The research opportunities for summer 2024 fall into three broad categories:
Arts and Sciences | Engineering | Public Health
Arts and Sciences
Megan Ballinger, PhD
Investigating the role of IRAK-M in regulating pulmonary fibrosis; understanding macrophage-fibroblast interactions in the setting of pulmonary fibrosis; investigating mechanisms of ozone-induced allergic inflammation that cause asthma exacerbations.
Richard Bruno, PhD, RD
The undergraduate researcher could engage in an project involving HPLC or LC-MS to develop a new analytical method to analyze bioactive food components (e.g., antioxidants) in foods or biospecimens that are associated with anti-cancer benefit. This project would be ideal for an individual who has taken laboratory sciences coursework in biochemistry and/or analytical chemistry and has interest in food/diet.
The undergraduate researcher could engage in a rodent project examining antioxidants and obesity on liver health. Project could involve handling rodents, conducting necropsy and analyzing available biospecimens by spectrophotometric assays, HPLC or molecular biology techniques. This project would be ideal for an individual who has in health benefits of diet/antioxidants and has prior coursework in any of these areas: molecular biology, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, general chemistry.
Venkat Gopalan, PhD
Structure and mechanism of action of ribonuclease P, a catalytic ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex. The endoribonuclease RNase P is a ubiquitous RNP that is involved in the maturation of tRNAs. In Escherichia coli, the RNase P holoenzyme consists of a catalytic RNA subunit (M1 RNA, 377 nts) and a protein cofactor (C5 protein, 119 amino acid residues). The long-term goal of our studies is to elucidate the mechanism of assembly of this unique catalytic RNP complex and thereby understand how an RNA-binding protein influences the structure and function of its RNA ligand.
Use of plant RNase P to inhibit gene expression. Recently, it has been demonstrated that endogenous, cellular RNase P can be guided to specifically destroy a target mRNA in bacterial and human cells in tissue culture. Our aim is to determine if plant RNase P could be utilized to disrupt gene expression in plants and their pathogens. These studies will help establish plant RNase P as a valuable functional genomics tool. Towards this objective, we have recently made significant progress in partially purifying and characterizing plant RNase P.
Wayne Miles, PhD
Tumor-suppressor genes function to prevent cellular transformation and tumor growth. These proteins predominantly function as transcriptional repressors and their loss during tumor initiation results in widespread transcriptional changes that promote de-regulated cellular growth. Although these changes are essential for tumors, the uncontrolled transcription generated by tumor-suppressor loss is very stressful for cancer cells. To alleviate this stress, cancer cells up-regulate a number of RNA regulatory proteins that function to screen and modulate the fate of RNAs produced by cancer cells. In this way, RNA-binding proteins are essential for cancer cell survival. Understanding how these proteins bind to RNA, what they do with it and how this changes the fate of the RNA is key to targeting cancer cell survival. Our group uses a number of approaches including CRISPR-Cas9 engineering, RNA-protein interaction assays and tumor biology to investigate the potentially targetable weaknesses in cancer cells.
Kamalakannan Palanichamy, PhD
My research focuses on understanding the underlying biology of the most aggressive malignancies and transforming these findings into therapeutic interventions. I utilize tools from each aspect of my unique background in biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, crystallography, drug design and oncology to identify predictive and prognostic markers and uncover their role in tumorigenesis.
Dehua Pei, PhD
Our research spans from mechanistic study of biological phenomena, development of novel methodologies, to applications of the mechanistic understanding and methodologies to discover novel therapeutic agents and chemical probes. It is estimated that ~75% of all disease relevant human proteins are undruggable by current drug modalities, which include small molecules (molecular weight <500) and biologics (molecular weight >5000). Prominent examples of undruggable proteins are those involved in intracellular protein-protein interactions (PPIs). The ultimate goals of our research are to understand how biomolecules travel across cell membranes and develop a new class of drugs — intracellular biologics — to target these challenging proteins. The following projects are under current investigation in our group.
Ruben Petreaca, PhD
Computational algorithms to identify mutation signatures in cancers.
Zac Shultz, PhD
The Schultz Lab uses laser spectroscopy and microscopy to detect chemical changes in samples that can be related to diseases such as cancer. Students will have the opportunity to use state of the art laser microscopes to characterize samples, such as hair to evaluate radiation induced changes or cancer cells exposed to theranostic agents. Interactions between the laser and the sample provide specific chemical patterns that are used to understand chemical changes and diagnose disease.
Yael Vodovotz, PhD
As part of the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences we collaborate with the College of Medicine and the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center to discover methods to use foods and food components to prevent cancer or to serve as an adjuvant to traditional cancer therapies.
Jian-Qiu Wu, PhD
Two defining characteristics of cancers are uncontrolled cell division and metastasis. We are studying cellular processes that are related to both aspects of cancers in model systems using complementary approaches; including genetics, quantitative microscopic imaging, cell biology, biochemistry and mathematical modeling. Cytokinesis, the final step of the cell-division cycle, is essential for cell proliferation and differentiation. Failure of cytokinesis can lead to tetraploidy, a prelude to aneuploidy and transformation of normal cells into cancer cells. Since most proteins involved in cytokinesis are evolutionarily conserved, principles established in our model system of the fission yeast S. pombe can be readily applied to higher eukaryotes, including humans. Cellular wound healing and cytokinesis are evolutionarily related processes due to both involving the actomyosin-cytoskeleton remodeling and plasma-membrane dynamics. Cellular wound healing is a ubiquitous process in eukaryotic cells and is essential for their survival. During metastasis, cancer cells are often stressed and wounded by the dense stroma and extracellular matrix. What we learn about molecular mechanisms of cellular wound healing will help us understand this intriguing biological process and design new or improved therapies to inhibit wound healing of cancer cells. Thus, our studies on cytokinesis and cellular wound healing will advance our understanding of basic fields significant to cancer research and human health. Specifically requested a Kenyon student.
Engineering
Emanuele Cocucci, PhD
I study basic mechanisms of membrane trafficking and how these processes deviate during cancer development when compared to normal cells. My research adopts multiple techniques, including traditional biochemistry, cell biology and high-resolution, fluorescent live cell microscopy. My goal is to define novel targets for cancer therapy and improve drug delivery by studying the internalization pathways and the mechanisms of endosomal escape adopted by artificial and biological nanovectors.
David Dean, PhD
Research in our lab does involve cancer therapies that are related to skeletal reconstructive surgery. These projects usually fall into one of two categories. The first is a "super team," Cell Culture and Surgery, that conducts projects that usually involve animal model and regenerative therapies (e.g., biofabrication — 3D printing with living materials). The second "super team" is Implant Design, Fabrication, and Validation. That team often works on imaging (e.g. virtual surgical planning including personalized medical device design), device fabrication and device mechanical testing. A number of the latter projects are working on point-of-care manufacturing strategies.
Daniel Gallego Perez, PhD
The development of novel biomedical micro- and nanoscale technologies for fundamental and translational applications. Major areas of emphasis in his lab include regenerative medicine, cell and tissue reprogramming, drug and gene delivery and cancer research. Specifically requested a Kenyon student.
Andre Palmer, PhD
Palmer’s research interests encompass the development of novel hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers for a variety of applications in transfusion medicine as red blood cell substitutes and tissue engineering as oxygen-carrying perfusates. His lab is also developing scavengers of hemoglobin, heme and iron, non heme-based plasma substitutes, and monocyte/macrophage targeted drug delivery systems.
Shaurya Prakash, PhD
Assist the lab team in working on biomarker discovery and validation for sarcoma by using microfluidic devices that selectively isolate extracellular vesicles. The project will comprise elements of hand-on laboratory experience and possible efforts in bioinformatics.
Aleksander Skardal, PhD
Our research program focuses on the design and implementation of extracellular matrix-inspired hydrogel biomaterials for the biofabrication of tissue and tumor organoids, organ-on-a-chip systems and cancer-on-a-chip systems for drug screening, disease modeling, and personalized medicine. Our team’s work has broad applicability across tissue types and diseases but has focused primarily in development of cancer models and recently neural models. Our biomaterial systems are largely hyaluronic acid-based with additional custom ECM component addons, synthetically modified in the lab. These are often combined with microfluidic devices for fluid handling capabilities. In particular, we have a significant interest in patient biospecimen-derived models that can facilitate and improve current precision medicine and precision oncology efforts in the clinic.
Jonathan Song, PhD
In particular, I use microscale engineering technology to reconstitute the microarchitecture of living tissue in vitro to investigate how tumor microenvironment components regulate angiogenesis and metastasis. I also seek to deploy engineered microsystems for large scale, high-throughput platforms for pre-clinical screening of multi-target anti-angiogenesis therapy.
Jessica Winter, PhD
Bionanotechnology, nanoparticles, quantum dots, magnetic nanoparticles, scalable nanomanufacturing, cancer, hydrogels, imaging, drug delivery, diagnostics, cell migration.
Public Health
Olorunfemi Adetona, PhD
Currently conducting research investigating adverse vascular health and potential carcinogenesis among wildland firefighters. Longitudinal changes in various physiological and molecular markers will be compared between wildland firefighters and emergency medical technicians. A student in the CREATES program could compare baseline respiratory health (spirometry) between the two groups and its association with chronic wildland fire smoke exposure.
Kedryn Baskin, PhD
The Baskin Lab investigates the crossroads of transcriptional regulation and metabolism. We are currently investigating how food preservatives negatively impact the body. Students will have an opportunity to learn a variety of lab techniques and methods in mouse genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, metabolism, biochemistry, and cardiovascular and exercise physiology. Additionally, students will learn to design experiments and analyze data, and participate in lab meetings.
Ahmad El Hellani, PhD, and Marielle Brinkman, BS
The Brinkman/El Hellani lab studies tobacco emissions in a controlled analytical lab setting using smoking machines. These machines are programmed based on standard puffing profiles or data collected from participants in clinical trials. Our work focuses on toxicity assessment of tobacco emissions and we manipulate tobacco ingredients to assess the impact of tobacco additives on emissions. An undergraduate student will have the chance to work in a transdisciplinary environment with access to state-of-the art tobacco research technologies and analytical instruments.
Amy Ferketich, PhD, and Kristen Fox, PhD
The student working with Fox and Ferketich will be involved in coding of qualitative interviews conducted with individuals who were part of two studies. One was with youth who are living with a congenital heart disease diagnosis and the focus of that study is on e-cigarette use prevention. The other study was conducted with adult patients who are living with chronic pancreatitis and the focus of that study is on smoking cessation. The student will be trained on qualitative coding and will conduct the coding with other students working on the team. The student’s independent project will involve an analysis of data from a national survey, such as the National Youth Tobacco Survey or the National Health Interview Survey.
Darren Mays, PhD
The tobacco industry has long relied on specific marketing strategies to sell their products, and over time tobacco packaging has become an essential component of tobacco industry marketing. Increasingly, tobacco companies are shifting marketing investments to newer products, including oral nicotine pouches. Marketing for these products uses unique strategies, including communicating about dimensions of nicotine to consumers. This includes displaying nicotine concentration on oral nicotine pouch packaging, and using claims such as the products contain “tobacco free” nicotine. There is little research on if and how these aspects of oral nicotine pouch marketing impact how people think and feel about the products, and whether they decide to use them. Answering these questions is important to inform FDA regulations because regulations surrounding marketing content can be designed to limit marketing strategies that lead to undesirable public health outcomes (e.g., people who do not otherwise use tobacco using oral nicotine pouches). Project 3 will study how manipulating different dimensions of nicotine in oral nicotine pouch marketing affect how consumers engage with the marketing, their perceptions of oral nicotine pouches, their preferences for oral nicotine pouches relative to other tobacco products, and whether they decide to use them.
Electra Paskett, PhD
My research program is nationally recognized for studying cancer health disparities. The program has four major areas of focus and has evolved to utilize a team science approach to understanding and intervening in these problems: energy balance and cancer prevention; promoting the use of early-detection exams; improving access to diagnostic and treatment services; and preventing lymphedema, a chronic and potentially debilitating condition that occurs in many patients who undergo lymph node dissection as part of their cancer treatment. Specifically requested a Kenyon student.
Joanne Patterson, PhD, MPH, MSW
The Practice and Science for LGBTQ Health Equity Lab is focused on reducing LGBTQ health inequities in the context of cancer prevention and control. This spring, we're conducting an LGBTQ health needs assessment in Columbus with the OSU Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Evaluation Studies (HOPES) and the City of Columbus Department of Health. During summer 2024, we'll be focused on qualitative coding of focus groups and key informant interviews from the health needs assessment. We'll also be working on translating findings from ongoing projects focused on tobacco cessation and harm reduction among LGBTQ communities into public facing reports and social media content. Students could be involved in either of these endeavours. My lab currently includes four MPH and three undergraduate students. I anticipate we'll have two MPH and two undergraduate students continuing throughout the summer, so anyone who comes in for summer mentoring will be working in a peer-team environment.
Megan Roberts, PhD
Roberts' research focuses on tobacco use among historically marginalized populations — particularly adolescents and young adults, racial/ethnic minorities and individuals living in rural areas. The ultimate aim is to better understand the factors that contribute to tobacco initiation and tobacco-related disparities, as well as how such factors can be targeted for prevention.
Kristy Townsend, PhD
Obesity is linked with certain cancers, and we investigate small fiber peripheral neuropathies including with diabetes and chemotherapy.
Mark Weir, PhD
We focus in the boundary area between engineering and public health advancing a methodology called quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) and broader mechanistic risk modeling methods. This means that we develop computational models and data needed for those models to describe the microbial environment, how people interact with these environments, and how people's decisions influence health risks they experience.