Return to Work Information

The Institution is planning a step-wise return to work for research laboratories. Starting June 1st, some staff will be able to return to work in labs, following specific social distancing and PPE requirements and restrictions. Office staff, analysts, and informaticians will likely be able to return to work at a later time (July 1st). Important notes: Plans and strategies for the return to work will vary between locations, so please check with your PIs and Chairs to obtain the necessary information. Institutional requirements and rules need to be implemented, including the requirement to wear masks at all times when at work outside of single office spaces. Work that can be done from home should still be done from home. If work must be done on campus in shared offices or laboratories, it should be done in ways to minimize time required to be spent in these shared spaces. Information to Personal and Work-Related Travel Please note that the travel guidelines and rules for WFBHS and WFUBMC employees have been updated recently. Information can be found here (https://intranet.wakehealth.edu/Departments/Infection-Control/Coronavirus/Updates/Travel-Guidance.htm). Important Note: If you travel outside of North Carolina for personal travel, you are required to visit the Employee Health portal (log in with your user ID and password), select “Travel Reporting” and complete the Travel Risk Assessment prior to your travel departure.

Announcements

WFBH’s Affinity Groups – Office of Inclusion & Diversity are having a book drive!!!       May 3rd – May 31st       These books will support WFBH Reach Out and Read locations which include Downtown Health Plaza, Winston East Pediatrics & Family Medicine       Reach Out and Read gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together.       There are 2 ways to donate:          To donate online Click Here  At the “Direct my gift to”: prompt, please select “Reach Out and Read Fund’ on drop down menu. If you want to donate an English/Spanish bilingual book or a particular book, please add in Comments at bottom of form.          Drop off new or “like new” books at one of the drop off sites listed below.   Library 1st Floor, Gray Building   Student Resource Center 3rd floor of BGCME: Open 24/7   Office of Faith Health & Chaplaincy Ministries – Ground Floor Watlington       If you have any questions please contact Julee Rose at jjrose@wakehealth.edu

Funding Opportunity in Geriatric Research, Wake Forest Pepper Center Pilot RFA    Theme: “Integrating pathways affecting physical function for new approaches to disability treatment and prevention”    Overall Objective: to promote translational research to assess biological, behavioral, cognitive, genomic, metabolic, and other factors which contribute to age-related physical function decline, or progression to disability.    Major goal: development and testing in clinical/pre-clinical studies of novel interventions targeting age-related decline in physical function to prevent/ reverse progression to disability.    Studies supporting WFBHS value-based initiatives aiming to implement discovery-based approaches focused on physical function are welcome. The program funds full pilot studies, proposals with plans to add measures to existing studies, and exploratory analyses of existing databases and archived biofluid and tissue samples. Innovative, multidisciplinary, geroscience-based, and translational approaches are encouraged, as are involvement of junior faculty as well as faculty from outside fields interested in aging research.    Application Process Timeline Letter of Intent deadline                     Friday, July 16, 2021 by 5:00 pm Full Application deadline                     Friday, August 27, 2021 by 5:00 pm Funding decisions communicated      Late September 2021    Submission Procedure Inquiries are strongly encouraged so that we can provide specific guidance in developing relevant and successful proposals.  For additional information or clarification please contact Dr. Tom Register         (register@wakehealth.edu) Dr. Dalane Kitzman     (dkitzman@wakehealth.edu) Dr. Jingzhong Ding      (jding@wakehealth.edu) Administrative inquiries are to be directed to Abby Archer (aarcher@wakehealth.edu

Wake Forest School of Medicine Center for Biomedical Informatics – RFA for Pilot Award   Seeking novel technologies, including but not limited to testing the feasibility of novel approaches as well as unconventional solutions to translational research problems by leveraging one or more Informatics tools and methods are highly encouraged. Collaborative projects with participation of investigators from both legacy Atrium Health and legacy Wake Forest Baptist Health will be given priority.   The WFBMI will fund one project. Successful pilots will receive up to $25,000, to be spent within 12 months from the project start date.   Full application deadline : July 12th Complete details: Request for applications for a Pilot Award

Internal, Foundational, and NIH funding opportunities https://ctsi.wakehealth.edu/Funding-Opportunities?utm_source=Master+Research+Rundown+%26+Funding&utm_campaign=0acd777abd

Upcoming Events

Research Symposium: Health Equity Research Updates Date/Time:     Tuesday, May 18th (4:30 pm – 6 pm) Hosted by:      Goldie Smith-Byrd, PhD Director, Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity – WFSOM Yhenneko Taylor, PhD Assistant Vice President, Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation – Atrium Health Agenda: https://intranet.wakehealth.edu/All-Calendars.htm?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D152518369

Recent Publications

Geer JH, Falcone GJ, Vanent KN, Leasure AC, Woo D, Molano JR, Sansing LH, Langefeld CD, Pisani MA, Yaggi HK, Sheth KN. Obstructive Sleep Apnea as a Risk Factor for Intracerebral Hemorrhage. Stroke. 2021 Apr 8;STROKEAHA120033342. [Online ahead of print] PMID: 33827242. https://doi.org/10.1161/strokeaha.120.033342 

Lipchick BC, Utley A, Han Z, Moparthy S, Yun DH, Bianchi-Smiraglia A, Wolff DW, Fink E, Liu L, Furdui CM, Lee J, Lee KP, Nikiforov MA. The fatty acid elongase ELOVL6 regulates bortezomib resistance in multiple myeloma. Blood Adv. 2021 Apr 13;5(7):1933-1946. PMCID: PMC8045499. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc8045499/ 

Chang A, Liu L, Ashby JM, Wu D, Chen Y, O’Neill SS, Huang S, Wang J, Wang G, Cheng D, Tan X, Petty WJ, Pasche BC, Xiang R, Zhang W, Sun P. Recruitment of KMT2C/MLL3 to DNA damage sites mediates DNA damage responses and regulates PARP inhibitor sensitivity in cancer. Cancer Res. 2021 Apr 14;canres.CAN-21-0688-E.2021. [Online ahead of print] PMID: 33853832. https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.can-21-0688 

Damuka N, Orr M, Czoty PW, Weiner JL, Martin TJ, Nader MA, Bansode AH, Pathirannahel BSL, Mintz A, Macauley SL, Craft S, Solingapuram Sai KK. Effect of ethanol and cocaine on [11C]MPC-6827 uptake in SH-SY5Y cells. Mol Biol Rep. 2021 Apr 20. [Online ahead of print] PMID: 33880672. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-021-06336-7 

Botoseneanu A, Chen H, Ambrosius WT, Allore HG, Anton S, Folta SC, King AC, Nicklas BJ, Spring B, Strotmeyer ES, Gill TM. Metabolic syndrome and the benefit of a physical activity intervention on lower-extremity function: Results from a randomized clinical trial. Exp Gerontol. 2021 Apr 10;111343. [Online ahead of print] PMID: 33848565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2021.111343 

Dunphy A, Patel K, Belperain s, Pennington A, Chiu NHL, Yin Z, Zhu X, Priebe B, Tian S, Wei J, Yi X, Jia Z. Modulation of Macrophage Polarization by Carbon Nanodots and Elucidation of Carbon Nanodot Uptake Routes in Macrophages. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2021 Apr 26;11(5):1116. PMID: 33925858. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11051116  

Member News

Congratulations to Tony Reeves, PhD and Iain McKillop, PhD for their Wake/Atrium Pilot Award: Role of Fatty Acid Binding Protein-4 (FABP4) in Fatty Liver Disease” 

Congratulations to Barbara Nicklas, PhD, Mark Hirsch, PhD, Justin Moore, PhD, and Mark Newman, PhD for their Wake/Atrium Pilot Award: “Implementation of a Community Walking Program for Mobility-Limited Older Adults” 

Congratulations to Andrew South, MD,MS, Elizabeth Jensen, PhD, Lucy McGowan, MS,PhD, Susan M. Odum, PhD, Deepak Palakshappa, MD, and Donald J. Weaver, Jr, MD for their Wake/Atrium Pilot Award: “Study of the Epidemiology of Pediatric Hypertension (SUPERHERO) Registry” 

CPM Faculty Member Highlights

Dr. Zhang is a molecular and cell biologist experienced in research on skeletal muscle protein and gene expression. He is an Assistant Professor in Department of Internal Medicine, Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, and a member of the Sticht Center on Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention. The focus of his work is on understanding the biological and molecular mechanisms underlying sarcopenia, the age related decline of skeletal muscle mass and fucntion. Primary techniques applied in his lab include skeletal muscle and vascular endothelial cell culture, immunofluorescence microscope imaging, motor activity tests, and molecular approaches in aging wild type and transgenic mouse models. Human muscle and blood samples are also studied in his lab, with an ultimate translational goal of discovering novel biomarker of sarcopenia and developing innovative therapies to prevent and/or treat loss of physical function with aging in older adults. His work has been supported by two R21s from NIA. Link to publications: https://profiles.wakehealth.edu/display/Person/tzhang