WXII 12 News Coverage of the Center for Precision Medicine 2023 Summer Intern Program
We were thrilled to have our 2023 Summer Intern Program highlighted by the WXII 12 News crew on July 27, 2023. Our interns and mentors were excited to share their experiences in our program. Please follow the link below to watch the newscast featuring one of our faculty mentors, Dr. Pooja Jadiya, and four of our summer interns, Nicole Anthony, Matt Walker, Aarush Kulkarni, and Pavan Ariyawansa. Competitive WFUSOM internship program prepares students for medical careers: https://www.wxii12.com/article/competitive-wfu-internship-program-prepares-students-for-medical-careers/44653986
Announcements
2022 Translational Science Pilot Awardees Congratulations to Nichole Allred, PhD, Department of Biochemistry, Center of Precision Medicine Member. These awards will support new and innovative research relevant to Translational Science. Whereas translational research focuses on the specific case of a target or disease, translational science is focused on the general case that applies to any target or disease.
Congratulations to our CPM 2021 Wake Forest School of Medicine Award Recipients Timothy Howard, PhD – Established Investigator – Basic/Translational Award Kylie Kavanagh, VMS – Mid-Career Investigator – Basic/Translational Award Giselle Melendez, MD – Early Career Investigator – Clinical/Population Award Barbara Nicklas, PhD – Established Investigator – Clinical/Population Award Rebecca Wells, MD, MPH – Mid-Career Investigator - Clinical/Population Award
The Center for Precision Medicine joins $15 million NC COVID-19 surveillance program
Congratulations to Dr. Kim Reeves and co-investigators Dr. Greg Hawkins and Dr. Laura Cox for receiving a $1.8 million grant from the North Carolina DHHS and the NC Policy Collaboracy as part of the North Carolina CORVASEQ (Coronavirus Variant Sequencing) Initiative. As part of the effort, Dr. Reeves will oversee the sequence analysis of SARS-CoV-2 isolates collected across the state of North Carolina to monitor the mergence and spread of virus variants in our state.For more information, please see [LINK]
Dr. Roy E. Strowd had a recent press release by the American Academy of Neurology “Could Ketogenic Diet be Helpful with Brain Cancer?” “There are not a lot of effective treatments for these types of brain tumors, and survival rates are low, so any new advances are very welcome,” said study author Roy E. Strowd, MD, MS, MEd, of Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. “These cancer cells rely on glucose, or sugar, to divide and grow. Since the ketogenic diet is low in sugar, the body changes what it uses for energy—instead of carbohydrates, it uses what are called ketones. Normal brain cells can survive on ketones, but the theory is that cancer cells cannot use ketones for energy.” For the full release: https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/4907
Dr. Xuewei Zhu has recently been named the Dolph O. Adams Awardee by the Society for Leukocyte Biology (SLB). The annual award is to recognize excellence of an investigator working in the area of cellular and molecular mechanisms of host defense and inflammation. This award is named in honor of the outstanding macrophage researcher Dolph O. Adams, MD, PhD and is given out to a junior/mid-career faculty or equivalent investigator. As the Adams Awardee, Dr. Zhu will present her exciting work on the role of ER membrane-anchored G6P transporter SLC37A2 in macrophage inflammation and metabolic homeostasis on July 29 during the Immunometabolism section II of the 2021 SLB meeting.
Congratulations to Swapan Das, MSc, PhD for being one of the winners of this year’s Research Day Top Scientific Papers!
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”
Congratulations to Dr. Xuewei Zhu on the funding of her CVSC Pilot Award Project title: “PUFA desaturation, NAD+ metabolism, and macrophage NLRP3 inflammasome” Dr. Cristina Furdui is Co-I on the project.
Congratulations to Dr. Kylie Kavanagh on the funding of her DOD and pilot grant awards. DOD grant: “Advancement of CRISPR-based Adipose Therapeutics for Type 2 Diabetes in Non-human Primates” Pilot grant: “Effect of Genotype on the Response of Inflammatory Markers to Dietary Inosine”
The Center for Precision Medicine has formally been re-approved and funded through June 2024.
Congratulations: Dr. Genesio Karere – Assistant Professor in Molecular Medicine
Dr. Karere has be invited to serve as a Member on the ATVB Diversity Committee of the Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology from 2020 – 2022.
2020 Research Awards Announced
Established Investigator in Basic/Translational Science
J. Mark Cline, DVM, PhD (Professor, Patholgy-Comparative Medicine)
Established Investigator in Clinical/Population Science
Carl D. Langefeld, PhD (Professor, Biostatistics & Data Science)
Mentoring Award
John S. Parks, PhD (Professor, Molecular Medicine)
Barbara Nicklas, PhD (Professor, Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine)
Mid-Career Investigator in Basic/Translational Science
Gagan Deep, PhD (Associate Professor, Cancer Biology)
Leah Solberg Woods, PhD (Associate Professor, Molecular Medicine)
North Carolina Diabetes Research Center(NCDRC)
Wake Forest School of Medicine, in partnership with University of North Carolina School of Medicine (UNC), Duke University School of Medicine and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T), has been awarded a $5.7 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to create the North Carolina Diabetes Research Center (NCDRC) under the direction of Dr. D. McClain. The new NCDRC includes the following faculty members from the Center for Precision Medicine: Dr. Nichole Allred, Dr. Laura Cox, Dr. Hector Guillen, Dr. Greg Hawkins, Dr. Tim Howard, Dr. Carl Langefeld, Dr. Michael Olivier, and Dr. Leah Solberg-Woods. For more information, please see https://newsroom.wakehealth.edu/News-Releases/2020/04/Wake-Forest-School-of-Medicine-Receives-NIH-Diabetes-Research-Center-Grant-with-Partner-Institutions
CPM members grants between 7.1.20 – 10.31.20
Graca Almeida- Porada Private Funding (Almeida-Porada PI, Porada Co-I) 09/23/2020 – 08/31/2022 Pfizer Inc. $97,631 Human-on-Chip Technologies to Study AAV Gene Therapy for Hemophilia A Goals: Utilize novel microfluidics-based human body-on-a-chip (hBOAC) technology to define the efficacy and safety of human liver-targeted AAV gene therapy for hemophilia PI: Graca Almeida- Porada, PhD Co-PI: Chris Porada, PhD Co-I: Colin Bishop, PhD
Mark Cline C06 OD30099-01 (Whitlow PI) 10/01/20-09/30/25 NIH/OD $7,335,679 Wake Forest Preclinical Imaging and Irradiation Facility The project goal is the construction of a new, innovative, energy-efficient, 1-story, 10,068 square foot building in support of ongoing rapid growth in NIH-funded non-human primate research at Wake Forest University Health Sciences (WFUHS). The facility will include non-human primate holding areas, procedure space,radioisotope “hot lab,” as well as state-of-the-art imaging with PET/CT and MRI. Beneficiaries of this new facility will include a nationwide network of NIH-funded non-human primate investigators. Co-I: Mark Cline, DVM,PhD
U19 AI067798 Chao (PI) 08/01/20-07/31/25 NIH/NIAID s/Duke University $150,000 The Primate Studies Core (Core 3) The Primate Studies Core (Core 3) facilitates the conduct of late-stage preclinical studies of mitigators of radiation damage in nonhuman primates (NHP), following the specific priorities of the RadCCORE consortium. Role: Principal Investigator for sub
U01 AI150578 Cline (PI) 08/01/20-07/31/27 NIH/NIAID $2,014,100 The Wake Forest Nonhuman Primate Radiation Survivor Cohort The goal of this proposal is to identify and study relevant patterns of post-irradiation morbidity and mortality in a controlled, well-defined NHP population, by collaborating and sharing data with qualified investigators. Data sharing and administrative oversight are designed to maximize use of the resource. Role: Principal Investigator Co-I: Sobha Puppala, PhD Co-I: Tom Register, PhD
Cox, Laura CRSUA Pilot (Cox) 08/01/2020 – 02/28/2021 Center for Research on Substance Use and Addiction $25,000 Identification of Hepatic Molecualr Networks Associated with Drinking Behavior in NHP The goal of this pilot project is to investigate whether variation in hepatic molecular networks correlate with variation in driking behavior in nonhuman primates and whether biosignatures of these networks can be quantified in plasma. Role: Principal investigator
NCDRC Pilot (Cox) 09/01/2020 – 08/31/2022 NC Diabetes Research Center $50,000 Analysis of Gene Expression in Diabetic Foot Ulcers by Spatial Transcriptomics The goal of the study is to determine gene expression signatures of different cell types in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) before and after patients receive treatment to discover potential biomarkers that can predict healing outcome of therapies. The ultimate goal is to design a custom spatial gene expression slide to detect the expression of biomarkers in DFU, which could help clinicians make informed decisions on therapy. Role: Principal Investigator
Dressler, Emily P30 CA012197-45 (Foley) 09/01/2020 – 08/31/2021 NCI $22,360 ATLAS: Alleviating Lung Cancer Disparities through Cancer Control The overarching goal of ATLAS is to reduce disparities in lung cancer through robust planning for a P01 application. The planning grant will provide dedicated resources for pilot data collection, strategic planning meetings, and project coordination. Role: Co-Investigator
Hawkins, Greg P30 AG049638 (Hawkins/Milligan/Hughes) 07/01/2020 – 06/30/2021 WF Alzheimer’s Center Pilot Award $20,000 Genetic and Biomarkers of IL6 Transsignaling in Alzheimer's Disease We propose to investigate if increases in CSF IL6 and soluble IL6 receptor are exhibited by AD patients, and if patients who inherit the IL6R variant allele Asp358Ala demonstrate faster conversion from MCI to dementia. Data from this pilot award will serve as preliminary data for RO1 application. Role: M-PI Carol Milligan, PhD – Multi-PI
1R21 CA253362-01 (Zhang/Liu) 07/01/2020 – 06/30/2022 NIH/NCI $257,126 Tumor Microenvironment at Single Cell Level in Black and White NSCLC Patients To test our hypothesis that distinct tumor immune cell ecosystems exist between AA and CA lung cancer patients, which may be caused by differential tumor genetic mutation patterns, and which may explain observed patterns of disparate lung cancer outcomes that may be partially overcome in the era of immunotherapy. Role: Co-I
Herrington, David (Sanders/Herrington/Wierzba) 7/1/2020-6/31/2022 CDC Funding $445,109 A Multicenter, Prospective Study of SARS COV-2 Infections Using At-Home Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits and Online Data Gathering Goal is to calculate the seroprevalence at baseline as well as monthly incidence and cumulative incidence of symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in the general population and among health care workers of multiple study sites across the eastern United States. Role: M-PI
Howard, Tim R01 NS069763 (Woo) 09/01/2020 – 06/30/2025 NIH $1,123,329 ERICH-GENE The goal of the ERICH-GENE study is to identify the genetic determinants and genetically driven biological pathways for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) stroke. Role: Co-I
Jorgensen, Matthew R01 AI146059 Alexander-Miller (PI) 08/05/2007/31/24 NIH/NIAID $488,929 Development of Vaccine Approaches to Elicit Broadly Protective Influenza-specific Immune Responses in Infants The ultimate goal of the studies proposed in this application is to identify a vaccine approach for influenza that is safe and broadly protective when delivered to neonates. Role: Co-Investigator
Karere, Genesio Pilot Study (Karere) 07/01/2020 – 06/30/2021 CTSI/CVSC $40,000 MicroRNA-gene Networks Underlying Early Coronary Atherosclerosis The study objective is to identify miRNAs and miRNA-gene networks related to early coronary atherosclerosis. Role: PI
Pilot Study (Karere) 03/01/20 – 02/28/21 ADRC $2000 Circulating MicroRNA Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease
Kavanagh, Kylie R01 DK123206 (Branca-PI) 09/01/2020 - 08/31/2022 NIH $128, 239 Enabling accurate identification and quantification of brown adipose tissue mass by xenon enhanced computed tomography. The goal of this proposal builds upon our preliminary results, in which we have shown that the inert and lipophilic gas xenon can be used as a CT contrast agent to detect and quantify BATmass. Role on Project: Sub Principal Investigator
Langefeld, Carl W81XWH-20-1-0686 (Langefeld) 09/30/2020 – 09/29/2023 Department of the Army $524,992 Multi-Ancestral Genomic Approach to SLE-Precision Medicine Only one new drug therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been approved in the past 60 years. However, with >100 loci robustly associated with SLE, this is an opportune time to translate these genetic discoveries into precision medicine for SLE prevention and treatment. Here, we will map genetic associations, differential methylation, and gene expression to genes using over 60 public datasets. Through bioinformatics analysis, we will identify gene-drug interactions and prioritize ancestry- and sex-specific drug targets. Finally, high priority molecules will be screened via molecular modeling to identify interactions from structural libraries of FDA approved drugs or small molecule/fragment libraries. Role: PI Co-I: Tim Howard, PhD Co-I: Tony Reeves, PhD
R01 GM134226 (Hall) 09/05/2020 – 06/30/2024 NIH $263,397 Solid-state nanopores for translational analysis of hyaluronan abundance and size distribution The goals of this project are to make strategic advancements to the existing approach that will improve its analytical value, and then apply it to translational HA diagnostics in two model systems for which extreme sensitivity will be particularly enabling due to low HA content in key biospecimens: metastatic breast cancer (plasma) and rheumatoid arthritis (plasma and urine). Role: Co-I
Macarley, Shannon 3 P50AA026117-03S1 (Wiener) 08/05/2020-11/30/2020 NIH/NIAAA $384,750 Supplement to existing P50 WF-TARC grant to study interaction between alcohol use disorders and Alzheimer’s disease. The goal of this administrative supplement is to determine whether excitatory synaptic function arising from ethanol exposure promotes the onset and progression of neuropathology and impairments in behavior and synaptic plasticity associated with AD. Role: Co-I
A20201775S (Macauley) 09/01/2020-08/31/2023 BrightFocus Foundation $100,000 KATP channel inhibition as a modifier of tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease The goal of this grant is to demonstrate that low dose treatment with the KATP channel antagonist,glyburide, reduces interstitial fluid (ISF) tau levels, tau related pathology, and functional deficits in the P301S (PS19) mouse model of tauopathy. It is also to demonstrate that glyburide treatment is sufficient to prevent tau spreading and neuritic plaque formation in the human tau-APPswe, PSEN1dE9 (APP/PS1) mouse model. Role: PI
R01AG068330 (Macauley) 08/01/2020-04/30/25 NIH $442,108 The metabolic interplay of sleep and Alzheimer’s disease The goal of this project is to understand how changes in metabolism impact the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease and whether metabolic dysfunction is a novel therapeutic target for treating Alzheimer’s disease and sleep. Role: PI
Milligan, Carol W81XWH2010265 (Lu) 08/01/2020 – 07/31/2022 DOD $753,075 Novel Cas9/gRNA Ribonucleoprotein Bionanoparticles for Safe and Efficient Inactivation of ALS Disease-Causing Mutations We propose to engineer an AAV capsid-based bionanoparticle to achieve efficient CRISPR/Cas9 RNA delivery to the CNS leading to only transient expression of Cas9. We will use these novel bionanoparticle to deliver Cas9 mRNA and gRNAs to remove expanded G4C2 repeats from the C9ORF72 gene in a mouse model of ALS.
Pasche, Boris P30CA012197-45S4 (Pasche PI/Foley, Proj Dir) 09/01/20-01/31/22 NCI $64,516 ATLAS: Alleviating Lung Cancer Disparities through Cancer Control (Cancer Center Support Grant Supplement) The overarching goal of ATLAS is to reduce disparities in lung cancer through robust planning for a P01 application. The planning grant will provide dedicated resources for pilot data collection, strategic planning meetings, and project coordination. Role: PI Co-Investigator: Wei Zhang, PhD
Register, Tom R44AG067832 Wakeman (PI) 09/01/20-05/31/22 NIA $34,899 Amyloid Beta Oligomer Induction of Alzheimer’s Disease in Non-human primates Overall goal of this project is to develop an induced non-human primate model of Alzheimer’s disease utilizing African Green/Vervet monkeys Role: Principal Investigator of Sub
South, Andrew K23 HL148394 (South) 08/03/20 - 06/30/25 NHLBI $783,000 The Role of Angiotensin-(1-7) in Hypertension and Hypertension-Induced Heart and Kidney Damage This career development grant supports my Pediatric Hypertension and the Renin-Angiotensin SystEm (PHRASE) study, an observational prospective cohort study investigating the association of angiotensin-(1-7) and ACE2, components of the renin-angiotensin system measured in the blood and urine, with hypertension and related organ damage in children with primary hypertension. Role: PI
R01 DK127208 (D’Agostino/Jensen) 08/01/20 – 07/31/21 NIDDK $1,979,793 Limited competition for the closeout of the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study The resources provided in support of this proposal will allow for analysis of data and dissemination of results from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study (2001-2020). Particular focus will be leveraging data collected in the study’s most recent funding cycle (2015-2020). Role: Co-I (Early-Stage Investigator)
Watabe, Ko W81XWH-20-1-0326 (Metheny-Barlow) 7/1/2020-6/30/2023 DOD $333,333 PPAR Alpha and Fenofibrate for the Prevention or Treatment of Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis The goal of this project is to test whether fenofibrate can be used to more effectively and safely treat lethal breast cancer metastatic brain disease. Aim 1 – Determine impact and mechanism of action of fenofibrate alone or in combination with ionizing radiation on breast cancer brain metastatic cells in vitro. Aim 2 – Determine whether fenofibrate can prevent or treat breast cancer brain metastasis in vivo, alone or in combination with radiation. Aim 3 – Determine whether host PPARa plays a role in anti-tumor effects of fenofibrate. Role: Co-I
Zhang, Wei R21 CA253362 (Zhang/Liu) 7/1/20-6/30/22 NIH/NCI $257,126 Tumor microenvironment at single cell level in black and white NSCLC patients The project uses whole exome and single cell RNA next-generation sequencing to reveal genomic and molecular mechanisms underlying cancer health disparities for African Americans compared to Caucasian American lung cancer patients treated at our institution. Role: PI Co-PI; Liang Liu
On Saturday, February 15th, Dr. Ellen Quillen shared her passion for evolution at Lecture Night at Bookmarks in downtown Winston-Salem. During this public presentation, she covered the past seven million years of human evolution - from losing our fur to walking upright to our remarkable range of variation in skin color - and how our skin made us the species we are today. Approximately 30 people attended to hear Dr. Quillen discuss evolutionary medicine, adaptation, and the fallacy of biological races.
CPM Annual Picnic 2021
We had a great turn out for the CPM Annual Picnic this year. Over 70 people came together for good conversations, good BBQ and a little healthy competition. Many people joined in our new corn hole tournament, which was won by Mark Brown and his son, William.
Our CPM Summer Interns also enjoyed a break from their research projects to socialize with other department members. In fact, the 1st Runner Up corn hole team was made up of summer interns Aaron Batke and Lucien Fernandez. If you couldn’t make it this year, we hope to see you next year!
