are linked to lower job satisfaction and performance. VIEW POSTER Physician Assistant Studies Efficacy of Immediate Delivery vs. Expectant Management in Pregnant Women with PreeclampsiaAuthor: Simone Northman, Physician Assistant StudiesFaculty Mentor: Margaret Ewen, M.S., PA-CResearch confirmed that managing preeclampsia, a complication in pregnancy where the mother’s blood pressure gets dangerously high, was was slightly safer for the baby compared with delivering the baby right away. VIEW POSTER Effects of Endovascular Thrombectomy vs. Intra-arterial Alteplase Plus Thrombectomy on Improved Neurological Functioning in Adult Patients Experiencing an Acute Ischemic StrokeAuthor: Lukas Cooper, Physician Assistant StudiesFaculty Mentor: Margaret Ewen, M.S., PA-CThe study confirmed that adding alteplase, a medication to dissolved blockages in blood vessels, did not further improve brain function after an ischemic stroke and avoiding alteplase could reduce bleeding-related risks. VIEW POSTER Best Course of Treatment in Patients with Iron Deficiency Anemia with Active H.pylori Infections  Author: Alaa Etouni, Physician Assistant StudiesFaculty Mentor: Margaret Ewen, M.S., PA-CA systematic literature review found that treating H.pylori infection was strongly linked to reducing iron deficiency anemia, which happens when the body lacks enough iron to make red blood cells. VIEW POSTER Macrosomia Occurrence During Pregnancies of Patients with Diabetes: Continuous Glucose Monitoring vs. Self-Blood ChecksAuthor: Kayla Tanen, Physician Assistant StudiesFaculty Mentor: Margaret Ewen, M.S., PA-CA systematic literature review found that babies born to mothers using continuous glucose monitoring systems tend to have lower birth weights compared to those whose mothers used regular blood sugar checks. VIEW POSTER Speech-Language Pathology Enhancing Communication Skills in Children with ASD: The Role of Active Parental Participation´¡³Ü³Ù³ó´Ç°ù: Rachel Eliav, Speech-Language Pathology Faculty Mentor: Andrew Christler, M.A, MBA, CCC-SLPThis study aimed to provide parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with information and resources to enhance parental training in behavior management strategies, ultimately improving outcomes in speech therapy. VIEW POSTER Impact of Professional Development for Paraprofessionals in Supporting Children with High-Tech Touch Screen DevicesAuthor: Rachel Horwitz, Speech-Language Pathology Faculty Mentor: Elisabeth Mlawski, Ph.D., CCC-SLPThis study highlights promising interventions and challenges in training paraprofessionals, or teaching assistants, to support children in using high-tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, which are essential for individuals with speech and language impairments. VIEW POSTER Non-Pharmaceutical Treatments of Unilateral Bell’s PalsyAuthor: Cindy Salinas, Speech-Language PathologyFaculty Advisor: Andrew Christler, M.A., MBA, CCC-SLP This project aimed to identify and emphasize the specific roles that speech-language pathologists can play in treating Bell’s Palsy, which affects facial muscles and can lead to speech and swallowing difficulties. VIEW POSTER
