2014 Research Appreciation Day

Keynote Speaker

Isaiah J. Fidler, DVM, PhD
Director, Metastasis Research Laboratory
R.E. “Bob” Smith Distinguished Chair in Cell Biology, and
Professor, Department of Cancer Biology
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas

A pioneer in the field of cancer metastasis, Dr. Fidler has devoted his research to understanding the nature of primary tumors and their ability to promote the establishment of secondary tumors. One of Dr. Fidler’s most important findings was that tumors are composed of heterogeneous cell populations. He further concluded that within these populations exist specific cell types with metastatic potential. Such findings have suggested that cancer therapies should be geared toward eliminating these small subsets of cells, thereby confining a tumor within its primary organ site.

Dr. Fidler established that cancer metastases represent non-random biologic events whose outcome depends on the interaction between unique tumor cells with unique organ microenvironments. This concept effectively transformed many scientific areas including cancer epidemiology and tumor biology, as well as drug design and development. The notion shifted the paradigm that cancer spread is genetically driven and therefore can be therapeutically targeted. Recently, Dr. Fidler has focused his expertise on understanding the basis of brain metastasis for a variety of cancers.

Award Winners

Community Awards

Niadyne Award ($250)
Presenter: Sina Najafi
Title: Physicians practices at the end of life

TECH Fort Worth – Innovation in Research Award ($300)
Presenter: Andrew Gdowski
Title: Antibody encapsulation within polymeric nanoparticles

Smith & Nephew
1st Place Translational Research Award ($500)
Presenter: Rutika Kokate
Title: Mimicking infection for immunotherapy against breast cancer-fooling the immune system

2nd Place Translational Research Award ($300)
Presenter: Victor Lin
Title: X-ray fluorescence for tracking cell differentiation

UNTHSC Institute Awards

Cardiovascular Research Institute
1st Place Graduate Student ($300)
Presenter: Brent Shell
Title: Contribution of the mnpo angiotensin receptors to brain stem activity and hypertension

2nd Place Graduate Student ($200)
Presenter: Janhavi Nagwekar
Title: Myosin regulatory light chain a13t mutation associated with cardiac hypertrophy imposes differences on kinetics and spatial distributions of cross-bridges in healthy and diseased ventricles

3rd Place Graduate Student ($100)
Presenter: Victoria Kay
Title: The role of cerebral oxygenation on tolerance to central hypovolemia

Institute for Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease
Predoctoral Poster Award ($500)
Presenter: Marilyne Kpetemey
Title:The effect of ls-1-137, a novel phenylacetamide sigma 1 receptor selective agonist on scopolamine-dependent cognitive deficit in c57bl/6j mice.

Institute for Cancer Research 
Top Graduate Student Award ($500)
Presenter: Sayantan Maji
Title: Mien1 promotes cancer cell migration and invasion through enhanced actin dynamics

Postdoctoral Poster Award ($500)
Presenter: Pankaj Chaudhary
Title: Tetrandrine induces ros-driven caspase-dependent apoptosis of prostate cancer cells via mitochondrial and cell death receptor pathway

For HER 
Clinical Poster Award ($300)
Presenter: Gabrianna Saks
Title: “It happens out here” – the victimization experiences and health challenges of women who are homeless

Translational Research Poster Award ($300)
Presenter: Shreyasi Choudhury
Title: Knockout of caspase-7 protects against optic nerve crush-induced retinal ganglion cell death

North Texas Eye Institute
Best Graduate Student Presentation ($300)
Presenter: Yong H. Park
Title: Mechanisms Underlying AMPA-Mediated Excitotoxicity of Retinal Ganglion Cells Under Hypoxic Conditions

Osteopathic Research Center
Excellence in Research Award ($250)
Presenter: John David Myers
Title:Enhancing patient and doctor experience in an outpatient osteopathic manipulative medicine (omm) clinic via utilization of electronic medical record (emr) scribes

Texas Prevention Institute
1st Place Poster Presentation ($250)
Presenter: Shelsma Chhetri
Title: Survival sex on the streets: results from the homeless women’s health and victimization study

2nd Place Poster Presentation ($150)
Presenter: José D. Retana
Title: The association between acculturation and risk for type 2 diabetes in mexican-american children and adolescents

UNTHSC School & Student Organization Awards

Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
1st Place Student Research Award ($500)
Presenter: Jason Hoffman
Title: Discovery and development of a bio-inspired surgical adhesive

2nd Place Student Research Award ($400)
Presenter: Victor Lin
Title: X-ray fluorescence for tracking cell differentiation

3rd Place Student Research Award ($300)
Presenter: Anh Q. Nguyen
Title: Delayed neuronal death in swine following cardiac arrest and resuscitation

I.M. Koor Memorial Research Award (OMM Dept.)  ($250)
Presenter: Anthony Handoyo
Title: Enhancing patient and doctor experience in an outpatient osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) clinic via utilization of electronic medical record (EMR) scribes

Honors Student Research Award ($250)
Presenter: Brett Mueller
Title: Prolonged nmda stimulation induces neuroprotective pathways and enhances survivability of primary retinal ganglion cells

Russ Jenkins Memorial Research Award (Surgery Dept.) ($250)
Presenter: Jason Hoffman
Title: Discovery and development of a bio-inspired surgical adhesive

1^st Place Resident Research Award ($250)
Presenter: Stephen Ake
Title: Differences in health behaviors between medical school faculty and staff

Resident Research Award – Family Medicine Dept ($250)
Presenter: Andrew Chambers
Title: Effect of tibial slope on flexion and femoral rollback in total knee arthroplasty: a cadaveric study

1st Place Children’s Health Research Award (Pediatrics Dept.) ($300)
Presenter: Melodie Minter
Title: Cardiac function in childhood cancer survivors treated with anthracyclines: the role of echocardiographic and electrocardiographic screening

2nd Place Children’s Health Research Award (Pediatrics Dept.) ($200)
Presenter: Sameer Prakash
Title: Classification of children with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus

TCOM Medical Student Government Association
1st Place Research Award ($300)
Presenter: Andrew Gdowski
Title: Antibody encapsulation within polymeric nanoparticles

2nd Place Research Award ($200)
Presenter: Shamyal Khan
Title: Hypercoagulation in the post-atrial fibrillation catheter ablation patient

3rd Place Research Award ($150)
Presenter: Olivia Simmons
Title: Induction of apoptosis via testosterone in oxidatively damaged dopaminergic cells

Best in First Year ($150)
Presenter: Gabrianna Saks
Title: “It happens out here” – the victimization experiences and health challenges of women who are homeless

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
1st Place Oral Presentation ($500)
Presenter: Brett Mueller
Title: Sigma-1 receptor stimulation protects purified retinal ganglion cells from ischemic insult through the phosphorylation of extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2

1st Place Postdoctoral Poster Award ($700)
Presenter: Pankaj chaudhary
Title: Tetrandrine induces ros-driven caspase-dependent apoptosis of prostate cancer cells via mitochondrial and cell death receptor pathway

Department of Cell Biology and Immunology

1st Place Poster Award ($300)
Presenter: Ronny Racine
Title: Cd44 expression induces calcium influx decreasing egr-1 expression and proliferation in acute lymphocytic leukemia cells

1st Place Oral Award ($300)
Presenter: Nathan Horton
Title: Novel use of proliferating cell nuclear antigen as a biomarker of metastatic cancer

Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics and the Institute of Applied Genetics

1st Place Genetics ($250)
Presenter: Marilyne kpetemey
Title: Mien1 promotes cancer cell migration and invasion through enhanced actin dynamics

1st Place Forensics ($250)
Presenter: Mckensie Kreutzer
Title: Allele characterization of ten short tandem repeat loci of north american bears (ursids) using next-generation sequencing

Graduate Student Association Awards
1st Place Poster Presentation ($500)
Presenter: Marilyne kpetemey
Title: Mien1 promotes cancer cell migration and invasion through enhanced actin dynamics

2nd Place Poster Presentation ($350)
Presenter: Brett Mueller
Title: Prolonged nmda stimulation induces neuroprotective pathways and enhances survivability of primary retinal ganglion cells

3rd Place Poster Presentation ($200)
Presenter: Ronny Racine
Title: Cd44 expression induces calcium influx decreasing egr-1 expression and proliferation in acute lymphocytic leukemia cells

School of Public Health & Public Health Student Association
1st Place Poster Presentation ($500)
Presenter: Saehwan Park
Title: Maximum cost of efficient weight-loss programs for overweight and obese populations

2nd Place Poster Presentation ($350)
Presenter: Lauren Hall
Title: Association between perfluorononanoic acid (pfna) and thyroid hormone levels in the u.s. population: a cross-sectional study of nhanes data, 2007-2008

3rd Place Poster Presentation ($200)
Presenter: Saritha Bangara
Title: Acceptability of self-administered pap smears among substance abusing populations

School of Health Professions
Best Physical Therapy Poster Presentation ($300)
Presenter: Gemma Rose
Title: Ischemia-induced reduction of somatosensory input decreases balance; added vibratory noise partially restores function

Elena and Thomas Yorio Travel Award
Melodie Minter