Ike Wylie

Psychology and Cognitive Sciences

Academic Advisor: Jennifer Grubbs
Co-op Advisor: Beth Bridgeman

Co-ops:
Workaway Volunteer - Philadelphia, PA; Sexual Health and Family Planning Intern, Project Vida - El Paso, TX; Volunteer Coworker, Camphill Copake - Copake, NY
Additional Campus Involvement: Research Assistant, Race and Real Estate/Black Enclaves Project, Kevin McGruder; Faculty Search Committee, Clinical Psychology; Events Coordinator

Languages: Spanish

City:  Dayton, OH

Email: iwylie@antiochcollege.edu

Web: ikewylie.com

 

Maternal Separation Alters Central Prostaglandin E2 Signaling

My project was a part of my assistantship with Wright State University’s Laboratory of Developmental Psychobiology and Stress, belonging to Dr. Michael Hennessy and Dr. Patricia Schiml. With my project partner, Sean McGraw, we took interest in the mechanism of depressive-like behavior which occurs in guinea pigs (and non-human primates) when adolescents are separated from their mothers. A guinea pig model is used to explore attachment disruption because of their nature as a species which has a strong maternal bond. Because of this, we can investigate questions surrounding neuroinflammation’s role in sensitizing traumatic processes in children, i.e. traumas which predispose individuals to depression later in life. Earlier work showed that COX inhibitors (NSAIDS, e.g., ibuprofen) suppress depressive-like behavior and its sensitization. To explore whether or not this is a product of a neuroinflammatory process, our study looked at the gene expression of PGE-2 signaling molecules and whether they increased following separation(s) from their mother. Using the facilities of Dr. Terrence Deak at Binghamton University, real time RT-PCR was used to assess gene expression of the PGE-2-synthesizing enzymes (COX-2, mPGES-1) as well as relevant receptors (EP-1, EP-2, EP-4), in two brain regions (anterior hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex).