Summary
- Major: Neuroscience
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. Natia Frank
- Research Topic: Designing Quinoline Cobalt Complexes for MRI Applications
- New Scholar: 2023 Cohort
- Graduating with a Baccalaureate Degree: 2025
Abstract
The research project in the Frank Lab involves utilizing the magnetic properties of cobalt-dioxolene complexes to design a series of functional MRI contrast agents that can be triggered by external stimuli (glutathione, light, heat, etc.). The project includes procedures such as extensive organic synthesis of photochromic spirooxazine ligands, complexation to cobalt to generate the final cobalt complexes and characterization. We will be preparing a special subset of these complexes (quinoline derivatives) in order to investigate the effect of two functional ligands on the MRI contrast agent, in an attempt to improve sensitivity.