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Abstract or Project Description

Abstract or Project Description

World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a nonprofit organization founded by chef JosŽ AndrŽs, dedicated to providing meals to those affected by natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide. Through its network of volunteers and partnerships, WCK works to alleviate hunger and promote food security in communities facing adversity.

Abstract or Project Description

The Young Musicians Choral Orchestra (YMCO) is dedicated to enriching the lives of talented, low-income students aged 9-18 across the Bay Area through high-quality musical training, academic support and personal guidance.

Abstract or Project Description

Youth Beat provides free digital media training to kids from some of the Bay AreaÕs lowest income neighborhoods. Their mission is to help inner-city kids get on a path that leads to success in college, career and life.

Abstract or Project Description

A site-specific aerial performance that examines the reconciliation between acts of violence towards Places of Worship and themes of love, sacred space, and community. Love, a state of grace is designed to promote dialogue, healing, and understanding among diverse multicultural and multigenerational communities.

Abstract or Project Description

To support a student through the student scholarship program.

Abstract or Project Description

To support SEEDS of Learning, an eight month professional development program for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten teachers that includes materials, classroom tutor resources and ongoing coaching support.

Abstract or Project Description

Athletic Scholars Advancement Program (ASAP) is a student-centered college access and persistence program based at Mission High School, focused on getting students to and through college. They encourage all students to realize their full potential for college completion.

Abstract or Project Description

By Britney Fazier and Margo Hall, a multidisciplinary performance ritual focused on the life and work of Marie Laveau, a Louisiana Voodoo Queen. LAVEAU will go beyond the traditional theatrical experience by incorporating voodoo cleansing rituals with movement, music and story-telling, challenging what engaging Black theater is and should be.

Abstract or Project Description

Explores the intersections between people with disabilities and the homeless community through the story of Alice in Wonderland. Alice seeks to highlight the disproportionate impact of homelessness on people with disabilities, as well as their need for accessible housing, healthcare and employment opportunities.

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To support operating expenses for Bay Area International Children’s Film Festival.

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Berkeley Community Scholars empowers Berkeley youth who face racial, economic and other barriers to achieving their college dreams by providing a unique experience of scholarships, advising, mentoring and a community of support.

Abstract or Project Description

Not available

Abstract or Project Description

To fund a book access program that allows students to choose books they are most excited to read,with level guidance from their teachers, and keep them for their homes.

Abstract or Project Description

To support the development of a non-toxic metabolic therapy for malignant brain cancer.

Abstract or Project Description

Mesenchymal cells are the building blocks of the connective tissue that provides rigidity and structural support for most organs. Although mesenchymal cells comprise the most abundant cell type in the intestine, their role in regulating intestinal inflammation is poorly understood. In this project we study the role of mesenchymal cells in colitis, the most prevalent form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease characterized by non-resolving inflammation in the colon tissue. Mesenchymal cells are equipped with the molecular machinery required for robust initiation of innate immune responses to a wide array of inflammatory mediators. In addition, these cells have the inherent capacity to shift between activation states in response to environmental cues and dramatically change their gene expression program and activity. We hypothesize that in the setting of colitis, mesenchymal cells are polarized by neighboring immune cells towards a proinflammatory activation state. This may lead to a vicious proinflammatory cycle perpetuated by the inflammatory crosstalk between mesenchymal and immune cells. We will first determine if the activation state of mesenchymal cells is determined by their specific interactions with immune cells. We will then determine how the crosstalk between these cells propagates proinflammatory responses in colitis.

Abstract or Project Description

Microbial communities living on the surfaces of the mammalian intestinal tract likely play a role in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), but this role is not yet fully understood. We will develop two innovative technologies that will help researchers visualize and quantify which microbes live on intestinal surfaces, where these microbes are located relative to each other and relative to the mammalian cells, how these microbial communities change in response to inflammation, and which of these microbial communities likely cause inflammation or protect from it. This work is an interdisciplinary collaboration among junior researchers Jacob Barlow, Octavio Mondragón-Palomino and Roberta Poceviciute at the California Institute of Technology.

Abstract or Project Description

Career Girls is founded on the dream that every girl around the world has access to diverse and accomplished women role models Ñ to learn from their experiences and to discover their own path to empowerment.

Abstract or Project Description

Early studies indicate that the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) may improve clinical symptoms and inflammatory biomarkers, but there is not enough high-quality evidence to be sure. N-of-1 (or single-subject repeated cross-over) trials are an ideal method for addressing this important research question. By focusing on the effect of diet for a single individual, N-of-1 studies can successfully identify the impact of each diet on each patient. In this study we will use a series of N-of-1 trials to determine the effectiveness of the SCD in reducing symptoms and inflammation in patients with IBD as compared to a modified SCD and an unrestricted diet at both the individual and population level. We will use a series of N-of-1 trials to determine the effectiveness of the SCD as compared to a modified version of the SCD in reducing symptoms and inflammation in pediatric patients with IBD over a 34-week period. We will recruit 50 patients from 20 ImproveCareNow (ICN) network sites. Participants will use a mobile app to direct their study involvement including collecting outcome data, transitioning between study diets, viewing data and reviewing personal study results. Primary outcomes include patient reported outcomes (PROs) of stool frequency, stool consistency, pain interference and GI symptom severity. We will also examine changes in inflammation via fecal calprotectin and bank stool for future microbiome studies. The N-of-1 design enables us to provide each patient with personalized results on diet impact and also to statistically combine the results to examine effectiveness of the diets at the population level.

Abstract or Project Description

It is now well recognized that IBD develops as a result of complex gene-environment interactions. Since there is no cure for IBD, treatment has focused on alleviating the symptoms. A better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that drive the development and progression of IBD would allow for the design of more specific and effective treatments. Bacteria that naturally live in our intestine (called the microbiota) have been definitively linked to intestinal inflammation, but how this relationship is regulated is not well understood. Epigenetics refers to modifications that allow genes to be turned on or off and we have found unique epigenetic changes that occur in the intestine in response to signals from the microbiota. Further, we have identified similar epigenetic differences in intestinal cells of pediatric IBD patients. Based on these findings, studies in this proposal will use samples from pediatric IBD patients and mouse models to define how these newly-identified epigenetic changes are regulated by intestinal bacteria. We will also determine whether these targets enable us to predict patient prognosis and employ animal models and human intestine grown in culture to decipher their function. We anticipate that these studies will direct new approaches for preventing and treating IBD.