Molecular Science at Creighton University A brief overview

Molecular Science at Creighton University: A brief overview Patrick C. Swanson, Ph. D. NE Biomedical Research Retreat November 16, 2006

RESEARCH AREAS ® Osteoporosis Research Center Ø Ø Ø Robert Recker, M. D. Genetics and physiology of bone mass Robert Heaney, M. D. Bone biology and calcium nutrition Joan M. Lappe, Ph. D. , R. N. Factors influencing bone health in children, adolescents, and post-menopausal women Diane Cullen, Ph. D. John (Jack) Yee, Ph. D. Mohammad Akhter, Ph. D. Lpr 5 function and Wnt signaling on skeletal development, growth, and biomechanical properties Effect of smoke exposure on bone physiology

RESEARCH AREAS ® Hearing Loss and Regeneration Ø Ø Ø Bernd Fritzsch, Ph. D. Development/survival of inner ear sensory neurons Kirk Beisel, Ph. D. Molecular delineation of inner ear signaling pathways Richard Hallworth, Ph. D. Biophysics and biomechanics of cochlear cell motility David He, Ph. D. Mechanico-electrical transduction in the inner ear Garret Soukup, Ph. D. Function of micro. RNAs, riboswitches, and ribozymes in regulation of gene expression and ear development David Nichols, Ph. D. Development and cell motility in the auditory system

RESEARCH AREAS ® Cancer Biology and Genetics Ø Ø Ø Henry Lynch, M. D. (Hereditary Cancer Center) Familial cancers (breast/ovarian, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers, heteditary multiple myeloma) Brian Loggie, M. D. (CUMC Cancer Center) Peritoneal and rectal-associated malignancies Zhaoyi (Charlie) Wang, Ph. D. (CUMC Cancer Center) Estrogen signaling in breast cancer Venkatesh Govindarajan (GV), Ph. D. (CUMC CC) Development and tumor biology of ocular, skin and skeletal tissue Laura Hansen, Ph. D. Signal transduction in skin biology/carcinogenesis Yaping Tu, Ph. D. G protein signaling in prostate cancer

RESEARCH AREAS ® Allergy, Asthma, and Inflammation Ø Ø Ø Thomas Casale, M. D. Robert Townley, M. D. Againdra Bewtra, M. D. Ø Ø Russel Hopp, D. O. Adult and pediatric asthma/allergy pathophysiology Pharmacotherapy of allergic and respiratory diseases Smoking as a risk factor for development of asthma Devendra Agrawal, Ph. D. Pathophysiology of allergy and bronchial asthma Inflammatory diseases of blood vessels Dale Bergren, Ph. D. Lung C-fiber activation in airway hyper-irritability

RESEARCH AREAS ® Antibiotic resistance / molecular epidemiology Ø Ken Thomson, Ph. D. Ø Phil Lister, Ph. D. Nancy Hanson, Ph. D. in Ø } Center for Research Anti-infectives and Biotechnology (CRAB) Molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance Pharmacodynamics of antibiotics Development of diagnostic tests Ø Rich Goering, Ph. D. Molecular techniques for microbial diagnosis and epidemiology

RESEARCH AREAS ® Infectious Disease/Immunology Ø Ø Ø Kristen Drescher, Ph. D. Immune factors involved in demyelinating diseases Jason Bartz, Ph. D. (NCV) Anthony Kincaid, Ph. D. Routes and mechanisms of prion transport Michael Belshan, Ph. D. (NCV) Mechanisms of HIV replication and pathogenesis Patrick Swanson, Ph. D. Mechanisms of antigen receptor diversification B lymphocyte development, tolerance, and disease Martha Gentry-Nielsen, Ph. D. Influence of smoke and alcohol exposure on susceptibility to pneumococcal infection

RESEARCH AREAS ® Biomedical Science Ø Ø Roger Reidelberger, Ph. D. Molecular mechanisms regulating food intake and energy reserves (obesity) Philip Brauer, Ph. D. Mechanisms controlling neural crest cell migration (cardiac and craniofacial abnormalities) Laura Bruce, Ph. D. Ontogenetic/phylogenetic development of CNS Rita Meyer, Ph. D. Roles of gap junction communication in limb development

RESEARCH AREAS ® Biomedical Science (Regulatory Peptides) Ø Ø Sandor Lovas, Ph. D. Richard Murphy, Ph. D. Structure-activity relationships in regulatory peptides D. David Smith, Ph. D. Polypeptide synthesis Robert Mackin, Ph. D. Regulation and specificity of enzymes involved in peptide hormone synthesis

RESEARCH AREAS ® Pharmacology Ø Ø Ø Thomas Murray, Ph. D. Neurotoxicology and glutamate receptor pharmacology Peter Abel, Ph. D. Frank Dowd, Ph. D. Charles Bockman, Ph. D. Margaret Scofield, Ph. D. Pharmacology, genetic regulation, and signal transduction of G protein-coupled receptors, including adrenergic and neuropeptide receptors

RESEARCH AREAS ® Pathology Ø Ø Ø Ward Pedersen, Ph. D. Insulin resistance and Alzheimer’s disease Qinglong Hu, M. D. Molecular biology of lymphoma and leukemia Lisa MJ Lee, Ph. D. Metastatic melanoma

CORE FACILITIES ® Nebraska Center for Cell Biology Ø Richard Hallworth, Ph. D. LSM 510 META confocal scanning system - Multi-photon, with Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting capability - Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM), Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS), Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) ® Creighton University Flow Cytometry Facility Ø Patrick Swanson, Ph. D. and Greg Perry, Ph. D. BD FACSCalibur and FACSAria systems ® Molecular Biology Core Facility Ø Joseph Knezetic, Ph. D. DNA sequencing, synthesis, etc. ® Morphology Core Facility Ø William Hunter III, M. D. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy

SOM RESEARCH FUNDING Federal Sources 70 N = 62 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 N=6 N=2 DOD NIH NSF Held mostly by basic science department primary faculty (42) or faculty in Centers with clinical or secondary appointments (~20)