Announcements

Lupus Research Alliance – Funding Opportunities https://www.lupusresearch.org/research-and-clinical-trials/research/funding-opportunities/? 

Pfizer Announces an Independent Medical Education Grant RFP Understanding Residual Cardiovascular Risk Related to Triglyceride-Rich Remnant Lipoproteins          This RFP is to support educational programs focused on understanding residual cardiovascular (CV) risk associated with triglyceride (TG)-rich remnant lipoproteins by: 1. Discussing the importance of understanding sources of CV risk beyond LDL-C.  2. Discussing relevant basic and clinical science related to TG-rich remnant lipoproteins vs serum TG in atherosclerosis and CV risk.  3. Providing context for clinicians to use this info in clinical practice where appropriate.          Grant Application due date: February 18, 2021          Projects requesting up to $100,000 - $150,000 will be considered. Complete info: https://pfe-pfizercom-d8-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/2020-12/2021%20IM%20G%20-%20Understanding%20CVRR%20Related%20to%20Triglyceride-Rich%20Remnant%20Lipoproteins.pdf?p0xI6pbQD3ozjq53iLEUFRKxvyFui4w

Foundation Funding Opportunities file:///C:/Users/grpate/Downloads/NIH%20Funding%20Opportunities%20(17).pdf

American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) Funding Opportunities https://www.afar.org/funding-opportunities

NC Biotech Funding Opportunities https://www.ncbiotech.org/funding/grants/translational-research-grant

NIH Funding Opportunities https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/WeeklyIndexMobile.cfm

Upcoming Events

Molecular Medicine Journal Club MMTS 782 – Webex presentation Date/Time:     Friday, Feb 12th – 10:00am – 11:00am Presenter:       Alistaire Ruggiero (3rd year PhD Candidate – Mentor Dr. Kylie Kavanagh) Title:“Senescent Cells Promote Tissue NAD+ Decline During Ageing via the Activation of CD38+ Macrophages” Covarrubias, AJ et al., Nature Met, 2, Nov 2020, 1265-1283 Webex:           https://wakehealth.webex.com/wakehealth/j.php?MTID=mf1394c0571a3b01f588f6e94016f4fb7 Meeting #: 178 615 6114   Password: CDOM

Cancer Biology Date/Time:     Tuesday, Feb 9th – 9:00am – 10:00am Presenter:       Austin Arrigo (Graduate Student, Dr. Lo’s Lab) Title:      “Functional characterization of TUSC2 for its role as a novel tumor suppressor for malignant gliomas” Webex:           https://wakehealth.webex.com/wakehealth/j.php?MTID=m16765095a94c0a0bb5e297e5d083e64a Meeting #: 178 538 6343 Password: TuXyGW5xM67

Aging Center Journal Club Date/Time:     Wednesday, Feb 10th – 1:00pm – 2:00pm Presenters:     Dr. Rachel Martin (Geriatric Medicine Fellowship, PGY-4)                         “Screening and intervention to Prevent Falls and Fractures in Older People” https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa2001500?articleTools=true Dr. Dawn Miller (Geriatric Medicine Fellowship, PGY-4) “Sarcopenia, Low Handgrip Strength, and Low Absolute Muscle Mass Predict Long-Term Mortality in Older Hospitalized Patients: An Observational Inception Cohort Study” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525861020310653?via%3Dihub Webex:    https://wakehealth.webex.com/wakehealth/j.php?MTID=mbc5d583fd92b7a3aa793d1d6987858dd Meeting #: 178 590 7685 Password: pbYYdb38MT8 

Inaugural Cone Health & University of NC-Greensboro Precision Health Institute Symposium Friday, February 19th (8:30am – 4:00pm)          This virtual symposium will highlight various aspects of precision health to increase knowledge of this holistic and personalized approach to care. Educational content will include many core principles of precision health including construction of family health histories, identification and utilization of genetic tests, critical assessment of genomic services and tests, and practicing in accordance with ethical and legal principles and values.          The symposium will encourage and strengthen cooperation and collaboration in genetic & genomic research and medicine.          This educational conference is designed for physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, genetic counselors, pharmacists, and all other healthcare professionals who are involved/interested in Genetics and Genomics. Registration link: https://www.gahec.org/courses-and-events/64349/inaugural-cone-health--university-of-north-carolina-greensboro-precision-health-institute-symposium

Recent Publications

Patil AS, Grotegut CA, Gaikwad NW, Dowden SD, Haas DM. Prediction of neonatal morbidity and very preterm delivery using maternal steroid biomarkers in early gestation. PLoS One. 2021 Jan 6;16(1):e0243585. PMCID: PMC7787372. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc7787372/ 

Rajendran S, Obeid JS, Binol H, D’Agostino Jr R, Foley K, Zhang W, Austin P, Brakefield J, Gurcan MN, Topaloglu U. Cloud-Based Federated Learning Implementation Across Medical Centers. JCO Clin Cancer Inform. 2021 Jan;5:1-11. PMID: 33411624. https://doi.org/10.1200/cci.20.00060 

Chen L, Lu Yingzhou, Wu Chiung-Ting, Clarke R, Yu Guoqiang, Van Eyk JE, Herrington DM, Wang Y. Data-driven detection of subtype-specific differentially expressed genes. Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 11;11(1):332. PMCID: PMC7801594. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc7801594/ 

Mora DC, Sandberg JC, Howard TD, Hsu F-C, Quandt SA, Arcury TA. Genetic Knowledge and Communication Among Mexican Farmworkers and Non-farmworkers in North Carolina. J Immigr Minor Helath. 2021 Jan 19. [Online ahead of print]. PMID: 33469784. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-020-01136-w 

Heald CJ, Sarma A, Sachs JR, Zapadka ME, Jewett T, Bunch PM. Practical Genetics for the Neuroradiologist: Adding Value in Neurogenetic Disease. Acad Radiol. 2021 Jan 22;S1076-6332(21)00007-6. [Online ahead of print] PMID: 33495073. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2020.12.021

Member Highlights

Kylie Kavanagh, DVM, MS, MPH, FAA Associate Professor of Pathology Kylie Kavanagh is a comparative physiologist whose research focus is the intersections between aging, nutrition, and metabolism. She primarily uses nonhuman primate models with an emphasis on insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, and the pro-inflammatory drivers that underpin these conditions. Senescence and microbial translocation are new directions in her geroscience program, and these sources of inflammaging are amendable to therapeutic interventions. She is the Director of the Nonhuman Primate program within the CTSI, is the PI of a T35 training program, and is on the executive committees for the Centers on Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, and the Vaccines at the Extremes of Aging. She holds funding from NIA, NHLBI, NIAID, NIDDK, and DOD and engages with the industry partners to evaluate developing therapeutics for metabolic disease. She has a wonderful team who deserve all the credit, all the time. Selected publications:          Biomarkers of Senescence in Non-Human Primate Adipose Depots Relate to Aging.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-020-00230-z          Skeletal Muscle Extracellular Matrix Remodeling with Worsening Glycemic Control in Nonhuman Primates https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00240.2020          Age-Related Colonic Mucosal Microbiome Community Shifts in Monkeys. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaa256          Biomarkers of leaky gut are related to inflammation and reduced physical function in unhealthy older adults with cardiometabolic disease and mobility limitations. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc6925090/          Whole Body Irradiation Induces Diabetes and Adipose Insulin Resistance in Non-human Primates. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2019.11.034          Type-2-diabetes alters CSF but not plasma metabolomic and AD risk profiles in vervet monkeys. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc6722201/