Meet the Fab Five

The original research team of five students, affectionately dubbed
 “The Fab 5” by Dr. Hines, began the 
MS project at WSU in January 2015 and had the opportunity to present their research findings last August at the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Conference in Chicago, with 30,000 professionals in attendance.

Every year, SfN acknowledges some of the best research and achievements by neuroscientists around the globe. SfN honors the research of young and senior scientists that expands knowledge of the brain and its functions, outreach programs that educate the public on the importance of neuroscience, and mentoring efforts that cultivate achievement for the next generation of neuroscientists.

It turned out to be an amazing experience for these young scientists.

“Things kicked off with a two-day research boot-camp where the students learned techniques and discussed the concepts,” Dr. Hines explained. “This set them on a trajectory for success, which is clearly demonstrated by their tremendous progress in the past 14 months.”

Maddy Martell ’17
“It is exciting that we are completing novel research that no one else has completed,” said Martell, of Bonduel, Wis. “The uniqueness of the research gives it significance. Each time we learn something new, it’s a small step toward the big picture of developing therapies for MS.”

Martell is a Cell and Molecular Biology major who strongly favors
 Pre-Med, but her research experience with Dr. Hines has offered 
many more options. She spent last summer interning in a Mayo
 research lab, a position Dr. Hines helped to arrange. She plans
 to remain in Winona this summer to continue her WSU research work. “Winona State was the right fit for me. Being involved with Dr. Hines’ research has really opened up doors for me.”

Allie Trudel ’17
Trudel hails from Granite Falls, Minn., and is a Cell and Molecular Biology major. She was in Rochester looking at college possibilities when she decided to swing over to Winona to see WSU, since it was so close. “The campus was beautiful!” Trudel recalled. “Being from a small town, I knew I could make it work here. It was a safe campus and close enough to home.”

“Presenting at the SfN Conference was absolutely amazing,”
 commented Trudel. “It was an extremely beneficial experience
 for my public speaking and communications skills. It was such a crazy feeling to be in a room of experts in the field of neuroscience and have them interested in what we had to say.”

Trudel is headed to medical school, and knows that her time spent at WSU is invaluable. “Being involved with Dr. Hines’ research has been incredible. I never would have realized the opportunities we have to make a real impact.”

A.J. Treichel ’17
Treichel, who watched his veterinarian dad perform C-sections and helped pull calves, knew at a young age he wanted to study science and either be a PhD
or MD, or both. He has set his sights on either neuroscience or surgery. When in high school, he traveled from his hometown of Grand Rapids, Minn., to visit the WSU campus. “The science facilities here are the best I’ve seen. It is what convinced me to attend WSU,” said Treichel. “Until I talked to Dr. Hines a year ago, I didn’t realize how impactful the research being done here is. The spinning disk confocal microscope allows us to do some amazing things, and Dr. Hines has given us so much opportunity. He allows us to discover things for ourselves.”

Bailey Duxbury ’17

Ecology and Environmental Science is the direction Duxbury of Chatfield, Minn., is pursuing. “I’ve always had a passion for science, the outdoors, and ecology, and I want it to be there for future generations,” commented Duxbury. He chose WSU for a very specific reason — the proximity to water, namely, the Mississippi River. “I knew the science facilities were new, and have a good reputation. And they
have a good relationship with the Minnesota DNR (Department of Natural Resources), and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services.”

Majoring in Genetics and Cell Biology, Duxbury knows the value of a well-equipped lab. “It is amazing for a school this size to have a piece of equipment (spinning disk confocal microscope) like this and to offer such research opportunities,” he said. “I was able to get lab experience right off the bat.” And that experience has already paid off. Duxbury was hired on this summer by the U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, based in La Crosse and Green Bay, Wis.

And Duxbury isn’t the only Duxbury to choose WSU. Bailey’s sister, Alex, is a member of the WSU volleyball team, and his younger brother, Carter, was just accepted and will play Warrior Football.

Mandie Kaiser ’16
A Biology Allied Health major with a minor in Bio- Chemistry, Kaiser began her research work with Dr. Hines two years ago. This Apple Valley, Minn., native came to WSU for nursing, but was hooked by the research. “The program here is amazing and the town is beautiful,” commented Kaiser. “I love research, but I’m not sure what I want to do yet, so I will take a gap year and work in a lab while I decide.”

Presenting at the SfN Conference was the highlight of Kaiser’s year. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was extremely awesome! The people who stopped at our research poster presentation were so interested in our work and they were shocked when they found out we were undergraduates! I was able to carry on a conversation and understand what they (MDs, researchers, PhDs) were saying. Our WSU biology department is awesome!”

Kaiser, who thanks to Dr. Hines, spent last summer working in a research lab at the University College of London, commented, “The research opened doors that I never thought possible.”

For more information regarding Dr. Hines and his student researchers, please visit hinesneurolab.com