The following blog post was written by fellow UHPer and Fall 2024 SURE Award recipient, Samantha Micozzi (Biology, ’26). Read on about Samantha’s research and how she plans to utilize the SURE Award funding to further expand upon her experience!
My name is Samantha Micozzi, and I am a junior undergraduate studying Biology. For the past three years, I have been conducting research in Dr. Linda Kusner’s lab in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, working under the mentorship of postdoctoral researcher Dr. Patricia Sikorski. Our work focuses on the autoimmune disease myasthenia gravis (MG) and has centered on understanding B cell biology, particularly how these cells contribute to disease progression and therapeutic resistance. In previous experiments, we have isolated B cells from patient samples, stimulated them in vitro, and used techniques like flow cytometry and ELISA to analyze their behavior. These experiences have given me a solid foundation in immunology research and inspired me to pursue this project, The Effects of Rituximab on B Cell Stimulation and Differentiation.
Last semester, we completed a preliminary study where we stimulated B cells from MG patients and healthy controls to analyze the expression of CD20 and survivin, a protein linked to cell survival and treatment resistance. Our findings showed that stimulating B cells from MG patients increased survivin expression, suggesting a possible role in resistance to rituximab, an anti-CD20 therapy. This project expands on those findings by investigating how rituximab affects survivin expression and B cell differentiation under different conditions, with the goal of understanding why some MG patients experience suboptimal responses to treatment.
Through this process, I have developed advanced skills in experimental design and data analysis while deepening my understanding of therapeutic resistance in autoimmune diseases. The next steps in my research include assessing how biological sex and disease duration influence treatment outcomes. This project will also form the basis of my senior thesis in the honors program, allowing me to further contribute to the field of immunology and prepare for a career in medicine.
By supporting this research, the GW SURE Award is helping me address critical gaps in the understanding of MG treatment resistance and paving the way for more personalized therapeutic strategies.
Interested in applying for your own SURE Award funding? Find out more about the application process here!
