Kendra Santiago Negron

A motivated, adaptable, and persistent biology and anatomy graduate who is seeking admission into medical school which will help her achieve the essential skills, knowledge, and professionalism to successfully continue her professional education and pursue a career in the medical field.

• Awards Received: , High Honors Award, Honor Roll Top Ten Award, Honor Roll Four Years Award, Perfect Attendance Award, President’s Education Award Canisius College; Buffalo, New York (2015-2019) Major: Biology with a pre-med track Awards Received: Benefactor Scholarship, Wegman’s Scholarship

Advanced Human Dissection, D’Youville College; Buffalo, New York (Spring Semester 2020)

Focused on the anatomy of the human heart. Topics that were researched were: gross anatomy/function, development, histology, comparative anatomy (mainly focused on amphibian and fish), and a step-by-step guided dissection of the heart from the thoracic cavity as well as focusing on the external and internal structures of this organ. These topics were all written about on the thesis paper which was presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in anatomy at D’Youville College. 

Developmental Biology Lab Research, D’Youville College; Buffalo, New York (Spring Semester 2020)

The purpose of this research study was to demonstrate how caffeine affects chick embryo development and physiology (heart rate). Two hybridized eggs (control versus drug-treated embryo) were windowed, and heart rate was measured until they were relatively constant. The control embryo was treated with PBS whereas the drug-treated embryo was treated with caffeine. The embryos were incubated at equal temperatures for 15 minutes. After the incubation period, heart rate was measured every 5 minutes. The date recorded confirmed that the average heart rate for the drug-treated embryos was relatively higher than that of the control embryos.

Developmental Biology Lab Research, D’Youville College; Buffalo, New York (Spring Semester 2020)

Human tissue sample collection and analysis. A human placenta was analyzed focusing on the following: cord insertion site, number of vessels in cord, calcification, and signs of decay. Blueberry-sized sections of the placenta were dissected, and all extraneous liquid was removed. There was a total of four placenta samples and two umbilical samples. Only one sample of placental tissue and umbilical cord were kept while the rest of the samples were placed in the freezer. The two samples kept were fixed with formalin at room temperature for 72 hours. After incubation period, the tissues underwent genomic extraction and screening to determine the sex of the baby. 

Comparative Anatomy Lab Research, D’Youville College; Buffalo, New York (Fall Semester 2019)

Many factors contribute to how fine motor movements develop, which include growth, environment, gender, genetics, and muscle tone formation. The main goal of this study was to further understand the underlying basis of limb fine motor movements and to investigate how the main structure that controls fine motor movements is developed in vertebrates. The cerebral cortex and cerebellum of various vertebrates including cats, bullfrogs, dogfish sharks, and fetal pigs were dissected. The purpose was to look at brain structure to see if there are differences in vertebrates that have varying degrees of fine motor skills by noting differences in weight and structure. A total of twenty vertebral animals, five of each class, were examined. To obtain the relative weight of the cerebrum and cerebellum for each vertebrate, a total body weight was measured before the dissection began. The following was concluded: vertebrates with more precise fine motor skills have different patterns in the cortical regions of the brain and cerebellum when compared to those who have fine motor skills to a lesser extent. 

Cellular Neurobiology Lab Research, Canisius College; Buffalo, New York (Spring Semester 2019)

Disruption of axonal transport in Alzheimer's disease is linked to abnormal or disrupted axonal transport. This disruption is known to be part of the pathogenic process in AD brains. This disrupted axonal transport could be a result of signaling abnormalities or axon specificity (polarity). The purpose of this research study was to provide insight understanding one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases and moving a step forward into finding a definitive cure. The hypothesis was the following: Amyloid-ß disrupts axonal transport by promoting excessive PAD exposure leading to the activation of GSK-3 and unloading of cargo from kinesin. The main target was the following: If tau aggregation and GSK-B activity are inhibited, what would happen to the transport and unloading of lysosomes along the axon? It was concluded that these two pathogenic factors (Amyloid-ß and tau) may work independently from one another. Also, it was concluded that by purposely preventing the activation of GSK-3, allowed for longer axonal transport. 

Medical and Environmental Microbiology Lab Research, Canisius College; Buffalo, New York (Spring Semester 2018)

For this study, we investigated how tardigrades, also known as water bears, can survive harsh environmental conditions. Based on known evidence, we predicted that these tardigrades would survive the following presented scenarios: room temperature, freezing temperatures, and extremely hot temperatures. We followed up with the tardigrades on a weekly basis for a span of 4 weeks. The results demonstrated that these tardigrades could adapt to extreme environmental conditions. They also had the ability of mating, reproducing, and feeding without any negative side effects.