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Sean Ewen wins Outstanding Research Award

Written on January 31st, 02:50.17 pm

Sean Ewen, A UST (Junior) Majoring in Biology, was Awarded The CAM Summer Undergraduate Research Program’s Outstanding Research Award, At the Mathematics Student Appreciation Day November 17, 2006. Sean’s project is “Dynamics of Potassium Channels in the Action Potential” and his advisors are Mikhail Shvartsman (Mathematics) and Dwight Nelson (Biology)

In addition to presenting at Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, Illinois, Sean was recently honored by being selected to represent the University of St. Thomas during an event called “Minnesota Private College Scholars at the Capitol.” Sean will be participating in a poster session for members of state government that showcases undergraduate research.

In an effort to gain understanding of how signals are transmitted with high speed through the nervous systems of animals, the researchers studied the mechanism of the action potential, with emphasis on the dynamics of potassium channels. The action potential is responsible for amplifying the signal across the axon membrane in neurons, the specialized cells that form the building blocks of the nervous system. This is done through the exchange of sodium and potassium ions between the inside and outside of the axon to create changes in voltage.

Mathematical models the research group to describe many aspects of the action potential, including potassium channels. Studied these equations and used them to analyze dynamics of potassium channels after the trigger stage in the action potential. Additionally, they modified the potassium kinetic equation to capture dynamics at the potassium channel opening stage. The current investigation involves interpreting action potentials as waves and applying wave-specific equations to the dynamics of potassium channels.