VETERINARY PHYSIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY (VTPP) VTPP is a multidisciplinary basic science department that strives to shape the future of research and education in human and veterinary medicine. Research in VTPP is expansive and incorporates excellence in toxicology, reproductive and developmental biology, cardiovascular biology, regenerative sciences, bone biology, and pharmacology. The high level of cooperation among the various departments within the CVMBS and the Texas A&M University scientific community produces an unparalleled research and teaching environment. VTPP faculty are integral to many of the leading research centers both on and off the Texas A&M University campus. The department contributes to the Interdisciplinary Faculty of Toxicology and the Interdisciplinary Faculty of Reproductive Biology, as well as being home to the Michael E. DeBakey Institute for Cardiovascular Science and Biomedical Devices. VTPP maintains a scientific community that fosters excellence in teaching and research in an effort to train the next generation of biomedical professionals through the efforts of faculty, students, and staff. Collaboration is the essence of the VTPP faculty and drives our commitment to excellence in a highly interactive, collaborative, and multidisciplinary teaching and research environment. There were 65 faculty peer-reviewed publications and 44 external grant submissions with 5 awarded in 2019.
Highlights from FY20 include: Promotions • Dr. Ivan Ivanov, Clinic Associate Professor to Clinical Professor New Faculty • Dr. Marissa Cisneros, Lecturer • Dr. Charity Cavazos, Instructional Assistant Professor • Dr. Margarita Stankova, Adjunct Associate Professor • Dr. Luciana Relly, Adjunct Associate Professor • Dr. Guichun Han, Adjunct Assistant Professor • Dr. Marcel Brun, Adjunct Assistant Professor New Staff • Ms. Mille Mattox, Research Specialist IV
Dr. Ivan Ivanov
Study Abroad • VTPP continues excellence in study abroad with the Bonn Germany physiology program continuing as the premier study abroad program at Texas A&M University, led by Dr. Jeremy Wasser. VTPP also launched the new Bulgaria study abroad program in 2019, led by Dr. Ivan Ivanov. International • VTPP faculty member Dr. Charles Long (Indo-US GETin visiting fellow ICARCentral Institute for Research on Buffaloes (CIRB), Hisar, Haryana, India, through Nov 2019) represented Texas A&M University at the Association of American Veterinary Medical Association (AAVMC) and Association of Public and Landgrant Universities (APLU) symposium in Washington D.C., on “Gene Editing in Livestock: Looking to the Future.”
Dr. Charles Long 34 • 2020 CVMBS Annual Report
National • Dr. Michael Golding, PI, was awarded an NIH R01 (1R01AA028219-01) entitled “Heritable, epigenetic effects of paternal alcohol use on FASD phenotypes.” This is an innovative new award that will unravel the unknown mechanism(s) of alcohol use by fathers on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). • Dr. Jayanth Ramadoss, PI, was awarded an NIH R01 (2R01AA023520) entitled “A novel mechanistic framework for FASD etiology” to continue research on FASD and will identify novel etiological molecular pathway(s) for FASD cardinal outcomes using integrative physiologic approaches. • Dr. Charles Long and his former MSc student Carlos Pinzon- Arteaga (now PhD student at UTSW) had studies published in Scientific Reports. In this breakthrough work, Dr. Long’s team was able to use the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system to correct an autosomal recessive mutation responsible for Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency (GBED) in the horse. The disease is an
