UTHSC College of Graduate Health Sciences Magazine - Spring 2021

GRADUATE

HEALTH SCIENCES THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER SPRING 2021

Making an Impact

Show Your UTHSC Pride

New UTHSC specialty license plates are now available at Tennessee County Clerk offices.

uthsc.edu/license-plate

UTHSC Chancellor Steve J. Schwab, MD

< Unlocking Secrets

Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operations Officer Kennard Brown, JD, MPA, PhD, FACHE Dean, College of Graduate Health Sciences Donald B. Thomason, PhD Associate Dean, Student Affairs Isaac O. Donkor, PhD Associate Dean, Postdoctoral Affairs Monica M. Jablonski, PhD, FARVO

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Graduate researchers involved in critical COVID-19 work

Associate Dean, Academic Affairs John V. Cox, PhD Assistant Dean, Academic Affairs Larry L. Tague Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs and Services Felicia Washington, MHSA Program Coordinator Elizabeth Webb, MA

Interpreting > Disease Data

Epidemiology program hones analytical skills

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Program Coordinator Lyncie Crawford Administrative Coordinator Jeddie Maxwell Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs Love Collins, III, MBA Associate Vice Chancellor for Development Bethany Goolsby, JD

<B est Value

Pharmacology master's program wins high marks

Assistant Vice Chancellor, Alumni Affairs Chandra Tuggle Senior Director of Development Greg Harris Senior Director, Advancement Services & Annual Giving Cherisa Lewis

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Director of Alumni Programs Terri Catafygiotu Director of Alumni Programs Natassha Bowles Assistant Director of Alumni Programs Nahosha Braziel-Adams

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Sally Badoud, MBA Editors Jackie Denton, Peggy Reisser Contributing Writers Peggy Reisser, Amber Carter, Jackie Denton Designer Adam Gaines Photographer Natalie Brewer On the cover: From left; PhD candidates Briana Spruill-Harrell, Mariah Taylor, and Evan Williams have the opportunity to do research in the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory.

Linking Research > to Community

PhD student determined to use research to improve health outcomes

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From the Dean Here is a loaded question: What has changed since the world went into a full-blown, takeshelter, what-next mode a little over one year ago? I think that a better question is: What hasn’t changed? As far as the College of Graduate Health Sciences and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center are concerned, though much has changed around us, the fundamental underpinnings of what we do and how we do it have not changed.

Protecting the safety of our students, postdoctoral scholars, staff, and faculty is always a priority. This priority has certainly necessitated changes in the face of the pandemic.

We have switched to virtual operations when possible, implemented virus testing as a common procedure, canceled in-person social events, implemented strict guidelines for interactions within our university and broader communities, restricted travel, among the more prominent of changes. But these changes have largely been procedural.

What is more important are those things that have not changed. The curriculum continues to be delivered virtually or in another safe setting. There was a rapid and safe return to research operations after a brief slowdown to only essential operations. Recruiting of new students continues, now through virtual fairs, and the hiring of postdoctoral scholars continues at a normal pace. Students who were not initially able to travel to begin studies in the college were given deferrals, allowing them to matriculate later and fill the ranks left by students who continue to graduate on time. I credit everyone in the college and at the university for quickly identifying and addressing the requirements that maintained the continuity of our operations.

When the pandemic eases, as we are confident it will, some of our procedures may revert toward their previous state. However, that affects only how we approach the fundamental mission of the college, not the mission itself.

Wishing everyone the best of health,

Donald J. Thomason, PhD Dean of the College of Graduate Health Sciences

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From the Chancellor In my State of the University Address in November, I was proud to announce that the University of Tennessee of Tennessee Health Science Center is weathering the pandemic in a lean, but strong fashion.

We have maintained our budget and expanded our mission, even as we have adjusted to the new normal of life during the pandemic. We have graduated all students, residents, and fellows on schedule, met all our clinical obligations, and continued to keep our research enterprise growing.

Over the last year, UTHSC awarded more than 1,000 degrees. Our students have a 95% graduation rate and a 95% first-time board pass rate. We have generated record sponsored program revenue (all-source non-clinical grants and contracts) of $309 million, the largest of any public institution in the state, as well as clinical revenues of $306 million.

The College of Graduate Health Sciences has helped the university achieve its missions.

The college can be applauded for adjusting its delivery of both academic and research programs, so that it could continue to function safely during the pandemic. Beyond that, the college and its graduate students and postdoctoral fellows have helped staff the on-campus laboratory that has been crucial to analyzing COVID-19 tests for the campus, hospital partners, and the community. They have also helped staff the UTHSC Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, which has played a vital role in our COVID-19 response.

I am so pleased to acknowledge our achievements, but I am also mindful that they could not have happened without the generous support and engagement of our outstanding alumni.

It is clear that 2020, “The Year of Pandemic,” was challenging for UTHSC, the state, and the nation. We face many new challenges and hurdles, as we continue to conduct our crucial mission. We will meet them all.

I invite you to take pride in the strides made by your college and your university, and to join us as we move into the future.

Sincerely,

Steve J. Schwab, MD Chancellor The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Graduate Student Researchers Working to Unlock Secrets of SARS-CoV-2

By Peggy Reisser

Fifth-year graduate research assistant Mariah Taylor is getting an opportunity to be in the middle of COVID-19 pandemic research in a way that few at her level have experienced. A student in the Biomedical Sciences program in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, Taylor is working in the UTHSC Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL) to help increase understanding of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, its development, and thus, its future.

She is a research assistant in the lab of Colleen Jonsson, PhD, Endowed Van Vleet Chair of Excellence in Virology and director of the RBL, one of only a dozen federally funded labs in the country authorized to study deadly pathogens.

Taylor, who is expected to complete her graduate work in December, and two other graduate students, Evan Williams and Jasper Lee, came to UTHSC with Dr. Jonsson when she joined the faculty in 2017.

Taylor has led an effort to survey for variants of the virus in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas, using nextgeneration sequencing, Dr. Jonsson said. She has looked at these isolates in mouse studies to determine if any of the apparent mutations of the various virus lineages have greater pathogenicity or ability to cause disease. “This study laid the foundation for the screening of samples for variants for the City of Memphis,” Dr. Jonsson said.

Taylor said she started in the laboratory with a thesis research focus on looking at the evolution of different viruses, in particular the Hantavirus. “My real focus was in learning about the adaptation and evolution of that virus and the rodent-host species,” she said. “And so, I was able 4

UTHSC COLLEGE OF GRADUATE HEALTH SCIENCES | SPRING 2021

to translate the models and the designs that we've made to work more with SARS-CoV-2. When the virus started spreading and we saw it getting really big, I told Dr. Jonsson that I really wanted to be a part of what she was doing and I wanted to write a paper that focuses on SARS-CoV-2. All of this research is not only for my dissertation, but is going to help the greater good and understanding.

Taylor has also helped lead a team to go out to diagnostics laboratories in Memphis to collect nasopharyngeal swabs that are positive for COVID. “We’re collecting them over the course of a year to see really how to characterize these viruses and understand what the diversity of this virus is,” she said.

Dr. Jonsson said graduate researcher Evan Williams has supported Taylor on these studies, examining genes being expressed by the lung to ask how they may contribute to disease. Briana Spruill-Harrell and Janet Wang, also graduate student researchers, have established the COVID-19 biorepository that has provided samples to establish testing for antibodies to SARS CoV-2, Dr. Jonsson said. The biorepository is also being used to screen for SARS CoV-2 variants in Memphis.

“I really think it's a unique opportunity to understand more about the coronavirus, because it is a novel virus,” Taylor said. “There's been a lot of suggested theories as to what's going to happen next. There's a lot that we don't know about the virus, but in order to combat it, I think we can take one question at a time, and as researchers, we have the ability to find out more about it.”

College of Graduate Health Sciences and the University

BATTLE COVID-19 The UTHSC community has been a driving force in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether in administering and analyzing tests, developing approaches to treat the disease, giving vaccines, or pitching in to handle the additional administrative stress that is necessary for all of these operations, the university has stood strong in the face of the pandemic.

The College of Graduate Health Sciences has contributed to the University’s COVID-19 response in many ways.

• I n October 2020, the college announced it was leading a partnership with Lyft to advise the company on effective cleaning measures as a part of Lyft’s Health Safety Program. In collaboration with UTHSC and P&G Professional (the away-from-home division of Procter & Gamble), Lyft developed the clean ride guide, a recommended vehicle cleaning process designed specifically for rideshare. The guide offers cleaning recommendations aimed at giving drivers and passengers added protection against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, when used in conjunction with other prevention measures such as face coverings and riding with windows down. It also includes recommended cleaning products that are listed on the EPA-Approved Products List N for use against SARS-CoV-2.

Chemistry at Morphic Therapeutic, participated in the evolution of the discipline of computational chemistry, which has been key to understanding the virus and potential vaccines. Justin Boyd, PhD, principal scientist at Pfizer, is a member of an organization that turned its attention to developing an effective vaccine from a novel technology. Shen (Steven) Li, PhD, is a senior clinical pharmacologist in the Office of Clinical Pharmacology at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which serves as a gatekeeper for drug development and safety. Kristopher Virga, PhD, is professor and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the School of Pharmacy at William Carey University, where the faculty and students have been integral providers to health care and vaccination efforts. “Our trainees are often concerned about whether they can make a difference in someone’s life, being as focused on their particular project as they must be,” Dean Thomason said. “Yes, they can, and do, and will. These alumni are the examples. The effect of their research and training may not occur for days, months, years, or potentially, within a lifetime. However, their research and training do make a difference for others.” (Read more on the inaugural class of the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences program, page 16.)

•E arly in the pandemic, UTHSC received a donation of thousands of face masks from China, as a result of the College of Graduate Health Sciences’ affiliations with academic institutions there. The donations included surgical masks and N95 masks.

•T he college has been a participant on the “research ramp-up” task force that was convened to provide guidelines to the campus for a safe return to the research enterprise that is so critical to the training of students and postdoctoral scholars. The task force guidelines quickly brought operations back to near normal in late Spring of 2020, without compromising personnel safety. By Summer 2020, most research operations were back to normal with the added safety precautions.

•A lumni from the College of Graduate Health Sciences have also been instrumental in combating the virus. For example, graduates of the inaugural Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences program are now in positions at organizations that are contributors, in many ways, to the effort. Kerim Babaoglu, PhD, director of Computational

Dean Thomason is shown with masks donated to the university early in the pandemic by partner academic and health care institutions in China.

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Pandemic Shines New Light on Epidemiology

By Amber Carter

A research project during her medical school residency at the Federal University of Goias in Brazil helped Simonne Nouer, MD, PhD, discover her passion for public health and epidemiology. “The collaborative efforts made me realize that I wanted to learn more about epidemiological study designs, data collection, and analysis,” she said.

“It was also at that time that I realized how I enjoyed teaching and interacting with students, so that is where it all began.”

Thirty years later, Dr. Nouer is still educating and training students as an associate professor of epidemiology and chair of graduate training in the Department of Preventive Medicine in the UTHSC College of Medicine.

She is also the executive director of the Institute for Health Outcomes and Policy and the program director for the Master of Science in Epidemiology program in the College of Graduate Health Sciences, and hopes to attract more students to the program and the profession.

The coronavirus pandemic has put epidemiologists in high demand.

New information about the virus and its underlying conditions is constantly being discovered, but it must be presented in a way that is easily understood by the public. This would not be possible without a team that includes an epidemiologist. “We are responsible for the collection and analysis of data that are released daily regarding diseases like the coronavirus that affect large populations,” Dr. Nouer said. “To do that effectively, we have to consider location, economic status, and other social determinants of health as well.”

While epidemiologists have a certain duty, they must work with other specialties, including biostatisticians, who gather and analyze numerical data, as well as health care policymakers. “That’s the one thing that’s important — the ability of bringing together different people with different skill sets,” Dr. Nouer said. “There are specialties, too, such as cancer epidemiology, spatial epidemiology, cardiovascular epidemiology, environmental

epidemiology, and infectious disease epidemiology, to mention a few. Having this educational background could prove to be beneficial in several areas.”

The Master of Science in Epidemiology program began more than 20 years ago at UTHSC, but the hybrid version (both classroom and online instruction) has been offered under the Department of Preventive Medicine since 2014.

Students receive training in methodological skills, so they are able to independently pursue epidemiological research in one of three concentrations: clinical investigation, biostatistics, and data science.

“If an individual aims to improve skills in designing, conducting and analyzing epidemiological studies as part of their academic career, or if they are looking at epidemiology as their final degree to work in the offices and labs of local government health departments, or colleges and universities, this program is an ideal fit for them.”

Fridtjof Thomas, PhD, a professor and biostatistician in the Division of Biostatistics in the Department of Preventive Medicine at UTHSC, has supported the City of Memphis and Shelby County COVID-19 Joint Task Force since April 2020. He believes that the program not only prepares participants to produce relevant information as it applies to populations, but also equips participants with the knowledge to correctly interpret information and summaries provided to them. “This will prepare students for their journey of lifelong learning if they stay in the profession, and it will sharpen their general analytical skills should they later become decision makers,” Dr. Thomas said.

Students receive training in epidemiology, biostatistics, health research methods, and health behavior and promotion. The degree is offered to qualified applicants holding bachelor, master, or professional degrees across disciplines, including physical, biological, and social sciences, as well as the health and medical sciences.

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Master of Science in Pharmacology Program at UTHSC Ranks Fifth In Best Value for Second Year For the second year, the Master of Science in Pharmacology Program in the UTHSC College of Graduate Health Sciences has ranked Number 5 of 25 in Best Value by BestValueSchools.com.

“This is a great honor, indeed,” said Alex Dopico, MD, PhD, professor and Van Vleet Chair of Excellence in the Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology in the College of Medicine at UTHSC. “The recognition must go to the program’s directors, Drs. Edwards Park and Trevor Sweatman, and the committed faculty who continuously pitch in for the program to be so successful.”

The program is recognized for having a 75% medical school admission rate for all graduates. “Dr. Sweatman and I are gratified that the graduates of the program are very successful in medical and dental school,” Dr. Park said. “We are delighted that our program continues to be recognized nationally as an excellent preparation for professional school.”

Sybil Watkins, a third-year UTHSC medical student and a graduate of the program, said she chose it to give herself every opportunity to continue higher-level education and to prepare herself for the rigors of medical school.

“Through this program, I was given the opportunity to tackle one of the most complicated subjects in medicine, which continues to benefit me on a daily basis, both in the classroom and in the clinical setting,” Watkins said.

“I will be forever grateful to this program, as it prepared me well for the difficulties of medical school and the opportunity to become a better student, and ultimately, a better physician.”

According to Dr. Sweatman, over the past 11 years, 80% of its graduates have been accepted into professional schools, as a result of maintaining high academic standards in the program. “Our graduates are well-prepared and have been very successful in medical and dental schools.

Although the focus of the program is on pharmacology, faculty from many departments have contributed to the success of the program,” Dr. Park said.

Mark Miller, PhD, associate professor in the UTHSC College of Medicine, said, “The Masters of Pharmacology

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has been a very successful “kick-starter” program for students entering medical school at UTHSC. Analyses of outcome data from the preclinical medical curriculum over the past five years have revealed that graduates of the Master of Science in Pharmacology program who matriculate at the UTHSC College of Medicine are extremely well-prepared for the medical curriculum. These data show that the Master of Science in Pharmacology students out-perform other students that have similar academic measurables (MCAT scores and undergraduate GPAs) by a significant margin in the preclinical curriculum.”

The ranking identified programs that “have mastered the high-quality, low-cost balancing act.” The UTHSC Master of Science in Pharmacology program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive background in medical pharmacology, basic biochemistry, and the physiologic and pathophysiologic basis for drug therapy.

The cost of the program is $17,702 for in-state tuition and $26,130 for out-of-state tuition.

“We deliver a course that provides enough knowledge in the basic sciences to understand pharmacological concepts, while also teaching how these concepts apply to human pharmacotherapeutics, all in less than a calendar year,” Dr. Dopico said. He and other faculty in the department were involved in the creation and organization of the accelerated 11-month program. Most pharmacology master’s programs in the United States are two-year programs.

Other ranking methodologies used include the Thompson Reuters’ Essential Science Indicators database, which identified programs with high research output, as well as program accreditation status evaluation with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and the American Board of Clinical Pharmacology.

“The success of the program is due to faculty who are not only great teachers, but also tops in their field of research,” said Dean Thomason. “They require of themselves a data-driven approach to the subject matter, and the same for the students and the research project that is required for degree completion. It is all about thinking, not memorizing.”

Photo by Sam Haines

3MT® Winner Explores Promising New Link Between the Cerebellum and Alzheimer’s Disease

By Jackie Denton For decades scientists believed that they understood the full purpose of the cerebellum as the part of the brain that helps coordinate voluntary movements.

Detlef Heck, PhD, professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, where the primary focus is to understand the cerebellum’s role in cognition.

“Recently though, there’s been an explosion of research reevaluating this long-held belief that the cerebellum is exclusively involved in movement coordination,” said Brittany Correia, third-year student in UTHSC’s Neuroscience Graduate Program, and this year’s winner of the Three-Minute Thesis competition at UTHSC.

“New findings about the cerebellum’s role in these processes led us to collaborate with Dr. FrancescaFang Liao in the Department of Pharmacology, an expert in Alzheimer’s research, on how the cerebellum could potentially be affected in this disease,” Correia said. “My personal interest in this area of research fully developed when it became clear after reviewing existing literature on the topic that the cerebellum is largely left out of discussions on Alzheimer’s disease. The growing prevalence of this disease, and other dementias in our society, makes it increasingly urgent to evaluate every possible contribution that long-ignored areas of the brain, like the cerebellum, have on neurological disease.”

Since 2015, the international Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition has helped graduate students hone their communication skills by challenging them to share their research in three minutes in a way anyone could understand.

“These discoveries have made such a splash in the field of neuroscience,” she said during her virtual presentation at the 3MT competition in December.

She continued to explain that in addition to motor structure, the cerebellum has been connected to decision-making, language, and emotional processing, and even memory.

These new-found implications are what she is exploring in her thesis. Her goal is to understand the specific ways that the cerebellum interacts with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as its ability to coordinate with other brain structures.

“Taking the 40,000-foot view that I referenced in my 3MT, asks us to zoom out and think about how brain networks (in addition to individual brain cells) are affected in neurological disease,” Correia said. “This approach has been taken with great success for other neurological diseases, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and schizophrenia.”

Correia said her interest in Alzheimer’s disease was somewhat accidental. She works in the lab with mentor

A recording of Correia’s 3MT presentation was shown during the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools Regional Three-Minute Thesis Competition. In addition to Correia, Rachel Perkins, was named runner-up, and Winter Bruner, was named People’s Choice.

Correia serves as one of 20 Early Career Policy Ambassadors (ECPA) for the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), allowing her to participate in the society’s virtual Capitol Hill Day. “Since I was an undergraduate, I knew I wanted to create a career for myself that would merge my passion for academic science with my enthusiasm for public policy,” she said. “The yearlong ECPA program will give me invaluable opportunities to network with those who have made careers in science policy, as well as the tools necessary to increase science advocacy activities here in Memphis. In light of COVID-19, it is more important than ever for scientists to be engaged in their communities and help restore public trust in our scientific institutions.”

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Blue’s Passion for Mental Health and Patient Care Drive Research

By Amber Carter Ryan Blue, a fourth-year PhD student, became a registered nurse to gain clinical experience and fulfill her natural passion for helping others. However, she realized she wanted to do more, while caring for her mother, who was battling breast cancer.

“My constant involvement with my mother’s care provided me with the patient and caregiver perspective of a woman with breast cancer struggling with depression, while taking adjuvant endocrine therapy,” Blue said. “It was when I discovered that treating the disease and providing patient care was not enough for me and that something was missing, especially when she passed away.”

A Little Rock native, Blue received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Arkansas. She then completed her RN residency program there, specializing in critical care nursing. Blue decided to pursue her PhD in Nursing Research at UTHSC to help develop a deeper

understanding of her mother's experience, breast cancer overall, and how the disease can impact one’s mental health. Her research studies focus on Black survivors of breast cancer and their mental health issues related to breast cancer treatments and therapies. Once she completes her PhD, Blue plans to obtain her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with a concentration in psychiatric and mental health, and eventually to work as an independent researcher in an academic institution.

“This process of discovery, combined with my personal experience of caring for my mother during her breast cancer journey, along with my natural passion for helping others, is part of what drives me and gives me daily inspiration,” she said. “My long-term goals are to develop culturally tailored interventions that continuously address the needs and improve Black women's outcomes with mental health issues throughout their breast cancer trajectory.”

Some of the organizations Blue is involved in include the Graduate Student Executive Council, where she served as president of the Honor Council, the StudentFaculty Disciplinary Committee, the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Committee, and the Black Student Association (BSA). In February, she was the College of Graduate Health Sciences’ honoree at the BSA 2021 Awards Ceremony and Presentation, which honored the accomplishments of Black students at UTHSC. “Receiving this award was definitely a confidence booster, and I feel very honored that my college recognized my contributions by nominating me for such an award,” she said. “It not only made me feel good about the work that I have done so far, but also has made me stop to recognize the great work of others around me. I know that I still have much more work to do, and I hope that my work going forward is worthy of the honor bestowed upon me."

Research and Community Paramount in Zacheaus’ Call to Serve

By Amber Carter

Choosing to become a researcher and scientist was a natural fit for fourth-year PhD student Chidi Zacheaus.

“I love solving problems,” he said. “Scientific research provides me an opportunity to understand the intricacies of the human body and how cells communicate with each other. My favorite part of it comes from moments when I am challenged, or I challenge myself to become a better critical thinker.”

Long-term, he plans to pursue another doctoral degree in urban affairs with an emphasis in anthropology and public policy, and to support urban community development in Africa.

Zacheaus is a native of Abuja, Nigeria, but completed high school at Harding Academy in Memphis. He then went to Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in cellular and molecular biology.

“I also appreciate UTHSC’s recent push for community engagement,” he said. “I believe the university’s mission is incomplete without it, given that it's in a city where the majority of the population is of African descent with a significant level of health, education, and financial inequities. I hope the initiatives that UTHSC has started will help provide resources to communities to help alleviate many of the issues we see affecting their lives.”

UTHSC became the choice for Zacheaus to further his education when he worked as a research assistant under an investigator in the Cancer Research Building on campus for a few years. He was awarded a direct offer into the PhD program on the Pharmaceutical Sciences track in the College of Graduate Health Sciences. “Given that UTHSC is located in Memphis, a city I've grown to love, I thought it was the best option,” he said.

Working in the lab of Ae-Kyung Yi, PhD, professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry at UTHSC, Zacheaus’ research focuses on the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. “My specific focus is on T lymphocytes, a significant contributor to immune system response,” he said. “I’m working to identify potential therapeutic options to mitigate the severity of rheumatoid arthritis using natural compounds.

Thus far, our findings indicate that collagen can reduce inflammatory response by inhibiting the release of inflammatory cytokines.”

Zacheaus is active in UTHSC’s Student Government Association Executive Council (SGAEC). As president of the Graduate Student Executive Council, he serves as the representative for the College of Graduate Health Sciences. “As a member of the SGAEC, I enjoy having the opportunity and space to voice the concerns of students and advocate for resources that address matters affecting their academic, research, and health, both on and off campus,” he said.

Zacheaus is collaborating with community leaders to create a platform that educates and advocates for an inclusive environment and social justice, while providing resources for individuals in low-income communities.

2020 Excellence in Teaching Awards Max Fletcher, PhD (left), associate professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, and Kevin W. Freeman, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, were among the recipients of the 2020 Excellence in Teaching Awards presented annually by the Student Government Association Executive Council. Honorees are chosen by their students to receive the awards, which are among the highest of faculty honors given on campus.

National Postdoc Appreciation Week

2020 Postdoc Research Showcase

To commemorate National Postdoc Appreciation Week September 21-25, the UTHSC Postdoctoral Association hosted virtual tours of five UTHSC Institutional Research Cores. Consisting of 10 specialty areas, the institutional research cores provide equipment and consultations to researchers on campus. Participants toured areas including the Analytical Facility and Drug Discovery Core, the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory, the Lab Animal Care Unit, Flow Cytometry and Flow Sorting, and Proteomics and Molecular Bioinformatics.

The 2020 Postdoctoral Research Showcase took place December 14-15 on Zoom. Winners received cash prizes. They were: First Place ($400), – Dr. Maria Namwanje, Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Chester Brown, mentor; Second Place ($350), – Dr. Junyan Liu, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Translational Science, Dr. Brian Peters, mentor; Third Place ($300,) – Dr. Pratheepa Rasiah, Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Rajashekhar Gangaraju, mentor; and Fourth Place, ($250) – Dr. Saifudeen Ismael, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Dr. Tauheed Ishrat, mentor.

PhD Research Identifies Potential New Measure for Alzheimer’s Risk As part of his PhD in the Nursing Science Program in the College of Graduate Health Sciences, Ray Romano, PhD, RN, found a novel way to identify a high potential for developing Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms occur. His findings were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr. Romano conducted the research through the joint laboratory of Associate Professor Todd Monroe, PhD, RN, at The Ohio State University, who is also a graduate of the UTHSC Nursing Science PhD Program, and Ronald Cowan, MD, PhD, who is the chair of Psychiatry at UTHSC. The research found that cognitively healthy people at increased genetic risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease showed significantly lower sensitivity to thermal pain, but felt greater unpleasantness related to that pain when compared to people at lower risk of the disease. These results suggest that altered pain perception could potentially be used as a biomarker of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms occur.

Graduate Student Executive Council Professional Development The Graduate Student Executive Council hosted a three-part virtual professional development webinar on Zoom in September. Alumni from various concentrations in the college joined students to offer career advice and insight. Discussion areas included how to transition into industry, how to continue in academia, and how to use LinkedIn and other social media channels to one’s professional advantage. Greg Harris, senior director of development in the UTHSC Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, joined the series to discuss the importance of utilizing the UTHSC alumni network when searching for a job.

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UTHSC COLLEGE OF GRADUATE HEALTH SCIENCES | SPRING 2021

Congratulations to Our 2020 Graduates!

SPRING COMMENCEMENT

WINTER COMMENCEMENT

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Robert Joseph Autry Sahar Saleh Alghamdi Daniel Eduardo Bastardo.

Pallabita Chowdhury Chloe Ly Chung.

Steven M. Doettl Yuqing Gong Elham Hatami Andrew Evan Massey Jeffrey D. Pressly Saini Setua.

Kirby Anna Wallace Yumei Zheng

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Kavya Annu Jane Elizabeth Craig*** Christian Alexander DeJarnette Shanshan Deng Mary K. Easterday Mary Angela Grove*** Trent Daniel Hall Sanjana Haque* Virginia Miriam Hargest** Rebekah Reed Honce Mahesh Chandra Kodali Brian Todd Lewis* Cory L. Parks Praveen Kumar Potukuchi** Lee James Pribyl Raymond Renald Romano III Geetika Singh** Aisha Nadia Hegab Souquette Kristen Elizabeth Thompson Thornton Carolina Del Valle Torres-Rojas Santosh Janardan Wagh Megan Jean Walker William Charles Wright** Guannan Zhao

MASTER OF DENTAL SCIENCE Michael D. Adams Megan R. Charowski Stephen T. Dapoz Gavin C. Fox Anna N. Gerlach Michael Anthony James Thomas A. Jones Sarah B. Kimbrough Daniel H. Tran

MASTER OF SCIENCE Mahmoud Bayoumi Kathryn Pearl Goggin Jason F. Goldberg

MASTER OF DENTAL SCIENCE Brent T. Danley** Laura R Hofto* Dave Patel David Rua Perez

MASTER OF SCIENCE Abraham Almatari* Angela P. Taylor Ruba Barbar Emilee Adelyn Dobish Erin Grace Dolvin** Shakiba Eslamimehr** Dina M. Filiberto Dean Franz II* Kyle Freeman** Swathi Ganesh* Abi Gibson Shelby L. Graham** Blake Hajek** Susanna Jessica Hamsley** Reed Harrison** Nicholas Daniel Hysmith Kelsey Dianne Kee Kenneth Logan Lessenberry* Jonathan Tait Lifferth** Marena Locke* Austin Ingwei Ly** Jacob West Myers** Damilola Daniel Ikechukwu Oluwalana Taylor James Orr* Natalie Oxley** Samuel Joseph Scruggs** Mohammad Reza Shouri Hunter Christian Smith** Zachary Edward Stiles Sara Anne Weidenbach** Lauren Nicole Wideman** Micah Teyon White* William White Adam Wesley Young**

*May 2020 Graduates **June 2020 Graduates ***August 2020 Graduates

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Inaugural Class of Interdisciplinary Program Celebrate Program’s Milestones

By Jackie Denton

Kerim Babaoglu, PhD

Justin Boyd, PhD

What began as an experimental program that introduced graduate students to different disciplines and allowed them to explore several degree programs before declaring their field of study, is now celebrating 20 years of success.

The Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences, which provides research training that crosses the boundaries of what are classically called “basic biomedical sciences,” now has seven tracks leading to the PhD degree. Its inaugural class began with just a small cohort of students. Among its first graduates are Kerim Babaoglu, PhD, director of Computational Chemistry at Morphic Therapeutic; Justin Boyd, PhD, principal scientist at Pfizer; Shen (Steven) Li, PhD, senior clinical pharmacologist in the Office of Clinical Pharmacology at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and Kristopher Virga, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the School of Pharmacy at William Carey University.

All echo the sentiment that the program allowed them the freedom to explore their ultimate career path, while providing a solid foundation in the sciences.

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UTHSC COLLEGE OF GRADUATE HEALTH SCIENCES | SPRING 2021

Shen (Steven) Li, PhD

Kristopher Virga, PhD

“I had the pleasure of being the very first graduate of the program, mostly because my last name begins with “B” and the ceremony was alphabetical,” said Dr. Babaoglu, who has been working as a computational chemist in the pharmaceutical industry for the last 14 years.

“The education I received in this program has served me well over the years, and I look back fondly at the unique opportunity it presented to those who attended the program. It gave me the power to shape my own graduate path and allowed me to go into my career with more diverse training than most.”

Dr. Babaoglu’s goal was to become a drug-discovery scientist; not necessarily a chemist, a biologist, or a toxicologist, and to impact human health. “The interdisciplinary program allowed me to establish a firm foundation in biology and disease, and then to specialize through terrific mentors in the areas of X-ray crystallography and medicinal chemistry. This provided me with a solid basis for a career in structure-based drug discovery. Because of my interdisciplinarian training, I can talk to pathologists about histology results, chemists about their synthetic efforts, or enzymologists about the kinetics of enzyme inhibition.”

Another graduate, Dr. Boyd was on the fence between two universities before deciding to attend UTHSC. The Interdisciplinary Program was a big draw, since it would allow him more options before deciding to commit to a specific department, program, or even a lab. “It enabled me to keep my options open, because it’s unlikely that a person going into graduate school knows exactly what he or she wants to do while they are there, and certainly that was my case,” he said. He was also drawn to the university and the program’s affiliation with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he had the opportunity as a graduate student to join a lab doing research on Parkinson’s disease.

“The nature of this program is to maximize one’s exposure, in this case, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology. What is the healthy state, what is the disease state, and how do you treat it, those were the three pillars of the program,” Dr. Boyd said. “That is exactly what we are doing in Big Pharma and what I’ve done throughout my career. It’s understanding what is healthy, what is disease, what’s the difference, and what can we find to take disease back to healthy. This program was a clever way to educating a class.”

Since graduating, Dr. Li has amassed over 15 years of regulatory and industry experience in clinical drug development. Dr. Li provides critical clinical pharmacology recommendations to the regulated industries with regards to the study design, dose selection, and pharmacokinetic/ pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) analysis of clinical studies, and also mentors pharmacy rotation students at the FDA. “The Interdisciplinary Program model at UTHSC allowed me to do rotations in multiple departments, such as biochemistry, molecular pharmacology, neuroscience, and pharmaceutical sciences, before choosing my career path.

From the interactions with multidisciplinary scientists and many fellow PhD students, I became interested in clinical pharmacology and drug development,” Dr. Li said. “These rotations and opportunities to learn from a variety of areas through the Interdisciplinary Program also expanded my knowledge and prepared me for a future career in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as in the regulatory agency for the promotion and protection of public health.”

Since 2006, Dr. Virga has been in pharmacy education.

He was accepted as a UTHSC graduate student in pathology and had similar opportunities to rotate through a number of laboratories, including some in non-pathology disciplines. He ultimately, chose to work in a lab in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. “The experience of the IP program was definitely beneficial. The core curriculum of the first year provided a more well-rounded educational foundation,” he said. “The opportunity to rotate through the number and variety of laboratories allowed me to learn skills and techniques apart from what I learned in my medicinal chemistry research. Overall, it was a unique experience that provided opportunities not offered to most graduate students – an opportunity to explore different disciplines. For me, it changed my entire career trajectory.”

After the inaugural class, the next cohort number for the program more than doubled.

“I’m proud of our class and the fact that we all did it at the University of Tennessee (Health Science Center),” Dr. Boyd said. “We are competitive in the fields that we work in, it’s not serendipitous that we all ended up in competitive positions. It reflects the quality of the students that UTHSC is able to attract, and also the quality of the experience that we were able to take with us.”

The Seven Tracks in the Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences • Cancer Developmental Biology • Genetics, Genomics and Informatics • Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry • Molecular and Systems Pharmacology • Molecular and Translational Physiology • Neuroscience • Rehabilitation Science

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Why Make an Annual Gift to UTHSC? Donating to UTHSC every year helps us provide scholarships, laboratory equipment, travel grants, community outreach initiatives, and many other benefits that would not be available using state or tuition-provided dollars alone!

Thank you for being a partner with our campus, our colleges, and our programs.

Your gift in any amount will make a difference.

Donate $100 or more and become a member of our 1911 Society!

For details, go to giving.uthsc.edu/1911.

Make your gift today! giving.uthsc.edu/give | 901.448.5516 18

UTHSC COLLEGE OF GRADUATE HEALTH SCIENCES | SPRING 2021

Thank You for Your Membership in the 1911 Society The University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s 1911 Society recognizes philanthropic support, which is critical to our mission of educating students, conducting innovating research and improving health outcomes.

Named for the year the Health Science Center was founded, the 1911 Society celebrates the generosity of our community.

Membership in the 1911 Society is granted across multiple levels: Annual Giving Partners who make a donation of $100 or more in any given fiscal year; Sustaining Partners who

give annually at any amount for five or more consecutive years; and Lifetime Partners who make cumulative commitments of $25,000 or more during their lifetime.

The Office of Development and Alumni Affairs wishes to thank all donors for their commitment to the College of Graduate Health Sciences and to the university. For details go to giving.uthsc.edu/1911. To make a gift, please visit giving.uthsc.edu/give or call 901.448.5516.

ANNUAL GIVING PARTNERS

Patricia and Joseph J. Krzanowski

Kristopher Arheart

Laura L. and Bailey Lipscomb

Myra P. and Robert E. Baughn

Anobel Maghsoodpour

Ann and Ted Cashion

Laura Ann Malinick and Donald B. Thomason

Eva and Paul F. Consroe

Kiraat Divyang Munshi

Bahram Dahi

Beverly and Richard Townsend O'Kell

Deborah A. and James T. Edmondson

Nancy A. and William J. Paschall

Jetendra R. Eswaraka and Himangi R. Jayakar

Yingxu Peng and Yanli Zhuang

Glenda McCartney and James R. Field

Patricia A. and Richard D. Peppler

Malinda C. and Ronald G. Fitzgerald

Thomas M. Saba

Monique B. and Jon C. Flynn

Audrey M. and James B. Selecman

Naomi M. Gades and Leonardo Llames

Janice Heintzelman Shea

Thomas M. Gilbert

Irene B. and Selby B. Shivers

Rampurna Prasad Gullapalli

Michael L. Sloan

Jane S. and Edward W. Hankins

Connie D. and Vincent D. Smith

Gregory Harris

Yichun Sun

Linda Monroe Hatcher and Timothy G. Hatcher

Jason Brett Wilson

Barbara and Jerome J. Heiny

George C. Wood

Mary Swims and Rob Jeffers

Yolanda and Dwayne Woods

Lisa Kyle and David K. Jennings

Ji-Wei Yang

Ye Jin and Jinqiu Chen Wendy and Franck Kalume

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SUSTAINING PARTNERS

(CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF GIVING)

CORNERTONE PARTNERS (10-19 YEARS) Thomas M. Gilbert Lisa Kyle and David K. Jennings Laura A. Malinick and Donald B. Thomason Beverly and Richard Townsend O'Kell Yichun Sun

ARCHWAY PARTNERS (5–9 YEARS) Myra P. and Robert E. Baughn Eva and Paul F. Consroe Naomi M. Gades and Leonardo Llames Jane S. and Edward W. Hankins Barbara and Jerome J. Heiny Anobel Maghsoodpour Yingxu Peng and Yanli Zhuang Patricia A. and Richard D. Peppler Thomas M. Saba Ji-Wei Yang

LIFETIME PARTNERS (CUMULATIVE LIFETIME GIVING)

LEADER PARTNERS ($25,000 - $99,999) Paul Taylor and Victoria Akins Rampurna Prasad Gullapalli Lisa K. and David K. Jennings Laura L. and Bailey Lipscomb Judy C. and Willie E. Martin, Jr. Drs. Wells and Helen C. Moorehead Patricia A. and Richard D. Peppler Charles Andy Vondran, Jr. Mona N. and Sammie J. Wicks Deede S. and Robert J. Wyatt

College of Graduate Health Sciences Advisory Board Dr. Lisa Jennings, Chair MLM Medical Labs, LLC Managing Executive Officer, Memphis Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Bahram Dahi Facebook Senior R&D Engineer Dr. Dean Gillespie Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Biosciences Account Manager Life Sciences Solutions Dr. Charles Handorf Handorf Laboratory Consultants President Dr. Bill Lester

Dr. Bailey Lipscomb

Dr. Chikezie Madu Shelby County Schools Advanced Placement/Dual Enrollment Biology Instructor

Dr. Clive Mendonca Trinity Life Science Consultant

Mr. Ashwin Raj Lyft Vice President Pay, Integrity, Identity Dr. Rose Stiffin Florida Memorial University Associate Professor Chemistry, Chair, Department of Health and Natural Resources Mr. Warren Tayes Merck Account Executive Hospital/Federal/Subacute

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UTHSC COLLEGE OF GRADUATE HEALTH SCIENCES | SPRING 2021

Leave Your Legacy Have you thought about the legacy you will leave behind?

With a Planned Gift, you can: • Simplify your estate for your family • Reduce the tax burden applied to your assets • Benefit causes you hold dear

Legacy donors become members of the Hershel “Pat” Wall Legacy Society Dr. Wall’s 50 years of dedication as a student, faculty member, and administrator at UTHSC are unsurpassed. His legacy will live forever, as will the impact made by our donors.

For more information about planned gifts to UTHSC and Legacy Society membership, contact Bethany Goolsby at 901.448.5516 or estateplans@uthsc.edu.

THANK YOU FOR BEING A LEGACY SOCIETY MEMBER! Drs. Wells and Helen C. Moorehead

In Memoriam The college is sad to note the passing of long-time faculty member, Clark M. Blatteis, PhD, on March 14, 2021. Dr. Blatteis was a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physiology and was with UTHSC for 42 years. As a child, he and his family escaped Berlin in 1939 aboard the infamous MS St. Louis, only to return to Europe after being refused docking in Cuba, the United States, and Great Britain.

His family fled Europe to exile in Morocco, before emigrating to the U.S. in 1948. Dr. Blatteis received his PhD from the University of Iowa and, after a stint in the Army and postdoctoral fellowships, joined the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine as a civilian. He came to UTHSC in 1966, continuing his research in temperature regulation and fever. A world-renowned researcher who literally defined the field, Dr. Blatteis trained many scientists, both young and established.

We are proud to have had him as a colleague.

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit No. 4026 Office of Development and Alumni Affairs 62 S. Dunlap, Suite 500 Memphis, TN 38163 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

2021 GOLDEN GRADUATE HOMECOMING SAVE THE DATES October 20-23, 2021 | Memphis, TN Honoring the graduates of 1970 and 1971 from all six UTHSC Colleges The Office of Alumni Affairs recognizes the importance of celebrating with your classmates at the Golden Graduate Homecoming in October. We are excited and working diligently to plan an event that is safe and enjoyable for you. Due to uncertainties related to COVID-19, we are unable to predict circumstances that could occur in the future. Our goal is to ensure the safety and health of all alumni and their families. However, changes to our plans may become necessary. Please save the dates in October and watch for updates as we continue the planning process.

For more information, contact Nahosha Braziel-Adams in the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at nbraziel@utfi.org, 901.448.4959, or visit www.alumni.uthsc.edu.