Research Impact February 2012: A Quarterly Update from the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research Cancer Center Director Recruiting New Faculty to GHSU Drs. John Janik and Olivier Rixe have joined GHSU as new faculty in the Cancer Center. Janik received his M.D. degree at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed a fellowship in Medical Oncology and Hematology at Case Western Reserve University. He then joined the Biological Response Modifiers Program of the National Cancer Institute, participating in early trials of hematopoietic growth factors, monoclonal antibodies, interleukin 2 and other cytokines. Before joining GHSU, Janik researched immunologic treatments for solid tumors and receptor-directed treatments for hematologic malignancy as Co-Director of the Metabolism Branch Clinical Trial Team at the National Cancer Institute. He also identified survivin as a target for T cell lymphoma therapy while researching resistance to monoclonal antibody therapy in hematologic malignancy through gene expression profiling. Janik served as a member and chair of the National Cancer Institute’s Institutional Review Board for 10 years. Rixe received his medical degree from the Pierre and Marie Curie University of Paris. He also completed four years of training in medical oncology and internal medicine and earned a Ph.D. in molecular biology in Paris. He worked at the National Cancer Institute’s Medical Oncology Branch as a staff clinician and at the University of Cincinnati as a Professor of Medicine, Director of the Experimental Therapeutics Program and Research Director of the Brain Tumor Center before joining GHSU. He clinical research of sunitinib, which was published in The New England Journal of Medicine, led to the drug’s FDA approval for kidney cancer treatment. His study of the VEGFR inhibitor, axitinib, to treat pancreatic cancer was published in The Lancet. Axitinib is in the process of FDA approval.
Dr. Olivier Rixe, M.D., Ph.D.
College of Dental Medicine Opens Center for Clinical and Translational Craniofacial Research The College of Dental Medicine’s new Center for Clinical and Translational Craniofacial Research features a collaborative environment for clinical and translational research that leverages the university’s capacity for research growth. The center, occupying 3,500 square feet on the fourth floor of the college’s new building, includes four dental operatories, two surgical operatories, consultation rooms, phlebotomy, recovery, processing/secure storage, space for biological samples and files, a dental laboratory, office space and a conference room. Dr. Cristiano Susin, D.D.S., M.S.D., Ph.D., an experienced clinical trialist and oral epidemiologist, is the director.
Clinical Research Laboratory, Center for Clinical and Translational Craniofacial Research
Clinical Research Observation Room, Center for Clinical and Translational Craniofacial Research
Clinical Research Operatory Room, Center for Clinical and Translational Craniofacial Research Studies in the center include treatment of xerostomia (dry mouth) and peri-implantitis (an inflammatory process causing bone loss at dental implants and biological mechanisms linking oral infections and cardiovascular disease. GHSU Launches Informatics Platform for Clinical Research A scalable informatics framework that bridges clinical and basic-science research data regarding the genetic bases of complex diseases, is now available at GHSU. i2b2, an NIH-funded National Center for Biomedical Computing, is an open-source platform used internationally by the CTSA network, academic health centers and industry. i2b2 enables GHSU researchers to access de-identified clinical data from our clinical data warehouse, HealthFacts. In addition to helping translate basic-science research into medical practice, the framework minimizes time spent in the discovery of research cohorts, study feasibility, recruitment of subjects and development of evidence-based protocols; identifies potential cohorts for clinical trials; helps create research hypotheses; analyzes data retrospectively; enables researchers to formulate complex queries using an understandable user interface and a set of well-defined patient characteristics; and increases funding and collaboration potential. The back-end infrastructure (the "Hive") handles things like security, access rights and date repository management while the “Workbench,� an application suite of query and mining tools, allows users to ask questions about the data. The i2b2 environment is loaded with clinical data from December 2009, and new data from the clinical data warehouse will be added daily. The i2b2 database utilizes a star schema that consists of one fact table surrounded by numerous dimension tables. The i2b2 application is being launched in phases. The Office of Clinical Investigative Services on Feb. 6 began running a database query based on the user request form (available on the i2b2 website). Currently, query results will contain only a value (count of patients who fit query criteria) and graphical demographic information (age in years,
sex, ethnicity, language and vital status). These results will be sent back to the requestor by email. Training classes for i2b2 will be offered in March. Researchers who take the class or a web-based tutorial can register for access to i2b2 beginning April 2. Once a Workbench account has been set up, researchers can perform their own queries in the de-identified database. The final phase will enable researchers to receive patient identifiers from an i2b2 query with IRB approval, up-to-date CITI training and access to a secured research folder. For more information, visit www.georgiahealth.edu/OCIS/i2b2.html.
GHSU Sponsors Regional Conference on Lipids Research GHSU co-sponsored the 46th Southeastern Regional Lipid Conference Nov. 9-11 in Cashiers, N.C. More than 150 junior and senior researcher throughout the Southeast in the field of bioactive lipids attended. Dr. Erhard Bieberich, Professor in GHSU’s Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, organized and chaired the meeting. Allison Brown, Sandy Brown and Laura Hutcheson provided institutional support, including website support (www.georgiahealth.edu/institutes/IMMAG/SERLC). This was a great opportunity to showcase the scientific excellence of our institution and to attract graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
The High Hampton, Cashiers, N.C., C, site of the 46 Southeastern Regional Lipid Conference co-sponsored by GHSU. th
Bioactive lipids are essential mediators of cell signaling pathways relevant to normal and pathological development of the brain, cardiovascular system and other tissues. At the conference, junior researchers presented cutting-edge technology and science related to the analysis and function of bioactive lipids to leading scientists from academia and industry. Topics included the structural analysis and biology of phospholipids, sphingolipids, eicosanoids and sterols in aging, inflammation and cancer. Because many world-renowned lipid experts live in the Southeast, the conference serves as a platform for introducing and vetting new conceptual and technological developments in lipid
biology, engaging scientists in a vibrant exchange of ideas on current and future trends in lipid research. Listening Tour Feedback Dr. Mark Hamrick, Senior Vice President for Research, has visited 21 departments, centers and institutes over the past 10 weeks to glean ideas for improvement. Shortterm enhancements in response to faculty feedback include 1) increasing the amount of institutional subsidy to Laboratory Animal Services to offset investigator costs emanating from a recent pathogen outbreak, 2) naming Dr. Robert Gibson co-chairman of the Human Assurance Committee to assist Co-Chairman Marjorie Philips and Chairman Richard Sattin, 3) establishing a subcommittee to review and assess research space needs and 4) developing a Young Research Faculty Roundtable to support the development, success and advancement of our young faculty. This group will advise the Provost, Deans and Senior Vice President for Research on needs and concerns of young faculty, and will assist young faculty with research administration functions, grant review, etc. Office of the Provost Funds Additional Enhancements to Research Infrastructure Animal Space: The Office of the Provost has provided $95,000 to renovate approximately 2,000 square feet in CB-1302 previously occupied by the transgenic mouse program. The renovations include resurfacing and sealing the tile floor, replacing wooden casework with metal to meet AAALAC compliance standards, adding an entrance to the area to improve traffic flow and updating associated air balance requirements. The renovation will increase capacity for conventional animal housing and provide a biotelemetry procedural room. The renovation is scheduled for completion in May and will help support collaborative research across the enterprise. Oral Molecular Medicine: The Office of the Provost has provided $135,000 to renovate CB-2716 and CB-2717 to provide lab space for Department of Periodontics Chairman Christopher Cutler, who joined GHSU in September. Dr. Cutler conducts translational oral molecular medicine research, with a focus on the impact of chronic low-grade infections such as systemic inflammation in humans, particularly regarding coronary artery disease. The renovation, scheduled for completion in April, will provide an interdisciplinary research environment to support Dr. Cutler’s research. Dr. Cutler’s research is funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. He adjunct appointments in the Vascular Biology Graduate Program and in Oral Biology. Freezer Farm: The Office of the Provost and Dean of the Medical College of Georgia have provided $110,000 to renovate CB-2732 and CB-2735 to house large, ultra-low freezers, offering long-overdue additional capacity to store specimens. The recently completed renovations, which will accommodate 20 ultra-low freezers, include HVAC upgrades, new emergency back-up power and alarm systems, drywall installation, drop ceilings, tile flooring and widened doorways. Additional Research News from GHSU
Fructose Study Receives National Coverage in the New York Times: Congratulations to Dr. Norman Pollock and his colleagues at the Georgia Prevention Institute for their study recently published in the Journal of Nutrition (vol. 142, pp. 251-257) titled “Greater Fructose Consumption is Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk Markers and Visceral Adiposity in Adolescents.� Their research was highlighted in the Vital Signs section of the February 6, 2012, issue of the New York Times. A New Look for the GHSU Research Webpage Coming Soon: We are overhauling the GHSU research webpage to make it more user-friendly, easier to read and more specific to our key areas of strength. Special thanks to Allison Brown for her expertise in this endeavor. We will continue to make improvements, so please forward your suggestions and recommendations to the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research. Graduate Research Day March 22-23: Please mark your calendars for the 28th annual Graduate Research Day March 22- 23. Activities will include oral presentations from our postdoctoral fellows March 22 from 1-4 p.m. in room 2109 of the Interdisciplinary Research Building and a poster session March 23 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Wellness Center. The highlight will be lunch and a keynote address from 12:30-2 p.m. in room 1103 of the Hamilton Wing of the Research and Education Building. The keynote speaker is Dr. Carl Wu, head of the Chromosome Structure and Gene Regulation Section of the National Institutes of Health Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Wu received his Ph.D. from Harvard University, where he was mentored by Dr. Sarah Elgin in researching chromatin organization of specific genes. As a Junior Fellow at Harvard under Nobel Laureate Wally Gilbert, he provided the first evidence that chromatin is remodeled as DNase I hypersensitive sites at cellular gene promoters. He then moved to the National Cancer Institute, where he began investigating the biochemical mechanism of chromatin remodeling. In 1994, his group reported the discovery of the first ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling activity in cell-free extracts, and in the following year, purification and characterization of the responsible enzyme, named NURF. Nature called this work a milestone in the field of gene expression. Wu is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Academia Sinica and the European Molecular Biology Organization. Please join us for this important event.
Dr. Carl Wu, National Institutes of Health, Keynote Speaker for Graduate Research Day Special STEM Lecture and Science & Mathematics Seminar Series at Augusta State University: Dr. Kathryn C. Thornton will give a special Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Lecture titled “Space Flight: A Human Perspective”, Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 7 pm in the Maxwell Performing Arts Center at ASU. Dr. Thornton is currently a Professor of Engineering at the University of Virginia in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Selected by NASA in May 1984, Dr. Thornton is a veteran of four space flights, flying on the space shuttles Discovery in 1989, Endeavour in 1992 and 1993, and Columbia in 1995. Over this time, she logged over 975 hours in space, including more than 21 hours of extravehicular activity (spacewalks). Most notably, she was on the maiden voyage of Endeavour in 1992 and was instrumental in the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope’s deformed optics in 1993, which allowed Hubble to become one of the greatest observatories ever. Dr. Thornton was recently inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, only the third women to receive this honor. Her lecture is sponsored by the Savannah River Scholars Program at ASU, funded in part by the National Science Foundation. Additional upcoming events in the seminar series can be found here: http://www.aug.edu/srsp/events.html. GHSU and UGA Establish New Research Collaborations: Georgia Health Sciences University and the University of Georgia have signed memoranda of understanding to establish reciprocity of Institutional Review Board approvals for human subjects research, Institutional Animal Care & Use approvals for laboratory animal research, and Research Administration approvals for grants and contracts processing. In addition, we have had multiple teleconferences with the UGA Obesity Research Team, led by Dr. Clifton Baile, to establish new collaborative research in two areas: epigenetics & obesity, and maternal and childhood obesity. This has already resulted in a joint proposal to the NIH between UGA and GHSU faculty at the Georgia Prevention Institute on epigenetics and obesity. In addition, three of the regenerative medicine awards listed below include investigators on the Athens campus, Drs. Jonathan Murrow and Steve Stice. GHSU will host Dr. Dexi Liu, Department Head of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, on March 1.
New Extramural Grant Awards William E. Rainey, Ph.D., Department of Physiology, “Molecular Mechanisms of Adrenarche,” National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases Jeffrey Mumm, Ph.D., Department of Cellular Biology & Anatomy, “Genetic Circuitry of Cell-Specific Retinal Neuron Regeneration (Fellow: Walker, Steven),” National Eye Institute Zsolt Bagi, Ph.D., Vascular Biology Center, “Flow-Induced Coronary Vasospasm in Diabetic Patients,” National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Eika Boesen, Ph.D., Department of Medicine, “Endothelin-1 in Renal IschemiaReperfusion Injury,” American Heart Association Qing Qing Wei, Department of Cellular Biology & Anatomy, “Mir-489 and Mir-668 Regulation During Ischemic Kidney Injury,” American Heart Association New Intramural Grant Awards Institute for Regenerative & Reparative Medicine Funds Intramural Grant Proposals: The 22 submissions we received in response to the solicitation for intramural grant submissions were evaluated by the Senior Vice President for Research and the Director of the Institute for Regenerative & Reparative Medicine based on 1) their relevance for the goals and objectives of the regenerative medicine program and 2) their potential for expedited use in the clinical setting. The following submissions were either fully or partially funded by meeting these criteria: Wendy Bollag, Department of Physiology, “Preclinical Studies of Stem Cell Therapy to Accelerate Healing of Chronic Wounds” James Carroll, Department of Neurology, “Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Chronic Brain Injury in Young Mice” James Cray, Department of Oral Biology, “Use of Regression Modeling to Inform Tissue Engineering Solutions” Sadanand Fulzele, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, “Role of DNA Methylation in Intervertebral Disc Tissue Engineering” Jeffrey Mumm, Department of Cellular Biology & Anatomy, “Discovery of FDAapproved Drugs that Promote Rod Photoreceptor Regeneration” Jonathan Murrow, Department of Medicine, “Evaluation of Regenerative Angiogenic Mechanisms in Peripheral Arterial Disease” Franklin Tay, Department of Oral Biology & Endodontics, “Use of Silicified Collagen Scaffolds for SDF-1 Mediated Stem Cell Homing in Hard Tissue Regeneration” Paul Weinberger, Department of Otolaryngology, “Using the Body as a Living Bioreactor for Stem-Cell Mediated Tracheal Transplantation”
Ulf Wikesjo, Department of Periodontics, “Sinus Augmentation Using Porcine Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in a Mini-Pig Model” Recent High-Impact Publications Wang LP, Li F, Wang D, Xie K, Wang D, Shen X, Tsien JZ . NMDA receptors in dopaminergic neurons are crucial for habit learning. Neuron. 2011 Dec 22;72(6):105566. Impact Factor = 14.0 Pabla N, Bhatt K, Dong Z.Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1)-short is a splice variant and endogenous inhibitor of Chk1 that regulates cell cycle and DNA damage checkpoints. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Jan 3;109(1):197-202. Impact Factor =9 .7 Stranahan AM, Mattson MP. Recruiting adaptive cellular stress responses for successful brain ageing. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2012 Jan 18. [Epub ahead of print] Impact Factor = 29.5 Mao L, Ding J, Perdue A, Yang L, Zha Y, Ren M, Huang S, Cui H, Ding HF. Cyclin E1 is a common target of BMI1 and MYCN and a prognostic marker for neuroblastoma progression. Oncogene. 2011 Nov 28. doi: 10.1038/onc.2011.536. Impact Factor = 7.4 Manhiani MM, Duggan AD, Wilson H, Brands MW. Chronic intrarenal insulin replacement reverses diabetes mellitus-induced natriuresis and diuresis. Hypertension. 2012 Feb;59(2):421-30. Impact Factor = 6.9
News from the Office of Clinical Investigative Services Powering Up GHSU Clinical Research with PowerTrials: PowerTrials, the clinical research module for the GHSU patient electronic medical record known as PowerChart, went live campuswide Jan. 17. Clinicians are able to see that a patient is on a study, know who to contact and have the ability to read a study summary in order to best treat the patient, especially in an emergent situation. PowerTrials is a HUGE step forward on the path of GHSU becoming a premier research institution! PowerTrials Schedule: Jan. 17 - Phase 1a: The “Clinical Study” field on the patient banner in PowerChart now indicates whether a patient is in a study or has been on a study in the past three years. A Study Summary and Study Contact Information is available when clicking on the Clinical study field at the top of the patient’s chart. Feb. 15 - Phase 1b: The “Clinical Study” tab is available on the menu band that runs on the left of the patient’s chart. This tab contains the signed study Informed Consent Document(s) and Study Billing Grid that indicates how Patient Accounting is to bill research procedures and tests. Plans are also underway to have details of the Study Drug information available by clicking this tab. Sept. 1 - Phase 2: Research staff will have the ability to pre-screen all Georgia Health Sciences Health System patients who have agreed to be notified of studies for which they may be eligible.
PowerTrials Executive Sponsor: Dr. Mark Hamrick Co Directors: Dr. Anthony Mulloy and Dr. Laura Mulloy Team: Julian Ammons, Teresa Callahan, Barbara Covington, Leslie Gibb, Lindsley Goodpasture, Joy Hayman, Debra McDaniel, Kathy Miles, Betran Pack, Jason Ross Cerner Liaison: Sarah Gravlin
News from the Office of Human Research Protection Additional Vice Chairman Appointed to the HAC: Robert Gibson, Ph.D., has been appointed Vice Chairman of the Human Assurance Committee. Gibson, an Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy in the College of Allied Health Sciences, researches health disparities, occupational therapy mental health practice, sickle cell disease, health care transition, culture and medicine, medical anthropology and qualitative methods. He has served on the HAC for two years. As Vice Chairman, he will review exempt and expedited studies, student research and personnel changes. Investigator University: This comprehensive training program offers an overview of responsibilities as an investigator to ensure a study complies with all applicable policies and regulations. Topics include all aspects of human research compliance, including study start-up, implementation and close-out. Dates and Times: o o o o
Feb. 28, 4-6 p.m. Feb. 29, 7-9 a.m. March 1, 4-6 p.m. March 2, 7-9 a.m.
Location: Alumni Center, Garden Room To register, visit www.webinservice.com/GeorgiaHealthSvc/
News from the Office of International & Postdoctoral Services Here are some statistics that might assist you in your next postdoc appointment decision: GHSU postdoctoral population: 148 138 postdocs 10 senior postdocs* Average GHSU postdoc salary: $37,651* GHSU postdoc salary range: $31,931 -- $50,832 *GHSU senior postdoc classification requirements are three or more years of postdoctoral experience and a salary of $40,000/year or more. To learn how GHSU postdoc salaries compare to NIH, visit http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-12-033.html.
“Interactive� Responsible Conduct of Research Training Initiative: Senior Vice President Mark Hamrick recommends that all GHSU postdoctoral fellows participate in interactive
Responsible Conduct of Research training to make them more competitive for funding from sources such as the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. In 2011, 63 percent of postdocs received training through department-sponsored or IPSO-hosted meetings. Postdocs who have not yet had this training will have opportunities to do so in March and April. A Time for Postdoc Appraisals: IPSO is pleased to offer mentors access to appraisal tools designed for postdocs. Faculty mentors and department administrators are encouraged to visit www.georgiahealth.edu/research/postdoc/facultyadm.html and click on “What tools exist to support the mentoring process?� for excellent resources to use in mentoring and evaluating postdoctoral fellows. News from the Office of Laboratory Animal Services Please Welcome our New Training Coordinator: Sophia Jones has joined our team as a Training Coordinator, providing orientation and retraining to both animal care and research staff. She supports the department and institutional goal of maintaining adequate training, documentation, coordination and dissemination of department procedural and policy changes. Her role also ensures our expeditious review of noncompliance issues and procedural flaws. Update on Management of Pathogen Outbreaks: In managing rodent pathogen outbreaks in the conventional housing area, we have re-evaluated our practices to identify high-risk procedures. We are working to minimize risks in the following high-risk areas: transfer of animals to investigator space and other animal housing areas; housing immune-compromised and/or irradiated animals; significant breeding; multiple room assignments per animal caretaker; and inconsistent sanitation practices of animal caretakers and research staff in the animal facility and in the investigator procedure space. We will unveil a long-term prevention plan soon. In the interim, we have implemented significant restrictions to try to contain the current infections. New LAS Website to Improve Service: We are excited to showcase our updated departmental website, which details ongoing initiatives as well as improvements in our administrative processes with the creation of online submissions for Shipping Requests, Service Requests, Cage Card Requests and Relocation and Transfer request. These steps minimize the processing time to have these requests completed and approved. LAS is working diligently to provide exceptional service to the research community. News from the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration RACE Graduation: Please congratulate our most recent RACE graduates! RACE, or Research Administration Certification and Education Program, is a comprehensive certificate training program developed by GHSU’s Division of Sponsored Program Administration to improve understanding of regulations, policies and procedures. RACE also provides staff access to important resources and contacts for further assistance. The program was designed using the collaborative resources of the Division of
Sponsored Program Administration Pre-Award and Post-Award Services, the finance department, department administrators, business managers and administrative assistants campuswide. For additional information or to register, contact Tammy Murrell, Director of Post-Award Services, at tmurrell@georgiahealth.edu or 1-0007.
Fall 2011 RACE graduates (Brandi McCorkle, Christina Ostrowski, Claudelle Johnson, Debra Wright, Ismail Kaddour-Djebbar, Jenny Katic, Jill McVean, Marlena Smith, Tiffany Medlock, Vivek Choudhary) at the graduation ceremony in December.
News from the Office of Technology Transfer & Economic Development Got apps?: GHSU, the Georgia Health Sciences University Research Institute and the Georgia Health Sciences Medical Center are partnering to improve the marketing of software applications developed in the enterprise through outlets such as iTunes. “We’re increasing our active commercialization efforts around end-user software, and the enterprise-wide approach we’re now taking is going to streamline the process for working with iTunes and others,” said Chris McKinney, Associate Vice President for Technology Transfer and Economic Development. “GHSU is ramping up its innovation commercialization across the enterprise, including in the software realm, and this enterprise partnership is a key step in that process.” If you have end-user software that may be ready for commercialization, we want to hear about it. For more information, please contact Dr. Chris McKinney (1-4062) or Dr. Carl Clark (1-4055) in the Office of Technology Transfer and Economic Development. VentureLab Funding for Translating Great Science into Great Business: The Georgia Research Alliance has issued a new call for proposals for the GRA VentureLab Commercialization Seed Award. This funding opportunity identifies university technologies with commercial potential and moves them into the commercialization process. Visit www.gra.org to download the Call for Proposals. Applications are due April 5, with awards anticipated in July. Call ext. 1-4062 for more information.
Innovation Summit: OTTED team members are spearheading an innovation summit to be held in Augusta in late 2012/early 2013. This event will feature a wide array of partners from the area and a broad selection of innovative technologies. Highlighting the region’s high-technology efforts, the summit will bring together leaders, innovators, students and the community. Online Store: As part of OTTED’s plan to broaden and deepen its reach into the commercial marketplace, an online store is being developed to streamline access to a wide range of innovations from end-user software and source code to videos, research tools and other content. “This front-end will provide much greater visibility for GHSU with a broad set of commercial partners, investors, entrepreneurs, and collaborators,” noted Dr. Chris McKinney, Associate Vice President for Technology Transfer & Economic Development. Collaboration Center: As Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver is leading the charge in starting a new IT commercialization effort, a “collaboration center” in the downtown area, OTTED team members are actively engaged in conceptualizing, planning and implementing this new enterprise.