University of Illinois at Chicago
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Embedded Cities, Excluded Citizens: Governance, Housing, and Rroma Marginality in Post-Socialist Romania
No full textThis dissertation examines how local governance conditions social housing policy and the lived experience of Rroma in Romania. Focusing on Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, it asks: To what extent have European Union housing initiatives improved Rroma access to adequate and affordable housing, and where have they fallen short in practice? The study traces the translation of European housing directives into national legislation and local implementation through comparative ethnography with Rroma residents, local officials, and NGO practitioners engaged in housing policy, combined with observation in NGO and housing-office settings and analysis of national housing laws and city applications. From this evidence, I advance an embedded cities typology paired with a four-mechanism lens that links multilevel policy transfer to the lived politics of belonging.
In insulative cities, rigid bureaucracy and institutional fragmentation limit access. In cooperative cities, partnerships with NGOs enable flexibility but rarely deliver structural reform. I evaluate both models through four governance mechanisms—eligibility criteria, bureaucratic discretion, spatial allocation, and NGO substitution—to show how local capacity and political incentives steer administrations toward closure or outward-facing arrangements that outsource responsibility. The analysis identifies a survivalist habitus through which Rroma engage in intra-ethnic boundary work, using distinctions of behavior, housing status, and respectability to secure scarce resources under constant scrutiny. Sector-level eligibility screens in Bucharest and points-based rankings in Cluj reorder the queue differently yet both privilege perceived respectability over greatest need. Housing governance organizes more than shelter; it orders belonging. The dissertation concludes that local governance, more than European policy itself, determines who is included. Decisions about qualification, spatial placement, and institutional responsibility set access to social housing and define the symbolic boundaries of urban citizenship. These findings explain why EU instruments yield uneven inclusion and clarify what would have to change locally to alter that pattern
Synthesis and Evaluation of the Aristotelia Alkaloids at the α3β4 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
No full textSubstance use disorders remain a major public health concern in the United States, affecting over 48 million individuals in 2024. Yet, while nearly a third of all overdose deaths in the US have been linked to stimulants like cocaine, there are currently no FDA-approved treatments to aid those dependent on stimulants. Of the many therapeutic targets and strategies that have been explored to develop a treatment for stimulant use disorders, the α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), a key modulator of the brain’s reward pathway, has proven promising. Antagonists for the α3β4 nAChR reduce drug-seeking behavior and withdrawal symptoms in rodent models, but a lack of selective ligands has limited further study. The solution may be found in the natural product aristoquinoline (ARQ), which is both moderately selective and potent at the α3β4 nAChR. This dissertation investigates the pharmacological utility of the α3β4 nAChR by developing two complementary assays to evaluate novel antagonists based on the ARQ scaffold: a calcium-based fluorescence assay and automated patch-clamp electrophysiology. Extensive subsequent analogue synthesis and assessment has identified compounds with enhanced potency and selectivity at the α3β4 nAChR relative to ARQ. Ongoing studies aim to define ARQ’s binding site and explore structurally related alkaloids for nAChR activity. From this work, we have expanded the toolbox of compounds and techniques to probe the α3β4 nAChR, supporting its potential as a target for the development of effective treatments for stimulant use disorders
Identifying and Inhibiting Cholesterol-Protein Interactions for Therapeutic Development
No full textConstitutive activation of key proteins in cancer and autoimmune diseases is typically attributed to mutations in cell signaling axes or increased external stimuli. Accumulating evidence implicates perturbation of lipid levels caused by reprogrammed lipid metabolism in a variety of human diseases. In particular, elevated cellular cholesterol has been associated with the pathogenesis of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and autoimmune diseases. However, the exact spatiotemporal cellular mechanisms by which cholesterol enrichment may regulate disease progression in a spatiotemporally specific manner are poorly defined. Here, we aim to elucidate how cholesterol enriched in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane modulates protein signaling axes in breast cancer and inflammatory bowel disease and develop new therapeutics designed to target specific cholesterol-protein interactions.
First, we introduce a new method using Turbo ID proximity labeling paired with site-specific modulation of the cholesterol concentration to identify new cholesterol-protein interactions in the inner plasma membrane in live cells. Surface plasmon resonance is employed to further characterize specific cholesterol-protein interactions for the identified proteins. Then, we describe the discovery and characterization of cholesterol-protein interaction inhibitors for two selected proteins, STAT3 and AKT.
These results provide new insight into how locally elevated cholesterol in breast cancer and inflammatory bowel disease acts as a specific signaling molecule that drives cell-intrinsic signaling pathways by specific interaction with protein molecules, leading to the pathogenesis of these diseases. Additionally, we show that cholesterol-activated signaling proteins, such as STAT3 and AKT, can be specifically blocked by small molecule inhibitors that disrupt cholesterol-protein interaction. These cholesterol-protein-interaction inhibitors specifically and effectively target diseased cells with abnormally high levels of inner plasma membrane cholesterol, allowing for high potency and safety in in vitro and in vivo drug testing. As a whole, this dissertation aims to demonstrate that cholesterol-protein interaction inhibitors represent a viable new platform technology for design and development of new small molecule-based targeted therapy
Exploring the Effect of Narrative Medicine on Burnout and Compassion Satisfaction Among EM Physicians
No full textBackground:
Burnout among emergency medicine (EM) physicians continues to rise, exacerbated by structural inefficiencies, shift work, and high emotional demands. While interventions addressing physician well-being are proliferating, many lack evidence or fail to address the relational and narrative dimensions of medical practice. Narrative medicine (NM), a reflective practice rooted in literary engagement, has shown promise in reducing depersonalization and enhancing professional fulfillment in other specialties but remains underexplored in EM.
Objective:
To evaluate the effect of voluntary, off-campus narrative medicine workshops on burnout and compassion satisfaction among EM physicians using validated psychometric tools.
Methods:
This quasi-experimental, prospective study recruited EM physicians (residents, fellows, and attendings) from four hospitals in Chicago. Participants self-selected into an intervention group (attending NM workshops) or control group (no intervention). Six NM sessions were held over 12 weeks. Pre- and post-intervention surveys included the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey for Medical Personnel (MBI-HSS (MP)) and the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL-5). Subdomains were analyzed using score-based categories and individual change scores.
Results:
Thirty-one participants completed both pre- and post-surveys. No statistically significant changes were observed in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment, compassion satisfaction, burnout, or secondary traumatic stress between groups. Demographic imbalance (notably gender) and low participation in repeated sessions limited the power to detect differences. Informal feedback suggested subjective benefit for some participants.
Conclusion:
Although no measurable psychometric improvements were identified, this study underscores the feasibility of implementing NM in EM and highlights methodological challenges in capturing emotional and reflective change. Future studies should incorporate mixed-methods designs, ensure protected participation time, and examine gendered responses to wellness interventions
Multimode Ultrastrong Coupling with FW-BICs in THz Metasurface
No full textVarious physical systems, that show the phenomena of ultra strong coupling (USC), have applications in nonlinear harmonic generation, low loss on-chip communication, and will be critical for quantum computing architectures including the growing sector of quantum information technology. USC can be achieved by placing an emitter inside an optical cavity with distinct resonances. The interaction between the two resonances is exhibited through a spectral line splitting such as that in any two coupled resonators and the resonant coupling leads to light–matter hybridization into two normal modes with an energy separation known as the vacuum Rabi splitting in which the USC regime is reached. For quantum computing platforms, the stronger the coupling the more efficient qubit-photon coupling can become which provides shorter operation times. The USC regime also allows the possibility of replacing quantum gates just by their very nature due to the natural evolution of a USC system. In quantum information technology, particularly quantum computation, the core idea is to use multiple interconnected quantum systems to perform calculations, enabling the use of numerous qubits. The strength of the coupling between qubits determines the speed at which a quantum computer can process information. To achieve ultra-fast quantum computing, extremely strong couplings between qubits are essential. Exploring this phenomenon in the terahertz (THz) region is crucial, as it provides a greater communications bandwidth compared to microwave frequencies.
A unit cell of the metasurface consisting of a 200 nm thick Al thin film that consists of the cavity-dipole system on a 150 µm thick quartz substrate. The cavity-dipole system consists of a cavity that is 280 µm x 30 µm and a ribbon that is 10 µm wide with its length parametrically varied from 50 to 270 µm. The ribbon displays a dipole resonance. As the ribbon varies parametrically, the dipole resonance changes as well. The dipole resonance sweeps the frequency range that overlaps with the first, second and third cavity modes. This effect causes three anti-crossings to occur in our metasurface. Numerical calculations were performed using the ANSYS HFSS to predict the spectral response of the structure which was illuminated at normal incidence under a TE polarized wave. Periodic boundary conditions are applied to mimic the periodic unit cell. The contour plot shows anti-crossing at zero-detuning with a rabi splitting (ΩR) of 0.186 for the first cavity mode. The second cavity mode has an anti-crossing with a rabi splitting (ΩR) of 0.158. Showing that this structure produces results in multimode USC. The rabbi splitting was used in the two-band Hamiltonian to predict the FW-BIC locations. Coupled mode theory (CMT) was used to approximate the upper and lower polaritons. Since this is multimode coupling, it is more complex, and a fuller semi-classical theory is needed to describe the complex light-matter interactions. Experimental results via THz-TDS spectroscopy have also been conducted that have confirmed the results shown numerically
Social Isolation and Disability Community Empowerment: Reconnecting People With Supports to Promote Social Participation and Community Living
No full textThe aim of this project is to:To promote social participation for people with disabilities transitioning out of institutions and into the communityTo provide KYC staff with resources to intervene in the social participation domain.To provide a discussion that educates KYC staff about the consequences of social isolation and the importance of social participation, and advocate for intervention promoting social participation.</p
Illinois Farm Workers & Dependents
No full textThis Excel file includes interactive maps of where farmworkers are located in Illinois.</p
Hearing Safety Infographic: Pérdida Adutitiva en Trabajadores Agricultores
No full textThis is a Spanish-language infographic with hearing safety tips for farmworkers.</p
<i>Breaking Down the Monolith: </i><i>Using Network Methods to Identify and Analyze Chicago’s Largest Landlords - </i>Supplementary Materials
No full textThis zipped folder contains supplementary materials for Justin Bologna's 2025 Thesis, Breaking Down the Monolith: Using Network Methods to Identify and Analyze Chicago’s Largest Landlords. </p
<i>Dendritic Cell and T Cell Interaction</i>
No full textFor my research in the biomedical visualization program at UIC, I’ve been exploring 3D modeling techniques to represent complex cellular and molecular interactions. The image I’m presenting specifically illustrates the interaction between a dendritic cell and a T cell during antigen presentation. To achieve a realistic depiction, I emulated the look of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image using Maxon Cinema 4D. By incorporating displacement and Fresnel effects, I was able to enhance the cellular surface details, while dramatic subsurface scattering helped simulate the interaction of light with the cells' materials. The lighting setup was carefully designed to highlight the textural contrasts, adding to the SEM-like realism. After rendering the scene, I further refined the image in Adobe Photoshop, where I composited the various elements and fine-tuned the details to match the desired aesthetic. This image visually documents my research into the dynamic processes occurring at the cellular level, providing both educational and aesthetic insights into the molecular world.</p
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