Lab News
Publications, awards, press, lab outings, and other cool stuff going on in the lab.
Dr. Risher becomes project lead on $20 million collaborative grant to build neuroscience research infrastructure in WV
May 8, 2023: The National Science Foundation, through its Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), has awarded $20 million to the state of West Virginia for the establishment of the WV Network for Functional Neuroscience and Transcriptomics (WV-NFNT). This statewide collaborative agreement will focus on building research capacity and expanding access to cutting-edge neuroscience tools in a region of the country that has traditionally been underserved in these areas. As one of the project leads for Theme 2 of the agreement (“Understanding structure/function relationships underlying synaptic plasticity”), Dr. Risher will spearhead a group effort to establish super-resolution STED microscopy and next-generation spatial transcriptomics technology at Marshall.
Read the full press release here.
James Williamson receives award from the NASA WV Space Grant Consortium
April 29, 2022: NASA’s West Virginia Space Grant Consortium has awarded a 1-year research fellowship to student intern James Williamson. He will be performing in vivo manipulations in mice to determine the contributions of sex, sex hormones, and estrous cycle on cortical synaptic development. In James’s words: “The results of this project will better inform future studies investigating the effects of spaceflight/gravity-altered environments on the regulation of critical neuronal processes such as synaptogenesis, which will be vital to the success of space missions and future attempts to properly adapt humans to space environments.”
James Williamson chosen for research symposium at the state Capitol
December 22, 2021: James Williamson, a sophomore working in the Risher Lab, has been selected as a poster presenter at the 19th Annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol. This year’s event, to be held in Charleston on February 18th, brings together undergraduates from across the state to present their work and showcase the amazing research being conducted in West Virginia. This will be James’ first major presentation. Congratulations, James!
Ethan Niebergall featured in Neuron magazine
Fall 2021: FIRST2 student Ethan Niebergall was featured on the cover of Neuron magazine, a regional publication that highlights research throughout West Virginia. Ethan was photographed during his poster presentation at the 2021 WV-INBRE Research Symposium held in Huntington in July 2021, his first ever such presentation. Well done, Ethan!
Risher lab receives $400K NIH R15 award to study sex differences in astrocyte-mediated synaptic development
April 13, 2021: The Risher lab was awarded a $399,600 R15 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to study differential mechanisms of astrocyte-regulated synaptogenesis in male and female brains. This grant is part of the NIH’s REAP initiative (Research Enhancement Award Program) to introduce students to meritorious research in states such as West Virginia that do not traditionally receive high levels of federal funding for research.
Ethan Niebergall receives undergraduate research internship
September 15, 2020: Marshall sophomore Ethan Niebergall was awarded a 2020-2021 WV-INBRE Research Internship. This award, which was offered to first generation college students in conjunction with the FIRST2 Network and the Health Sciences and Technology Academy (HSTA), will provide Ethan with funds to conduct a year-long project in the Risher lab. Ethan will be conducting a proteomics screen for novel regulators of astrocyte and synapse development that are perturbed with prenatal drug exposure.
Neonatal abstinence syndrome work sponsored by Sparks Foundation
December 13, 2019: The John and Polly Sparks Foundation has selected Dr. Risher’s 2018 NARSAD Young Investigator Award for sponsorship through the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation’s Research Partners Program. This work is intended to investigate long-term changes to synaptic connectivity in the brains of mice that were exposed to drugs of abuse during gestation and early postnatal development.
Ean Bills is awarded Undergraduate Creative Discovery and Research Scholar Award.
November 25, 2019: Marshall University undergraduate Ean Bills received a prestigious research award to study sex differences in astrocyte-induced synapse formation. Ean will receive a $750 personal stipend as well as $1,000 that can go towards travel and supplies. Well done, Ean!
Dr. Risher becomes a NARSAD Young Investigator
August 3, 2018: Dr. Risher is honored to be awarded a 2018 NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. This 2-year award will focus on potential disruptions in astrocyte-driven synaptic development in Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). This condition, in which newborns suffer from withdrawal after being born to mothers who abused opioids during pregnancy, has seen a significant increase in incidence in West Virginia and Central Appalachia in recent years.
