Research Days Posters 2020

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The effects of 5-HT2AR stimulation on psychosis-associated behaviors in naive and L-DOPA treated hemiparkinsonian rat

Annique McLune and Evan D'Almeida

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder characterized by dopamine (DA) loss. Patients also experience non-motor symptoms, such as PD-associated psychosis (PDAP). Unfortunately, L-DOPA may increase the risk of developing PDAP. Changes to serotonin (5-HT) and particularly 5-HT 2A receptors (5-HT2ARs) might underlie these risks. We used the hemi-parkinsonian rat model to investigate how DA loss, L-DOPA, and 5-HT2AR activation impacts unconditioned responses (head twitch response (HTR), rearing, and locomotor activity) which are all disrupted in preclinical models of psychosis. In Experiment 1, sham or DA-lesioned rats were treated chronically with L-DOPA or vehicle. After L-DOPA washout rats underwent testing with the 5-HT2AR agonist DOI (0, 0.2, 1.0 mg/kg) and HTR/rearing/locomotion were quantified. Lesioned, L-DOPA treated rats showed a unique reduction in rearing and data suggest unique group-related differences in locomotor activity. These results highlight 5-HT2AR responsivity is modified by DA loss and chronic L-DOPA treatment might that may elevate the risk for 5-HT- linked non-motor neuropsychiatric complications in PD.
Biophysical Characterization of Membrane Active pHLIP Peptides with Higher Insertion pH

Thomas McPartlon, Jerel Gonzales, and Vlad Nazarenko

pH-low-insertion-peptide (pHLIP), a 36 residue peptide derived from the bacteriorhodopsin C-helix, can insert into a membrane at acidic pH to form a stable transmembrane α-helix. Such a unique property has shown promising applications for selective delivery of drugs to cancer tumors based on the physiological difference between healthy tissue and tumors. While healthy tissues have an extracellular pH (pHe) of 7.1-7.5, most solid tumors have a pHe of 6.5-7.0. pHLIP is believed to insert into a membrane through the protonation of Aspartic Acid residues located at positions 14,25,31,33. Wild type pHLIP completes insertion at a pH of ~6.1, so in order to increase insertion pH, four pHLIP variants (D31E - D31E,D33E - D31E,D33E,D25E - D31E,D33E,D25E,D14E) were synthesized with changes of Aspartic acid (D) residue to Glutamic Acid (E) residue at positions 14, 25, 31, 33. Glutamic Acid was chosen because it has a higher pKa than Aspartic Acid, and thus should increase the pH of pHLIP insertion to closer match pHe of tumors. The goal of this project is to use biophysical assays to study the interaction of new pHLIP variants with membranes and ultimately improve pHLIP’s performance as a pH sensor. Our data showed that all of four new variants exhibit higher insertion pH value than wild-type pHLIP, and the variant of D31E/D33E/D25E/D14E is the best with highest insertion pH of 6.4. Such findings will guide us for the future project of peptide-drug conjugation.
Issues and Voter Tendencies in the NY-22

EJ Meltzer

Congressional campaigns are often difficult for voters to follow and understand, leading to an uninformed electorate voting for virtually unknown representatives. This project will identify major issues in the district and list the policy stances of Congressional candidates running in the NY-22 with the purpose of informing potential voters. This project will also predict the outcome of the November general election, based on prior elections’ voting statistics in the NY-22 and proven typical voting behaviors in peer-reviewed political science journals. I utilize interviews with experts and campaign officials, campaign websites and events, regional news coverage, and various peer-reviewed papers to accomplish those goals. Interviews have raised these top issues in NY-22: agriculture (specifically dairy farming), the opioid crisis, flooding, lack of jobs leading to population loss, veterans, and overall infrastructure. Among the voting behaviors that affect elections are issue accountability, fusion, identity politics, and voters’ ideological proximity to candidates.
The More You Know: Relationship comfortability and applications of consent

Emily Mendelson and Emily Lancia

When participants are asked about their consensual behaviors in sexual encounters, previous focus group research indicates that practices perceived to be appropriate to obtain and submit consent are circumstantial. In fact, data indicate that some people believe consent is not at all applicable in their personal encounters, such as long-term partnerships (Beres 2014). Thus, the level of comfort (or lack thereof) between sexual partners and the duration of sexual relationship has the potential to alter consensual practices. This poster analyzes trends in consensual behaviors as a result of comfort or discomfort with a partner and length of time sexually involved with that partner. Data is taken from a survey of undergraduate students at a mid-size northeastern university where participants were asked questions about their most recent hookup experiences. Results are analyzed across relationship history and trends in consensual practices.
Effects of Dietary Choices on Anxiety and Depression

Frederick Mignone and Lina Begdache

Anxiety is commonly defined as a set of emotions including nervousness, restlessness or being fidgety. Depression is commonly defined as a state of unhappiness, hopelessness, worthlessness and a sense of futility. Previous research reported a positive relationship between the consumption of energy drinks, dairy and anxiety. On the other hand, other studies revealed a negative relationship between the consumption of fruit and anxiety. In addition, there is an established negative relationship between exercise, fish consumption and depression. However, there is a need to assess dietary patterns in relation to mental distress as nutrients collectively contribute to brain chemistry . An anonymous online survey was built-into on Google Form and distributed on several social media platforms. A total of 2,301 participants completed the survey. Data was analyzed using K-means clustering analysis , in SPSS Version 25.0, to identify clusters of food groups that associate with mental distress. Our results suggest that a dietary pattern similar to the Mediterranean diet (high consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes and fish) was inversely related to instances of anxiety and depression. In conclusion, dietary adjustments may be needed to improve mental wellbeing.
Optimization of ADC linkers: Design and Evaluation of a FRET-based ADC Linker-Library

Jared Miller

Antibody drug-conjugate (ADC) technology is a rapidly evolving modality for targeted drug delivery. Much of the success of ADCs is due to technical advances made in the design of the peptide linkage between the antibody and the therapeutic payload. This linkage has been optimized to be stable in circulation while maintaining a rapid release mechanism that is specific to lysosomal conditions. However, some ADCs have exhibited stability problems due to high solvent exposure of the linker-payload to the surrounding environment which can result in premature cleavage of the linkage by endogenous proteases in circulation, thus leading to off-target toxicity. For example, the prototypical ADC linker ValCitPABC has been shown to undergo premature cleavage by esterases and by neutrophil elastases, thus driving some adverse effects. The goal of this project is to develop a new generation of proteolytically cleavable linkers that offer increased stability to extracellular esterases and proteases.
Effects of Prenatal Methadone Exposure on Ethanol Intake in Adult Sprague Dawley Offspring

Michelle Montero

Studies have found that early drug exposure is a predisposing factor for later alcohol abuse. Therefore, comprehending the lasting effects of in utero opiate exposure is imperative. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of prenatal methadone exposure on basal and stress-induced alcohol consumption in adulthood given that prenatal opioid exposure has been linked to heightened stress reactivity. The methadone exposure was conducted twice a day from G4-20. Offspring were allowed to age to adulthood (postnatal day ~ P70) at which male and female offspring were given 30-minute access to an EtOH solution mixed with a sweetener every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for a total of 4 weeks. After 3 weeks of basal ethanol intake, animals were exposed to forced swim stress (FSS for 10 min), followed by a final drinking session ~10 hours later. Preliminary results show that basal ethanol intake was significantly lower in methadone-exposed offspring compared to controls, regardless of sex. Interestingly, stress exposure significantly increased ethanol consumption in control female offspring relative to their basal intake, an effect that was absent in methadone-exposed females. Together, these findings suggest that prenatal opioid exposure may have abating effects on basal and stress-induced alcohol consumption in adulthood.
Ethics of CRISPR

Ethan Mowery

Since the early 2000s, scientists have been modifying DNA using CRISPR. Through research into CRISPR, human genomes can also be edited, which allows for scientists to create so-called "designer babies". Engineering a human embryo and genome cells, or reproductive cells, is illegal worldwide, but research can be done through engineering of somatic cells, cells that are not reproductive. This conversation about designing a human engages ethical debates and arguments that it is a human rights violation. These arguments and ethical debates revolve around the safety concerns around CRISPR, due to possible adverse effects, concerns about obtaining consent, and discussions about CRISPR being accessible to the wealthy only. There are not only negative things to say about CRISPR. The technology has the ability to completely eradicate many diseases and there are currently many clinical trials researching this. By relating these companies that run clinical trials to laws and regulations, the companies are going to be evaluated by their ethics and exploration into the implications the companies have on human rights will be done. Through further research into CRISPR and how it is used, I will be answering the questions of if genome editing is ethical and violates human rights.
Campus Community Health Assessments Using Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring

Sue Mueller, Cassidy Go, Grace Hahn, Erica Olsen, and Megan Sutton

Background and Purpose: Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), frequently used by bio-anthropologists as a research tool, provides a detailed assessment of daily blood pressure variation in response to activity and mood. The purpose of this study was to explore associations between ADLs, blood pressure, and health risk behaviors, including nicotine, using ABPM. This study was guided by Pender’s Health Promotion Model. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study with a case control group and convenience sample used survey methodology and biometric data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25 and statistical tests appropriate to each research hypothesis. Results: University campus members (N=61) were recruited. Researchers referred 23.8% (N = 15) to primary care providers (PCP) for assessment and treatment of blood pressure. Of these, 47% (N = 7) were nicotine users; 53% (N = 8) were non-users. 3% of nicotine users (N = 2) asked for nicotine replacement therapy and referral to employee assistance. Conclusions & Implications: Sample demographics suggest that nicotine, especially vaping, is more prevalent among college students than staff. Many participants required referral to PCP, indicating an unmet need for cardiovascular health screenings. This warrants further study to determine causal factors and the role of campus health in its solution.
Trafficking and Uninformed Law Enforcement

Colleen Nugent

The T-Visa provides a route for victims of trafficking who want to stay in the United States. Complying with law enforcement is a necessary part of this visa application. A signed declaration from law enforcement supporting a victim by claiming that the victim has, is currently, or is likely to assist the police with any "reasonable request" is optional but greatly benefits an applicant. Previous research demonstrates that trafficking victims fear police, and that police are not always well-educated or sensitised to the tramautic experiences of victims. Police training in India has proved effective in improving the relationship between police and victims. Increased police education has helped to secure justice for many victims by increasing recognition of trafficking situations where the police can then take appropriate action. I will analyze how police are trained on trafficking, and compare the accounts of trafficking survivors on their view of law enforcement in India and the US. My findings indicate that law enforcement is essential in trafficking, as they are among the first resources involved with victims. Improving how police interact with victims, and how they are able to identify trafficking will lead to improved relations and increased justice over time.
Neonatal Clomipramine Rat Model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Demonstrates Neurochemical Differences in Prefrontal and Motor Cortices and Behavioral Differences in Elevated Plus Maze and Hole Board

Rebecca Nussbaum, Maylin Vititow, Juan Mato, Kristen Coletti, and Dana Silberstein

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) involves recurring, unwanted thoughts and uncontrollable behaviors that are known to be caused by defects in neurochemical circuits. The main pharmacological treatment for OCD is Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SRIs). These drugs are insufficient in providing symptom relief effectively and painlessly. Animal models are necessary for screening new drugs that could potentially surpass SRIs in terms of efficacy. A preliminary study concerned with developing the neoCLOM rat model of OCD was conducted. Male and female rat behaviors were observed in the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) and Hole Board (HB) assays after they were injected with either clomipramine or saline neonatal Days 9-16. Injections of clomipramine in this critical period is purported to disrupt the development of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis, influencing their responses to stressful situations in adulthood. Preliminary data showed differences in anxiety-related behaviors in adulthood depending on rat sex and type of neonatal drug injection. This indicates a difference in the neurochemistry between the subject groups. Utilizing High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) will provide the opportunity to detect any neurochemical differences underlying the results of the behavioral data. Specifically, the study analyzed levels of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and serotonin (5-HT) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the motor cortex (MC) as these anatomical regions are relevant in humans with OCD according to previous clinical studies.
Gay Men's Health Crisis: An Ecological Approach

Candice O'Connor, Natali Avshalomov, Shermont Bradwell, Hannah Bronson, Shannon Moore, Katie Ralph, and Jasper Otvertchenko

The limited early response to the AIDS epidemic deepened existing prejudices against marginalized groups. Healthcare, government assistance, and social services were denied, insufficient, or inaccessible. The Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) formed in NYC in the 1980s as a volunteer-oriented community response to ameliorate social and medical conditions that clients with AIDS faced. Through Bronfenbrenner's Ecological model, GMHC's monthly archives made for the affected community from 1986 to 1988 were qualitatively analyzed to understand the factors that contributed to the client's experiences with GMHC and AIDS. These included client reports, minutes from team leader meetings, board meeting notes, and newsletters. The major themes found in the archival data include relationships between GMHC and government, relationships between members and clients, public perceptions of AIDS, and changes in the organizational structure of staff.
Low Income Housing in Binghamton

Jessica O'Keefe

Housing is vital to the protection of individual human life and liberty, yet so many Americans find themselves housing insecure. This study examines housing insecurity in Binghamton, New York, its causes, and potential solutions through the use of interviews and participant observations. Despite the surplus of available housing and low demand, Binghamton's affordable housing problem seems to be a result of the university student presence in the city and the profit incentives of landlords. Public housing solutions tend to be most effective at eliminating these particular issues, suggesting the city should allocate more resources to providing affordable housing to its residents in need.
The Cardiovascular Implications of Vaping: A Scoping Review

Erica Olsen, Cassidy Go, and Sue Mueller

Background/Purpose: Vaping has rapidly gained popularity among the general public and may have a significant short- and long-term impacts on blood pressure. Purpose: To identify what is currently known about the impact of vaping on blood pressure. Methods: CINAHL, Medline, PubMed, and psychINFO were used to find relevant literature. Keywords were: (tobacco OR nicotine) AND (blood pressure) AND (vap* OR e-cigarette OR ENDS OR electronic cigarette). Delimitors included: English language, peer reviewed, and date range 2014-2019. Review articles were excluded. The initial search resulted in 53 records; five duplicates were removed, twenty-nine were eliminated because they did not evaluate cardiovascular outcomes of vaping, and eight were not included due to insufficient information on blood pressure. Results: Three themes were identified: (a) vaping increases blood pressure, (b) increases attributed to vaping are comparable to cigarettes, and (c) cardiovascular changes triggered by both vaping and cigarettes are due to nicotine. Conclusions & Implications: No studies in this review investigated how patterns of vaping behaviors impact cardiovascular changes. Further study in this area is necessary to fully understand the risk profile of vaping.
Identification of genes that affect cardiac failure in diabetic Drosophila melanogaster

Ashley O'Toole and Christie Santoro

High sugar diets exacerbate type two diabetes and cardiovascular disease in humans and model organisms, including Drosophila melanogaster. High sugar diets are linked to cardiovascular disease through lipotoxicity, which causes lipid accumulation in the blood and organs. While the lipids and mechanisms underlying lipotoxicity are not well understood, increased abundance of cardiac diacylglycerides, triacylglycerides, and other lipids is strongly associated with impaired cardiovascular function. We used tissue-specific loss-of-function genetics to target genes that we hypothesized might contribute to the accumulation of toxic lipid species in Drosophila. Genes encoding enzymes in several metabolic pathways were knocked down in a screen in the fat body, an adipose-like organ that exhibits endocrine control of systemic metabolism. We measured the impact of chronic high sugar feeding on heart function by testing each genotype's ability to tolerate cardiac stress. A number of proteins were found that were able to ameliorate or exacerbate cardiac stress-induced heart failures. Elucidating lipotoxicity pathways may lead to the discovery of targets for treating cardiovascular disease.
Governmental Structures and Prison Practices

Nicholas Otto

It is often assumed, especially in Western countries, that the more that a nation lives up to democratic and post-Enlightenment ideals, the better its citizens will be treated by the government. In other words, the more democratic the country, the better respected its citizens. I propose that this correlation extends to how each country treats its prisoners. The question is whether more democracy in a nation's government generally correlates with less punitive prison practices, or even greater attempts at rehabilitation. In this essay, I will compile research and statistics from the Polity IV Project in order to first create a comprehensible list of select nations and how "democratic" their respective governments are. Determining how each country treats its prisoners will be done qualitatively, using data such as reports and independent research to group countries into more widely-defined groups: those that ostensibly aim primarily to rehabilitate prisoners, and those that aim primarily to punish prisoners. These two major datasets can then be compared in order to evaluate any possible correlation between the two. This will be an important step in determining if there is a correlation between democratic government structures and respectful prison practices.
Investigation of properties of alloys through multiscale computational modeling

Hashan Peiris and Michael Woodcox

Mechanical, electrical and thermal performance of the joints made between circuit components is heavily dependent on the soldering process and the soldering alloy. As Pb-based solders are being phased out from commercial use, research is being carried out to develop newer alloys to match the performance characteristics of Pb-based solders. Computational modeling has been widely used to investigate the performance of new alloy combinations, leading to the requirements for the development of multiscale modeling of an intermetallic joint. To determine the feasibility of such an efficient scaling process, we are trying to simulate mechanical and thermal characteristics across ab initio and classical molecular dynamic implementations. We employ ab initio modeling using density functional theory on a supercell and compare the results for the same structure using classical molecular dynamics. The outcome from the comparison of the results from the two methods is expected to enable us to investigate the role of multi-scale modeling in predicting the properties of alloys at improved rates while maintaining the accuracy of results.
Synthesis of Pt-Ni nano octahedra

Yang Peng

Platinum-based alloys have been extensively shown to be effective catalysts in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the Pt3Ni (111) surfaces were demonstrated to enhance ORR catalytic activity. Also, the order of platinum and nickel atom in the alloy influences the performance of the catalyst. To make sure this promising surface can be applied to practical nanocatalysts, and make the platinum and nickel atoms place orderly, we design a wet-chemical approach to synthesize Pt3Ni octahedral alloys of which all the surfaces can be taken as the (111) surface. We expect that our work will show that the nano octahedra of Pt-Ni can be produced stably and the platinum and nickel can arrange orderly. We also expect that our work will show that this synthetic method may be extended to the preparation of more shape-controlled catalysts.
Telehealth and Human Rights: Might the Technology Harm the Human?

Jocelyn Phipps

Telehealth (or the use of technology to provide remote healthcare) seems to be a wonderful solution to medical deserts and frequent trips to a physician. Although telehealth increases access to healthcare, it also carries risks that have human rights implications. These risks include a lack of relationship between physician and patient, misdiagnosis/ misdosage, access issues to medical records, and misuse of records or other information whether by facility staff or hackers. Within the United States, the Affordable Care Act has introduced telehealth as an accepted part of the healthcare field, however the states control the regulation and implementation so there is often variance from state to state. This project will examine mission statements of digital healthcare companies, specifically considering the human rights dimensions. I will be focusing on the right to health and privacy (articles twenty-five and twelve in the UDHR). Additionally, I will analyze New York state laws or regulations pertaining to technology-based healthcare. Telehealth is important to understand because, as a society, we must ensure our human rights are not being violated as the field continues to grow.
Legal Shifts in Relation to Human Trafficking in Atlantic County

Ellie Pisetzner

Human trafficking is not something that happens in a specific area, and it is not something that happens to a specific type of person. I live in Atlantic County in South Jersey, and although I have never met a person involved in trafficking, Atlantic County has a significant number of human trafficking cases. According to the national human trafficking hotline, in New Jersey there have been 120 human trafficking cases reported this year. Working closely with the Chief Assistant Prosecutor in Atlantic County Danielle Buckley, my project examines human trafficking cases that have been prosecuted there. In 2013, the New Jersey statute defining human trafficking was revised and updated. Thus I consider how Buckley prosecuted cases before and after the new statute was enacted. Specifically, my research involves looking at how the trafficking statutes have evolved over time, and evaluating shifts in outcomes of specific cases. The purpose of my project is to examine the impact that this specific statute update has had on the legal process that takes place in the prosecution of human trafficking cases.
The Effects of Stock Photos on Autobiographical Memories of Physically and Emotionally Painful Experiences

Dori Polovsky and Joseph Wilson

How would you respond if asked, "How painful was your last shot?" You may think back to the last time you received a shot, and report the amount of pain you experienced, assuming that your answer to this question would be the same in any circumstance. However, research has shown a multitude of ways that your judgement may be biased, such as by the way the question is worded, or other variables affecting the testing context. The current study examines how photographs may serve to bias memory of physically and emotionally painful experiences. Undergraduate participants rated past experiences of common medical and emotional events. Each experience was accompanied by an image (i.e., a stock photograph) depicting this experience in a relatively negative or positive light. The hypothesis is that judgments will be more negative when the experience is accompanied by a more negative photo compared with when a more positive photo is presented. The results will inform theories of how we experience and anticipate painful events. It also has implications for public health and medical settings. For instance, if positive images are used to promote potentially painful medical procedures, it may increase willingness to adhere to medical recommendations.
Human Rights Research - Guantanamo Group - Ruling on the Fates of Detainees

Alyssa Pugh

Since 2002, the United States has transferred almost 800 men and boys to the detention center located in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. With little to no thought by the government as to how the detainees would be evaluated and potentially released, these people endured much torture, while some of them may have even been innocent. Due to the torture that occurs within the detention centers, in 2007, the Combatant Status Review Tribunals were established as a form of evaluating prisoners for potential release. Two years later, President Barack Obama, implemented two Executive Orders, to ban the CIA's detention authority and to restrict the CIA's interrogation techniques leading to the establishment of the Periodic Review Board. In this research report, I will be analyzing the ability of the boards to determine the fates of the detainees. It is questionable whether these groups should have such power due to the fact that they are not legal bodies. Specifically, I will be consulting and researching Mohamedou Slahi, a former detainee, and his experiences standing before the board. The tribunals and the people within them are fulfilling a quasi-legal function, and it is imperative that detainees have the right to a fair opportunity for release.
Neonatal Clomipramine Model of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Demonstrates Treatment and Sex Differences

Allison Radin, Lenah Midani, Samantha Paley, Eliana Safer, and Emily Walters

This study evaluated behaviors and monoamine levels of the neonatal clomipramine (neoCLOM) model of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in male and female rats (36 of each). Subjects were injected with 15 mg/kg of the serotonin-norepinephrine uptake inhibitor clomipramine during a developmentally sensitive period. A unique combination of Hole Board (HB) and Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) apparatuses was used to evaluate compulsiveness and anxiety. There was a significant effect of Treatment in the HB. Male neoCLOMs had increased hole poke and repeats versus control male neoSALs. In contrast, there was a significant effect of Sex in the EPM. Female neoCLOMs spent more time in open arms than male neoCLOMs. HB and EPM behaviors did not correlate for any group. Serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE) levels in post mortem tissue homogenates from the hypothalamus and amygdala were analyzed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. There were significant effects of Treatment and Sex. Neurochemical abnormalities reflect monoamine dysfunction in OCD patients. Results support some aspects of the face and construct validity of the model. Further research is needed to evaluate the model's predictive validity, sensitivity to sex differences, and potential usefulness in identification of new treatment methods for OCD patients.
The Applicative Potential of Using Superabsorbent Polymers to Absorb Leachate

Eleonora Recio

This project explored the applicative potential of four superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) as a means to absorb landfill leachate. Through a variety of experiments, it was found that pressure conditions and water purity affects the performance of SAPs. The teabag, sieve, and vacuum methods found that increasing water contamination decrease the absorbing ability of the SAP. Mimicking the pressure conditions of a landfill, the AUL method found that adding a load to a SAP increased its ability to retain contaminated liquid.
Potential Connection Between ADHD Medication Misuse and Risk-Taking Behaviors

Adelle Ricci, Sana Malik, Haley Norton, Dennis Cregin, Lee Ann Genussa, Camille Guo, Rebecca Koltun, Eva Kristoferson, Devon Umeozor, and Lina Begdache

ADHD medications (such as Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse) are frequently misused on college campuses to enhance academic performance. Many students are unaware of the adverse effects of the drug. Research shows that ADHD medication misuse is associated with Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) dysfunction, and may lead to impaired decision making abilities. This may lead to riskier decision making by ADHD stimulant-dependent college students. Higher risk taking behaviors are associated with comorbid illicit substance use (such as cocaine, marijuana, prescription painkillers). This study seeks to assess whether ADHD medication misuse correlates with risk-taking behaviors. An anonymous survey including questions on frequency of ADHD, alcohol and illicit drug use was completed by 863 college students. Data was analyzed using Pearson's Correlation Coefficient in SPSS Version 25.0. Results revealed significant positive correlations between alcohol, cocaine and/or marijuana use and once a day, once a month, and once a year ADHD medication use. There were also positive correlations depicted between cocaine and recreational prescription painkiller use and not being dissuaded by any information against taking ADHD medications - including evidence for negative physiological effects, real life stories about ADHD medication use, or even negative personal effects experienced. These behaviors suggest potential PFC dysfunction in college students illicitly using ADHD medications.