Research Newsletter

Recent Awards

Dr. Amy Nelson

Department of Physiology & Cell Biology

University of California-Davis

Diverse Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia- Improving Meaningful Diagnosis for People at Risk for Dementia

$1,257,337 (Total Funding- Four Year Award)

Dr. Glen Borchert

Department of Physiology & Cell Biology

National Science Foundation

Collaborative Research: Ideas Lab: The Role of Extracellular RNA in Intercellular and Interkingdom Communication

$796,460 (Total Funding- Four Year Award)

Flow Cytometry Instrumentation Grant

Domenico Spadafora, Ph.D. with new flow cytometer, Agilent Novocyte Quanteon

The Flow Cytometry Shared Resource Laboratories recently purchased a new flow cytometer - an Agilent Novocyte Quanteon. The purchase was supported by a grant from Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) with matching contributions from the Lions/USA Eye Research Institute, COM Basic Science Departments, the Mitchell Cancer Institute and the College of Medicine.

Two key advantages of the new cytometer include greater dynamic range for detection, and the capability to detect more parameters from samples. The greater dynamic range for detection translates to greater sensitivity for detecting small particles such as viruses and extracellular vesicles that facilitate cell-cell communication. The increased parameters includes up to 25 channels to detect many more markers on cells than with our previous instrumentation (limited to 8 markers). There is also an autosampler on the new cytometer that will make running larger experiments much easier and less time-consuming for users.

Eye Research at USA COM is supported by the Lions/USA Eye Research Institute, a project driven by Alabama Lions clubs within District 34C. The Lions/USA Eye Research Institute formed in 1990 and is represented by each of the 30+ Lions Clubs within our district. Over the years, they have helped raise over $1.3M to support eye research at USA COM. Past LCIF awards were used to purchase a fluorescent microscope (1998), a time-lapse imaging system for the fluorescent microscope (2006), a microarray system (2000), and an irradiator (2012).

Brain Awareness Week 2023

The Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine will be hosting the first ever Brain Awareness Week at the Exploreum Science Center. Brain Awareness Week is a global campaign to foster public awareness and enthusiasm for brain science originally launched by The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. The event was organized by Dr. Amy R. Nelson, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology & Cell Biology.

Deadline Approaching: Dean's Predoctoral Fellowship

The deadline to submit an application in InfoReady for the Dean's Predoctoral Fellowship Award is March 17, 2023.

Apply for the Dean's Predoctoral Fellowship Program

Office of Research Education & Training

Welcome to Shanoa Reed!

Assistant Director, Office of Research Education and Training

Shanoa Reed works alongside co-directors Thomas Rich, Ph.D., and Mark Taylor, Ph.D., in the Office of Research Education and Training. Reed will advise doctoral students in the Basic Medical Sciences program, manage the admissions and recruitment processes for potential doctoral students, and assist with postdoctoral affairs. She is excited to improve access and success rates for traditionally underrepresented students and to test new initiatives for the recruitment of Basic Medical Sciences students.

Recent Publications from COM Researchers

Haastrup MO, Vikramdeo KS, Singh S, Singh AP, Dasgupta S. The Journey of Mitochondrial Protein Import and the Roadmap to Follow. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jan 27;24(3):2479. doi: 10.3390/ijms24032479. PMID: 36768800; PMCID: PMC9916854.

Brady KC, Stephens CP, Sudan SK, Singh AP, Dasgupta S, Singh S. Breast and Cervical cancer disparities in Alabama: current scenario, ongoing efforts to reduce the disparity gaps, and what more we could be doing. Cancer Health Disparities. 2022;6:e1-e10. Epub 2022 Dec 31. PMID: 36777282; PMCID: PMC9909834.

Goswami S, Sarkar C, Singh S, Singh AP, Chakroborty D. Racial differences in prostate tumor microenvironment: implications for disparate clinical outcomes and potential opportunities. Cancer Health Disparities. 2022;6:214. Epub 2022 Dec 31. PMID: 36777283; PMCID: PMC9910060.

Anand S, Vikramdeo KS, Singh S, Singh AP, Dasgupta S. Racial disparities in the genetic landscape of lung cancer. Cancer Health Disparities. 2022;6:210. Epub 2022 Dec 31. PMID: 36819657; PMCID: PMC9937545.

Irelan D, Boyd A, Fiedler E, Lochmaier P, McDonough W, Aragon IV, Rachek L, Abou Saleh L, Richter W. Acute PDE4 Inhibition Induces a Transient Increase in Blood Glucose in Mice. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Feb 7;24(4):3260. doi: 10.3390/ijms24043260. PMID: 36834669; PMCID: PMC9963939.

Yang XM, Cohen MV, Sayner S, Audia JP, Downey JM. Lethal Caspase-1/4-Dependent Injury Occurs in the First Minutes of Coronary Reperfusion and Requires Calpain Activity. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Feb 14;24(4):3801. doi: 10.3390/ijms24043801. PMID: 36835212; PMCID: PMC9960231.

Godang NL, DeMeis JD, Houserova D, Chaudhary NY, Salter CJ, Xi Y, McDonald OG, Borchert GM. Global Switch from DICER-dependent MicroRNA to DICER-independent SnoRNA-derived RNA Biogenesis in Malignancy. MicroPubl Biol. 2023 Feb 2;2023:10.17912/micropub.biology.000725. doi: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000725. PMID: 36818311; PMCID: PMC9936325.

Parker M, Mayes SA, Browning CM, Deal J, Gunn-Mayes S, Annamdevula NS, Rich TC, Leavesley SJ. Multifaceted mirror array illuminator for fluorescence excitation-scanning spectral imaging microscopy. J Biomed Opt. 2023 Feb;28(2):026502. doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.28.2.026502. Epub 2023 Feb 7. PMID: 36761255; PMCID: PMC9907356.

Solodushko V, Fouty B. Terminal hairpins improve protein expression in IRES-initiated mRNA in the absence of a cap and polyadenylated tail. Gene Ther. 2023 Feb 24:1–8. doi: 10.1038/s41434-023-00391-4. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36828937; PMCID: PMC9951143.

Khozhukhar N, Spadafora D, Rodriguez YAR, Fayzulin R, Alexeyev M. Generation of Mammalian Cells Devoid of Mitochondrial DNA (ρ0 cells). Curr Protoc. 2023 Feb;3(2):e679. doi: 10.1002/cpz1.679. PMID: 36809687.

Porreco R, Garite TJ, Combs CA, Maurel K, Huls CK, Baker S, Fortner KB, Longo SA, Nageotte M, Lewis D, Tran L. Booster course of antenatal corticosteroids after preterm prelabor rupture of membranes, double-blind randomized trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2023 Feb 13:100896. doi: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2023.100896. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36796641.

Cockrell BE, Haiflich AN, Lee YL, Kinnard CM, Butts CC, Polite NM, Mbaka MI, Bright AC, Simmons JD, Williams AY. Social Determinants of Health Impact Physical Recovery After Blunt Injury. Am Surg. 2023 Feb 28:31348231161672. doi: 10.1177/00031348231161672. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36853832.

Menger RP, Beauchamp EC, Alexiades N, Szpilka RT, Anderson RCE. Neonatal Halter Traction for Severe Cervical Spine Deformity: A Technical Case Report With 2-Year Follow-up. Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown). 2023 Feb 23. doi: 10.1227/ons.0000000000000651. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36827190.

Hoppmann AL, Dai C, Daves M, Imran H, Whelan K, Kenzik K, Bhatia S. Persistent Child Poverty and Mortality in a Cohort of Children with Cancer in Alabama. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2023 Mar 6;32(3):380-386. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-22-0353. PMID: 36129811; PMCID: PMC9991934.

Dr. Casey Daniel wrote a chapter in a book that was recently published.

Black Health in the South is a collection of important essays on the health and well-being of African Americans in the southern United States.

Purchase a copy of Black Health in the South

Distinguished Scientists Seminar Program

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