Capstone
One unique benefit of the MSMHA program is that you have the ability to mingle and work in many interprofessional settings. Everyone I encountered was willing to go out of their way to help students and create opportunities that fit your interests. I will personally pay off your student loans if you can find a program with faculty that are more enthusiastic and dedicated to student success than the MHA team!
Lindsey Milgrom | MHA Class of 2020
Pathology Assistant Student | Louisiana State University New Orleans
Overview
The capstone project is a scholarly and/or research-based pursuit of knowledge and content development in the area of anatomical sciences, modern imaging and modeling technologies, and educational science completed as part of the MS in Modern Human Anatomy. ​
To ensure that our students are free to pursue the many opportunities offered by the Anschutz Medical Campus and surrounding scientific community, we define a capstone project less by what it is than by what it should include. As such, a capstone project should include:
- Result in a tangible product or deliverable which enhances or adds to existing content being studied.
- Reflect a significant level of scholarship and creativity, and provide a scholarly contribution.
- Entail new learning for the student and demonstrate that the student has gained a new level of expertise.
- Involve in the characterization of a structure (or structures) ranging in scale anywhere from a molecular to organismal or gross levels of organization.
- Include at least one (and preferably more) of the following: 2D Images, 3D images, animations, or 3D models.
The minimum requirements for advancing to capstone enrollment include:
Capstone & Project Highlights
Video by Chase Lewis: Exploring the IA Nerve
Traveling into a Taste Bud: Macroscopic to Microscopic
3D Brain Tractography Model
A Tour of the Eye, by Elizabeth Eichinger
Past Capstone Projects
| Student | Capstone Mentor | Capstone Presentation Title | ||
| Emi Buchanan | Daniel Kramer, PhD | Evaluation of Atlas-Based Post-Operative Reconstruction of Anterior Nucleus of the Thalamus: A Treatment for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy | ||
Michelle Bui | Angus Toland, MD | “STAG”: Spatial Transcriptomics on Angiocentric Gliomas | ||
| Maria Carpio | Jill Kaar, PhD | Sleeving the Knowledge Gap: Enhancing Pediatric Robotic Sleeve Gastrectomy Perioperative Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå via E-health Technology | ||
Jacinto Carrasco | Allison Shapiro, PhD | Insulin and Glucose Dynamics and Hypothalamic Structure in Youth with Adamantinomatous Craniopharyngioma | ||
| Briana Davis | Thomas Greany, DDS | Block Party! A mixed reality haptic simulator aiding in greater success and self-reported confidence in administering Inferior Alveolar Nerve Blocks | ||
| Sydney Hayden | Natalia Vergara, PhD | Putting The “See” in Cells: Developing a Neuroprotective Gene Therapy for Retinal Ganglion Cells to Prevent Vision Loss in Glaucoma | ||
Brendan Hinckley | Traci Lyons, PhD | Quantification of SEMA7A and CD68 Immunohistochemistry in Tumor and Peritumor Regions of Postpartum and Nulliparous Breast Cancer Using MATLAB | ||
| Omnia Khan | Thomas Greany, DDS | From Virtual Simulations to Real-World Application: Evaluating Fusion Software and Physical Zirconia Dental Models | ||
| Abigail Kucera | Ethan Hughes, PhD | Chronic In-Vivo Imaging to Define Age-Related Alterations in Oligodendrogenesis Shows Reduction in Oligodendroglia Behaviors in Middle-Aged Mice | ||
| Andreza Lins | Cristin Welle, PhD | The Influence of Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Synapses and Microglia in a Demyelination Mouse Model | ||
| Almond McKinley | Caley Orr, PhD | Returning Personhood to a Medical School Osteological Collection Utilizing Forensic Methods | ||
| Marian Ordoñez | Paul Morse, PhD | Comparison of dental sharpness in wear series of Procolobus verus and Cercopithecus diana from Taï Forest, Cotê d’Ivoire | ||
| Shannon Sweeney | Jenny Zablah, MD | Risk Factors for Pulmonary Hemorrhage Following Percutaneous Intervention for Congenital Pulmonary Vein Stenosis | ||
| Abigail Wohlfert | Ann-Charlotte Granholm-Bentley, PhD | Spatially Mapping Insulin/mTOR Pathway Dysregulations in Human Hippocampi from Subjects with Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s Disease | ||
| Liesel Von Imhof | Todd Hankinson, MD | Creating Visual Guides for Pediatric Brain Tumor Analysis | ||
| Student | Capstone Mentor | Capstone Project Title |
| Erika Alor | Emily DeBoer, MD | The Use of a 3D-Printed Model for the Interpretation of Chest CT Scans |
| Melissa Barella | John Thompson, PhD | Responsive Neurostimulation Implants Improved Outcomes in Patients with Drug-Resistant Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Regardless of Probe Proximity to Hippocampus or Amygdala |
| Katherine Colon Reyes | Christy Niemeyer, PhD | Microglia Infiltration Within Distinct Brain Regions Across Acute HSV-1 Infection |
| Michael Corigliano | Christy Niemeyer, PhD | Metabolic Dysfunction of Spinal Astrocytes Following Alphaherpesvirus Infection |
| Quinlan Cuddy | Allison Shapiro, PhD | Examining the Association Between Brain Connectivity and Satiety Responsiveness in Adolescents |
| Joseph Gilmore | Gareth Morgan, MD | Design Informed by Anatomy – An Overhead Arm Support Apparatus for Use in Cardiac Catheterization Procedures |
| Michael Ha | Natalia Vergara, PhD | Using Patient Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Organoids to Investigate the Mechanisms of Retina Development and Degeneration in Down Syndrome |
| Rourke Haas | Diego Restrepo, PhD | Smells Like Trouble: Antibody Verification in the Olfactory Bulb |
| Ashlee Harry | Traci Lyons, PhD | Perivascular Macrophage and Macphatic Roles in Metastatic Migration of Breast Cancers |
| Caitlynn Hudlow | Chelsea Lohman Bonfiglio, PhD & Danielle Royer, PhD | “This Atlas is the Reason I Passed My Lab Practical!”: Evaluating the Use of Course-Tailored Review Resources in the Medical Gross Anatomy Flipped Classroom |
| Marie Izere | Jill Kaar, PhD | It Takes Guts to Be Innovative! The G-Tube Health Literacy Project |
| Aimee Kim | Nicholas Jacobson, MDesS | Liver Long and Prosper: How a 3D Liver Library Can Optimize MRI Imagining to Improve 3D Printed Models for Hepatic Pre-Surgical Planning |
| Ryan LaGreca | David Howell, PhD | Translating Concussion Gait Evaluations to a Mobile Approach: Reliability and Test Environment Differences |
| Maria Porpio | Chelsea Lohman Bonfiglio, PhD | Vessels Less Traveled: Learning Upper Limb Arterial Anastomoses Through Gamification in Graduate Gross Anatomy |
| Justin Schweigert | Jenny Zablah, PhD | Generation of Z-values of Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Structures |
| Katherine Spencer | Allison Shapiro, PhD | A Little Something Sweet: Glucose-Stimulated GLP-1 Secretion and Functional Brain Connectivity in Adolescents |
| Kara Tripp | Nicholas Jacobson, MDesS | “Face Fixin’”: Developing an Algorithm for Complex Zygoma Surgical Reconstruction Following Trauma |
| Tiajah Valerio | Jenny Zablah, MD | Putting the A.R. in Heart: Utilizing Augmented Reality in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab |
| Maxwell Walker | Nicholas Jacobson, MDesS | 3-D Printing for Vessel Location in Anterolateral Thigh (ALT) Grafts During Phalloplasty Procedures |
| Elizabeth Widgahl | Chelsea Lohman Bonfiglio, PhD | Cadaveric Donor Care: Establishing a Protocol for Longitudinal Integrated Curricula in Anatomy Labs |
| Gabriel Yuen | Jenny Zablah, MD | An Examination of Physical Parameters Across Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Systems and Potential Correlation with Post-Placement Arrhythmia in Congenital Heart Disease Patients |
| Student | Capstone Mentor | Capstone Project Title |
| Jane Brusilovsky | Peter Pressman, MD | Conversational Floor Exchanges in Neurodegenerative Disorders |
| Jamie Ernewein | Caley Orr, PhD | Bullseye! Preliminary Results on the Kinematics of the Dart Thrower Motion in Non-Human Primates |
| Monica Fong | David James, DPT | Glenohumeral Ligaments Explained: The Use of a 3D Printed Model to Understand the Movement of the Glenohumeral Joint |
| Denisa Grofova | Cecilia Caino, PhD | Phosphorylation of T214 SNPH Does Not Alter Mitochondrial Subcellular Distribution in Cancer Cells |
| Katherine Gustilo | Chelsea Lohman, PhD | &A Novel En Bloc Circulatory System Dissection: A Teaching Tool for Systems-Based Medical School Curricula |
| Jessica Hoffman | Allison Shapiro, PhD | In-Utero Maternal Depression Exposure and the Offspring Amygdala |
| Ivy Macaraeg | Francis Smith, PhD | The Creation of a 3D Digital Database to Showcase the Individual Variation in Treacher Collins Syndrome |
| Linda Neely | David Howell, PhD | Post-concussion exercise frequency is associated with a decreased risk of developing persistent post-concussion symptoms |
| Robyn Pierce | Matthew Riscinti, MD | The Creation of a Cost-Effective, Reusable, and Accurate Ultrasound Phantom of the Interscalene Space and Brachial Plexus |
| Benjamin Rajic | Allison Shapiro, PhD | Brain-Body Connection: Synchronization of Endogenous Insulin and Hypothalamic Neuronal Activity During Hyperglycemia |
| Logan Scott | Juliana Wilson, DO | Tele-Ultrasound: Virtual Hands-on Medical Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå for Novice Users Utilizing FAST & Carpal Tunnel Models, Pilot Study |
| Kristoffer Seidl | Katherine Rennie, PhD | A Method for Counting Ribbon Synapses in Aging Vestibular Epithelia |
| Amanda Telfer | Jenny Zablah, MD | An Evaluation of 3D Printed Cardiac Models and Their Role in Patient, Caretaker, and Staff Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå: One Print, Multiple Uses |
| Jeannie Than | Jenny Zablah, MD | Step Into Another World: Virtual Reality Applications in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory for Patients with Congenital Heart Disease |
| Kyetiil Vicenti | Abraham Nussbaum, MD | Sick and Tired of Learning Psychiatry the Old Way? Try Hippocampus Game |
| Ryan Wendell | Cory Christensen, PT, PhD | The Role of Pain in Gait Deviations Caused by Unilateral Hip Osteoarthritis |
| Student | Capstone Mentor | Capstone Presentation Title |
| Hailey Angus | Lisa Lee, PhD | What the head and neck? A study of integrated gross anatomy with embryology and its effect on learning and retention |
| Eliza Biondi | Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley, PT, PhD | Can you stand it? A comparison of vertical ground reaction force in patients with osteoarthritis |
| Jessica Bryant | Ernesto Salcedo, PhD | Animating and 3D Printing the Cranial Nerves |
| Caleb Fiebig | John Thompson, PhD | We’re on the right tract: Diffusion tensor imaging assessment of epileptogenic zone using depth electrode locations to investigate white matter networks |
| Marisa Flores | Juliana Wilson, DO | That costs How Much: 3D printing a female pelvic ultrasound phantom |
| Cassandra Gonzalez | Jill Kaar, PhD | Long-term Cardiometabolic Risk Among Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Childhood Cancer Survivors Treated by Bone Marrow Transplant |
| Marissa Hight | Lisa Lee, PhD | Change of Heart: Virtual Embryonic 3D Heart Model with Interchangeable Conotruncal Septa Promotes Clinically Oriented Learning |
| Andrew Hull | Lisa Lee, PhD | Embryorigami: The Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇåal Value of 4D Virtual Embryo Models on Student Learning and Confidence |
| Rawan Jarrar | Isabelle Buard, PhD | Neural correlates behind selective attention and visual conflict monitoring using a Stroop task |
| Canaan Kerr | Emily DeBoer, MD | Integrating Endoscopy: Visual Scoring and Lung Fluid Cellularity Associated with Eosinophilic Esophagitis |
| Jensine Lamira | Thomas Greany, DDS | Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block Using A Mixed-Reality Haptic Trainer |
| Alexis MacDonald | Jenny Zablah, MD | Evaluation of 3D Printed Models on Cardiac Catheterization Staff Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå of Single Ventricle Palliation |
| Deion Peña | Michael DiMaria, MD | Heart Grew Three Sizes: Improving the Health Literacy of Patients Utilizing 3D Heart Model of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome |
| Conner Secora | Natalia Vergara, PhD | Traumatic Brain Injury Exacerbates Alzheimer’s Disease in the Retina |
| Peter Therriat | Daniel Goldberg, JD, PhD | Anatomy Educators’ Ethical Views on the Re-creation of Human Tissue via 3D Printing Technology |
| Kimberly Thies | John Thompson, PhD | Targeting Effects of rZI vs. STN in Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease |
| Lauren Wahl | Caley Orr, PhD | Evaluation of 3D Digital Models in Head and Neck Anatomy |
| Zachary Zylstra | Thomas Greany, DDS | Assessment of Cone Beam CT Accuracy for Creating Digital Scale Models: an Essential Step for Actualizing 3D Printed Dental Implants |
| Student | Capstone Mentor | Capstone Presentation Title | ||
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Alexander Berthusen |
Alexander Barker, PhD |
Check That Flow Out: A Hemodynamic Comparison Study of Fick and Phase-Contrast MRI in Children with Tetralogy of Fallot |
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Tanner Bloks |
Timothy Tran, MD |
A 3-D Printable Ultrasound Phantom For Subclavian Central Lines |
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Tara Brooks |
Natalia Vergara, PhD |
Elucidating the Mechanisms of Developmental Cell Death in the Retina Using Stem Cell-derived Organoids |
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Cody Buongiorno |
Stephen Hawkins, MD |
Interactive 3D Resources to Improve Parent Understanding of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in Children with Down Syndrome (DS) |
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Yu Jung Choi |
Lisa Lee, PhD |
“Build an Embryo”: Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇåal Efficacy of 3D Printed Embryo Models in Pieces or En Bloc in Enhancing Spatial & Temporal Anatomy Learning |
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Wyatt Colloty |
Maria Nagel, MD |
Distribution of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infection in Wild Type Mice Following Intranasal Inoculation |
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Leanne DeMay |
Caley Orr, PhD |
Evaluating Bilateral Asymmetry in the Proximal Femora of Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes |
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Laura Finger |
Rachel Davis, MD |
Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging to Find Optimal Deep Brain Stimulation Targets for the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder |
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Rocío Griggs |
Maria Nagel, MD |
Evaluating the Adrenal Glands During Simian Varicella Virus Infection in Rhesus Macaques |
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Lisa Hirt |
John Thompson, PhD |
Quantifying Circuit Activation in Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery For Essential Tremor |
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Tyler Johnson |
Chelsea Lohman Bonfiglio, PhD |
Developing and Printing 3D Printed Hearts for Graduate Level Ultrasound Training |
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Lindsey Milgrom |
Ethan Hughes, PhD |
Parvalbumin axons may be more susceptible to demyelination |
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Nazeen Morelli |
Jill Kaar, PhD |
Cardiovascular Disease Risk Begins Early In Males With Klinefelter Syndrome |
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Christopher O'Neill |
Peter Pressman, MD |
Prosodic Expression in Two Variants of Primary Progressive Aphasia |
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Holly Olson |
Paul Rochon, MD |
A 3D Printable Model of Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformation as a Useful Tool for Improving Patient Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå |
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Yuna Park |
Tyler Muffly, MD |
“My Vagina Did What?”: Evaluating a Mobile App of 3D Enterocele Anatomy in Post-Hysterectomy Women |
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Megan Ryan |
Corbett Wilkinson, MD |
Postsurgical complications in patients undergoing baclofen pump implantation |
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Jake Shearer |
Vic Spitzer, PhD |
Keyframed Anatomy: Developing Anatomical Digital Â鶹´«Ã½¸ßÇå Resources for Distance Learning |
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| Charlotte Wilson | Thomas Greany, DDS |
Development of augmented reality and mixed-media trainer for dental anesthetics |
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| MariaFrancisca Zabalaga-Haberman | Norma Wagoner, PhD |
Twisted Development: Assessing the educational value of a 4D interactive embryonic gut tube model |
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