NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2020: Broadening participation of Native Americans in STEM fields by investigating pulmonary adaptations among marine mammals

该行动为2020财年美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金提供资金，扩大生物学中代表性不足群体的参与。该奖学金支持研究员的一项研究和培训计划，该计划将增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。这个研究项目的主要目的是利用医学成像和流体动力学模拟来研究海洋哺乳动物的肺部是如何适应海洋生活的。许多海洋哺乳动物在水面上完全排空并迅速填满它们巨大的肺，迅速输送大量空气。在潜水过程中，它们的肺必须抵抗高压，或者在不受伤的情况下在水面塌陷并重新膨胀。肺形状的改变可能改变气体混合和血气交换。这些研究将提供对海洋哺乳动物进化、肺结构和功能的深入了解，从而导致呼吸流体模拟的进步。该研究员将利用沿海萨利希人与海洋哺乳动物之间的文化联系，扩大这项工作的影响。扩大参与的活动包括向沿海萨利希社区推广，在夏令营和指导计划中展示科学，以增加美国原住民学生对STEM的兴趣和保留。该研究员将使用计算机断层扫描，计算流体动力学和脉搏成像来表征海洋哺乳动物肺部的结构和功能。具体来说，将对一系列鳍足类和鲸类进行调查，以提出以下问题：(1)气道几何形状如何随着最大潜水深度和表面通风模式而演变？(2)气道塌陷过程中抵抗与变形的气道对应何种形态，哪些生态特征与气道塌陷类型相关？(3)海洋哺乳动物的肺部气流模式与陆地哺乳动物有何不同，并随通气方式和惯常或最大潜水深度而变化？该研究员将利用沿海萨利希人与海洋哺乳动物之间的文化联系，通过以下方式促进生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与：(1)在预先建立的营地和夏季科学项目中通过互动式肺部生物学活动招募美洲原住民学生参加STEM教育；(2)通过与原住民本科生指导计划合作，在项目上指导学生，提高现有美国原住民学生的STEM成果；(3)通过在校园内的第一民族长屋和Xwi7xwa图书馆举办的合作座谈会和合作的自然历史博物馆展览，增加与学院以外的美洲原住民社区的联系。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2020, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The broad objective of this research project is to investigate how the lungs of marine mammals have adapted to ocean life using medical imaging and fluid dynamics simulations. Many marine mammals completely empty and fill their huge lungs quickly at the surface, rapidly transporting large volumes of air. During diving their lungs must either resist the high pressure or collapse and re-inflate at the surface without injury. Changes in lung shape may alter gas mixing and blood-gas exchange. These investigations will provide insights into marine mammal evolution, and lung structure and function, leading to advances in respiratory fluid simulations. The fellow will leverage cultural connections between Coastal Salish persons and marine mammals to broaden the impact of the work. Broadening participation activities include outreach to the Coastal Salish community, showcasing the science at summer camps and mentorship programs, to increase interest and retention of Native American students in STEM. The fellow will use computed tomography, computational fluid dynamics and plesmography to characterize the structure and function of marine mammal lungs. Specifically, a range of pinnipeds and cetaceans will be investigated to ask: (1) How does airway geometry evolve with maximum diving depth and mode of surface ventilation? (2) What morphology corresponds to airways that resist vs. deform during airway collapse, and what ecological traits are related to the type of airway collapse? (3) How do the pulmonary airflow patterns of marine mammals differ from terrestrial mammals and vary with ventilatory mode and habitual or maximum diving depth? The fellow will utilize cultural connections between Coastal Salish persons and marine mammals to promote participation of groups underrepresented in biology by (1) recruiting Native America students into STEM education through interactive lung biology activities at pre-established camps and summer science programs; (2) increasing STEM outcomes for current Native American students by partnering with the Aboriginal Undergraduate Mentoring program to mentor students on the project and; (3) increase connections with Native American communities outside of the academy through collaborative symposia held at the First Nations Longhouse and Xwi7xwa library on campus and a collaborative natural history museum exhibit.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.