Developing Novel Bone Marrow-Derived Mast Cells to Model Mast Cell Activation Syndrome

This independent undergraduate research project established the first in vitro mast cell model at Saint Michael’s College, with the goal of creating a functional model to investigate Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and related disorders. I led all stages of the project, including:
- Model Development: Designed and optimized protocols to derive mast cells from murine bone marrow, maintaining viability and purity over several weeks in culture.
- Validation: Induced degranulation through calcium ionophores; validated activation by detecting expression using flow cytometry.
- Characterized mast cell identity through surface markers (e.g., FcεRI, c-Kit), confirming differentiation.
- Independent Execution: Managed all aspects of the project, including experimental design, troubleshooting, reagent sourcing, and lab maintenance, under limited-resourced conditions.
- Scientific Communication: Presented findings in a competitive regional research setting, earning second place among undergraduate posters.

This project not only contributed a new research capability to the college, but also deepened my commitment to studying immune dysregulation in underdiagnosed and poorly understood chronic conditions like MCAS.