Summer fellowships and donor awards support 29 student researchers

Undergraduate research continues to drive academic success in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Delaware. Last summer, 29 students conducted faculty-mentored research supported by Delaware INBRE, the University’s Undergraduate Research Program, and departmental and donor-funded awards.

Named fellowships enabled students to pursue projects spanning neuroscience, cancer biology, regenerative medicine and pain research.

As the Dr. Patricia DeLeon Award recipient, Deron Tchuente worked in Jason Lim’s lab investigating neuro-immune mechanisms underlying chronic joint pain. He helped validate a spatial proteomics approach in mouse models of joint disease and presented his findings at the 2025 INBRE Summer Research Symposium.

Supported by the Dr. Justin R. DiAngelo Undergraduate Research Award, Sarah Lovett examined how social environment shapes feeding behavior in Drosophila, identifying neuropeptide F as a key regulator of isolation-induced changes in diet. She is continuing the project as a senior thesis.

With funding from the Pamela Snyder Simpson Fund, Matt Shuhay studied glioblastoma in Deni Galileo’s lab, focusing on cell signaling pathways that may drive tumor regrowth after radiation therapy.

The Dr. Jeremie Axe Award supported senior John Caputo’s work in Justin Parreno’s lab on strategies for articular cartilage regeneration. His research aims to optimize cell expansion techniques to improve transplantation outcomes, advancing osteoarthritis treatment approaches and informing his goal of becoming an orthopaedic surgeon.

Through the Dr. Milton H. Stetson Research Award, Daivik Arora is investigating the mechanisms of temporomandibular joint pain. Using imaging mass cytometry and neuronal tracing, he is developing an experimental platform to track how pain pathways evolve during disease progression. He plans to pursue medical school.

Together, these projects highlight the breadth of undergraduate research at UD—providing hands-on discovery experiences while preparing students for careers in science and medicine.