LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 24, 2025) — Growing up in Lexington, Kaitlyn Brock’s earliest exposure to research came from her stepmom, who was a student at the University of Kentucky participating in biology research. Now Brock and one of her four younger siblings attend UK.
In 2022, the University of Kentucky was named a Beckman Scholars Program awardee. As one of just 14 institutions to receive the award, UK received funding support six scholar-mentor pairs over a three-year period. The Beckman Scholars Program provides 15-month mentored research experiences for exceptional undergraduate students in chemistry, biological sciences and interdisciplinary combinations. Brock was named to the 2023-24 cohort.
“I first learned of the Beckman Scholars Program through my experience as an Undergraduate Research Ambassador,” said Brock, a senior neuroscience and psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Lewis Honors College. “The Beckman Scholars at the time, Elaf Ghoneim and Parker Sornberger, shared their outstanding experience in the program with us, and I was immediately interested in applying. I was very interested in the leadership training and network-building opportunities offered by the program as well as the opportunity to learn about research from other universities.”
Brock’s research, which will span two summer terms and a full academic year, involves examining the effects of bacterial endotoxin -- lipopolysaccharides -- on synaptic transmission at the skeletal muscle of test flies and test crayfish. Recently she looked at the ability of the compound doxapram to inhibit the effects of LPS, finding that doxapram seemed to block the ability of LPS to increase synaptic activity.
“The focus of this research, bacterial endotoxin, can cause sepsis in humans and mammals by triggering an immune system response,” Brock said. “The direct action of LPS on cells is currently unknown, nor is there a known pharmacological blocker of LPS. It is beneficial to examine multiple preparations, such as the fly and crayfish, to compare and contrast the action of LPS on different biological systems.”
Brock hopes the outputs of her Beckman-funded research in the lab of Robin Cooper, Ph.D., professor of biology, might drive improvements in the pharmacological treatments used for sepsis caused by LPS. She has other expectations, too, for what the program experience might bring.
“Dr. Robin Cooper has allowed me to advance my laboratory technique as well as my independence in developing and executing projects,” she said. “I have learned the ins and outs of literature searching, publication and peer review. I feel more confident in my ability to share my research with a general audienc.”
The plan is to continue the research project through to graduation, working with the test crayfish and test flies and possibly exploring the effects of other compounds on them, and using the program experience as a foundation for the next step: graduate school.
“After I finish my undergraduate experience,” Brock said, “I plan to apply to a neuroscience Ph.D. program and further my research education. I am honored to be a part of the Beckman Scholars Program.”