Monthly Archives: July 2021

MARION -A group of Ohio State University Marion faculty researchers were recently awarded a $156,000 federal grant from the National Institutes of Healths National Cancer Institute for research in the role of chromatin remodeling factors in DNA double strand break repair.

Assistant Professor of Molecular GeneticsDr. Ruben Petreaca, Associate Professor of Chemistry and BiochemistryDr Ryan Yoder, and Assistant Professor of Chemistry and BiochemistryDr. Renee Bouley are collaborating toward the goal of identifying molecular mechanisms that drive cancer, which if successful would make significant impact in the field of cancer research. The funds from the grant cover primarily undergraduate research salaries and materials between May 1, 2021, and April 30, 2023.

When considering the groups research, Petreaca shared that one challenge to understanding the genetic change in cancer cells is the complexity of the different processes that participate in DNA damage repair.

Errors in some of these repair processes cause accumulation of various forms of DNA damage that eventually leads to cellular transformation and cancer, said Petreaca.

Here we propose novel protein modeling and genetic analysis to understand the interactions between various repair complexes and determine the roles they play in promoting accurate repair, he added.

As a scientist and researcher, Petreaca boiled it down to two basic conceptsthe importance of grants to the discovery process and involving students in research.

It means we can keep doing science, said Petreaca. More importantly, this grant will be used exclusively to fund undergraduate research at Marion.

Yoder echoed Petreacas sentiment about the funding directly benefitting undergraduate research and added his thoughts on the unique aspect of collaboration between different departments and majors working toward a unified goal.

I think its important to stress the interdisciplinary nature of this work, said Yoder.We have faculty with three very different backgrounds (molecular genetics, biochemistry, molecular modeling) who are all bringing our own strengths to this effort.

That means our students who work on this project will be exposed to many different research methods and techniques, he added, which can only benefit them as they move forward in their educational journey.

Having the resources and backing of a tier 1 research university, while having the advantages of a small campus setting to enhance such a collaborative project is at the core of what Ohio State Marion is all about, Yoder shared.

The intimate setting of Ohio State Marion, along with (the resources available at) our Science & Engineering Building, Yoder said, allows for such interdisciplinary research to thrive and provide our students such opportunities to participate in cancer research.

According to Bouley, even before she officially began her tenure on campus, she began working on a project with Dr. Petreaca and got advice on purchasing start-up equipment.

I love how collaborative the science faculty are at Ohio State Marion, said Bouley.

It has been so helpful to team up with other faculty in different fields of expertise to tackle challenging problems such as understanding what causes cancer to develop, she said.

Much like Petreaca and Yoder, for Bouley the grant is about supplying their research materials and hiring bright and energetic young minds who will greatly benefit their future education and career by being involved in research on the undergraduate level.

This grant is currently supporting several undergraduate students and most importantly for my lab, Bouley said, research supplies to be able to conduct biochemistry experiments.

The recent Pelotonia fellow Lauren Frank is currently working on purifying proteins and modeling protein-protein interactions as part of this grant, she explained.

Lauren Frank is the campuss third Pelotonia Undergraduate Fellowship recipient in the past four years, demonstrating the campuss strong science programs and the level of faculty engagement with students in interdisciplinary research.

Excerpt from:
Marion scientists awarded grant to identify molecular mechanisms that drive cancer - Marion Star

University Relations

TheFulbright College of Arts and Sciencesat the U of A has named the 2021 winners of its annual teaching and research faculty awards. The recipients were each selected for their demonstrated excellence in these areas.

"Honoring our phenomenal and inspiring faculty members is so important, and each year selecting the honorees becomes more and more difficult as so many of our folks are doing such stellar and vital work to help our students succeed and to advance research in their respective fields," said Todd Shields, dean of Fulbright College.

"We could not be prouder to introduce our 2021 awardees, many of whom have been going above and beyond in their service and research for years," Shields added. "These folks consistently demonstrate the highest levels of dedication, professionalism and passion, which betters our college and the world beyond."

The college honors up to three outstanding teachers annually, and selection is based on a letter of nomination, teaching evaluations and documentation about the nominee's teaching activities.

The 2021 recipients include:

Douglas Adams, associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, whom his colleague and nominator Mindy S. Bradley describes as "a kind and devoted teacher" who "brings creativity and enthusiasm to the classroom." Adams regularly teaches the department's General Sociology course, helping hundreds of students each semester to stay "in the flow or zone, the cognitive area of focus where students are actively learning and engaged." Bradley said Adams is "always revising and trying new things" such as teaching strategies rooted in social psychology, and that he is often the first faculty member the department's students meet since he's so involved in recruitment, too. Department chair Shauna Morimoto added that Adams' "energy is infectious, while his compassion is enduring. His classroom presence, combined with his innovative teaching techniques and the application of his research to his teaching underscore his pedagogical excellence and enhance Fulbright College as an institution, as well as the lives of the many students he teaches."

Lorraine Brewer, instructor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, whom her colleague and nominator Francis Millet describes as unmatched in innovation and dedication to her students. For the past 44 years, Brewer has taught University Chemistry and multiple other courses. However, as Millet said, "University Chemistry is the most demanding and important course in our department since it provides the critical foundation of chemistry required for all our other courses. [It] is also the most difficult course to teach in our department because it has the largest number of students and the greatest variation in student backgrounds. [Brewer] usually teaches over 1,000 students a semester in different sections of over 200 each and has often taught in difficult environments including Barnhill Arena." Despite the challenges this might present in connecting with individual students, Brewer is known for doing exactly that, forming "a close relationship with each of her students" and excelling as an "outstanding mentor" to students and younger faculty alike.

Rhodora Vennarucci, assistant professor of classics in the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures, whom her colleague and nominator Daniel Levine describes as spellbinding and impressive, adding that "her students' love of her teaching make me envious; her energy in encouraging student learning and research amaze me." Vennarucci teaches in a wide variety of areas, including classics, history, art history, archeology and Latin, as well as helps students succeed through mentoring, advising, study abroad opportunities and program building. Levine noted that Vennarucci's ability to "reach out to all of her students and encourage them to continue their studies with renewed vigor" ultimately "empowers her students," and "it is no exaggeration to say that she actually makes them stronger." Steven Bell, the department's chair, added that "even in a department blessed with many outstanding and award-winning teachers such as ours, professor Vennarucci stands out as a truly stellar figure in the art of teaching the comprehensive scope of [her] talents and activities documented is truly astonishing."

The honor is awarded to up to three outstanding researchers. Awardees are chosen based on a nomination letter, the nominee's research accomplishments documented in a one-page summary of his or her research outlining its importance, a list of 10 publications, supporting evidence of exceptional performance in research, his or her curriculum vitae and an evaluation by the departmental chairperson.

The 2021 recipients include:

Kevin Fitzpatrick, University Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology, whom his nominating colleagues describe as "an outstanding scholar" with a research record to match. As a researcher of community health, Fitzpatrick's scholarship is both "wide-ranging and intellectually rigorous." He has published three monographs, three edited volumes and over 50 peer-reviewed refereed articles and book chapters. Department chair Shauna Morimoto added that Fitzpatrick also secured $4 million in research funding and an additional $900,000 grant to build the Community Family Institute, which he directs. Morimoto said Fitzpatrick has "made prodigious contributions to the field of sociology, with extraordinary impact on scholarship and community. He is an exemplary researcher in the most classic sense, with an insatiable mission to understand the causes and correlates of contemporary social problems, with the knowledge that doing so is the only way to begin to address these issues. [He] is able to make a significant contribution to scholarly literature while simultaneously changing the day-to-day lives of the most vulnerable people in local communities - in terms of their access to food, housing, healthcare and social services."

Douglas Rhoads, University Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, whom his department chair and nominator David S. McNabb describes as "an accomplished academic researcher with a global reputation" who in 2020 alone published a co-edited book on genomics research in poultry science, published six refereed journal articles with an additional manuscript submitted, was awarded nearly $160,000 in new funding on top of the $500,000 of his existing funding as the PI and the $10 million in funds as a co-PI, and presented internationally. McNabb said Rhoads has been exhibiting this stellar level of research activity since joining the U of A in 1990 to bring molecular genetics research to the university. Rhoads also helped establish and directs the Cell and Molecular Biology Program and is "at the forefront of developing industry partnerships in research," McNabb said. Rhoads has also served as mentor to dozens of students at all collegiate levels as well as postdoctoral or visiting scientists, demonstrating "his commitment to training the next generation of scientists." These high-volume and high-profile research and training activities speak directly to the "distinguished quality of Dr. Rhoads' research," McNabb added.

Sean Teuton, professor in the Department of English, whom his nominating colleagues describe as someone they "are exceedingly fortunate to have on our faculty." Teuton is a foremost scholar in Native American studies and has published extensively in the field of Native American literature and Indigenous studies. "His three groundbreaking books and numerous articles have reshaped these fields among other tributes, renowned Kiowa author N. Scott Momaday deems Dr. Teuton's Native American Literature 'a compendium of the human condition,'" said his colleague, Susan Marren. Teuton is the author of Native American Literature: A Very Short Introduction; Reasoning Together: The Native Critics Collective (co-authored with the Native Critics Collective); and Red Land, Red Power: Grounding Knowledge in the American Indian Novel. William A. Quinn, chair of the Department of English, said Teuton's work "will influence how readers think about Native American literature, as well as how they think about Native American history, experiences and contributions to American society in general." With another manuscript under final revision and work on another book well underway, Quinn said Teuton "promises to continue to be exceptionally productive as an internationally recognized scholar."

This award recognizes a faculty member's exceptional contributions to the departmental or college advising program. Awardees are chosen based on a letter of recommendation from someone who is acquainted with the candidate's work as an advisor along with letters of support from colleagues and former students.

The 2021 recipient is:

Ron Warren, associate professor in the Department of Communication, whom his department chair and nominator Stephanie Schulte describes as "the most talented and dedicated adviser I have ever seen" who is "exceptional in his dedication, compassion, responsiveness, sensitivity to individual needs and mental flexibility" as well as "generous with his time and attention, and always ready to share his extensive institutional knowledge with students and colleagues." Schulte said Warren has served the department in numerous leadership and advising capacities. Some of these many roles include being faculty adviser for Lambda Pi Eta and Honors Program Advisor. He was also the department's first undergraduate director and helped revise the B.A. program. Warren has directed dozens of undergraduate honors theses, independent study research projects and Honors College Research grants, as well as directing or serving on more than 100 M.A. graduate thesis, dissertation, and comprehensive exam committees. He also helped the communication graduate program refocus on civic engagement, which received national acclaim. His students have found academic and media industry success, and frequently note how Warren helped them achieve these accomplishments through being so invested in "building up students and faculty, in helping them achieve their dreams."

This award is given to a Fulbright College graduate assistant in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the teaching mission of the college and university. Awardees are chosen based on a letter of nomination, a recommendation by the departmental chairperson, assessments of classroom visitations and other types of departmental review, his or her curriculum vitae, letters of support from faculty and peers as well as current and former students, a list of courses taught at the university and a summary of student evaluations for each course.

The 2021 recipient is:

Den Wamsley, in the Department of Psychological Science, who was nominated by her doctoral adviser, professor Denise R. Beike. Wamsley has served as Beike's support teaching assistant and lab manager, as well as supervised an undergraduate honors thesis under Beike's direction. "She has demonstrated excellence in every type of teaching: in the classroom, remotely, in the laboratory, of facts, of research, of writing. Her experience, drive and heart make her the best graduate student teacher in Fulbright College," Beike said. "Den works passionately to make material accessible and lively to students. She also structures her courses and assessments in a way that maximizes student learning. She is there for students, patiently and selflessly offering time to help them succeed. I can't imagine a graduate student teacher more worthy of this prestigious award."

Originally posted here:
Fulbright College Announces 2021 Annual Faculty Teaching and Research Awards - University of Arkansas Newswire

Children and adolescents who had mild to asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 were found to have robust antibody responses up to four months after infection, according to a study of 69 children tested at Duke Health.

The study, appearing in the journal JCI Insight, found that the children and adolescents who previously had COVID-19 developed antibody responses that were capable of neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Further, these responses were comparable or superior to those observed in adults.

These findings are encouraging, especially because we cannot yet vaccinate children under the age of 12 against the virus, said co-lead author Jillian Hurst, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Duke University School of Medicine. The study shows that children whove had mild infections or even those who did not have any symptoms, develop an immune response that will likely provide some protection against future infections.

The researchers -- including senior authors Genevieve Fouda, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the departments of Pediatrics and Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at Duke University School of Medicine and Matthew Kelly, M.D., assistant professor in Pediatrics, and co-first author Carolina Garrido, Ph.D., of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute -- evaluated the SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses in 69 children and adolescents, with ages ranging from 2 months old to 21 years-old. The median age of participants was 11.5 years, and 51% were female.

The researchers measured antibody responses among children and adolescents with asymptomatic and mild symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and found that the antibody response did not differ based on the presence of symptoms, and SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies remained detectable in the majority of participants up to four months after infection.

The researchers also compared the childrens immune responses to those of adults. They found that all children, regardless of age group, had equivalent or slightly higher levels of antibodies than adults at two months and four months after acute infection.

Most studies of the immune responses of children to SARS-CoV-2 have focused on patients hospitalized for severe COVID-19 or multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), or have assessed immunity only during acute infection, Fouda said. Our study provides important information that SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses, regardless of disease severity, may decline over time more slowly in children and adolescents.

Study authors said the findings suggest vaccinating young children against COVID-19 could also elicit a similar or greater degree of protection than that of adults.

Reference:Garrido C, Hurst JH, Lorang CG, et al. Asymptomatic or mild symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection elicits durable neutralizing antibody responses in children and adolescents. JCI Insight. 2021. doi:10.1172/jci.insight.150909

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

Read more:
Children With Mild COVID-19 Have Robust Antibody Responses Months Later - Technology Networks

Jordan initiated the development of the Stem Cell Research Ethics Law and consequent regulations as a result of Dr Rana Dajanis genome-wide association studies on diabetes and cancer on stem cells on ethnic populations. However, the Jordanian-Palestinian-Syrian authority on the genetics of the Circassian and Chechen populations in the Hashemite Kingdom has also been making another kind of difference at the countrys Hashemite University. The go-getting scientist, who has been working as a full-time tenured professor there since 2019, is undoubtedly a leading light for her female students hoping to make it big in the medical field.

Dajani, an expert in molecular genetics, metabolic syndrome and induced pluripotent stem cells, worked as an Associate Professor at the Zarqa-based university for six years before her current position. A Biology graduate from the University of Jordan, Dajani has used problem-based learning and service learning as well as drama and art while teaching Biology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics to her undergraduate and graduate students. The trailblazer, who went on to earn a Ph.D. in Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Iowa, has also worked as an Assistant Professor and Director for Centre of Studies at the Hashemite University, where she has held an impressive number of different duties too. Dajani, an advocate for the biological evolution theory in relation to the religion of Islam, has also been associated with Ammans Amman Academy and Philadelphia University.

From 2017-2018 the Fulbright scholar alumna, who was among seven to receive the inaugural IIE Global Changemaker Award, was a Rita E. Hauser Fellow, Visiting Professor at Harvard Universitys Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. The following three years, she was the 2019-21 Zuzana Simoniova Cmelikova Visiting Scholar at the University of Richmonds Jepson School of Leadership Studies. Armed with an Eisenhower Fellowship too, Dajani additionally has visiting professor at Yale Universitys Yale Stem Cell Center and visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge and Jordans Stem Cell Therapy Center on her CV.

As well as being a higher education reform expert and scientist, Dajani is a mother of four and feminist. The genetics authority strongly believes in the education and empowerment of women. In addition to being the President of the Jordan Chapter for the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, which provides research training and networking opportunities for women scientists, she is an advisor for the UN Women Jordan Advisory Council. Dajani, a seasoned public speaker, is also the founder of the Three Circles of Alemat Mentoring programme for female scientists in the Arab world, which was formed in response to the low representation of women in academia and the challenges they face. The toolkit, which earned her the 2014 PEER Award, inspires women to create social networks to advance their professional life and boost their personal well-being, according to the website.

Dajani is also author of Five Scarves: Doing the ImpossibleIf We Can Reverse Cell Fate, Why Cant We Redefine Success? The book looks into how the hurdles women face in academia differ across varies across cultures, religions and disciplines. It also highlights how women have faced the challenges in various ways. Additionally, Dajani has written in Nature about education and females in the Arab world. The expert, who has also written for Science, also organised the first gender summit for the Arab world in 2017.

The barrier breaker, who wears many scarves and is president of the Society for Advancement of Science and Technology in the Arab World, can add social entrepreneur to her super impressive feats as well. She is the founder and director of We Love Reading, which was created to foster a love of reading in young children around in the region. The non-governmental organisation is based on holding read aloud sessions on a routine basis in a public space and has established multiple libraries across Jordan. The project that encourages refugee and Jordanian children to read for pleasure with their parents has earned Dajani many awards, including the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award Middle East, the Stars Award for Impact 2015, a WISE Award for Innovation in Education and the 2009 Arab World Social Innovator Award by Synergos.

Dajanis astounding career has earned her a plethora of other accolades too. In her homeland, she has received the Order of Al Hussein for Distinguished Contributions of the Second Class, granted to "those who have made distinguished contributions to society." She also earned the King Hussein Cancer Institute for Cancer and Biotechnology Award 2009, a place in the American embassys Women in Science Hall of Fame 2015 and the Jordan Star of Science in the Biology category. As well as all the the nods, whether local, regional and international, the super scientist has been mentioned on various female power lists, whether its in Arabian Business, CEO Middle East or Muslim Science.

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Dr. Rana Dajani: One Of The World's Leading Muslim Female Scientists - About Her