







































Letter From the Editor

It is with great honor that we welcome you to the inaugural issue of Georgetown Scientific Research Journal. 
Since the journal’s founding in the fall of 2020, our mission has been to provide a professional, open-access 
platform for student researchers to publish their work in order to celebrate the scientific accomplishments of 

the Georgetown student body. We aim to provide a space for researchers to learn from each other, collaborate with 
one another, and reach a broader audience. Our semesterly issues, along with weekly student highlights, biweekly 
faculty highlights, and research-oriented events, strive to encourage members of the Georgetown community to 
pursue and explore research both in and outside of the classroom.

We would like to acknowledge that the COVID-19 pandemic has been an incredibly di!cult challenge for people 
all over the world. Scientists and non-scientists alike have had to adjust to the virtual environment, overcome 
potential changes in employment status and housing, and cope with the tragic death of many of our loved ones. 
"e dedication and perseverance of our authors and editors have been a true testament to their passion, character, 
and resilience. "ese authors have shown that even during this unprecedented global emergency, while physically 
isolated, we can come together and collaborate through science. 

"ese articles underwent an extensive and rigorous double-blind editorial process, including edits from our student 
editorial board, our faculty advisory board, and Duke Vertices editors who served as our outside-of-institution 
review board. We hope that you find this issue full of research papers that pique your interest and broaden the 
breadth of your scientific knowledge. In this issue, you will find authors both from the undergraduate and graduate 
levels presenting research on various topics ranging from a discussion of the healing properties of performing arts 
to determinants of cancer. Please join us in commending the work and contributions of these authors.

Sincerely,

Danya A. Adams 
Editor-in-Chief

Nesreen Shahrour
Executive Editor

4


	Biological and Physical Interactions at Local Ocean Scales: Coupled Systems
	Determinants of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the United States: Differences in Risk Factor and Geneti
	The Preventative and Healing Properties of Performing Arts in Female Genital Mutilation 
	Policy Brief: Comparison and Recommendations for State COVID-19 Responses of New Mexico and Utah
	Interplay of Nicotine and Social Stress Mediate Dopaminergic Neuron Firing in the Ventral Tegmental 
	Evaluating the Efficacy of Targeted Inhibitor Therapeutics for Sonic Hedgehog Medulloblastoma: Signi
	Refractory Epilepsy: Mechanisms of Pharmacoresistance 
	Table of Contents

