2015 Research Appreciation Day

Keynote Speaker

Robert Toto, MD
Associate Dean for Translational Science
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, Texas

Dr. Toto has been involved in clinical and translational research and mentoring of clinical researchers in nephrology for 25 years. As the Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, he has senior responsibility for institutional efforts to excel in clinical and translational science. Dr. Toto has a broad background in the pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of chronic kidney disease, including published experience with biomarkers of kidney function and an established research program in biomarker discovery in diabetic nephropathy. He has an active laboratory and has been intimately involved in the design and conduct of Phase I clinical trials as well as several major outcomes trials in patients with chronic kidney disease, including NIH and non-federally funded trials (AASK trial, HEMO study, TREAT).

Award Winners

Community Awards

Quest Award ($250)
Presenter: Rahul Chib
Title: Fluorescence polarization based detection of hyaluronidase activity as a biomarker for skin cancer.

TECH Fort Worth – Innovation in Research Award ($300)
Presenter: Andrew Gdowski
Title: Bone Targeted Polymeric Nanoparticles for Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Smith & Nephew
1st Place Translational Research Award ($500)
Presenter: Sayantan Maji
Title: Exosomal AnnexinA2 promotes angiogenesis and breast cancer metastasis

2nd Place Translational Research Award ($300)
Presenter: Brent Shell
Title: Median Preoptic AT1a Receptor Increase Responsible for Sustained Component of Hypertension from Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia

UNTHSC Institute Awards

Cardiovascular Research Institute
1st Place Graduate Student ($300)
Presenter: Divya Duggal
Title: R21C Mutation in Cardiac Troponin I Imposes Differences in the Degree of Order and Kinetics of Myosin Cross-bridges of Left and Right Ventricles

2nd Place Graduate Student ($200)
Presenter: Brent Shell
Title: Median Preoptic AT1a Receptor Increase Responsible for Sustained Component of Hypertension from Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia

3rd Place Graduate Student ($100)
Presenter: Justin Sprick
Title: Efficacy of Novel Anatomical Sites for Assessment of Muscle Oxygenation During Central Hypovolemia

Institute for Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease
Predoctoral Poster Award ($500)
Presenter: Jennifer Arnold
Title:Treadmill exercise attenuates aging-related bradykinesia: potential involvement of increased nigral GFR-α1 expression and dopamine tissue content

Institute for Cancer Research 
Top Graduate Student Award ($500)
Presenter: Sayantan Maji
Title: Exosomal AnnexinA2 promotes angiogenesis and breast cancer metastasis

For HER 
1st Place Poster ($300)
Presenter: Kalyan Chitturi
Title: Reproductive Health in Female Members of Cook Children’s Life After Cancer Program

2nd Place Poster ($200)
Presenter: Jennifer John
Title: An Evaluation of Prenatal Behaviors in a Rural Texas Community

North Texas Eye Institute
1st Place Graduate Student Presentation ($300)
Presenter: Yong H. Park
Title: Mechanisms Underlying AMPA-Mediated Excitotoxicity of Retinal Ganglion Cells Under Hypoxic Conditions

2nd Place Graduate Student Presentation ($200)
Presenter: Avani A Mody
Title: BMP4 Induced ID Protein Protects TM From Glaucomatous Effects of TGFβ-2

Osteopathic Research Center
Excellence in Research Award ($250)
Presenter: Atiq Budhani
Title:Brief OMT Improves Range of Motion, Reduces Pain & Anxiety As Shown by Interleukin 1-Beta Levels

Texas Prevention Institute
1st Place Poster Presentation ($250)
Presenter: Victor Lin
Title: Human cerebral organoids generated using urinary epithelial cell-derived induced pluripotent stem cells

2nd Place Poster Presentation ($150)
Presenter: Andrew Gdowski
Title: Bone Targeted Polymeric Nanoparticles for Metastatic Prostate Cancer

UNTHSC School & Student Organization Awards

Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
1st Place Student Research Award ($500)
Presenter: Monica Bullock
Title: The Role of Sleep Apnea Induced Oxidative Stress in Stroke Pathogenesis and Recovery

2nd Place Student Research Award ($400)
Presenter: Andrew Ford
Title: Relationship between Depressive Symptoms and Cognitive Decline

3rd Place Student Research Award ($300)
Presenter: Michelle Jones
Title: Tolfenamic Acid Induces Therapeutic Efficacy of Chemotherapeutic Agents in Medulloblastoma Cells

I.M. Koor Memorial Research Award (OMM Dept.)  ($250)
Presenter: Anthony Handoyo
Title: Psychomotor Videos for Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) Instruction

Honors Student Research Award ($250)
Presenter: Shayne Kelly
Title: Quality of Life Assessment in Transtibial Amputees using K2 vs K3 Prosthetic Feet

Russ Jenkins Memorial Research Award (Surgery Dept.) ($250)
Presenter: Neel Shah
Title: Nerve Hydrodissection for Impingement of the Suprascapular Nerve

1^st Place Resident Research Award ($250)
Presenter: Atiq Budhani
Title: Brief OMT Improves Range of Motion, Reduces Pain & Anxiety As Shown by Interleukin 1-Beta Levels

Resident Research Award – Family Medicine Dept ($250)
Presenter: Atiq Budhani
Title: Brief OMT Improves Range of Motion, Reduces Pain & Anxiety As Shown by Interleukin 1-Beta Levels

1st Place Children’s Health Research Award (Pediatrics Dept.) ($300)
Presenter: Reproductive Health in Female Members of Cook Children’s Life After Cancer Program
Title: Kalyan Chitturi

2nd Place Children’s Health Research Award (Pediatrics Dept.) ($200)
Presenter: Irtiza Sheikh
Title: Formulating adjuvant therapy of rHDL nanoparticles with saquinavir to combat high-risk neuroblastoma

TCOM Medical Student Government Association
Best in First Year ($200)
Presenter: Brandon Cherry
Title:  Pyruvate Stabilizes electrocardiographic and hemodynamic function in pigs recovering from cardiac arrest

Best in Second Year ($200)
Presenter: Josin S. Kalathil
Title: Geriatric Exercise: Get Them Moving!

Best in Third Year ($200)
Presenter: Andrew Gdowski
Title: Bone Targeted Polymeric Nanoparticles for Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Best in Fourth Year ($200)
Presenter: Neel Shah
Title: Nerve Hydrodissection for Impingement of the Suprascapular Nerve

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
1st Place Oral Presentation ($500)
Presenter: Brandon Coder
Title: Age-related Thymic Involution Perturbs Negative Selection Leading to Autoreactive T Cells That Induce Chronic Inflammation (Inflammaging)

1st Place Postdoctoral Poster Award ($700)
Presenter: Gary Frank Scott MS, PhD
Title: Pyruvate induction of Nrf2/ARE-regulated Glyoxalase1 and Glutathione Reductase in porcine brain post-cardiac arrest: enhanced methylglyoxal detoxification

Department of Cell Biology and Immunology

1st Place Poster Award ($300)
Presenter: Chaitanya R. Joshi
Title: HIV-1 Tat and gp120 Regulate Astrocyte Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP)-1

2nd Place Poster Award ($200)
Presenter: Rudy Castillo
Title:The Role of Lymph Flow on MTLn3 induced Breast Cancer

3rd Place Poster Award ($100)
Presenter: Charlotte Redman
Title: Osteopathic Lymphatic Pump Treatment Does Not Alter Antibiotic Distribution in a Rat Model

1st Place Oral Award ($300)
Presenter: Brandon Coder
Title: Age-related Thymic Involution Perturbs Negative Selection Leading to Autoreactive T Cells That Induce Chronic Inflammation (Inflammaging)

2nd Place Oral Award ($200)
Presenter: Maximillion Mize
Title: Independent of bacterial clearance, Interleukin-17A acts to exacerbate pulmonary inflammation in BALB/c mice infected with Mycoplasma pulmonis

Robert J. Wordinger Excellence in Virology Research Poster Presentation 1st Place Award ($300)
Presenter: Shruthi Nooka
Title: Astrocyte AEG-1 regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in HAND

Robert J. Wordinger Excellence in Virology Research Poster Presentation 2nd Place Award ($200)
Presenter: Chaitanya R. Joshi
Title: HIV-1 Tat and gp120 Regulate Astrocyte Tissue Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP)-1

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

1st Place Genetics ($250)
Presenter: Michael R. Nolan
Title: Stated race/ethnicity is not a definitive indicator of patrilineal ancestry in males of major US populations

1st Place Forensics ($250)
Presenter: Lindsey Thompson
Title: Selection of an Ancestry-Informative Marker (AIM) Panel of INDELs

Graduate Student Association Awards
1st Place Poster Presentation ($500)
Presenter: Jaclyn Bermudez
Title: Histone Acetylation as an Epigenetic Regulator of Glaucoma-Associated Growth Factors in the Trabecular Meshwork

2nd Place Poster Presentation ($350)
Presenter: Divya Duggal
Title: R21C Mutation in Cardiac Troponin I Imposes Differences in the Degree of Order and Kinetics of Myosin Cross-bridges of Left and Right Ventricles

3rd Place Poster Presentation ($200)
Presenter: Rahul Chib
Title: Fluorescence polarization based detection of hyaluronidase activity as a biomarker for skin cancer

School of Public Health & Public Health Student Association
1st Place Poster Presentation ($500)
Presenter: Steven Pulvino
Title: Adverse Child Experiences and Their Effects on Child Behavior and Mental Health

2nd Place Poster Presentation ($350)
Presenter: Opeyemi Jegede
Title: Consecutive Missed School Days in Relationship with Asthma Status and Environmental Air Quality: Findings from a School based Asthma Initiative

3rd Place Poster Presentation ($200)
Presenter: Amy Board
Title: Determinants of Urinary Bisphenol-A Concentrations During Pregnancy

School of Health Professions
Best Physician Assistant Poster Presentation ($300)
Presenter: Victoria Kay
Title: The Role of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow on Tolerance to Central Hypovolemia

Best Physical Therapy Poster Presentation ($300)
Presenter: Hiral Master
Title: Association Between Peak Plantar Shear Stresses and Physical Body Measures

UNT System College of Pharmacy
Postdoctoral Research Award ($500)
Presenter: Xiaobin Liu
Title: Novel Strategy for RPE Protection: Glutaredoxin-Targeting Natural Products

Pharmacy Student Research Award ($500) 

(tie)
Presenter: Christy Xavier
Title: Inhibition of the Glutaredoxin System Increases Doxorubicin Sensitivity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Impairing the Nrf2-dependent Antioxidant Response

Presenter: Victor Lin
Title: Human cerebral organoids generated using urinary epithelial cell-derived induced pluripotent stem cells

Elena and Thomas Yorio Travel Award
Yong H. Park