Meharry Medical College Research Directory

MMC Research Publications:Booklet

11/15/07

3:02 PM

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MMC Research Publications:Booklet

11/15/07

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Table of Contents Welcome - President Wayne J. Riley, MD Overview of Research in the School of Medicine – Dr. V. Montgomery Rice Overview of Research in the School of Dentistry – Dr. W. B. Butler Research in Basic Science Departments Cancer Biology Cardiovascular Biology Medical Education Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology Research in Clinical Departments Family and Community Medicine Internal Medicine Neurology Obstetrics and Gynecology Pathology Surgery Research Centers Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research Center for Women’s Health Research Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Research Programs Asthma Disparities in Cohorts at Risk for Morbidity DoD Prostate Cancer Research Program Mechanisms of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Toxicity (ARCH) Meharry Center for Health Disparities in HIV Meharry Clinical Research Center Meharry Export Center for Health Disparities Meharry RCMI Program in Women’s Health Research Specialized Neuroscience Research Program (SNRP) Project at Meharry Medical College Office for Research Research Training Programs in the School of Graduate Studies and Research Research in School of Dentistry

Page 1 2 2 4-16 4-7 8-9 9-10 11-13 14-16 18-30 18-19 20-23 23-24 25-27 28 28-30 31-34 32 33 34 35-37 35 35 35 36 36-37 37 37 37 38 39-40 41

MMC Research Publications:Booklet

11/15/07

3:02 PM

Page 2

Table of Contents Welcome - President Wayne J. Riley, MD Overview of Research in the School of Medicine – Dr. V. Montgomery Rice Overview of Research in the School of Dentistry – Dr. W. B. Butler Research in Basic Science Departments Cancer Biology Cardiovascular Biology Medical Education Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology Research in Clinical Departments Family and Community Medicine Internal Medicine Neurology Obstetrics and Gynecology Pathology Surgery Research Centers Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research Center for Women’s Health Research Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Research Programs Asthma Disparities in Cohorts at Risk for Morbidity DoD Prostate Cancer Research Program Mechanisms of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Toxicity (ARCH) Meharry Center for Health Disparities in HIV Meharry Clinical Research Center Meharry Export Center for Health Disparities Meharry RCMI Program in Women’s Health Research Specialized Neuroscience Research Program (SNRP) Project at Meharry Medical College Office for Research Research Training Programs in the School of Graduate Studies and Research Research in School of Dentistry

Page 1 2 2 4-16 4-7 8-9 9-10 11-13 14-16 18-30 18-19 20-23 23-24 25-27 28 28-30 31-34 32 33 34 35-37 35 35 35 36 36-37 37 37 37 38 39-40 41

MMC Research Publications:Booklet

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Message from our President I am proud to lead Meharry Medical College at this propitious time in its history, when the

elimination of Health Disparities - always a part of our mission – is now a critical concern of

the national agenda. To that end, our research focuses on a number of disease areas that represent disparities in susceptibility or health outcome, including

cancer; women’s heath; HIV/AIDS and other emerging infectious

diseases; brain and behavior, including injury prevention; and a nascent emphasis on cardiovascular disease and the

obesity/diabetes/metabolic disease triad. The impact of our

longstanding research on seat belt safety, a component of the

overarching theme of injury prevention, has inspired a greater emphasis on having Meharry’s health disparities research inform public policy.

Indeed, it is my goal that during my tenure of leadership at Meharry, our research enterprise will also embrace research in public policy.

Part of the elimination of health disparities in our country requires that we increase the

diversification of our healthcare and biomedical discovery workforce to include members of all races and ethnic backgrounds at a proportion that reflects the changing

School of Medicine At Meharry Medical College, the diverse research programs of our faculty reflect Meharry’s mission to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities. To meet this goal, we link laboratorybased and clinical research with community-based investigations. Our research focus areas all represent areas of considerable health disparities for minority and under-served populations, and include obesity, diabetes and their comorbidities; cancer; women’s health; HIV/AIDS and emerging infectious diseases; brain and behavior. Many of our theme areas also are embraced by multi-disciplinary Centers, including the Center for Women’s Health Research, which focuses specifically on diseases that disproportionately impact women of color; the Center for Health Disparities in HIV; and the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Research. The research, training, and outreach and education efforts fostered by these Centers are outlined in more detail at the end of this brochure.

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD Sr. Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean, School of Medicine

demographics of our population in the United States. To this end, we train physicians,

dentists, and biomedical scientists engaged in laboratory or clinically-based research, as

School of Dentistry

well as Masters of Science in Clinical Investigation, and Masters of Science in Public Health.

Our graduates are extensively recruited by other institutions for the next phase of their training. This is a manifestation of our success in launching the careers of the next

generation of health care professionals and investigators who address questions from bench-to-bedside, to community-to-public policy.

Our faculty are in the process of crafting our Strategic Plan for our Research Enterprise for

2008-2013 as part of a campus-wide strategic planning process. I am gratified by the level

of energy and creativity they are bringing to this process, as it bodes well for the success of our individual and combined and synergistic efforts, including efforts in partnership with institutions locally and nationally.

Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, FACP President

Meharry Medical College

1

The School of Dentistry emphasizes the training of the next generation of Dentists, many of whom will spend their career serving indigent populations. There is considerable data that link health outcomes to oral health, and thus Meharry's Oral Biology and Research program, led by Dr. Hua Xie, Associate Professor, addresses the impact of the distinct bacterial organisms in the oral cavity on evoking inflammation that correlates possible differences in susceptibility to certain infections, such as HIV/AIDS. Dr. Angel Rivera Torres, Chair, Department of Dental Public Health, leads community-based research. Dental students at Meharry welcome the opportunity to do research, and seek out summer research opportunities with faculty in the Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and with mentors in the Masters of Science in Public Health, offered by the School of Graduate Studies and outside mentors. The School of Dentistry encourages research among Meharry's faculty, dental students and dental residents.

William B. Butler, DDS, MS Dean, School of Dentistry

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MMC Research Publications:Booklet

11/15/07

3:02 PM

Page 4

Message from our President I am proud to lead Meharry Medical College at this propitious time in its history, when the

elimination of Health Disparities - always a part of our mission – is now a critical concern of

the national agenda. To that end, our research focuses on a number of disease areas that represent disparities in susceptibility or health outcome, including

cancer; women’s heath; HIV/AIDS and other emerging infectious

diseases; brain and behavior, including injury prevention; and a nascent emphasis on cardiovascular disease and the

obesity/diabetes/metabolic disease triad. The impact of our

longstanding research on seat belt safety, a component of the

overarching theme of injury prevention, has inspired a greater emphasis on having Meharry’s health disparities research inform public policy.

Indeed, it is my goal that during my tenure of leadership at Meharry, our research enterprise will also embrace research in public policy.

Part of the elimination of health disparities in our country requires that we increase the

diversification of our healthcare and biomedical discovery workforce to include members of all races and ethnic backgrounds at a proportion that reflects the changing

School of Medicine At Meharry Medical College, the diverse research programs of our faculty reflect Meharry’s mission to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities. To meet this goal, we link laboratorybased and clinical research with community-based investigations. Our research focus areas all represent areas of considerable health disparities for minority and under-served populations, and include obesity, diabetes and their comorbidities; cancer; women’s health; HIV/AIDS and emerging infectious diseases; brain and behavior. Many of our theme areas also are embraced by multi-disciplinary Centers, including the Center for Women’s Health Research, which focuses specifically on diseases that disproportionately impact women of color; the Center for Health Disparities in HIV; and the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Research. The research, training, and outreach and education efforts fostered by these Centers are outlined in more detail at the end of this brochure.

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD Sr. Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean, School of Medicine

demographics of our population in the United States. To this end, we train physicians,

dentists, and biomedical scientists engaged in laboratory or clinically-based research, as

School of Dentistry

well as Masters of Science in Clinical Investigation, and Masters of Science in Public Health.

Our graduates are extensively recruited by other institutions for the next phase of their training. This is a manifestation of our success in launching the careers of the next

generation of health care professionals and investigators who address questions from bench-to-bedside, to community-to-public policy.

Our faculty are in the process of crafting our Strategic Plan for our Research Enterprise for

2008-2013 as part of a campus-wide strategic planning process. I am gratified by the level

of energy and creativity they are bringing to this process, as it bodes well for the success of our individual and combined and synergistic efforts, including efforts in partnership with institutions locally and nationally.

Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, FACP President

Meharry Medical College

1

The School of Dentistry emphasizes the training of the next generation of Dentists, many of whom will spend their career serving indigent populations. There is considerable data that link health outcomes to oral health, and thus Meharry's Oral Biology and Research program, led by Dr. Hua Xie, Associate Professor, addresses the impact of the distinct bacterial organisms in the oral cavity on evoking inflammation that correlates possible differences in susceptibility to certain infections, such as HIV/AIDS. Dr. Angel Rivera Torres, Chair, Department of Dental Public Health, leads community-based research. Dental students at Meharry welcome the opportunity to do research, and seek out summer research opportunities with faculty in the Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and with mentors in the Masters of Science in Public Health, offered by the School of Graduate Studies and outside mentors. The School of Dentistry encourages research among Meharry's faculty, dental students and dental residents.

William B. Butler, DDS, MS Dean, School of Dentistry

2

MMC Research Publications:Booklet

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The vision for the Department of Cancer Biology is to develop innovative research in cancer biology, train students and postdoctoral fellows in cancer research and to contribute to the fight against cancer, especially in minorities.

The principal goal of research in this department is to use innovative biochemical and molecular approaches to elucidate the molecular mechaisms by which chemicals, environmental factors, genetics and biological agents, and other factors cause cancer. To achieve this goal, faculty partner with cancer research scientists at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center to develop basic and translational research projects in the cancers that disproportionately affect minority populations.

Research in Basic Science Departments

http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-cancer.html

Department of Cancer Biology

Department of Cancer Biology

Samuel Evans Adunyah, PhD Email: sadunyah@mmc.edu Professor & Chairman, Department of Cancer Biology

Research in Basic Science Departments

Research Interests The research in Dr. Adunyah’s laboratory focuses on molecular mechanisms of signal transduction of hematopoietic growth factors, including cytokines and differentiation agents, that regulate cell growth and differentiation. Their goal is to understand the role of cytokines in the immune system and the impact of these agents on cancer susceptibility and progression. Human Interleukin-17 is a novel cytokine produced by activated T cells which induces T cell proliferation, leading to the production of other cytokines. IL-17 may be a clinical target for the management of acute myeloid leukemia, erythroleukemia and bone marrow suppression, as it is implicated in myeloma, lymphoma, breast and prostate cancer and other types of cancer.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-sadunyah.html

Gautam Chaudhuri, PhD Email: gchaudhuri@mmc.edu Professor, Departments of Cancer Biology and Microbial Pathogenesis & the Immune Response Research Interests Dr. Chaudhuri is interested in the biology of macrophages as it relates to the malignant transformation of human breast cancer cells as well as to the propagation of the protozoan parasite Leishmania. Breast cancer research in Dr. Chaudhuri’s laboratory focuses on the study of the secretion of chemokines and cytokines by tumor associated M2 macrophages to modulate the expressions of the transcriptional repressor proteins SLUG and SNAIL in the benign breast tumor cells, resulting in their malignant transformation. His laboratory is developing DNA decoys and peptide aptamers against the functions of SLUG and SNAIL to prevent metastatic development of breast cancer.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-gchaudhuri.html

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MMC Research Publications:Booklet

11/15/07

3:02 PM

Page 6

The vision for the Department of Cancer Biology is to develop innovative research in cancer biology, train students and postdoctoral fellows in cancer research and to contribute to the fight against cancer, especially in minorities.

The principal goal of research in this department is to use innovative biochemical and molecular approaches to elucidate the molecular mechaisms by which chemicals, environmental factors, genetics and biological agents, and other factors cause cancer. To achieve this goal, faculty partner with cancer research scientists at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center to develop basic and translational research projects in the cancers that disproportionately affect minority populations.

Research in Basic Science Departments

http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-cancer.html

Department of Cancer Biology

Department of Cancer Biology

Samuel Evans Adunyah, PhD Email: sadunyah@mmc.edu Professor & Chairman, Department of Cancer Biology

Research in Basic Science Departments

Research Interests The research in Dr. Adunyah’s laboratory focuses on molecular mechanisms of signal transduction of hematopoietic growth factors, including cytokines and differentiation agents, that regulate cell growth and differentiation. Their goal is to understand the role of cytokines in the immune system and the impact of these agents on cancer susceptibility and progression. Human Interleukin-17 is a novel cytokine produced by activated T cells which induces T cell proliferation, leading to the production of other cytokines. IL-17 may be a clinical target for the management of acute myeloid leukemia, erythroleukemia and bone marrow suppression, as it is implicated in myeloma, lymphoma, breast and prostate cancer and other types of cancer.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-sadunyah.html

Gautam Chaudhuri, PhD Email: gchaudhuri@mmc.edu Professor, Departments of Cancer Biology and Microbial Pathogenesis & the Immune Response Research Interests Dr. Chaudhuri is interested in the biology of macrophages as it relates to the malignant transformation of human breast cancer cells as well as to the propagation of the protozoan parasite Leishmania. Breast cancer research in Dr. Chaudhuri’s laboratory focuses on the study of the secretion of chemokines and cytokines by tumor associated M2 macrophages to modulate the expressions of the transcriptional repressor proteins SLUG and SNAIL in the benign breast tumor cells, resulting in their malignant transformation. His laboratory is developing DNA decoys and peptide aptamers against the functions of SLUG and SNAIL to prevent metastatic development of breast cancer.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-gchaudhuri.html

3

4

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Josiah Ochieng, PhD Email: jochieng@mmc.edu Professor, Department of Cancer Biology; Deputy Director, RCMI

Research Interests Dr. Das’ laboratory focuses on two areas of research: breast cancer and airway disease, and the role of environment and diet in the molecular mechanisms of both of these pathologies.

The observation that the decreased incidence of breast cancer in Asian women is lost when these women immigrate to the United States suggests a role for diet, specifically soy, in protecting against breast cancer. Dr. Das’ laboratory is testing whether the dramatically increased peripheral benzodiazepine receptor expression in aggressive breast cancers is involved in proliferation of breast epithelial cells in cancer. Dr. Das and his team also investigate the signaling pathways involved in pathological responses to cigarette smoke or inhaled chemical warfare agents.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-sdas.html

Research Interests Dr. Ochieng and his colleagues are exploring the significance of galectin-3 in integrin functions during malignant progression of breast and prostate carcinomas. Gene disruption strategies have revealed the important role of changes in galectin-3 expression on cell-cell interactions and cell-matrix interactions. A similar conceptual framework underlies his studies on the role of fetuins in tumorigenesis and metastasis. Preliminary data have led to the hypothesis that fetuin A localizes matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) on the surface of tumor cells, modulates their activation processes and as such, serves as an critical accessory protein for activation of MMPs. Testing hypotheses regarding galectin 3 and fetuin A is of importance in identifying novel therapeutic targets for tumor proliferation and progression through metastasis.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jochieng.html

Sakina E. Eltom, DVM, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Cancer Biology Director of Graduate Studies, Pharmacology Program

Email: seltom@mail.mmc.edu

Olugbemiga “Ben” Ogunkua, MD, PhD Email: oogunkua@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Departments of Cancer Biology and of Medical Education

Research Interests Dr. Eltom’s laboratory is investigating how particular environmental chemicals cause cancer of certain organs but not others. They are looking at how the chemical dioxin causes cancers of the liver, skin, thyroid, etc., but appears to protect against breast cancer. This chemical exerts its functions by binding to a cellular protein called the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). However, Dr. Eltom’s recent studies on human tumors have also revealed a novel mechanism by which the AhR provokes cancer progression the absence of environmental carcinogens.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-seltom.html

Research Interests Dr. Ogunkua and his colleagues are examining the impact of the environmental toxin benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P]. His laboratory is exploiting a genetically engineered mouse model that permits the study of prostate carcinogenesis in an experimentally amenable time frame.

The central hypothesis to be tested is that exposure to B(a)P aerosol at levels experienced by human beings in certain environments or in certain foods results in alteration of prostatic function, leading to induction or acceleration of prostate cancer formation. These studies will advance our knowledge of the role of environmental toxicants on the initiation and progression of prostate cancer.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-oogunkua.html

J. Shawn Goodwin, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Cancer Biology and Director, Fluorescence Microscopy Core

Email: jgoodwin@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Goodwin’s primary role is Managing Director of the Fluorescence Microscopy Core, a resource for the faculty and their trainees to integrate the resources of fluorescence and brightfield microscopy with histology and immunohistochemistry. The core offers consultation on instrumentation and experimental design, training on instrumentation, and collaboration opportunities. Dr. Goodwin also collaborates with faculty colleagues on trafficking among discrete cell surface compartments (lipid rafts) and on mechanisms for calcium mobilization.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jsgoodwin.html

5

Aramandla Ramesh, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Cancer Biology

Research in Basic Science Departments

Email: sdas@mmc.edu

Department of Cancer Biology

Salil K. Das, PhD Professor, Department of Cancer Biology

Email: aramesh@mmc.edu

Research Interests The research in Dr. Ramesh’s laboratory focuses on benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), a lipophilic, widely distributed environmental toxicant. Their studies have shown that exposure of rats to (B(a)P) indulces the cytochrome P450 (CYP) family of enzymes, resulting in the formation and distribution of reactive metabolites in plasma and target tissues. They postulate that dietary fat contributes to (B(a)P)-induced colon carcinogenesis through CYP-mediated epoxide and quinone pathways; they are testing their hypothesis by studying the effects of oral exposure of adult Apc min -/- mice, a colon cancer model, to (B(a)P) in saturated fat. These studies will reveal the contribution of consumed fatty foods contaminated with toxic chemicals to the development of colorectal cancers in humans.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-aramesh.html

6

MMC Research Publications:Booklet

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Josiah Ochieng, PhD Email: jochieng@mmc.edu Professor, Department of Cancer Biology; Deputy Director, RCMI

Research Interests Dr. Das’ laboratory focuses on two areas of research: breast cancer and airway disease, and the role of environment and diet in the molecular mechanisms of both of these pathologies.

The observation that the decreased incidence of breast cancer in Asian women is lost when these women immigrate to the United States suggests a role for diet, specifically soy, in protecting against breast cancer. Dr. Das’ laboratory is testing whether the dramatically increased peripheral benzodiazepine receptor expression in aggressive breast cancers is involved in proliferation of breast epithelial cells in cancer. Dr. Das and his team also investigate the signaling pathways involved in pathological responses to cigarette smoke or inhaled chemical warfare agents.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-sdas.html

Research Interests Dr. Ochieng and his colleagues are exploring the significance of galectin-3 in integrin functions during malignant progression of breast and prostate carcinomas. Gene disruption strategies have revealed the important role of changes in galectin-3 expression on cell-cell interactions and cell-matrix interactions. A similar conceptual framework underlies his studies on the role of fetuins in tumorigenesis and metastasis. Preliminary data have led to the hypothesis that fetuin A localizes matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) on the surface of tumor cells, modulates their activation processes and as such, serves as an critical accessory protein for activation of MMPs. Testing hypotheses regarding galectin 3 and fetuin A is of importance in identifying novel therapeutic targets for tumor proliferation and progression through metastasis.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jochieng.html

Sakina E. Eltom, DVM, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Cancer Biology Director of Graduate Studies, Pharmacology Program

Email: seltom@mail.mmc.edu

Olugbemiga “Ben” Ogunkua, MD, PhD Email: oogunkua@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Departments of Cancer Biology and of Medical Education

Research Interests Dr. Eltom’s laboratory is investigating how particular environmental chemicals cause cancer of certain organs but not others. They are looking at how the chemical dioxin causes cancers of the liver, skin, thyroid, etc., but appears to protect against breast cancer. This chemical exerts its functions by binding to a cellular protein called the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). However, Dr. Eltom’s recent studies on human tumors have also revealed a novel mechanism by which the AhR provokes cancer progression the absence of environmental carcinogens.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-seltom.html

Research Interests Dr. Ogunkua and his colleagues are examining the impact of the environmental toxin benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P]. His laboratory is exploiting a genetically engineered mouse model that permits the study of prostate carcinogenesis in an experimentally amenable time frame.

The central hypothesis to be tested is that exposure to B(a)P aerosol at levels experienced by human beings in certain environments or in certain foods results in alteration of prostatic function, leading to induction or acceleration of prostate cancer formation. These studies will advance our knowledge of the role of environmental toxicants on the initiation and progression of prostate cancer.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-oogunkua.html

J. Shawn Goodwin, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Cancer Biology and Director, Fluorescence Microscopy Core

Email: jgoodwin@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Goodwin’s primary role is Managing Director of the Fluorescence Microscopy Core, a resource for the faculty and their trainees to integrate the resources of fluorescence and brightfield microscopy with histology and immunohistochemistry. The core offers consultation on instrumentation and experimental design, training on instrumentation, and collaboration opportunities. Dr. Goodwin also collaborates with faculty colleagues on trafficking among discrete cell surface compartments (lipid rafts) and on mechanisms for calcium mobilization.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jsgoodwin.html

5

Aramandla Ramesh, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Cancer Biology

Research in Basic Science Departments

Email: sdas@mmc.edu

Department of Cancer Biology

Salil K. Das, PhD Professor, Department of Cancer Biology

Email: aramesh@mmc.edu

Research Interests The research in Dr. Ramesh’s laboratory focuses on benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), a lipophilic, widely distributed environmental toxicant. Their studies have shown that exposure of rats to (B(a)P) indulces the cytochrome P450 (CYP) family of enzymes, resulting in the formation and distribution of reactive metabolites in plasma and target tissues. They postulate that dietary fat contributes to (B(a)P)-induced colon carcinogenesis through CYP-mediated epoxide and quinone pathways; they are testing their hypothesis by studying the effects of oral exposure of adult Apc min -/- mice, a colon cancer model, to (B(a)P) in saturated fat. These studies will reveal the contribution of consumed fatty foods contaminated with toxic chemicals to the development of colorectal cancers in humans.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-aramesh.html

6

MMC Research Publications:Booklet

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Research Interests The research in Dr. Stewart’s laboratory focuses on the compounds that activate the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). PPARγ activators reduce growth of cultured human prostate cancer cells in vitro as well as prostate tumors in mouse models of prostate cancer. They are conducting studies to determine whether PPARγ ligands decrease cancer cell invasion and other processes required for the formation of prostate cancer metastases, with the ultimate goal of developing new therapies to decrease the spread of both-early and late-stage prostate cancer.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-lstewart.html

Marilyn E. Thompson, PhD Email: methompson@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Cancer Biology and Director of Graduate Studies, Cancer Biology Research Interests The Thompson laboratory is interested in molecular events within cells that are causal for initiation or progression of cancer. Sustained activation of cancer-provoking signaling pathways leads to a decrease in BRCA1 expression and alters its relative distribution in the cytosol versus the nucleus. Other environmental “cues” that accompany proliferation and metastasis, such as hypoxia, also alter the localization and expression of BRCA1. Her laboratory also investigates the role of calcium in modulating BRCA1 localization and function.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-mthompson.html

Manuel Valenzuela, PhD Professor, Department of Cancer Biology

Email: mvalenzuela@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Valenzuela's laboratory is interested in the general area of DNA replication. Current studies are focused on gaining a better understanding about abnormal cell growth by studying the global activation of initiation sites for DNA replication in human cancer cells using DNA microarray technology.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-mvalenzuela.html

Department of Cardiovascular Biology http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-cardio.html

The discipline of cardiovascular biology examines the development of the heart and vasculature and the functions and regulation of these organs in the adult.

Research at Meharry focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying pathologies in the cardiovascular system, often contributing to disparities in health outcomes for cardiovascular disease, including diabetes, oxidative stress, dyslipidemias, and atherosclerosis.

The goal of research in this department is to ultimately link our fundamental inquiries to human disease with the intent of discovering new diagnostic or therapeutic strategies. The interim Chair of this department is Lee E. Limbird, PhD. Ifeanyi Arinze, PhD Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Biology

Research in Basic Science Departments

Email: lstewart@mmc.edu

Department of Cardiovascular Biology

LaMonica V. Stewart, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Cancer Biology

Email: iarinze@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Arinze's laboratory is interested in the signal transduction mechanisms by which hormones and other factors regulate a variety of metabolic processes. Current studies are focused on the use of cultured cells to study molecular mechanisms regulating expression of G proteins, specifically Gαi2 , and on the impact of oxidative stress on transcriptional regulation of G protein expression.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-iarinze.html

ZhongMao Guo, MD, PhD Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Biology

Email: zguo@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Guo’s laboratory studies the contribution of multiple stresses, such as oxidative stress and endoplasmic veticulum stress, to the development of a variety of vascular diseases. His research exploits genome-wide assessment of genes and proteins with gene array and proteomics strategies, as well as cell biological strategies and transgenic/knockout approaches to outline the critical signal transduction pathways in the genesis of atherosclerosis and hypertension. Dr. Guo's laboratory also collaborates with physicians to study the role of oxidative stress in the disparity of hypertension in African-Americans.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-zguo.html

Evangeline D. Motley-Johnson, PhD Email: emotley@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Biology Associate Dean, School of Graduate Studies

7

Research Interests Dr. Motley’s laboratory studies the signal transduction mechanisms responsible for changes in the vasculature that lead to hypertension, atherosclerosis and diabetes. She and her colleagues have delineated the signaling pathway by which angiotensin II, a known hypertensive agent, causes vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. They further demonstrated that angiotensin II and reactive oxygen species are involved in signaling pathways that lead to insulin resistance, a hallmark of diabetes. Their current research is focused on the role of thrombin in endothelial dysfunction.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-emotley.html

8

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Research Interests The research in Dr. Stewart’s laboratory focuses on the compounds that activate the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). PPARγ activators reduce growth of cultured human prostate cancer cells in vitro as well as prostate tumors in mouse models of prostate cancer. They are conducting studies to determine whether PPARγ ligands decrease cancer cell invasion and other processes required for the formation of prostate cancer metastases, with the ultimate goal of developing new therapies to decrease the spread of both-early and late-stage prostate cancer.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-lstewart.html

Marilyn E. Thompson, PhD Email: methompson@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Cancer Biology and Director of Graduate Studies, Cancer Biology Research Interests The Thompson laboratory is interested in molecular events within cells that are causal for initiation or progression of cancer. Sustained activation of cancer-provoking signaling pathways leads to a decrease in BRCA1 expression and alters its relative distribution in the cytosol versus the nucleus. Other environmental “cues” that accompany proliferation and metastasis, such as hypoxia, also alter the localization and expression of BRCA1. Her laboratory also investigates the role of calcium in modulating BRCA1 localization and function.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-mthompson.html

Manuel Valenzuela, PhD Professor, Department of Cancer Biology

Email: mvalenzuela@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Valenzuela's laboratory is interested in the general area of DNA replication. Current studies are focused on gaining a better understanding about abnormal cell growth by studying the global activation of initiation sites for DNA replication in human cancer cells using DNA microarray technology.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-mvalenzuela.html

Department of Cardiovascular Biology http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-cardio.html

The discipline of cardiovascular biology examines the development of the heart and vasculature and the functions and regulation of these organs in the adult.

Research at Meharry focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying pathologies in the cardiovascular system, often contributing to disparities in health outcomes for cardiovascular disease, including diabetes, oxidative stress, dyslipidemias, and atherosclerosis.

The goal of research in this department is to ultimately link our fundamental inquiries to human disease with the intent of discovering new diagnostic or therapeutic strategies. The interim Chair of this department is Lee E. Limbird, PhD. Ifeanyi Arinze, PhD Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Biology

Research in Basic Science Departments

Email: lstewart@mmc.edu

Department of Cardiovascular Biology

LaMonica V. Stewart, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Cancer Biology

Email: iarinze@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Arinze's laboratory is interested in the signal transduction mechanisms by which hormones and other factors regulate a variety of metabolic processes. Current studies are focused on the use of cultured cells to study molecular mechanisms regulating expression of G proteins, specifically Gαi2 , and on the impact of oxidative stress on transcriptional regulation of G protein expression.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-iarinze.html

ZhongMao Guo, MD, PhD Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Biology

Email: zguo@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Guo’s laboratory studies the contribution of multiple stresses, such as oxidative stress and endoplasmic veticulum stress, to the development of a variety of vascular diseases. His research exploits genome-wide assessment of genes and proteins with gene array and proteomics strategies, as well as cell biological strategies and transgenic/knockout approaches to outline the critical signal transduction pathways in the genesis of atherosclerosis and hypertension. Dr. Guo's laboratory also collaborates with physicians to study the role of oxidative stress in the disparity of hypertension in African-Americans.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-zguo.html

Evangeline D. Motley-Johnson, PhD Email: emotley@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Biology Associate Dean, School of Graduate Studies

7

Research Interests Dr. Motley’s laboratory studies the signal transduction mechanisms responsible for changes in the vasculature that lead to hypertension, atherosclerosis and diabetes. She and her colleagues have delineated the signaling pathway by which angiotensin II, a known hypertensive agent, causes vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. They further demonstrated that angiotensin II and reactive oxygen species are involved in signaling pathways that lead to insulin resistance, a hallmark of diabetes. Their current research is focused on the role of thrombin in endothelial dysfunction.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-emotley.html

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Research Interests Dr. Yang directs a proteomics laboratory, which she exploits to investigate the mechanism of atherosclerosis and dyslipidemia, and especially the impact of estrogen on protection against these diseases, and their increase in frequency amoung postmenopausal women. The goal of the research in her laboratory is to explore the proteins and pathways that link estrogen and oxidative stress to atherogenesis and dyslipidemia using proteomics techniques and molecular biology approaches.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-hyang.html

Department of Medical Education Faculty in the Department of Medical Education serve as the core faculty for teaching of the preclinical basic sciences for our professional students in the School of Medicine and the School of Dentristry. Their research interests span next educational strategies to ethical issues in basic and clinical research, to bench to bedside issues in neuroendocrine function.

John Clark, PhD Professor, Department of Medical Education

Linda Sander, PhD Professor, Department of Medical Education

Email: lsander@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Sander is trained in gastrointestinal endocrinology and in bioethics. Since closing her animal research laboratory several years ago, she has concentrated on 1) presentation of NIH-funded conferences on research ethics for health care professionals, students, researchers and research regulation personnel and 2) curriculum development for medical students in the areas of health policy and societal justice. Her current research involves a 25year follow-up to a survey of attitudes about HIV/AIDS among Tennessee health care professionals.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/education/medical/ethics/index.html

Stephanie Sweet, MD Assistant Professor and Vice-Chair, Clinical Skills

Research in Basic Science Departments

Email: hyang@mmc.edu

Department of Medical Education

Hong Yang, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Biology

Email: ssweet@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Sweet studies the effect of oral contraceptives and endogenous sex steroids on uterine leiomyomas. She and her team also analyze factors expressed by tissue from the vaginal fornix associated with ethnic disparities in women with bacterial vaginosis and increased risk for HIV-1 acquisition.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-ssweet.html

Email: jclark@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Clark's research focuses on neuroendocrine function in altered physiological states such as aging, hypertension, obesity and diabetes. Recent work has assessed the impact of dietary phytoestrogens (e.g., genistein or grape seed extract) on cardiovascular and metabolic function in rats; he plans to extend his work to evaluate the relevance of his findings in animal models to human subjects.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jclark.html

Carol Freund-Taylor, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Education

Email: cfreund@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Freund-Taylor is trained in human genetics and bioethics. Her research interests are in the areas of ethics issues related to the clinical integration of genetic technologies, particularly in the area of pharmacogenomics, and she is also collaborating with colleagues at Vanderbilt to study the social meaning of genetics for personal and group identity. In addition, Dr. Freund is beginning investigations into processes of medical education, focusing on factors related to student success at Meharry Medical College.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-cfreund.html

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Research Interests Dr. Yang directs a proteomics laboratory, which she exploits to investigate the mechanism of atherosclerosis and dyslipidemia, and especially the impact of estrogen on protection against these diseases, and their increase in frequency amoung postmenopausal women. The goal of the research in her laboratory is to explore the proteins and pathways that link estrogen and oxidative stress to atherogenesis and dyslipidemia using proteomics techniques and molecular biology approaches.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-hyang.html

Department of Medical Education Faculty in the Department of Medical Education serve as the core faculty for teaching of the preclinical basic sciences for our professional students in the School of Medicine and the School of Dentristry. Their research interests span next educational strategies to ethical issues in basic and clinical research, to bench to bedside issues in neuroendocrine function.

John Clark, PhD Professor, Department of Medical Education

Linda Sander, PhD Professor, Department of Medical Education

Email: lsander@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Sander is trained in gastrointestinal endocrinology and in bioethics. Since closing her animal research laboratory several years ago, she has concentrated on 1) presentation of NIH-funded conferences on research ethics for health care professionals, students, researchers and research regulation personnel and 2) curriculum development for medical students in the areas of health policy and societal justice. Her current research involves a 25year follow-up to a survey of attitudes about HIV/AIDS among Tennessee health care professionals.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/education/medical/ethics/index.html

Stephanie Sweet, MD Assistant Professor and Vice-Chair, Clinical Skills

Research in Basic Science Departments

Email: hyang@mmc.edu

Department of Medical Education

Hong Yang, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Biology

Email: ssweet@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Sweet studies the effect of oral contraceptives and endogenous sex steroids on uterine leiomyomas. She and her team also analyze factors expressed by tissue from the vaginal fornix associated with ethnic disparities in women with bacterial vaginosis and increased risk for HIV-1 acquisition.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-ssweet.html

Email: jclark@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Clark's research focuses on neuroendocrine function in altered physiological states such as aging, hypertension, obesity and diabetes. Recent work has assessed the impact of dietary phytoestrogens (e.g., genistein or grape seed extract) on cardiovascular and metabolic function in rats; he plans to extend his work to evaluate the relevance of his findings in animal models to human subjects.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jclark.html

Carol Freund-Taylor, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Education

Email: cfreund@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Freund-Taylor is trained in human genetics and bioethics. Her research interests are in the areas of ethics issues related to the clinical integration of genetic technologies, particularly in the area of pharmacogenomics, and she is also collaborating with colleagues at Vanderbilt to study the social meaning of genetics for personal and group identity. In addition, Dr. Freund is beginning investigations into processes of medical education, focusing on factors related to student success at Meharry Medical College.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-cfreund.html

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The faculty in the Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response are a cadre of scientists focusing on a variety of microbes that cause an array of diseases and how the host’s immune system acts on these pathogens to control infections. On the side of the microorganism, faculty study the cell and molecular biology and pathogenesis of viruses, bacteria and protozoan parasites: how these organisms attach, penetrate and survive in their chosen environment; how they deal with the host response; what properties are involved in their pathogenesis; and how these findings can be used to prevent, diagnose and treat disease. On the side of the host, these investigators study how microorganisms manipulate host gene expression at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and translational levels.

Research activities of the faculty overlap with their roles as teachers and mentors for developing independent investigators; their overall goal is to achieve excellence in basic and translational research in the pathogenesis and immunity of microorganisms that cause disease in minority and disadvantaged populations.

Fernando Villalta, PhD Email: fvillalta@mmc.edu Professor & Chair, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Research Interests Dr. Villalta and his colleagues focus on the molecular mechanisms of host cell invasion of mammalian cells by Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas’ heart disease or American trypanosomiasis. Currently, they are investigating the structure-function relationships of trypanosome ligands and their host cell receptors that mediate trypanosome attachment and entry, leading to disease. Their team has also been elucidating the signaling pathways required for trypanosome entry mediated by T. cruzi ligands and their host cell receptors, as well as the trypanosome invasive genes and host cell receptor genes required for the early infection process. These studies will provide a comprehensive molecular analysis of the early process of T. cruzi invasion, and foster development of novel means for therapeutic intervention.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-fvillatta.html

Donald J. Alcendor, PhD Email: dalcendor@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Research Interests • Identification of dysregulated genes in the brain after HIV infection: implications for therapy in HIV-associated dementia • The Role of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus in the downregulation of vascular endothelial cell adhesion molecules: implications for immune pathogenesis • Cytomegalovirus upregulation of G Protein-coupled receptors in brain microvascular endothelial cells: implications for CMV-induced congenital disease Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-dalcendor.html 11

Research Interests Dr. Gautam Chaudhuri is interested in the biology of macrophages as it relates to the malignant transformation of human breast cancer cells as well as to the propagation of the protozoan parasite Leishmania. Dr. Chaudhuri’s laboratory studies the regulation of 7SL RNA gene expression in macrophages by the parasitic protozoan Leishmania. A variety of approaches are underway to delineate the mechanisms of macrophage “sedation” as a prelude to identifying novel drug targets in the treatment of leishmaniasis, a immunodeficiency syndrome caused by the destruction of macrophages by Leishmania.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-gchaudhuri.html

Minu Chaudhuri, PhD Email: mchaudhuri@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response Research Interests The major goal of research in Dr. Minu Chaudhuri’s laboratory is to elucidate the mechanisms of mitochondrial biogenesis and signal transduction events that occur during the life cycle of the protozoans causative agents for the fatal diseases Trypanosomiasis and Leishmaniasis.

Current studies are focused on the molecular characterization of molecules critical to protozoan viability and unique to the protozoan, so they might serve as useful therapeutic targets, including mitochondrial protein importer molecules and the unique cytochrome independent terminal oxidase of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, known as Trypanosome Alternative Oxidase. Dr. Chaudhuri and her colleagues are also examining the functional role of a protein serine/threonine phosphatase 5 in T. brucei.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-mchaudhuri.html

Research in Basic Science Departments

http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-micro.html

Gautam Chaudhuri, PhD Email: gchaudhuri@mmc.edu Professor, Departments of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response and of Cancer Biology, Director of Graduate Studies, Microbiology and Immunology

Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Xinhong Dong, PhD Email: xdong@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Research Interests Dr. Dong’s laboratory focuses on the pathogen-host interactions during retrovirus assembly and release. The HIV-1 Gag protein directs the highly orchestrated process of particle assembly and release. During assembly, the uncleaved Gag polyprotein interacts with the viral RNA and the envelope glycoprotein complex (Env) to efficiently coordinate the production of infectious virions. The cellular trafficking machinery is recruited by HIV-1 Gag and participates in essential steps of particle assembly and release. Recently, Dr. Dong’s lab has identified a novel interaction between Gag and the adaptor protein complex AP-3.

They suggest AP-3 complex directs HIV-1 Gag trafficking to multivesicular bodies.

Understanding of the relationship between HIV-1 Gag and AP-3 complex will provide new information for the design of novel drugs to combat the HIV virus. In addition, Dr. Dong’s lab is exploring the potential roles of other HIV-1 Gag binding partners in HIV-1 replication.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-xdong.html

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The faculty in the Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response are a cadre of scientists focusing on a variety of microbes that cause an array of diseases and how the host’s immune system acts on these pathogens to control infections. On the side of the microorganism, faculty study the cell and molecular biology and pathogenesis of viruses, bacteria and protozoan parasites: how these organisms attach, penetrate and survive in their chosen environment; how they deal with the host response; what properties are involved in their pathogenesis; and how these findings can be used to prevent, diagnose and treat disease. On the side of the host, these investigators study how microorganisms manipulate host gene expression at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and translational levels.

Research activities of the faculty overlap with their roles as teachers and mentors for developing independent investigators; their overall goal is to achieve excellence in basic and translational research in the pathogenesis and immunity of microorganisms that cause disease in minority and disadvantaged populations.

Fernando Villalta, PhD Email: fvillalta@mmc.edu Professor & Chair, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Research Interests Dr. Villalta and his colleagues focus on the molecular mechanisms of host cell invasion of mammalian cells by Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas’ heart disease or American trypanosomiasis. Currently, they are investigating the structure-function relationships of trypanosome ligands and their host cell receptors that mediate trypanosome attachment and entry, leading to disease. Their team has also been elucidating the signaling pathways required for trypanosome entry mediated by T. cruzi ligands and their host cell receptors, as well as the trypanosome invasive genes and host cell receptor genes required for the early infection process. These studies will provide a comprehensive molecular analysis of the early process of T. cruzi invasion, and foster development of novel means for therapeutic intervention.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-fvillatta.html

Donald J. Alcendor, PhD Email: dalcendor@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Research Interests • Identification of dysregulated genes in the brain after HIV infection: implications for therapy in HIV-associated dementia • The Role of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus in the downregulation of vascular endothelial cell adhesion molecules: implications for immune pathogenesis • Cytomegalovirus upregulation of G Protein-coupled receptors in brain microvascular endothelial cells: implications for CMV-induced congenital disease Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-dalcendor.html 11

Research Interests Dr. Gautam Chaudhuri is interested in the biology of macrophages as it relates to the malignant transformation of human breast cancer cells as well as to the propagation of the protozoan parasite Leishmania. Dr. Chaudhuri’s laboratory studies the regulation of 7SL RNA gene expression in macrophages by the parasitic protozoan Leishmania. A variety of approaches are underway to delineate the mechanisms of macrophage “sedation” as a prelude to identifying novel drug targets in the treatment of leishmaniasis, a immunodeficiency syndrome caused by the destruction of macrophages by Leishmania.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-gchaudhuri.html

Minu Chaudhuri, PhD Email: mchaudhuri@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response Research Interests The major goal of research in Dr. Minu Chaudhuri’s laboratory is to elucidate the mechanisms of mitochondrial biogenesis and signal transduction events that occur during the life cycle of the protozoans causative agents for the fatal diseases Trypanosomiasis and Leishmaniasis.

Current studies are focused on the molecular characterization of molecules critical to protozoan viability and unique to the protozoan, so they might serve as useful therapeutic targets, including mitochondrial protein importer molecules and the unique cytochrome independent terminal oxidase of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, known as Trypanosome Alternative Oxidase. Dr. Chaudhuri and her colleagues are also examining the functional role of a protein serine/threonine phosphatase 5 in T. brucei.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-mchaudhuri.html

Research in Basic Science Departments

http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-micro.html

Gautam Chaudhuri, PhD Email: gchaudhuri@mmc.edu Professor, Departments of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response and of Cancer Biology, Director of Graduate Studies, Microbiology and Immunology

Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Xinhong Dong, PhD Email: xdong@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Research Interests Dr. Dong’s laboratory focuses on the pathogen-host interactions during retrovirus assembly and release. The HIV-1 Gag protein directs the highly orchestrated process of particle assembly and release. During assembly, the uncleaved Gag polyprotein interacts with the viral RNA and the envelope glycoprotein complex (Env) to efficiently coordinate the production of infectious virions. The cellular trafficking machinery is recruited by HIV-1 Gag and participates in essential steps of particle assembly and release. Recently, Dr. Dong’s lab has identified a novel interaction between Gag and the adaptor protein complex AP-3.

They suggest AP-3 complex directs HIV-1 Gag trafficking to multivesicular bodies.

Understanding of the relationship between HIV-1 Gag and AP-3 complex will provide new information for the design of novel drugs to combat the HIV virus. In addition, Dr. Dong’s lab is exploring the potential roles of other HIV-1 Gag binding partners in HIV-1 replication.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-xdong.html

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Raju Ramasamy, PhD Email: rramasamy@mmc.edu Professor, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Research Interests The research in Dr. Ramasamy’s laboratory focuses on the regulation of RNA-dependent RNA synthesis in two mosquito-transmitted RNA viruses: Sindbis virus and La crosse virus. He and his colleagues seek to ascertain the role of cis and trans-acting functions of viral genome in RNA synthesis, repair and recombination. The long-term stability of engineered RNA viruses and their evolution in mammalian and mosquito cells are studied to understand how viral and host factors regulate viral RNA synthesis. These studies are useful in the development of vaccines and viral vectors.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-rramasamy.html

http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-neuro.html

The goal of the Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology is to maintain a motivated cadre of investigators and to develop a robust research program focusing on development, aging and neurodegeneration and emphazing the role of the micro- and nano-environment. The goal of the department is also to develop excellent graduate and post-graduate training programs in neuroscience.

Clivel George Charlton, PhD Email: ccharlton@mmc.edu Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Research in Basic Science Departments

Research Interests Dr. Holt and his colleagues focus their research on Streptococci mutans, the principal etiologic agents of dental caries and prominent causative agents of chronic infective endocarditis. The mutans streptococci consist of a number of distinct bacterial species whose pathogenicity is related to their ability to colonize surfaces, such as enamel, in the etiology of caries or to adhere in the form of vegetations to heart tissue in infective endocarditis. The long-term goal of Dr. Holt’s studies is to determine the roles of streptococci gene products that function as virulence determinants and to identify antigens or epitopes that have the potential to induce an effective immune response against these streptococci. Currently, they are determining the cell surface molecules involved in the adherence of streptococci mutans to damaged endocardium.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-rholt.html

Department of Neurobiology & Neurotoxicology

Department of Neurobiology & Neurotoxicology

Robert G. Holt, PhD Email: rholt@mmc.edu Professor, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response Director, Molecular Biology Core Facility

Research Interests Dr. Charlton’s laboratory is exploring the possible causal relationship between excess methylation in the brain and Parkinson's disease. Methylation depletes the amount of the essential neurotransmitter dopamine and increases levels of lyso-phosphatidyl choline, which disrupts the structure of biological membranes in the microcompartment where this occurs.

Injection of the methyl donor, S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM), into the brain of rodents results in extensive brain methylation and causes transient tremor, hypokinesia, rigidity and abnormal posture, which are all changes that resemble the motor deterioration that accompanies Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, MPP+, a toxic metabolite linked to Parkinson’s disease development in human beings, increases SAM-dependent methylation in the brain. Their laboratory is exploring possible therapeutic interventions to alter these methylation processes.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-ccharlton.html

Twum Ansah, PhD Email: tansah@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Research Interests The research in Dr. Ansah’s laboratory seeks to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that mediate psychiatric disorders such as depression and drug abuse as well as neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s, all of which involve the dopaminergic system and its regulation by other systems, such as the serotonergic (5HT)system. His major research effort systematically investigates alterations in the 5-HT system and to understand its role in the hypokinesia produced by lesioning of the dopaminergic system with 1-methyl-4-phenyl1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). The objective is to understand the role of 5-HT in the neurobiology of Parkinson’s Disease and how manipulating the 5-HT system might alter the course of the disease, as a prelude to identification of novel therapeutic targets for the disease.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-tansah.html

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Raju Ramasamy, PhD Email: rramasamy@mmc.edu Professor, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Research Interests The research in Dr. Ramasamy’s laboratory focuses on the regulation of RNA-dependent RNA synthesis in two mosquito-transmitted RNA viruses: Sindbis virus and La crosse virus. He and his colleagues seek to ascertain the role of cis and trans-acting functions of viral genome in RNA synthesis, repair and recombination. The long-term stability of engineered RNA viruses and their evolution in mammalian and mosquito cells are studied to understand how viral and host factors regulate viral RNA synthesis. These studies are useful in the development of vaccines and viral vectors.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-rramasamy.html

http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-neuro.html

The goal of the Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology is to maintain a motivated cadre of investigators and to develop a robust research program focusing on development, aging and neurodegeneration and emphazing the role of the micro- and nano-environment. The goal of the department is also to develop excellent graduate and post-graduate training programs in neuroscience.

Clivel George Charlton, PhD Email: ccharlton@mmc.edu Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Research in Basic Science Departments

Research Interests Dr. Holt and his colleagues focus their research on Streptococci mutans, the principal etiologic agents of dental caries and prominent causative agents of chronic infective endocarditis. The mutans streptococci consist of a number of distinct bacterial species whose pathogenicity is related to their ability to colonize surfaces, such as enamel, in the etiology of caries or to adhere in the form of vegetations to heart tissue in infective endocarditis. The long-term goal of Dr. Holt’s studies is to determine the roles of streptococci gene products that function as virulence determinants and to identify antigens or epitopes that have the potential to induce an effective immune response against these streptococci. Currently, they are determining the cell surface molecules involved in the adherence of streptococci mutans to damaged endocardium.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-rholt.html

Department of Neurobiology & Neurotoxicology

Department of Neurobiology & Neurotoxicology

Robert G. Holt, PhD Email: rholt@mmc.edu Professor, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response Director, Molecular Biology Core Facility

Research Interests Dr. Charlton’s laboratory is exploring the possible causal relationship between excess methylation in the brain and Parkinson's disease. Methylation depletes the amount of the essential neurotransmitter dopamine and increases levels of lyso-phosphatidyl choline, which disrupts the structure of biological membranes in the microcompartment where this occurs.

Injection of the methyl donor, S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM), into the brain of rodents results in extensive brain methylation and causes transient tremor, hypokinesia, rigidity and abnormal posture, which are all changes that resemble the motor deterioration that accompanies Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, MPP+, a toxic metabolite linked to Parkinson’s disease development in human beings, increases SAM-dependent methylation in the brain. Their laboratory is exploring possible therapeutic interventions to alter these methylation processes.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-ccharlton.html

Twum Ansah, PhD Email: tansah@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Research Interests The research in Dr. Ansah’s laboratory seeks to understand the neurobiological mechanisms that mediate psychiatric disorders such as depression and drug abuse as well as neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s, all of which involve the dopaminergic system and its regulation by other systems, such as the serotonergic (5HT)system. His major research effort systematically investigates alterations in the 5-HT system and to understand its role in the hypokinesia produced by lesioning of the dopaminergic system with 1-methyl-4-phenyl1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). The objective is to understand the role of 5-HT in the neurobiology of Parkinson’s Disease and how manipulating the 5-HT system might alter the course of the disease, as a prelude to identification of novel therapeutic targets for the disease.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-tansah.html

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Research Interests Dr. Chirwa’s lab investigates the mechanisms underlying the modification of mature synapses in the brain and learning how neural activity is coupled to new gene expression to coordinate changes in synaptic connections that result in improved neuron-to-neuron communication and, hence, enhanced learning and memory. Their hypothesis is that Dopamine D1 receptor pathways couple neural activity and gene expression to orchestrate the stabilization of synaptic memory. Their research exploits multi-disciplinary tools involving in vivo electrophysiology, molecular assays, histology and in vivo behaviors. Understanding these coordinated events should identify novel targets to enhance synaptic fidelity and concomitant cognitive enhancement after brain injury or disease (e.g. Stroke, Alzheimer’s' disease, Amnesias, Parkinsonism) or to modulate addictive behaviors.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-schirwa.html

Research Interests The long term research goal of Dr. Khoshbouei’s lab is to understand the mechanisms that govern reverse transport of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) by its transporter.

Understanding how DA transporter (DAT)molecules change the direction in which they move DA, and the significance of such reverse transport in normal physiology, is essential for understanding DAT function in the brain. Her laboratory is investigating molecular and functional aspects of reverse transport in heterologous systems engineered to express DAT and in transgenic mice whose DA neurons are fluorescently tagged. She utilizes a multidisciplinary approach including whole-cell patch clamp and amperometry recordings, confocal and wide field microscopy, biochemical methods and behavioral analysis, to identify novel cellular and molecular modulators of DAT activity that can be targeted for treatment of drug addiction, mood disorders, or other DA related pathologies, such as Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-hpharm.html

Guo-Huang Fan, PhD Email: gfan@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Research Interests Dr. Fan’s lab investigates chemokine receptors, known to play an important role in leukocyte homing in immune responses and recently discovered to be involved in neurodegeneration, cancer growth and metastasis, and HIV infection. Dr. Fan and his colleagues are interested in the role of chemokine receptors in neurodegeneration, including in the development of betaamyloid-induced dementia (Alzheimer's disease) and HIV-associated dementia.They propose that chemokine receptor-mediated signaling and intracellular trafficking of the receptors are critical for the functional consequences of these receptors in the CNS. They have identified a number of proteins that regulate receptor signaling and trafficking; their goal is to identify their causal roles in neurodegeneration as a first step toward identifying novel therapeutic targets for these diseases.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-gfan.html

Darryl B. Hood, PhD Email: dhood@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Research Interests Dr. Hood’s lab is exploring the mechanism by which gestational exposure to the toxicant benzoa-pyrene or other xenobiotics that interact with the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor modify cognition in offspring. Quantitation of the brain content of these environmental contaminants in conjunction with assessment of learning and memory via electrophysiology and a variety of behavioral paradigms has led to the formulation of hypotheses related to changes in hippocampal and/or cortical synaptic plasticity as mechanisms underlying the dysregulation of neuronal development by these agents.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-dhood.html

15

Research in Basic Science Departments

Habibeh Khoshbouei, PharmD, PhD Email: hkhoshbouei@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Department of Neurobiology & Neurotoxicology

Sanika Chirwa, PhD Email: schirwa@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Sukhbir Mokha, PhD Email: smokha@mmc.edu Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology and Director of Graduate Studies, Neuroscience Program Research Interests Dr. Mokha’s laboratory is investigating the neurobiology of pain and analgesia in normal and pathological states using electrophysiological, behavioral, cellular and molecular techniques. Dr. Mokha and his colleagues are interested in understanding the biological mechanisms that generate the higher prevalence of certain painful syndromes (e.g. migraine, trigeminal neuralgia ingeninal neualgra) in women. The laboratory is investigating whether activation of endogenous noradrenergic, opioid or serotonergic pathways produce estrogen-dependent, sex-specific inhibition of pain mechanisms, in both spinal and trigeminal systems.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-smokha.html

James G. Townsel, PhD Email: jtownsel@mmc.edu Professor Emeritus, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology Associate Vice President for Research Research Interests Dr. Townsel and his colleagues study trafficking of the cholinergic choline cotransporter (ChCoT) in Limulus polyphemus. The ChCoT is rate limiting in the synthesis of releasable acetylcholine; thus, its regulation is critical to cholinergic transmission. A major component of this regulation involves the acute redistribution of the ChCoT to the plasma membrane as a result of high frequency impulse activity. The Townsel laboratory provided the first evidence for the constitutive cycling of the ChCoT into the plasma membrane. Recent studies from this group point to the presence of an uncharacterized cytoplasmic compartment essential for the regulated trafficking of ChCoT. Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jtownsel.html

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Research Interests Dr. Chirwa’s lab investigates the mechanisms underlying the modification of mature synapses in the brain and learning how neural activity is coupled to new gene expression to coordinate changes in synaptic connections that result in improved neuron-to-neuron communication and, hence, enhanced learning and memory. Their hypothesis is that Dopamine D1 receptor pathways couple neural activity and gene expression to orchestrate the stabilization of synaptic memory. Their research exploits multi-disciplinary tools involving in vivo electrophysiology, molecular assays, histology and in vivo behaviors. Understanding these coordinated events should identify novel targets to enhance synaptic fidelity and concomitant cognitive enhancement after brain injury or disease (e.g. Stroke, Alzheimer’s' disease, Amnesias, Parkinsonism) or to modulate addictive behaviors.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-schirwa.html

Research Interests The long term research goal of Dr. Khoshbouei’s lab is to understand the mechanisms that govern reverse transport of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) by its transporter.

Understanding how DA transporter (DAT)molecules change the direction in which they move DA, and the significance of such reverse transport in normal physiology, is essential for understanding DAT function in the brain. Her laboratory is investigating molecular and functional aspects of reverse transport in heterologous systems engineered to express DAT and in transgenic mice whose DA neurons are fluorescently tagged. She utilizes a multidisciplinary approach including whole-cell patch clamp and amperometry recordings, confocal and wide field microscopy, biochemical methods and behavioral analysis, to identify novel cellular and molecular modulators of DAT activity that can be targeted for treatment of drug addiction, mood disorders, or other DA related pathologies, such as Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-hpharm.html

Guo-Huang Fan, PhD Email: gfan@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Research Interests Dr. Fan’s lab investigates chemokine receptors, known to play an important role in leukocyte homing in immune responses and recently discovered to be involved in neurodegeneration, cancer growth and metastasis, and HIV infection. Dr. Fan and his colleagues are interested in the role of chemokine receptors in neurodegeneration, including in the development of betaamyloid-induced dementia (Alzheimer's disease) and HIV-associated dementia.They propose that chemokine receptor-mediated signaling and intracellular trafficking of the receptors are critical for the functional consequences of these receptors in the CNS. They have identified a number of proteins that regulate receptor signaling and trafficking; their goal is to identify their causal roles in neurodegeneration as a first step toward identifying novel therapeutic targets for these diseases.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-gfan.html

Darryl B. Hood, PhD Email: dhood@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Research Interests Dr. Hood’s lab is exploring the mechanism by which gestational exposure to the toxicant benzoa-pyrene or other xenobiotics that interact with the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor modify cognition in offspring. Quantitation of the brain content of these environmental contaminants in conjunction with assessment of learning and memory via electrophysiology and a variety of behavioral paradigms has led to the formulation of hypotheses related to changes in hippocampal and/or cortical synaptic plasticity as mechanisms underlying the dysregulation of neuronal development by these agents.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-dhood.html

15

Research in Basic Science Departments

Habibeh Khoshbouei, PharmD, PhD Email: hkhoshbouei@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Department of Neurobiology & Neurotoxicology

Sanika Chirwa, PhD Email: schirwa@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Sukhbir Mokha, PhD Email: smokha@mmc.edu Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology and Director of Graduate Studies, Neuroscience Program Research Interests Dr. Mokha’s laboratory is investigating the neurobiology of pain and analgesia in normal and pathological states using electrophysiological, behavioral, cellular and molecular techniques. Dr. Mokha and his colleagues are interested in understanding the biological mechanisms that generate the higher prevalence of certain painful syndromes (e.g. migraine, trigeminal neuralgia ingeninal neualgra) in women. The laboratory is investigating whether activation of endogenous noradrenergic, opioid or serotonergic pathways produce estrogen-dependent, sex-specific inhibition of pain mechanisms, in both spinal and trigeminal systems.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-smokha.html

James G. Townsel, PhD Email: jtownsel@mmc.edu Professor Emeritus, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology Associate Vice President for Research Research Interests Dr. Townsel and his colleagues study trafficking of the cholinergic choline cotransporter (ChCoT) in Limulus polyphemus. The ChCoT is rate limiting in the synthesis of releasable acetylcholine; thus, its regulation is critical to cholinergic transmission. A major component of this regulation involves the acute redistribution of the ChCoT to the plasma membrane as a result of high frequency impulse activity. The Townsel laboratory provided the first evidence for the constitutive cycling of the ChCoT into the plasma membrane. Recent studies from this group point to the presence of an uncharacterized cytoplasmic compartment essential for the regulated trafficking of ChCoT. Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jtownsel.html

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Department of Family & Community Medicine

Roger J. Zoorob, MD Email: rzoorob@mmc.edu Frank S. Royal Sr. Professor and Chair, Department of Family & Community Medicine

Research in Clinical Departments

Research Interests Dr. Zoorob’s research interests include: adult and adolescent immunization practices; Health Disparities in diabetes and metabolic syndrome; physician and patient behavioral change strategies to improve compliance with chronic disease management in underserved populations; and the prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. His academic expertise include: chronic disease management in primary care; immunization guidelines and innovations; case based learning in graduate medical education; and complementary and alternative medicine.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-rzoorob.html

Sylvie A. Akohoue, PhD, CNS Department of Family & Community Medicine

Research in Clinical Departments

Research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine focuses on primary care issues, examining the relationships between individual, family, community, and social systems. It also targets conditions and diseases commonly seen in primary care settings and areas of health disparities that disproportionately affect the medically underserved population. Areas of interest of the faculty include chronic disease, intentional and unintentional injury, cancer prevention and control, nutrition, and immunization practices. Research includes clinical, behavioral, and population-based methods, disease prevention and health promotion practices, and community-based participatory research.

Department of Family & Community Medicine

Research in Clinical Departments

www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-family.html

Email: sakohoue@mmc.edu

Research Interests Total health cannot be attained without adequate nutrition, which depends upon proper food selection. Dr. Akohove’s research interest is concentrated on community-based research with the focus on disparity and behavioral change for obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

Her current projects involve the development and implementation of nutrition intervention strategies to optimize the control of diabetes and prevent-cardio metabolic risk factors, and the identification of barriers to type 2 diabetes self-management in adults who are at high risk for developing diabetes-related complications. She also is actively involved in collaborative investigations focused on energy balance intervention for colorectal cancer prevention.

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Department of Family & Community Medicine

Roger J. Zoorob, MD Email: rzoorob@mmc.edu Frank S. Royal Sr. Professor and Chair, Department of Family & Community Medicine

Research in Clinical Departments

Research Interests Dr. Zoorob’s research interests include: adult and adolescent immunization practices; Health Disparities in diabetes and metabolic syndrome; physician and patient behavioral change strategies to improve compliance with chronic disease management in underserved populations; and the prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. His academic expertise include: chronic disease management in primary care; immunization guidelines and innovations; case based learning in graduate medical education; and complementary and alternative medicine.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-rzoorob.html

Sylvie A. Akohoue, PhD, CNS Department of Family & Community Medicine

Research in Clinical Departments

Research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine focuses on primary care issues, examining the relationships between individual, family, community, and social systems. It also targets conditions and diseases commonly seen in primary care settings and areas of health disparities that disproportionately affect the medically underserved population. Areas of interest of the faculty include chronic disease, intentional and unintentional injury, cancer prevention and control, nutrition, and immunization practices. Research includes clinical, behavioral, and population-based methods, disease prevention and health promotion practices, and community-based participatory research.

Department of Family & Community Medicine

Research in Clinical Departments

www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-family.html

Email: sakohoue@mmc.edu

Research Interests Total health cannot be attained without adequate nutrition, which depends upon proper food selection. Dr. Akohove’s research interest is concentrated on community-based research with the focus on disparity and behavioral change for obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

Her current projects involve the development and implementation of nutrition intervention strategies to optimize the control of diabetes and prevent-cardio metabolic risk factors, and the identification of barriers to type 2 diabetes self-management in adults who are at high risk for developing diabetes-related complications. She also is actively involved in collaborative investigations focused on energy balance intervention for colorectal cancer prevention.

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Marino A. Bruce, PhD Email: mabruce@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine

Research Interests Dr. Elliott is a clinical psychologist with interests in behavioral medicine and psychological assessment. Her research focus is in the area of obesity, a chronic illness itself and risk factor for other cardiovascular diseases that disproportionately affect persons of color, and in particular African-American women. Dr. Elliott is the primary investigator on the PRISE study at Meharry, a theoretically-grounded intervention for employed African-American women, that encourages lifestyle changes in diet and daily physical activity to attain and maintain optimal health.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-velliot.html

Steven Wolff, MD Professor and Chair, Department of Internal Medicine

Email: swolff@mmc.edu

The research interests of Dr. Wolff include patient-based clinical trials for the treatment of cancers, especially those of the lymphohematopoietic system along with supportive care issues.

Dr. Wolff participates in national cancer clinical trials through the Meharry MBCCOP, an NCIfunded clinical trials program. He also is interested in the pathophysiology of pain crisis in sickle cell anemia patients and the genetic inference of sickle cell trait status after newborn screening.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-swolf.html

Paul D. Juarez, PhD Email: pjuarez@mmc.edu Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Family & Community Medicine

Vladimir Berthaud, MD, MPH Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Research Interests Dr. Juarez is the program director for the Meharry EXPORT Center for Health Disparities and Principal Investigator of the CDC-funded, Nashville Urban Partnership to Prevent Youth Violence Academic Center of Excellence (NUPACE), the CDC-funded, Jackson Teen Seat Belt Study, and the Seat Belt Service Learning Project funded by the Meharry-State Farm Alliance. Each of these research projects utilizes a public health approach, academic community partnerships, the principles of community-based participatory research, a developmental-ecological model, and quasi-experimental designs.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-pjuarez.html

Research Interests Dr. Berthaud has a career-long interest in HIV/AIDS and engages in clinical and behavioral research concerning this disease.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-vberthaud.html

Robert Levine, MD, MPH Professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine

Yong Cui, MD, MSPH Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Email: vberthaud@mmc.edu

Email: ycui@mmc.edu

Email: rlevine@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Levine’s research interests include the origins of racial disparities in mortality, understanding environmental and social effects on disparities in the diffusion of health care innovation, translating prevention research into practice, faith and health, financial insecurity and health, understanding how competing administrative and political interests may promote racial bias in scientific research, and medical education.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-rlevine.html 19

The Department of Internal Medicine has a broad-based portfolio of research concentrating on clinical trials and molecular epidemiology. All of the major divisions of the Department have active studies including cardiology, hematology-oncology, infectious disease, nephrology and pulmonary/critical care. Clinical trials highlight national phase III trials of cancer therapy, the genetic basis of atrial fibrillation, the impact of health and society disparity on asthma, neurocognitive effects on patients from care in the ICU and the molecular epidemiology of cancer including the affect of diet, environment and many other life-style issues.

Research in Clinical Departments

Vanessa Elliot, PhD Email: velliot@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine

www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-internal.html

Department of Internal Medicine

Research Interests Dr. Bruce is a social epidemiologist whose research examines the relationship between socioeconomic stratification, community social environment, risky behavior, and health outcomes among underserved populations. He is a sociologist by training who has published scholarly articles about prominent health issues in the African American community such as violence, alcohol use, and infant mortality. His current research project, recently funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, focuses on understanding the relationship between social, economic, psychological, behavioral factors and chronic kidney disease among African Americans.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-mbruce.html

Department of Internal Medicine

Research Interests Dr. Cui’s research interests include molecular/genetic epidemiology and cancer epidemiology with a focus on the effects of genetic susceptibilities, environmental factors, and geneenvironment interactions on breast cancer risk, and their role in racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes. Dr. Cui current studies focus on obesity, insulin resistance, IGFs and breast cancer risk; the development of depression particularly the role of serotonin pathway genes and their interaction with stress-related environmental factors among breast cancer patients; and breast cancer screening in a low income and high risk populations.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-cyong.html

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Marino A. Bruce, PhD Email: mabruce@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine

Research Interests Dr. Elliott is a clinical psychologist with interests in behavioral medicine and psychological assessment. Her research focus is in the area of obesity, a chronic illness itself and risk factor for other cardiovascular diseases that disproportionately affect persons of color, and in particular African-American women. Dr. Elliott is the primary investigator on the PRISE study at Meharry, a theoretically-grounded intervention for employed African-American women, that encourages lifestyle changes in diet and daily physical activity to attain and maintain optimal health.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-velliot.html

Steven Wolff, MD Professor and Chair, Department of Internal Medicine

Email: swolff@mmc.edu

The research interests of Dr. Wolff include patient-based clinical trials for the treatment of cancers, especially those of the lymphohematopoietic system along with supportive care issues.

Dr. Wolff participates in national cancer clinical trials through the Meharry MBCCOP, an NCIfunded clinical trials program. He also is interested in the pathophysiology of pain crisis in sickle cell anemia patients and the genetic inference of sickle cell trait status after newborn screening.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-swolf.html

Paul D. Juarez, PhD Email: pjuarez@mmc.edu Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Family & Community Medicine

Vladimir Berthaud, MD, MPH Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Research Interests Dr. Juarez is the program director for the Meharry EXPORT Center for Health Disparities and Principal Investigator of the CDC-funded, Nashville Urban Partnership to Prevent Youth Violence Academic Center of Excellence (NUPACE), the CDC-funded, Jackson Teen Seat Belt Study, and the Seat Belt Service Learning Project funded by the Meharry-State Farm Alliance. Each of these research projects utilizes a public health approach, academic community partnerships, the principles of community-based participatory research, a developmental-ecological model, and quasi-experimental designs.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-pjuarez.html

Research Interests Dr. Berthaud has a career-long interest in HIV/AIDS and engages in clinical and behavioral research concerning this disease.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-vberthaud.html

Robert Levine, MD, MPH Professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine

Yong Cui, MD, MSPH Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Email: vberthaud@mmc.edu

Email: ycui@mmc.edu

Email: rlevine@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Levine’s research interests include the origins of racial disparities in mortality, understanding environmental and social effects on disparities in the diffusion of health care innovation, translating prevention research into practice, faith and health, financial insecurity and health, understanding how competing administrative and political interests may promote racial bias in scientific research, and medical education.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-rlevine.html 19

The Department of Internal Medicine has a broad-based portfolio of research concentrating on clinical trials and molecular epidemiology. All of the major divisions of the Department have active studies including cardiology, hematology-oncology, infectious disease, nephrology and pulmonary/critical care. Clinical trials highlight national phase III trials of cancer therapy, the genetic basis of atrial fibrillation, the impact of health and society disparity on asthma, neurocognitive effects on patients from care in the ICU and the molecular epidemiology of cancer including the affect of diet, environment and many other life-style issues.

Research in Clinical Departments

Vanessa Elliot, PhD Email: velliot@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Family & Community Medicine

www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-internal.html

Department of Internal Medicine

Research Interests Dr. Bruce is a social epidemiologist whose research examines the relationship between socioeconomic stratification, community social environment, risky behavior, and health outcomes among underserved populations. He is a sociologist by training who has published scholarly articles about prominent health issues in the African American community such as violence, alcohol use, and infant mortality. His current research project, recently funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, focuses on understanding the relationship between social, economic, psychological, behavioral factors and chronic kidney disease among African Americans.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-mbruce.html

Department of Internal Medicine

Research Interests Dr. Cui’s research interests include molecular/genetic epidemiology and cancer epidemiology with a focus on the effects of genetic susceptibilities, environmental factors, and geneenvironment interactions on breast cancer risk, and their role in racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes. Dr. Cui current studies focus on obesity, insulin resistance, IGFs and breast cancer risk; the development of depression particularly the role of serotonin pathway genes and their interaction with stress-related environmental factors among breast cancer patients; and breast cancer screening in a low income and high risk populations.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-cyong.html

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Research Interests Dr. Desruisseau is committed to investigating epidemiology of human papilloma virus (HPV) in HIV+/- women in Cameroon. His goal is to Identify regional serotypes for HPV, and develop and administer serotype-specific vaccines Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-adesruisseau.html

Research Interests The Liu laboratory seeks to understand the mechanism by which HIV overcomes APOBEC, a host restriction factor against HIV. APOBEC belongs to a family of proteins that have cytidine deaminase activity. There are 10 family members in humans. Among them, APOBEC3G, 3F and 3DE have strong anti-HIV activities. Dr. Liu is also attempting to establish a robust viral culture system to replicate the candidate virus for HIV gene therapy. The candidate virus is a human non-pathogenic virus. It shares the same transmission pathway with HIV and specifically replicates in CD4+ T cells. These unique features make this virus a potential viral vector to deliver anti-HIV genes to CD4+ T cells, which are HIV’s natural target.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-bliu.html

Margaret Hargreaves, PhD Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Email: mhargreaves@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Hargreaves serves as the Program Director for the Meharry Medical College-Community Health Centers Network. The long range goal of the network is to reduce cancer health disparities among African Americans by conducting community-based participator education in six urban and rural communities in Tennessee and Mississippi. Research by Dr. Hargreaves seeks to foster an understanding of barriers to healthcare access and utilization, which in turn, can assist community-based initiatives in developing strategies to improve the health of minority and low-income populations. Dr. Hargreaves also serves as Co-PI for the Southern Community Cohort Study.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-mhargreaves.html

James E. K. Hildreth MD, PhD Professor, Department of Internal Medicine Director, Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research

Email: jhildreth@mmc.edu

Research Interests While Dr. Hildreth was Chief of the Division of Research for NIH’s National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, he and his research team discovered that cholesterol is required in HIV to penetrate cells and that removing the fatty material from a cell's membrane can block infection. Dr. Hildreth accepted the Directorship of Meharry’s Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research in 2005. His current work focuses on developing topical microbicides (chemical condoms) to block transmission of HIV. In addition, Dr. Hildreth’s laboratory is investigating the role of proteins that regulate intracellular cholesterol levels in HIV replication. This work is designed to identify new targets of anti-HIV drugs.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jhildreth.html

Chukwuemeka Ikpeazu, MD, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Email: eikpeazu@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Ikpeazu’s research interest is childhood attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. He is also interested in the accessibility of health care to underserved children.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-cikpeazu.html

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John J. Murray, MD, PhD Professor, Department of Internal Medicine Associate Vice President for Research

Email: murrayj@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. John J. Murray actively participates in investigating diseases of the airway including asthma and COPD supported by both NIH and industry addressing questions from immunologic mechanisms to health disparity issues. In addition, he is involved in numerous pharmaceutical trials ranging from phase 1 to phase 4 for a variety of therapeutic areas as part of the oversight of the Clinical Trials Office at Meharry Medical College. In his role as associate vice president for research he is also actively involved in the training of young physician scientists through programs such as the MSCI. Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jmurray.html

Henry E. Okafor, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology

Research in Clinical Departments

Bindong Liu, PhD Email: bliu@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Department of Internal Medicine

Andrew Desruisseau, MD Email: adesruisseau@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Email: hokafor@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr Okafor’s research interests include : elucidation of strategies for the prevention of atrial fibrillation onset in hypertensive patients, identification of predictors of sudden cardiac death in an otherwise asymptomatic population and prevention of cardiac rhythm disorders in coronary artery disease.

Waldemar Popik, PhD Email: wpopik@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine and of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response Research Interests The research in Dr. Popik’s lab focuses on molecular mechanisms controlling integrity and assembly of lipid rafts and their role in HIV entry into CD4-positive T cells. Their lab team also seeks to develop exosomes with encapsidated APOBEC3G as potential anti-HIV therapeutics.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-wpopik.html

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Research Interests Dr. Desruisseau is committed to investigating epidemiology of human papilloma virus (HPV) in HIV+/- women in Cameroon. His goal is to Identify regional serotypes for HPV, and develop and administer serotype-specific vaccines Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-adesruisseau.html

Research Interests The Liu laboratory seeks to understand the mechanism by which HIV overcomes APOBEC, a host restriction factor against HIV. APOBEC belongs to a family of proteins that have cytidine deaminase activity. There are 10 family members in humans. Among them, APOBEC3G, 3F and 3DE have strong anti-HIV activities. Dr. Liu is also attempting to establish a robust viral culture system to replicate the candidate virus for HIV gene therapy. The candidate virus is a human non-pathogenic virus. It shares the same transmission pathway with HIV and specifically replicates in CD4+ T cells. These unique features make this virus a potential viral vector to deliver anti-HIV genes to CD4+ T cells, which are HIV’s natural target.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-bliu.html

Margaret Hargreaves, PhD Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Email: mhargreaves@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Hargreaves serves as the Program Director for the Meharry Medical College-Community Health Centers Network. The long range goal of the network is to reduce cancer health disparities among African Americans by conducting community-based participator education in six urban and rural communities in Tennessee and Mississippi. Research by Dr. Hargreaves seeks to foster an understanding of barriers to healthcare access and utilization, which in turn, can assist community-based initiatives in developing strategies to improve the health of minority and low-income populations. Dr. Hargreaves also serves as Co-PI for the Southern Community Cohort Study.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-mhargreaves.html

James E. K. Hildreth MD, PhD Professor, Department of Internal Medicine Director, Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research

Email: jhildreth@mmc.edu

Research Interests While Dr. Hildreth was Chief of the Division of Research for NIH’s National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, he and his research team discovered that cholesterol is required in HIV to penetrate cells and that removing the fatty material from a cell's membrane can block infection. Dr. Hildreth accepted the Directorship of Meharry’s Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research in 2005. His current work focuses on developing topical microbicides (chemical condoms) to block transmission of HIV. In addition, Dr. Hildreth’s laboratory is investigating the role of proteins that regulate intracellular cholesterol levels in HIV replication. This work is designed to identify new targets of anti-HIV drugs.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jhildreth.html

Chukwuemeka Ikpeazu, MD, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Email: eikpeazu@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Ikpeazu’s research interest is childhood attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. He is also interested in the accessibility of health care to underserved children.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-cikpeazu.html

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John J. Murray, MD, PhD Professor, Department of Internal Medicine Associate Vice President for Research

Email: murrayj@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. John J. Murray actively participates in investigating diseases of the airway including asthma and COPD supported by both NIH and industry addressing questions from immunologic mechanisms to health disparity issues. In addition, he is involved in numerous pharmaceutical trials ranging from phase 1 to phase 4 for a variety of therapeutic areas as part of the oversight of the Clinical Trials Office at Meharry Medical College. In his role as associate vice president for research he is also actively involved in the training of young physician scientists through programs such as the MSCI. Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jmurray.html

Henry E. Okafor, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology

Research in Clinical Departments

Bindong Liu, PhD Email: bliu@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response

Department of Internal Medicine

Andrew Desruisseau, MD Email: adesruisseau@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Email: hokafor@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr Okafor’s research interests include : elucidation of strategies for the prevention of atrial fibrillation onset in hypertensive patients, identification of predictors of sudden cardiac death in an otherwise asymptomatic population and prevention of cardiac rhythm disorders in coronary artery disease.

Waldemar Popik, PhD Email: wpopik@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine and of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response Research Interests The research in Dr. Popik’s lab focuses on molecular mechanisms controlling integrity and assembly of lipid rafts and their role in HIV entry into CD4-positive T cells. Their lab team also seeks to develop exosomes with encapsidated APOBEC3G as potential anti-HIV therapeutics.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-wpopik.html

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David Trochtenberg, MD Email: dtrochtenberg@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Ruth G. Garrett, PhD, MPH, MEd Director, Meharry Consortium Geriatric Education Center

Research Interests Dr. Trochtenberg’s research interest is community-based participatory research, in which the researcher works closely with the community in order to improve health. He is beginning with obstructive lung disease and will expand the model to other chronic diseases in high-risk minority populations.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-dtrochtenberg.html

Research Interests Dr. Garrett's research interests are in the area of women's health, behavioral and lifestyle strategies for preventing cognitive decline in older women, to complement therapeutic strategies also under evaluation nationwide.

Department of Neurology

http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-neurology.html The Meharry Medical College Department of Neurology has as its core mission to become a national leader in neuroscience research related to health disparities. Research in this department explores addictive diseases and HIV acquisition, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease dementia and HIV dementia.

Patrick A. Griffith, MD Professor & Chair, Department of Neurology

Email: pgriffith@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Griffith’s research has focused on the diagnosis, management and treatment of dementia. Specific research areas have included vascular dementia and the prevention of strokes in African Americans.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-pgriffith.html

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Research Interests Dr. Lee is exploring the mechanisms by which estrogen protects against neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Mitchell Parks, MD Email: mparks@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Department of Neurology

Research in Clinical Departments

Research Interests Dr. Richard O. White III is currently a second year trainee in the Meharry MSCI/CRED program.

His clinical interests include the diagnosis and management of chronic respiratory illnesses and diabetes in adults and children. He is also interested in health disparities research and ways we can improve healthcare among our minority populations. Dr. White currently has a project underway that is investigating the role of health literacy and numeracy in diabetes care among Latino patients. Dr. White is conversant in Spanish and also has helped establish a medical clinic in Colombia, South America.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-rwhite.html

Email: elee@mmc.edu Department of Neurology

Richard O. White, III, MD Email: rwhite@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and of Pediatrics

Eun-Sook Lee, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology

Email: rgarrett@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Parks’ research interests involve revealing the neurophysiology and metabolism underlying pathological behavior. These behaviors, such as alcoholism and sexual risk-taking, are the basis of many health disparities affecting large segments of the African-American community. Dr Parks is developing clinical studies that link craving with bingeing related to dopaminergic brain regions in both at-risk and addicted African-American cohorts. Dr. Parks’ functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) along with traditional psychiatric metrics to categorize and quantify underlying this brain activity and function in these studies.

Pradumna Singh, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology

Email: psingh@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Singh’s research interest is in clinical epileptology with emphasis on improving the care of patients with epilepsy via novel drug treatments; education and other comprehensive modalities.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-psingh.html

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David Trochtenberg, MD Email: dtrochtenberg@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine

Ruth G. Garrett, PhD, MPH, MEd Director, Meharry Consortium Geriatric Education Center

Research Interests Dr. Trochtenberg’s research interest is community-based participatory research, in which the researcher works closely with the community in order to improve health. He is beginning with obstructive lung disease and will expand the model to other chronic diseases in high-risk minority populations.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-dtrochtenberg.html

Research Interests Dr. Garrett's research interests are in the area of women's health, behavioral and lifestyle strategies for preventing cognitive decline in older women, to complement therapeutic strategies also under evaluation nationwide.

Department of Neurology

http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-neurology.html The Meharry Medical College Department of Neurology has as its core mission to become a national leader in neuroscience research related to health disparities. Research in this department explores addictive diseases and HIV acquisition, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease dementia and HIV dementia.

Patrick A. Griffith, MD Professor & Chair, Department of Neurology

Email: pgriffith@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Griffith’s research has focused on the diagnosis, management and treatment of dementia. Specific research areas have included vascular dementia and the prevention of strokes in African Americans.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-pgriffith.html

23

Research Interests Dr. Lee is exploring the mechanisms by which estrogen protects against neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Mitchell Parks, MD Email: mparks@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Department of Neurology

Research in Clinical Departments

Research Interests Dr. Richard O. White III is currently a second year trainee in the Meharry MSCI/CRED program.

His clinical interests include the diagnosis and management of chronic respiratory illnesses and diabetes in adults and children. He is also interested in health disparities research and ways we can improve healthcare among our minority populations. Dr. White currently has a project underway that is investigating the role of health literacy and numeracy in diabetes care among Latino patients. Dr. White is conversant in Spanish and also has helped establish a medical clinic in Colombia, South America.

Website Profile http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-rwhite.html

Email: elee@mmc.edu Department of Neurology

Richard O. White, III, MD Email: rwhite@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and of Pediatrics

Eun-Sook Lee, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology

Email: rgarrett@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Parks’ research interests involve revealing the neurophysiology and metabolism underlying pathological behavior. These behaviors, such as alcoholism and sexual risk-taking, are the basis of many health disparities affecting large segments of the African-American community. Dr Parks is developing clinical studies that link craving with bingeing related to dopaminergic brain regions in both at-risk and addicted African-American cohorts. Dr. Parks’ functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) along with traditional psychiatric metrics to categorize and quantify underlying this brain activity and function in these studies.

Pradumna Singh, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology

Email: psingh@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Singh’s research interest is in clinical epileptology with emphasis on improving the care of patients with epilepsy via novel drug treatments; education and other comprehensive modalities.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-psingh.html

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Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-ob-gyn.html

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology research focuses on health issues that disproportionately affect women of color, particularly reproductive health issues. Individual faculty areas of interest include bone density, uterine fibroids, polycystic ovarian disease and lifestyle interventions studies. The lifestyle intervention study includes exercise and nutritional counseling. Additional research areas of interest include preterm labor, gestational diabetes, endometriosis, cancer biology, reproductive toxicology, and cryobiology.

Maria del Pilar Aguinaga, PhD Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Email: maguinaga@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Aguinaga;s research interests include: the effect of folic acid deficiency in sickle cell transgenic mouse models (Tg58XTg98); development of new therapies for treatment of sickle cell disease, Improvement of transgenic animal models for the study of sickle cell disease; and migratory patterns and drift of sickle cell and other hemoglobinopathies mutation around the world.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-paguinaga.html

Ayman Al-Hendy, MD, PhD Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Scientific Director, Center for Women’s Health Research

Email: ahendy@mmc.edu

Research Interests The research interests of Dr. Al-Hendy include patient-based clinical trials for hormonal and non-hormonal treatment of uterine fibroid tumors which are 3-4 times more common in African American women. This work is conducted under the auspices of Meharry Center for Women Health Research. Dr. Al-Hendy’s research team focuses on developing better diagnostic tests and novel treatments for uterine fibroids, preterm labor and premature ovarian failure using gene and cell therapy approaches as well as stem cell-based technology.

25

Dineo Khabele, MD Email: dkhabele@mmc.edu Director, Gynecologic Oncology & Women’s Cancer Research Laboratory

Research Interests Dr. Khabele studies inflammatory genes and molecular alterations in ovarian cancer. Her primary focus is on inflammatory genes COX-1 and TNFalpha in the development and progression of ovarian cancer. Another focus is the role of histone deacetylases as targets for prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-dkhabele.html

Gwinnett Ladson, MD Email: gladson@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Research in Clinical Departments

Research Interests Dr. Richard-Davis’ area of research and active interest includes menopausal health, female sexual dysfunction, uterine fibroids, ovulation induction, reproductive disruptors, and assisted reproductive technologies.

Research Interests Dr. Archibong directs the Core Endocrine Laboratory in the Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

He is also a Visiting Scholar in the Dept. of Cell and Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University. His research focuses on embryo physiology, sperm physiology and cryobiology, the effects of therapeutic agent on male and female reproduction and the reproductive risks associate with exposures to environmental pollutants.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-aarchibong.html

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Gloria Richard-Davis, MD Email: gdavis@mmc.edu Professor & Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Anthony Archibong, PhD Email: aarchibong@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Research Interests Dr. Ladson’s research interests are focused on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Preterm Labor, Asthma in Pregnancy. Her teaching interest include cultural competency in medical students.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-gladson.html

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD Email: vmontgomery-rice@mmc.edu Sr. Vice President for Health Affairs & Dean, School of Medicine Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Research Interests Dr. Montgomery-Rice is the Principal Investigator of the Meharry Clinical Research Center award from the National Institute of Health, and also of Endowment Grants that support faculty recruiting, mentoring, career development and initial research studies to enhance Meharry’s research in addressing health disparities from bench-to-bedside-to-community. Founder of Meharry’s Center for Women’s Health Research, Dr. Montgomery Rice serves as the Center’s Executive Director; this Center is the only one in our country that focuses on health issues that disproportionately affect women of color. She continues to collaborate on clinical research studies addressing reproductive health.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-montgomeryrice.html

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Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-ob-gyn.html

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology research focuses on health issues that disproportionately affect women of color, particularly reproductive health issues. Individual faculty areas of interest include bone density, uterine fibroids, polycystic ovarian disease and lifestyle interventions studies. The lifestyle intervention study includes exercise and nutritional counseling. Additional research areas of interest include preterm labor, gestational diabetes, endometriosis, cancer biology, reproductive toxicology, and cryobiology.

Maria del Pilar Aguinaga, PhD Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Email: maguinaga@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Aguinaga;s research interests include: the effect of folic acid deficiency in sickle cell transgenic mouse models (Tg58XTg98); development of new therapies for treatment of sickle cell disease, Improvement of transgenic animal models for the study of sickle cell disease; and migratory patterns and drift of sickle cell and other hemoglobinopathies mutation around the world.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-paguinaga.html

Ayman Al-Hendy, MD, PhD Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Scientific Director, Center for Women’s Health Research

Email: ahendy@mmc.edu

Research Interests The research interests of Dr. Al-Hendy include patient-based clinical trials for hormonal and non-hormonal treatment of uterine fibroid tumors which are 3-4 times more common in African American women. This work is conducted under the auspices of Meharry Center for Women Health Research. Dr. Al-Hendy’s research team focuses on developing better diagnostic tests and novel treatments for uterine fibroids, preterm labor and premature ovarian failure using gene and cell therapy approaches as well as stem cell-based technology.

25

Dineo Khabele, MD Email: dkhabele@mmc.edu Director, Gynecologic Oncology & Women’s Cancer Research Laboratory

Research Interests Dr. Khabele studies inflammatory genes and molecular alterations in ovarian cancer. Her primary focus is on inflammatory genes COX-1 and TNFalpha in the development and progression of ovarian cancer. Another focus is the role of histone deacetylases as targets for prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-dkhabele.html

Gwinnett Ladson, MD Email: gladson@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Research in Clinical Departments

Research Interests Dr. Richard-Davis’ area of research and active interest includes menopausal health, female sexual dysfunction, uterine fibroids, ovulation induction, reproductive disruptors, and assisted reproductive technologies.

Research Interests Dr. Archibong directs the Core Endocrine Laboratory in the Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

He is also a Visiting Scholar in the Dept. of Cell and Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University. His research focuses on embryo physiology, sperm physiology and cryobiology, the effects of therapeutic agent on male and female reproduction and the reproductive risks associate with exposures to environmental pollutants.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-aarchibong.html

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Gloria Richard-Davis, MD Email: gdavis@mmc.edu Professor & Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Anthony Archibong, PhD Email: aarchibong@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Research Interests Dr. Ladson’s research interests are focused on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Preterm Labor, Asthma in Pregnancy. Her teaching interest include cultural competency in medical students.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-gladson.html

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD Email: vmontgomery-rice@mmc.edu Sr. Vice President for Health Affairs & Dean, School of Medicine Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Research Interests Dr. Montgomery-Rice is the Principal Investigator of the Meharry Clinical Research Center award from the National Institute of Health, and also of Endowment Grants that support faculty recruiting, mentoring, career development and initial research studies to enhance Meharry’s research in addressing health disparities from bench-to-bedside-to-community. Founder of Meharry’s Center for Women’s Health Research, Dr. Montgomery Rice serves as the Center’s Executive Director; this Center is the only one in our country that focuses on health issues that disproportionately affect women of color. She continues to collaborate on clinical research studies addressing reproductive health.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-montgomeryrice.html

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Dr. Bogden Nowicki, MD, PhD Professor, Department of Bostetrics and Gynecology

Email: bnowick@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Bogden Nowicki studies the relationships and underlying mechanisms linking uterine infection and pre-term labor and delivery. Studies are ongoing to 1) characterize the expression of decay accelerating factor among African American and Caucasian women undergoing pregnancy termination and term and preterm labor; 2) understand the relationship between low birth weight, uterine infection and nitric oxide, specifically to learn if nitric oxide modulates the severity of uterine infection through the regulation of bacterial invasion into cells; 3) examine the of bacterial lectins in kidney disease.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-bnowicki.html

Research Interests The primary focus of Dr. Nowicki’s laboratory is infection and immunology of the uro-genital tract including : a) Virulence mechanisms of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and septicemia. b) Animal models for gonococcal infection c) Novel diagnostic method for gonococcal PID. d) Novel microbial virulence mechanism of PID and DGI strains of N. gonorrhoeae that bind human complement Clq (part of human defense system) to increase bacterial virulence (survival and attachment).

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-snowicki.html

Sandra Torrente, MD Instructor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Email: storrente@mmc.edu

Research Interests The effect of lifestyle and dietary intervention in obese gravidas and on obstetrical and neonatal outcomes. The impact of acculturation on gestational diabetes in Latino patients.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-storrente.html

Janice Whitty, MD Email: jwhitty@mmc.edu Professor & Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine Chief of Obstetrics, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

27

Research Interests Dr. Whitty’s research focus is health disparities in obesity, medical complications of pregnancy and maternal substance abuse. She is studying the impact of dietary modification and an exercise program during pregnancy on pregnancy outcome in obese woman, and examining the impact of diabetic diet and weight loss on pregnancy outcome in women with gestational diabetes. Another project examines the impact of incarceration on access to prenatal care and pregnancy outcome. African American women suffer more preterm delivery than other ethnic groups, they will study the difference in a cell membrane protein CD55 in African American women with preterm labor and delivery. An additional project will assess fetal fibronectin in women who have received medical treatment for preterm labor.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jwhitty.html

The Department of Pathology is committed to the delivery of the highest quality of patient care by rendering state of the art pathological services and innovative teaching that integrates basic biological science and clinical medicine. In addition we are committed to conducting independent and collaborative basic science, clinical and translational research that fosters improved health outcomes and the elimination of health disparities.

Billy Ballard, MD, DDS Professor & Chair, Department of Pathology

Email: bballard@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Ballard’s primary research efforts are devoted to establishing a Human Tumor Acquisition, Histology and Immunohistochemistry Shared Resource at Meharry Medical and to assist basic science and clinical transitional research efforts at Meharry Medical College. His personal research interests are centered on the use of Immunohistochemistry in diagnostic surgical pathology, head and neck, gynecologic, breast, prostate, gastrointestinal premalignant and malignant disease, and melanomas in African Americans and people of color.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-bballard.html

Department of Surgery

http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-surgery.html

Research in Clinical Departments

Email: snowicki@mmc.edu

http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-pathology.html

Departments of Pathology and Surgery

Stella Nowicki, DDS Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Department of Pathology

The Department of Surgery research program combines the skills and interests of a diverse cross-section of physicians and scientists toward the goal of addressing disparities in health and health care in underserved populations. Specific areas of interest range from projects that involve increasing health literacy to biomarker identification for a variety of cancers. Additionally, epidemiological studies and screening programs for prostate, breast and colon cancer are in progress, as well as studies identifying factors that result in poor follow-up visits for rehabilitative care and poor adherence to recommended programs for treating Type 2 diabetes.

Derrick Beech, MD Professor & Chair, Department of Surgery

Email: dbeech@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Beech has been involved in research focused on innovative approaches for the treatment of solid malignancies. His basic science studies are focused on novel therapeutics for disrupting the signal transduction pathways leading to breast, esophageal , colon cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. His basic science research is paralleled by clinical trials and clinical research on similar diseases. He is particularly interested in unmasking factors that influence cancer disparities.

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Dr. Bogden Nowicki, MD, PhD Professor, Department of Bostetrics and Gynecology

Email: bnowick@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Bogden Nowicki studies the relationships and underlying mechanisms linking uterine infection and pre-term labor and delivery. Studies are ongoing to 1) characterize the expression of decay accelerating factor among African American and Caucasian women undergoing pregnancy termination and term and preterm labor; 2) understand the relationship between low birth weight, uterine infection and nitric oxide, specifically to learn if nitric oxide modulates the severity of uterine infection through the regulation of bacterial invasion into cells; 3) examine the of bacterial lectins in kidney disease.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-bnowicki.html

Research Interests The primary focus of Dr. Nowicki’s laboratory is infection and immunology of the uro-genital tract including : a) Virulence mechanisms of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and septicemia. b) Animal models for gonococcal infection c) Novel diagnostic method for gonococcal PID. d) Novel microbial virulence mechanism of PID and DGI strains of N. gonorrhoeae that bind human complement Clq (part of human defense system) to increase bacterial virulence (survival and attachment).

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-snowicki.html

Sandra Torrente, MD Instructor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Email: storrente@mmc.edu

Research Interests The effect of lifestyle and dietary intervention in obese gravidas and on obstetrical and neonatal outcomes. The impact of acculturation on gestational diabetes in Latino patients.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-storrente.html

Janice Whitty, MD Email: jwhitty@mmc.edu Professor & Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine Chief of Obstetrics, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

27

Research Interests Dr. Whitty’s research focus is health disparities in obesity, medical complications of pregnancy and maternal substance abuse. She is studying the impact of dietary modification and an exercise program during pregnancy on pregnancy outcome in obese woman, and examining the impact of diabetic diet and weight loss on pregnancy outcome in women with gestational diabetes. Another project examines the impact of incarceration on access to prenatal care and pregnancy outcome. African American women suffer more preterm delivery than other ethnic groups, they will study the difference in a cell membrane protein CD55 in African American women with preterm labor and delivery. An additional project will assess fetal fibronectin in women who have received medical treatment for preterm labor.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-jwhitty.html

The Department of Pathology is committed to the delivery of the highest quality of patient care by rendering state of the art pathological services and innovative teaching that integrates basic biological science and clinical medicine. In addition we are committed to conducting independent and collaborative basic science, clinical and translational research that fosters improved health outcomes and the elimination of health disparities.

Billy Ballard, MD, DDS Professor & Chair, Department of Pathology

Email: bballard@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Ballard’s primary research efforts are devoted to establishing a Human Tumor Acquisition, Histology and Immunohistochemistry Shared Resource at Meharry Medical and to assist basic science and clinical transitional research efforts at Meharry Medical College. His personal research interests are centered on the use of Immunohistochemistry in diagnostic surgical pathology, head and neck, gynecologic, breast, prostate, gastrointestinal premalignant and malignant disease, and melanomas in African Americans and people of color.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-bballard.html

Department of Surgery

http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-surgery.html

Research in Clinical Departments

Email: snowicki@mmc.edu

http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-pathology.html

Departments of Pathology and Surgery

Stella Nowicki, DDS Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology

Department of Pathology

The Department of Surgery research program combines the skills and interests of a diverse cross-section of physicians and scientists toward the goal of addressing disparities in health and health care in underserved populations. Specific areas of interest range from projects that involve increasing health literacy to biomarker identification for a variety of cancers. Additionally, epidemiological studies and screening programs for prostate, breast and colon cancer are in progress, as well as studies identifying factors that result in poor follow-up visits for rehabilitative care and poor adherence to recommended programs for treating Type 2 diabetes.

Derrick Beech, MD Professor & Chair, Department of Surgery

Email: dbeech@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Beech has been involved in research focused on innovative approaches for the treatment of solid malignancies. His basic science studies are focused on novel therapeutics for disrupting the signal transduction pathways leading to breast, esophageal , colon cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. His basic science research is paralleled by clinical trials and clinical research on similar diseases. He is particularly interested in unmasking factors that influence cancer disparities.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/education/medical/surgery/surgery.html 28

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Antoinne Able, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery

Email: aable@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Able’s current research focus is directed toward evaluating health care disparities in rehabilitation medicine, including exploring how rehabilitation benefits those with impairments. He will also explore how a community organization can provide rehabilitation services and appropriate education in a far reaching, cost effective and practical manner in areas with limited resources.

Research Interests Dr. Malin-Fair’s research interests include: minority female breast screening behaviors and breast cancer etiology; relationships between measures of adiposity and chronic disease;. construction and validation of psychosocial survey instruments; relationships among insulin growth factors, C-peptide and energy balance on breast cancer risk; Nutritional and physical activity epidemiology as related to disease endpoints.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-mfair.html

Dana Marshall, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Surgery

Research Interests Dr. Offodile’s research interests include: the role/effect of health literacy in women with breast cancer and breast cancer in underserved and under represented populations. She is also interested in breast cancer among African American women and African Women.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-roffodile.html

Flora Ukoli, PHD Associate Professor, Department of Surgery

Email: fukoli@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Ukoli’s research focuses on dietary risks factor of prostate cancer and evaluating the role of body fat, dietary fatty acids, vitamin E, lycopene and other nutrients in prostate cancer risk among African-Americans and Africans.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-fukoli.html

Research in Clinical Departments

Email: afair@mmc.edu

Email: roffodile@mmc.edu

Departments of Surgery

Alecia Malin-Fair, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery

Regina Offodile, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery

Email: dmarshall@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Marshall’s research interests focus on specific immunity (anti-viral, autoimmunity, transplant rejection, tumors) and inflammation as a prelude to autoimmune diseases and cancer. Interests also include polygenic trait analysis of complex diseases in models and human populations. http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-dmarshall.html

Stephania Miller-Hughes, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery

Email: smiller@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Miller-Hughes's research focuses on enhancing clinical behavioral support for physical activity among African-American women with Type 2 diabetes and evaluating the extent to which these enhancements result in improved emotional, behavioral, and diabetes outcomes.

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Antoinne Able, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery

Email: aable@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Able’s current research focus is directed toward evaluating health care disparities in rehabilitation medicine, including exploring how rehabilitation benefits those with impairments. He will also explore how a community organization can provide rehabilitation services and appropriate education in a far reaching, cost effective and practical manner in areas with limited resources.

Research Interests Dr. Malin-Fair’s research interests include: minority female breast screening behaviors and breast cancer etiology; relationships between measures of adiposity and chronic disease;. construction and validation of psychosocial survey instruments; relationships among insulin growth factors, C-peptide and energy balance on breast cancer risk; Nutritional and physical activity epidemiology as related to disease endpoints.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-mfair.html

Dana Marshall, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Surgery

Research Interests Dr. Offodile’s research interests include: the role/effect of health literacy in women with breast cancer and breast cancer in underserved and under represented populations. She is also interested in breast cancer among African American women and African Women.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-roffodile.html

Flora Ukoli, PHD Associate Professor, Department of Surgery

Email: fukoli@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Ukoli’s research focuses on dietary risks factor of prostate cancer and evaluating the role of body fat, dietary fatty acids, vitamin E, lycopene and other nutrients in prostate cancer risk among African-Americans and Africans.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-fukoli.html

Research in Clinical Departments

Email: afair@mmc.edu

Email: roffodile@mmc.edu

Departments of Surgery

Alecia Malin-Fair, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery

Regina Offodile, MD Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery

Email: dmarshall@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Marshall’s research interests focus on specific immunity (anti-viral, autoimmunity, transplant rejection, tumors) and inflammation as a prelude to autoimmune diseases and cancer. Interests also include polygenic trait analysis of complex diseases in models and human populations. http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/som-dmarshall.html

Stephania Miller-Hughes, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery

Email: smiller@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Miller-Hughes's research focuses on enhancing clinical behavioral support for physical activity among African-American women with Type 2 diabetes and evaluating the extent to which these enhancements result in improved emotional, behavioral, and diabetes outcomes.

29

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The Center for AIDS Health Disparities http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/chd/chd_mission.html

Recognizing the need for a multi-discipline approach to both the problem and the research needed to eliminate it, the CAHDR has identified three major areas of focus:

Participants:

James E. K. Hildreth MD, PhD Professor, Department of Internal Medicine Director, Comprehensive Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV Donald J. Alcendor, PhD Assistant Professor, Departments of Microbial Pathogenesis & the Immune Response & Internal Medicine Member, Comprehensive Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV 31

Xinhong Dong, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis & the Immune Response and Member, Comprehensive Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV Bindong Liu, PhD Assistant Professor, Departments of Microbial Pathogenesis & the Immune Response & Internal Medicine Member, Comprehensive Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV

Research Centers and Programs

Research Centers at Meharry Medical College are the umbrella structure for multi-investigator programs whose activities in research, training and community outreach are funded by a variety of complementary mechanisms. Often, these Centers also Sponsor Core Facilities for use by Center and other investigators at Meharry Medical College, or seminar series, workshops and other activities.

The Center for AIDS Health Disparities

Research Centers

Mission: By combining research with community partnerships, the Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research will dramatically reduce the burden of AIDS in the local minority community. The global pandemic of HIV infection and AIDS continues to spread and has already claimed more than 20 million lives. The problem has come to affect primarily people of color living in resource-poor nations. In the United States, African Americans represent 13% of the population but account for more than 50% of diagnosed AIDS cases. African American women account for more than two thirds of AIDS cases in women in the United States. The prevalence of AIDS among African Americans is rising at an alarming rate, and in the nation’s capital a recent study found that 3 to 5% of adult African Americans are HIV-positive. Some studies indicate that after infection, in the absence of treatment, African Americans progress more rapidly to AIDS than other racial groups and may suffer clinical problems, like HIV-associated nephropathy, not typically seen in other racial groups. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in African Americans is a true crisis that requires immediate and intense action. Our obligation is the compassionate elimination of HIV in our community and world.

Waldemar Popik, PhD Associate Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and Microbial Pathogenesis & the Immune Response and Member, Comprehensive Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV

Website: http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/chd/chd_mission.html

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The Center for AIDS Health Disparities http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/chd/chd_mission.html

Recognizing the need for a multi-discipline approach to both the problem and the research needed to eliminate it, the CAHDR has identified three major areas of focus:

Participants:

James E. K. Hildreth MD, PhD Professor, Department of Internal Medicine Director, Comprehensive Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV Donald J. Alcendor, PhD Assistant Professor, Departments of Microbial Pathogenesis & the Immune Response & Internal Medicine Member, Comprehensive Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV 31

Xinhong Dong, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Microbial Pathogenesis & the Immune Response and Member, Comprehensive Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV Bindong Liu, PhD Assistant Professor, Departments of Microbial Pathogenesis & the Immune Response & Internal Medicine Member, Comprehensive Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV

Research Centers and Programs

Research Centers at Meharry Medical College are the umbrella structure for multi-investigator programs whose activities in research, training and community outreach are funded by a variety of complementary mechanisms. Often, these Centers also Sponsor Core Facilities for use by Center and other investigators at Meharry Medical College, or seminar series, workshops and other activities.

The Center for AIDS Health Disparities

Research Centers

Mission: By combining research with community partnerships, the Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research will dramatically reduce the burden of AIDS in the local minority community. The global pandemic of HIV infection and AIDS continues to spread and has already claimed more than 20 million lives. The problem has come to affect primarily people of color living in resource-poor nations. In the United States, African Americans represent 13% of the population but account for more than 50% of diagnosed AIDS cases. African American women account for more than two thirds of AIDS cases in women in the United States. The prevalence of AIDS among African Americans is rising at an alarming rate, and in the nation’s capital a recent study found that 3 to 5% of adult African Americans are HIV-positive. Some studies indicate that after infection, in the absence of treatment, African Americans progress more rapidly to AIDS than other racial groups and may suffer clinical problems, like HIV-associated nephropathy, not typically seen in other racial groups. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in African Americans is a true crisis that requires immediate and intense action. Our obligation is the compassionate elimination of HIV in our community and world.

Waldemar Popik, PhD Associate Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and Microbial Pathogenesis & the Immune Response and Member, Comprehensive Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV

Website: http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/chd/chd_mission.html

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Center for Women’s Health Research Mission:

http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/cwhr/index.html

Mission:

The mission of the Meharry Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience (CMBN) is to conduct basic, translational, clinical, social and behavioral research to generate new knowledge that will contribute to the nation's effort to reduce health disparities in the areas of neurological disease, mental health as well as drug abuse and addiction, including alcoholism, while contributing significantly to the production of the next generation of neuroscientists.

Participants:

Hubert K. Rucker, PhD Email: hrucker@mmc.edu Vice President, Office for Research Director, Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Professor, Department of Medical Education

Twum Ansah, PhD Email: tansah@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Leadership: Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD Executive Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Sr. Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean, School of Medicine

Ayman Al-Hendy, MD, PHD Scientific Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Professor, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Gloria Richard Davis, MD Associate Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Vanessa Elliott, PhD Behavioral Core Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine

Anthony Archibong, PhD Endocrine Core Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Gwinnett Ladson, MD Exercise Facilities Core Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Assistant Professor/Program Director, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Ada Knight, PhD Nutrition Core Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology Anthony Disher, MD Radiology Core Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Chair, Department of Radiology

Clivel Charlton, PhD Email: ccharlton@mmc.edu Professor & Chair, Department of Neurobioloby and Neurotoxicology Sanika Chirwa, PhD Email: schirwa@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Guo-Huang Fan, PhD Email: gfan@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Darryl B. Hood, PhD Email: dhood@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Habibeh Khoshbouei, PhD Email: hkhoshbouei@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology Sukhbir Mokha, PhD Email: smokha@mmc.edu Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Mitchell Parks, PhD Email: mparks@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology

James G. Townsel, PhD Email: jtownsel@mmc.edu Professor Emeritus, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/cmbn/cmbn_mission.html

Research Centers and Programs

Research Centers and Programs

http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/cmbn/cmbn_mission.html

Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience

Women’s Health Research

The Meharry Center for Women’s Health Research (CWHR) is dedicated to conducting research on health issues that disproportionately affect women of color by providing a physical and administrative locus where scientists from many disciplines can come together to share insights and methods and deepen the understanding of the cellular, molecular, socio-behavioral and clinical aspects of women’s health. Specific areas of research currently include reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. As we look to the future of the CWHR, we envision a growing awareness and appreciation of each other’s culture by exploring ways to elevate the advancement of scientific research for populations vulnerable to disparities in health care. The mission of the Meharry Center for Women’s Health Research is to develop culturally sensitive models of health research and intervention that address health disparities in women of color in an integrated and holistic manner.

Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience

Website http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/cwhr/index.html 33

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Center for Women’s Health Research Mission:

http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/cwhr/index.html

Mission:

The mission of the Meharry Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience (CMBN) is to conduct basic, translational, clinical, social and behavioral research to generate new knowledge that will contribute to the nation's effort to reduce health disparities in the areas of neurological disease, mental health as well as drug abuse and addiction, including alcoholism, while contributing significantly to the production of the next generation of neuroscientists.

Participants:

Hubert K. Rucker, PhD Email: hrucker@mmc.edu Vice President, Office for Research Director, Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Professor, Department of Medical Education

Twum Ansah, PhD Email: tansah@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Leadership: Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD Executive Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Sr. Vice President for Health Affairs and Dean, School of Medicine

Ayman Al-Hendy, MD, PHD Scientific Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Professor, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Gloria Richard Davis, MD Associate Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Vanessa Elliott, PhD Behavioral Core Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine

Anthony Archibong, PhD Endocrine Core Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Gwinnett Ladson, MD Exercise Facilities Core Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Assistant Professor/Program Director, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Ada Knight, PhD Nutrition Core Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology Anthony Disher, MD Radiology Core Director, Center for Women’s Health Research Chair, Department of Radiology

Clivel Charlton, PhD Email: ccharlton@mmc.edu Professor & Chair, Department of Neurobioloby and Neurotoxicology Sanika Chirwa, PhD Email: schirwa@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Guo-Huang Fan, PhD Email: gfan@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Darryl B. Hood, PhD Email: dhood@mmc.edu Associate Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Habibeh Khoshbouei, PhD Email: hkhoshbouei@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology Sukhbir Mokha, PhD Email: smokha@mmc.edu Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

Mitchell Parks, PhD Email: mparks@mmc.edu Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology

James G. Townsel, PhD Email: jtownsel@mmc.edu Professor Emeritus, Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/cmbn/cmbn_mission.html

Research Centers and Programs

Research Centers and Programs

http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/cmbn/cmbn_mission.html

Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience

Women’s Health Research

The Meharry Center for Women’s Health Research (CWHR) is dedicated to conducting research on health issues that disproportionately affect women of color by providing a physical and administrative locus where scientists from many disciplines can come together to share insights and methods and deepen the understanding of the cellular, molecular, socio-behavioral and clinical aspects of women’s health. Specific areas of research currently include reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. As we look to the future of the CWHR, we envision a growing awareness and appreciation of each other’s culture by exploring ways to elevate the advancement of scientific research for populations vulnerable to disparities in health care. The mission of the Meharry Center for Women’s Health Research is to develop culturally sensitive models of health research and intervention that address health disparities in women of color in an integrated and holistic manner.

Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience

Website http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/cwhr/index.html 33

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Research Programs

Asthma Disparities in Cohorts at Risk for Morbidity

A Collaborative Effort to Examine Why Asthma Strikes Minorities More Than Caucasians

DOD Prostate Cancer Research Program Meharry Principal Investigator: Flora Ukoli, PhD Vanderbilt Co Principal Investigator: Robert Matusik, PhD The goals of the partnership and the HBCU Collaborative Partnership Aware are to: a) focus on the ethnic disparity in biology, epidemiology and clinical presentation of prostate cancer in the community; b) create long term, stable relationships between prostate cancer researchers at collaborating institutions; and c) establish an evolving cohort of nationally funded, Meharry PI-directed, prostate cancer grants.

Mechanisms of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Toxicity (ARCH) Principal Investigator: Darryl B. Hood, PhD NIEHS developed the ARCH program to establish research partnerships between investigators at Research Intensive Universities (RIU's) with a strong program in environmental health sciences research and investigators at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI's) with a strong interest in such research (www.niehs.nih.gov/translat/arch/arch.htm). It is intended to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and resources and to establish a group of investigators who can successfully compete for R01-type grants in environmental health research.

This program brings together investigators at Meharry Medical College (MMC) with researchers at its Alliance partner, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VU), to examine “Mechanisms of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Toxicity”.

35

The obligation of this program is the compassionate elimination of HIV in our community and world. Through combining research with community partnerships, the Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research will dramatically reduce the burden of AIDS in the local minority community. Discoveries made and models developed by the Center will have permanent national and global impact.

Website: http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/chd/chd_mission.html

Meharry Clinical Research Center Principal Investigator: Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD Program Director, Patrick Griffith, MD History and Mission • The Clinical Research Center (CRC) at Meharry Medical College is a joint project of the Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS), the General Clinical Research Centers (GCRC) Program of the Division of Research Re sources, National Institutes of Health, and Research Centers in Minority Institutions Program (RCMI) of the National Center for Research Resources.

The purpose of the CRC is to provide the resources necessary to facilitate clinical research in a minority academic setting by expanding existing programs, nurturing new investigators, and encouraging full utilization of its services. The mission of this program is to: • Promote the advancement of clinical research and improve the health and welfare of disadvantaged and minority populations through participation in clinical studies.

• Promote an environment that encourages, stimulates, nurtures, and attracts clinical research by providing leadership and support for conducting clinical research.

Research Centers and Programs

Research Centers and Programs

Principal Investigator, John J. Murray, MD, PhD Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center have teamed up to try to understand why some minority and low-income groups suffer disproportionately from asthma. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute awarded a five-year, grant to Meharry and Vanderbilt to establish a new Center for Reducing Asthma Disparities as part of an Initiative creating partnerships between research intensive and minority-serving institutions. This Meharry/Vanderbilt Center started in 2002 is one of five centers funded in the in the country to address this problem.

Meharry Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV Principal Investigator: James E.K. Hildreth, MD, PhD The global pandemic of HIV infection and AIDS continues to spread and has already claimed more than 20 million lives. The problem has come to affect primarily people of color living in resource-poor nations. In the United States, African Americans represent 13% of the population but account for more than 50% of diagnosed AIDS cases. African American women account for more than two thirds of AIDS cases in women in the United States. The prevalence of AIDS among African Americans is rising at an alarming rate, and in the nation’s capital a recent study found that 3 to 5% of adult African Americans are HIV-positive. Some studies indicate that after infection, in the absence of treatment, African Americans progress more rapidly to AIDS than other racial groups and may suffer clinical problems, like HIV-associated nephropathy, not typically seen in other racial groups. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in African Americans is a true crisis that requires immediate and intense action.

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Research Programs

Asthma Disparities in Cohorts at Risk for Morbidity

A Collaborative Effort to Examine Why Asthma Strikes Minorities More Than Caucasians

DOD Prostate Cancer Research Program Meharry Principal Investigator: Flora Ukoli, PhD Vanderbilt Co Principal Investigator: Robert Matusik, PhD The goals of the partnership and the HBCU Collaborative Partnership Aware are to: a) focus on the ethnic disparity in biology, epidemiology and clinical presentation of prostate cancer in the community; b) create long term, stable relationships between prostate cancer researchers at collaborating institutions; and c) establish an evolving cohort of nationally funded, Meharry PI-directed, prostate cancer grants.

Mechanisms of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Toxicity (ARCH) Principal Investigator: Darryl B. Hood, PhD NIEHS developed the ARCH program to establish research partnerships between investigators at Research Intensive Universities (RIU's) with a strong program in environmental health sciences research and investigators at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI's) with a strong interest in such research (www.niehs.nih.gov/translat/arch/arch.htm). It is intended to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and resources and to establish a group of investigators who can successfully compete for R01-type grants in environmental health research.

This program brings together investigators at Meharry Medical College (MMC) with researchers at its Alliance partner, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VU), to examine “Mechanisms of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Toxicity”.

35

The obligation of this program is the compassionate elimination of HIV in our community and world. Through combining research with community partnerships, the Center for AIDS Health Disparities Research will dramatically reduce the burden of AIDS in the local minority community. Discoveries made and models developed by the Center will have permanent national and global impact.

Website: http://www.mmc.edu/research/centers/chd/chd_mission.html

Meharry Clinical Research Center Principal Investigator: Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD Program Director, Patrick Griffith, MD History and Mission • The Clinical Research Center (CRC) at Meharry Medical College is a joint project of the Minority Biomedical Research Support (MBRS), the General Clinical Research Centers (GCRC) Program of the Division of Research Re sources, National Institutes of Health, and Research Centers in Minority Institutions Program (RCMI) of the National Center for Research Resources.

The purpose of the CRC is to provide the resources necessary to facilitate clinical research in a minority academic setting by expanding existing programs, nurturing new investigators, and encouraging full utilization of its services. The mission of this program is to: • Promote the advancement of clinical research and improve the health and welfare of disadvantaged and minority populations through participation in clinical studies.

• Promote an environment that encourages, stimulates, nurtures, and attracts clinical research by providing leadership and support for conducting clinical research.

Research Centers and Programs

Research Centers and Programs

Principal Investigator, John J. Murray, MD, PhD Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center have teamed up to try to understand why some minority and low-income groups suffer disproportionately from asthma. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute awarded a five-year, grant to Meharry and Vanderbilt to establish a new Center for Reducing Asthma Disparities as part of an Initiative creating partnerships between research intensive and minority-serving institutions. This Meharry/Vanderbilt Center started in 2002 is one of five centers funded in the in the country to address this problem.

Meharry Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV Principal Investigator: James E.K. Hildreth, MD, PhD The global pandemic of HIV infection and AIDS continues to spread and has already claimed more than 20 million lives. The problem has come to affect primarily people of color living in resource-poor nations. In the United States, African Americans represent 13% of the population but account for more than 50% of diagnosed AIDS cases. African American women account for more than two thirds of AIDS cases in women in the United States. The prevalence of AIDS among African Americans is rising at an alarming rate, and in the nation’s capital a recent study found that 3 to 5% of adult African Americans are HIV-positive. Some studies indicate that after infection, in the absence of treatment, African Americans progress more rapidly to AIDS than other racial groups and may suffer clinical problems, like HIV-associated nephropathy, not typically seen in other racial groups. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in African Americans is a true crisis that requires immediate and intense action.

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CRC Services include: Developing a New Research Study, Administrative Core, Nursing Core, Research Participant Advocacy, Biometrics Core, Sample Processing Core, Education and Training for Clinical Research, Volunteer for Clinical Research Studies, Current Clinical Research Center Studies, Advisory Committees http://www.mmc.edu/research/clinical_research_center/index.html

Research Centers and Programs

SNRP (Specialized Neuroscience Research Program) Project at Meharry Medical College) Principal Investigator: Hubert K. Rucker, PhD The Meharry Medical College SNRP program is part of NIH initiative to enhance the neuroscience-related research capacity of minority serving institutions http://snrp.nih.gov. The program was initially funded in 2000 with funding from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR). The program has recently been competitively renewed for an additional five years (2 U54 NS041071).

The long-range goal is to engage in bench-to-bedside research, wherein clinical enigmas drive basic laboratory research, and laboratory research provides insights into potential novel therapeutic interventions or at least new understandings into the pathogenesis of neurological and mental health disease, including addictions.

The SNRP Program is an integral part of the Meharry Medical College Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience.

37

All of the areas of research emphasis at Meharry represent areas of health disparities for people of color, in general, and African Americans, in particular.

These areas are Brain and Behavior, Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Obesity and Diabetes, and Women’s Health.

Lee E. Limbird, PhD Vice President Research Office for Research

The mission of the Office for Research is to provide the infrastructure to facilitate the research programs of Meharry’s faculty, staff and trainees in bench to bedside to community research that ultimately eliminates the disparities in health outcomes for minorities and under-served populations.

The Office for Research has interdependent offices, each with focused goals in behalf of our institution, and led by an Associate Vice President for Research:

Peter J. Dolce, PhD Associate Vice President for Research

Hubert K. Rucker, PhD Associate Vice President for Research

John J. Murray, MD, PhD Associate Vice President for Research

James G. Townsel, PhD Associate Vice President for Research

Grants Management and Research Compliance

Clinical Research

Meharry Medical College

Meharry RCMI Program in Women’s Health Research Principal Investigator: James G. Townsel, PhD Program Director: James E.K. Hildreth PhD The RCMI Program (http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/resinfra/ri_rcmi.asp) is supported by the Division of Research Infrastructure of the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) at the NIH. The goal is to expand the research capacity of the nation by improving the human and physical research resources at doctoral degree granting institutions that have a 50% or greater enrollment of students who are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences.

The mission of Meharry Medical College is to eliminate health disparities.

Research at Meharry therefore examines biological, behavioral and other factors that contribute to the disproportionate burden of poor health outcomes borne by minority and underserved populations. In parallel, our research programs provide the venue for outstanding training programs in research.

Office of Research

Research Programs

Meharry EXPORT Center for Health Disparities Principal Investigator: Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD Program Director: Paul Juarez, PhD Excellence in Partnerships for Community Outreach, Research and Health Disparities, and Training to improve health, health care delivery systems and community health programs through research, education and the development, evaluation and dissemination of model programs with a special focus on improving provider, patient and systems behaviors and a special emphasis on underserved ethnic and racial minority populations.

Office for Research

Office of Grants Development

Bridges to Independence Program

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CRC Services include: Developing a New Research Study, Administrative Core, Nursing Core, Research Participant Advocacy, Biometrics Core, Sample Processing Core, Education and Training for Clinical Research, Volunteer for Clinical Research Studies, Current Clinical Research Center Studies, Advisory Committees http://www.mmc.edu/research/clinical_research_center/index.html

Research Centers and Programs

SNRP (Specialized Neuroscience Research Program) Project at Meharry Medical College) Principal Investigator: Hubert K. Rucker, PhD The Meharry Medical College SNRP program is part of NIH initiative to enhance the neuroscience-related research capacity of minority serving institutions http://snrp.nih.gov. The program was initially funded in 2000 with funding from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR). The program has recently been competitively renewed for an additional five years (2 U54 NS041071).

The long-range goal is to engage in bench-to-bedside research, wherein clinical enigmas drive basic laboratory research, and laboratory research provides insights into potential novel therapeutic interventions or at least new understandings into the pathogenesis of neurological and mental health disease, including addictions.

The SNRP Program is an integral part of the Meharry Medical College Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience.

37

All of the areas of research emphasis at Meharry represent areas of health disparities for people of color, in general, and African Americans, in particular.

These areas are Brain and Behavior, Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Obesity and Diabetes, and Women’s Health.

Lee E. Limbird, PhD Vice President Research Office for Research

The mission of the Office for Research is to provide the infrastructure to facilitate the research programs of Meharry’s faculty, staff and trainees in bench to bedside to community research that ultimately eliminates the disparities in health outcomes for minorities and under-served populations.

The Office for Research has interdependent offices, each with focused goals in behalf of our institution, and led by an Associate Vice President for Research:

Peter J. Dolce, PhD Associate Vice President for Research

Hubert K. Rucker, PhD Associate Vice President for Research

John J. Murray, MD, PhD Associate Vice President for Research

James G. Townsel, PhD Associate Vice President for Research

Grants Management and Research Compliance

Clinical Research

Meharry Medical College

Meharry RCMI Program in Women’s Health Research Principal Investigator: James G. Townsel, PhD Program Director: James E.K. Hildreth PhD The RCMI Program (http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/resinfra/ri_rcmi.asp) is supported by the Division of Research Infrastructure of the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) at the NIH. The goal is to expand the research capacity of the nation by improving the human and physical research resources at doctoral degree granting institutions that have a 50% or greater enrollment of students who are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences.

The mission of Meharry Medical College is to eliminate health disparities.

Research at Meharry therefore examines biological, behavioral and other factors that contribute to the disproportionate burden of poor health outcomes borne by minority and underserved populations. In parallel, our research programs provide the venue for outstanding training programs in research.

Office of Research

Research Programs

Meharry EXPORT Center for Health Disparities Principal Investigator: Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD Program Director: Paul Juarez, PhD Excellence in Partnerships for Community Outreach, Research and Health Disparities, and Training to improve health, health care delivery systems and community health programs through research, education and the development, evaluation and dissemination of model programs with a special focus on improving provider, patient and systems behaviors and a special emphasis on underserved ethnic and racial minority populations.

Office for Research

Office of Grants Development

Bridges to Independence Program

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Research Training programs

PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences The doctoral program leads to the PhD in biomedical sciences and is divided into core, major emphasis, and dissertation phases. The core phase occupies the first year of study; all students enroll in courses defined as the core curriculum courses. During the major emphasis phase, students complete advanced courses and begin research in one of the major emphasis areas. The major emphasis phase ends when the student passes comprehensive examinations, thereby becoming a candidate for the PhD degree. During the dissertation phase, the student completes an extensive research project and writes a dissertation. To be granted the doctoral degree, the student must either publish or have accepted for publication a manuscript as first author in a peerreviewed journal, as well as present a public seminar on the dissertation research.

Currently, training is in four major emphasis areas: Cancer Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology.

MD/PhD Program The MD/PhD program is offered jointly by the School of Medicine and the School

Master of Science in Public Health The Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) is offered by the Division of Public Health Practice. The MSPH program is committed to training students who seek optimal health for people, and their communities. Students in the MSPH program receive a foundation in public health and participate in externships, which have included the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Department of Veterans Affairs, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Harvard University, Tennessee Hospital Association, and the American Cancer Society. These externships lead to excellent opportunities for future employment as health professionals in the public, and private sectors at the local, state, federal and international levels.

Master of Science in Clinical Investigation The Clinical Research Education and Career Development (CRECD) program at Meharry Medical College offers a two-year fellowship for physicians and other doctoral-level care professionals leading to the Masters of Science for Clinical Investigation (MSCI) degree. The program’s goals are to expand the cadre of well-trained clinical researchers, particularly minorities, and foster careers in clinical investigation that addresses racial and ethnic health disparities. The program’s curriculum provides fundamental skills and methodology required by well-trained independent clinical investigators and includes core didactic, elective and experimental design sessions that span the spectrum of translational science from molecular medicine to epidemiology to qualitative research.

Maria F. Lima, Ph.D.

Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Research

Research Training programs

39

The School of Graduate Studies and Research (SOGSR) offers programs that lead to the PhD in biomedical sciences, the Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH), and the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI). Since 1970, Meharry has conferred more than 15 percent of the PhD degrees awarded nationally to African Americans in biomedical sciences and has been the top producer of African-American PhDs in biomedical and biological Sciences. Graduates of the School serve on the faculty of America’s best universities as well as in leadership roles for many of the nation’s health, pharmaceutical, and biomedical technology corporations. Students who select Meharry Medical College Graduate School for their education, participate in innovative and cutting-edge research programs with a special emphasis in diseases and conditions that disproportionally affect underserved populations.

School of Graduate Studies and Research

School of Graduate Studies and Research

Research Training Programs in the School of Graduate Studies and Research

of Graduate Studies and Research. The program trains leaders in academic medicine by providing education in medicine and immersion in a research program Students considered for admission to the combined degree program must meet the admission requirements of both the medical and graduate schools. Students enrolled in the MD/PhD program matriculate in the School of Medicine for the first two years of their training. After successful performance on the United States Medical Licensing Exam Part I, students began their graduate courses and research training. Once the PhD requirements are completed, including publishing a manuscript and defending a dissertation, students reenter their medical studies and complete the medical school curriculum.

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Research Training programs

PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences The doctoral program leads to the PhD in biomedical sciences and is divided into core, major emphasis, and dissertation phases. The core phase occupies the first year of study; all students enroll in courses defined as the core curriculum courses. During the major emphasis phase, students complete advanced courses and begin research in one of the major emphasis areas. The major emphasis phase ends when the student passes comprehensive examinations, thereby becoming a candidate for the PhD degree. During the dissertation phase, the student completes an extensive research project and writes a dissertation. To be granted the doctoral degree, the student must either publish or have accepted for publication a manuscript as first author in a peerreviewed journal, as well as present a public seminar on the dissertation research.

Currently, training is in four major emphasis areas: Cancer Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology.

MD/PhD Program The MD/PhD program is offered jointly by the School of Medicine and the School

Master of Science in Public Health The Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) is offered by the Division of Public Health Practice. The MSPH program is committed to training students who seek optimal health for people, and their communities. Students in the MSPH program receive a foundation in public health and participate in externships, which have included the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Department of Veterans Affairs, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Harvard University, Tennessee Hospital Association, and the American Cancer Society. These externships lead to excellent opportunities for future employment as health professionals in the public, and private sectors at the local, state, federal and international levels.

Master of Science in Clinical Investigation The Clinical Research Education and Career Development (CRECD) program at Meharry Medical College offers a two-year fellowship for physicians and other doctoral-level care professionals leading to the Masters of Science for Clinical Investigation (MSCI) degree. The program’s goals are to expand the cadre of well-trained clinical researchers, particularly minorities, and foster careers in clinical investigation that addresses racial and ethnic health disparities. The program’s curriculum provides fundamental skills and methodology required by well-trained independent clinical investigators and includes core didactic, elective and experimental design sessions that span the spectrum of translational science from molecular medicine to epidemiology to qualitative research.

Maria F. Lima, Ph.D.

Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Research

Research Training programs

39

The School of Graduate Studies and Research (SOGSR) offers programs that lead to the PhD in biomedical sciences, the Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH), and the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI). Since 1970, Meharry has conferred more than 15 percent of the PhD degrees awarded nationally to African Americans in biomedical sciences and has been the top producer of African-American PhDs in biomedical and biological Sciences. Graduates of the School serve on the faculty of America’s best universities as well as in leadership roles for many of the nation’s health, pharmaceutical, and biomedical technology corporations. Students who select Meharry Medical College Graduate School for their education, participate in innovative and cutting-edge research programs with a special emphasis in diseases and conditions that disproportionally affect underserved populations.

School of Graduate Studies and Research

School of Graduate Studies and Research

Research Training Programs in the School of Graduate Studies and Research

of Graduate Studies and Research. The program trains leaders in academic medicine by providing education in medicine and immersion in a research program Students considered for admission to the combined degree program must meet the admission requirements of both the medical and graduate schools. Students enrolled in the MD/PhD program matriculate in the School of Medicine for the first two years of their training. After successful performance on the United States Medical Licensing Exam Part I, students began their graduate courses and research training. Once the PhD requirements are completed, including publishing a manuscript and defending a dissertation, students reenter their medical studies and complete the medical school curriculum.

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Research, School of Dentistry http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/sod.html

Angel Rivera-Torres, DDS, MPH, MSPH, PhD Assistant Professor & Chair, Dental Public Health

Email: atorres@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Rivera-Torres’ research focuses on risk factors for root caries, and periodontal diseases in elderly populations and gender and race/ethnicity differences in perceptions that serve as barriers to participate in clinical trials.

Research in

School of Dentistry

Hua Xie, DDS, PhD Professor, Department of Stomatology School of Dentistry

Research Interests The long range goal of Dr. Xie’s research is to gain a molecular understanding of events leading to the transformation of healthy plaque to pathogenic plaque and to change the course of development of pathogenic biofilm by preventing attachment of P. gingivalis. She is using both gene array and proteomics tools to address the question of how communication is established between P. gingivalis and the primary colonizers of the dental biofilm, particularly Streptococcus cristatus and what are the mechanisms by which P. gingivalis is excluded from dental plaques by S. cristatus. A principal hypothesis is that Streptococcus cristatus plays an important role in impeding Porphyromonas gingivalis’ colonization on dental biofilm through inter-generic signaling systems.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/sod-xie.html

29 4 25 18 11, 32 25, 33 14, 34 36 26, 33 8 35 28 28 20 19 2 9 32 34 33 14, 34 4, 12 12 15, 34 9 37 20 5 25, 33 25 4-7 8-9 18-19 20-23 9-10 11-13 14-16 23-24 25-27 28 28-30 21 33 35 38 12, 32

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Email: hxie@mmc.edu

Able, Antoinne, MD Adunyah, Samuel Evans, PhD Aguinaga, Maria del Pilar, PhD Akohoue, Sylvie A., PhD, CNS Alcendor, Donald J., PhD Al-Hendy, Ayman, MD, PhD Ansah, Twum, PhD ARCH Mechanisms of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Toxicity Archibong, Anthony, PhD Arinze, Ifeanyi, PhD Asthma Disparities in Cohorts at Risk for Morbidity Ballard, Billy R., MD, DDS Beech, Derrick, MD Berthaud, Vladimir, MD, MPH Bruce, Marino A., PhD Butler, William B., DDS, MS Clark, John, PhD Center for AIDS Health Disparities Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Center for Women’s Health Research Charlton, Clivel George, PhD Chaudhuri, Gautam, PhD Chaudhuri, Minu, PhD Chirwa, Sanika, PhD Clark, John, PhD Clinical Research Center Cui, Yong MD, MSPH Das, Salil K., PhD Davis, Gloria Richard, MD del Pilar Aguinaga, Maria, PhD Department of Cancer Biology Department of Cardiovascular Biology Department of Family & Community Medicine Department of Internal Medicine Department of Medical Education Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response Department of Neurobiology & Neurotoxicology Department of Neurology Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Department of Pathology Department of Surgery Desruisseau, Andrew, MD Disher, Anthony, MD DoD Prostate Cancer Research Program Dolce, Peter, PhD Dong, Xinhong, PhD

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Research, School of Dentistry http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/sod.html

Angel Rivera-Torres, DDS, MPH, MSPH, PhD Assistant Professor & Chair, Dental Public Health

Email: atorres@mmc.edu

Research Interests Dr. Rivera-Torres’ research focuses on risk factors for root caries, and periodontal diseases in elderly populations and gender and race/ethnicity differences in perceptions that serve as barriers to participate in clinical trials.

Research in

School of Dentistry

Hua Xie, DDS, PhD Professor, Department of Stomatology School of Dentistry

Research Interests The long range goal of Dr. Xie’s research is to gain a molecular understanding of events leading to the transformation of healthy plaque to pathogenic plaque and to change the course of development of pathogenic biofilm by preventing attachment of P. gingivalis. She is using both gene array and proteomics tools to address the question of how communication is established between P. gingivalis and the primary colonizers of the dental biofilm, particularly Streptococcus cristatus and what are the mechanisms by which P. gingivalis is excluded from dental plaques by S. cristatus. A principal hypothesis is that Streptococcus cristatus plays an important role in impeding Porphyromonas gingivalis’ colonization on dental biofilm through inter-generic signaling systems.

Website URL http://www.mmc.edu/faculty/sod-xie.html

29 4 25 18 11, 32 25, 33 14, 34 36 26, 33 8 35 28 28 20 19 2 9 32 34 33 14, 34 4, 12 12 15, 34 9 37 20 5 25, 33 25 4-7 8-9 18-19 20-23 9-10 11-13 14-16 23-24 25-27 28 28-30 21 33 35 38 12, 32

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Email: hxie@mmc.edu

Able, Antoinne, MD Adunyah, Samuel Evans, PhD Aguinaga, Maria del Pilar, PhD Akohoue, Sylvie A., PhD, CNS Alcendor, Donald J., PhD Al-Hendy, Ayman, MD, PhD Ansah, Twum, PhD ARCH Mechanisms of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Toxicity Archibong, Anthony, PhD Arinze, Ifeanyi, PhD Asthma Disparities in Cohorts at Risk for Morbidity Ballard, Billy R., MD, DDS Beech, Derrick, MD Berthaud, Vladimir, MD, MPH Bruce, Marino A., PhD Butler, William B., DDS, MS Clark, John, PhD Center for AIDS Health Disparities Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Center for Women’s Health Research Charlton, Clivel George, PhD Chaudhuri, Gautam, PhD Chaudhuri, Minu, PhD Chirwa, Sanika, PhD Clark, John, PhD Clinical Research Center Cui, Yong MD, MSPH Das, Salil K., PhD Davis, Gloria Richard, MD del Pilar Aguinaga, Maria, PhD Department of Cancer Biology Department of Cardiovascular Biology Department of Family & Community Medicine Department of Internal Medicine Department of Medical Education Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and the Immune Response Department of Neurobiology & Neurotoxicology Department of Neurology Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Department of Pathology Department of Surgery Desruisseau, Andrew, MD Disher, Anthony, MD DoD Prostate Cancer Research Program Dolce, Peter, PhD Dong, Xinhong, PhD

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Elliott, Vanessa, PhD Eltom, Sakina E., DVM PhD Export Center for Health Disparities Fair, Alicia Malin, DPH Fan, Guo-Huang, PhD Freund-Taylor, Carol, PhD Garrett, Ruth E. PhD, MPH, MEd Goodwin, J. Shawn, PhD Griffith, Patrick A., MD Guo, ZhongMao MD, PhD Hargreaves, Margaret, PhD Hildreth, James E. K. MD, PhD Holt, Robert G., PhD Hood, Darryl B., PhD Hughes, Stephania Miller, PhD Ikpeazu, Chukwuemeka MD, PhD Johnson, Evangeline D. Motley, PhD Juarez, Paul D., PhD Khabele, Dineo MD Khoshbouei, Habibeh PharmD., PhD Knight, Ada, PhD Ladson, Gwinnett, MD Lee, Eun-Sook, PhD Levine, Robert MD, MPH Lima, Maria Fatima, PhD Limbird, Lee, PhD Liu, Bindong, PhD Malin-Fair, Alecia, DPH Marshall, Dana, PhD Master of Science in Public Health Program Master of Science in Clinical Investigation Program Mechanisms of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Toxicity (ARCH) Meharry Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV Meharry Clinical Research Center Meharry EXPORT Center for Health Disparities Meharry RCMI Program in Women’s Health Research Miller-Hughes, Stephania, PhD Mokha, Sukhbir, PhD Montgomery Rice, Valerie, MD Motley-Johnson, Evangeline D., PhD Murray, John J., MD, PhD Nowicki, Bogden, MD, PhD Nowicki, Stella, DDS Ochieng, Josiah, PhD Office for Research Offodile, Regina, MD Ogunkua, Olugbemiga “Ben” MD, PhD Okafor, Henry, MD Parks, Mitchell, MD PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences MD/PhD Program Popik, Waldemar, PhD

19, 33 5 38 29 15, 34 9 24 5 23, 36 8 21 21, 32, 37, 38 13 15, 34, 35 29 21 8 19, 37 26 16, 34 33 26, 33 24 19 39-40 38 22, 32 29 29 40 40 35 36 36-37 37 37 29 16, 34 2, 26, 33, 36, 37 8 22, 35, 38 27 27 6 38 29 6 22 24, 34 39 39 22, 32

Ramasamy, Raju, PhD 13 Ramesh, Aramandla, PhD 6 RCMI Program in Women’s Health Research 38 Research Centers 32-35 Research Programs 36-38 Research, School of Dentistry, Oral Biology Research 41 Research Training Programs in the School of Graduate Studies and Research 39 Rice, Valerie Montgomery, MD 2, 26, 33, 36, 37 Richard-Davis, Gloria, MD 25, 33 Riley, Wayne J. MD, MPH, MBA, 1 Rivera-Torres, Angel, DDS, MPH, MSPH, PhD 41 Rucker, Hubert K., PhD 34, 37, 38 Sander, Linda, PhD 10 School of Graduate Studies and Research (SOGSR) 39 Singh, Pradumna, MD 24 Specialized Neuroscience Research Program (SNRP) Project at MMMC 37 Stewart, LaMonica V., PhD 7 Sweet, Stephanie, MD 10 Taylor, Carol Freund, PhD 9 Thompson, Marilyn E., PhD 7 Torrente, Sandra, MD 27 Torres, Angel Rivera, DDS, MPH, MSPH, PhD 30, 41 Townsel, James G., PhD 16, 34, 37, 38 Trochtenberg, David, MD 23 Ukoli, Flora, DPH 30, 35 Valenzuela, Manuel, PhD 7 Villalta, Fernando, PhD 11 White, Richard O, III, MD 23 Whitty, Janice, MD 27 Wolff, Steven, MD 20 Xie, Hua DDS, PhD 41 Yang, Hong, MD 9 Zoorob, Roger J., MD 18

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Elliott, Vanessa, PhD Eltom, Sakina E., DVM PhD Export Center for Health Disparities Fair, Alicia Malin, DPH Fan, Guo-Huang, PhD Freund-Taylor, Carol, PhD Garrett, Ruth E. PhD, MPH, MEd Goodwin, J. Shawn, PhD Griffith, Patrick A., MD Guo, ZhongMao MD, PhD Hargreaves, Margaret, PhD Hildreth, James E. K. MD, PhD Holt, Robert G., PhD Hood, Darryl B., PhD Hughes, Stephania Miller, PhD Ikpeazu, Chukwuemeka MD, PhD Johnson, Evangeline D. Motley, PhD Juarez, Paul D., PhD Khabele, Dineo MD Khoshbouei, Habibeh PharmD., PhD Knight, Ada, PhD Ladson, Gwinnett, MD Lee, Eun-Sook, PhD Levine, Robert MD, MPH Lima, Maria Fatima, PhD Limbird, Lee, PhD Liu, Bindong, PhD Malin-Fair, Alecia, DPH Marshall, Dana, PhD Master of Science in Public Health Program Master of Science in Clinical Investigation Program Mechanisms of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Toxicity (ARCH) Meharry Center for Health Disparities Research in HIV Meharry Clinical Research Center Meharry EXPORT Center for Health Disparities Meharry RCMI Program in Women’s Health Research Miller-Hughes, Stephania, PhD Mokha, Sukhbir, PhD Montgomery Rice, Valerie, MD Motley-Johnson, Evangeline D., PhD Murray, John J., MD, PhD Nowicki, Bogden, MD, PhD Nowicki, Stella, DDS Ochieng, Josiah, PhD Office for Research Offodile, Regina, MD Ogunkua, Olugbemiga “Ben” MD, PhD Okafor, Henry, MD Parks, Mitchell, MD PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences MD/PhD Program Popik, Waldemar, PhD

19, 33 5 38 29 15, 34 9 24 5 23, 36 8 21 21, 32, 37, 38 13 15, 34, 35 29 21 8 19, 37 26 16, 34 33 26, 33 24 19 39-40 38 22, 32 29 29 40 40 35 36 36-37 37 37 29 16, 34 2, 26, 33, 36, 37 8 22, 35, 38 27 27 6 38 29 6 22 24, 34 39 39 22, 32

Ramasamy, Raju, PhD 13 Ramesh, Aramandla, PhD 6 RCMI Program in Women’s Health Research 38 Research Centers 32-35 Research Programs 36-38 Research, School of Dentistry, Oral Biology Research 41 Research Training Programs in the School of Graduate Studies and Research 39 Rice, Valerie Montgomery, MD 2, 26, 33, 36, 37 Richard-Davis, Gloria, MD 25, 33 Riley, Wayne J. MD, MPH, MBA, 1 Rivera-Torres, Angel, DDS, MPH, MSPH, PhD 41 Rucker, Hubert K., PhD 34, 37, 38 Sander, Linda, PhD 10 School of Graduate Studies and Research (SOGSR) 39 Singh, Pradumna, MD 24 Specialized Neuroscience Research Program (SNRP) Project at MMMC 37 Stewart, LaMonica V., PhD 7 Sweet, Stephanie, MD 10 Taylor, Carol Freund, PhD 9 Thompson, Marilyn E., PhD 7 Torrente, Sandra, MD 27 Torres, Angel Rivera, DDS, MPH, MSPH, PhD 30, 41 Townsel, James G., PhD 16, 34, 37, 38 Trochtenberg, David, MD 23 Ukoli, Flora, DPH 30, 35 Valenzuela, Manuel, PhD 7 Villalta, Fernando, PhD 11 White, Richard O, III, MD 23 Whitty, Janice, MD 27 Wolff, Steven, MD 20 Xie, Hua DDS, PhD 41 Yang, Hong, MD 9 Zoorob, Roger J., MD 18

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