Department Profile – Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience
Chair: Howard E. Gendelman, M.D.
Number of people in department (faculty/staff):
UNMC employees:
20 faculty
8 instructors
15 post doctoral fellows
34 graduate students
68 staff
145 total
Chairman’s Message:
I couldn’t be more proud of what has happened over the past decade for our Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience Department.
In 2006, the UNMC pharmacology research program was ranked 89th out of 97 medical schools for research funding by the Blue Ridge Institute scorings. During that time several faculty had left, there was significant turnover in research expertise that occurred with parallel changes in leadership. Our trajectory was uncertain and research grants had fallen to $603,000/annum.
It is gratifying that the current rankings show that our program was ranked 10th in the nation with more than $12.1 million operative for research funding in 2015.
This marks the fifth straight year that we have reached this position among like departments. We have beaten some of the top medical schools in the United States including Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Yale, Michigan and UCLA.
Am I prideful for what our faculty have accomplished? You bet I am. So many are responsible for this feat and especially notable in collaborative science.
Such gratitude also extends to the academic side of the department. I was thrilled to learn this month that one of our faculty, David McMillan, Ph.D., was recognized for his outstanding teaching by being selected for the Golden Apple Award. When students select someone for an award like this, it’s high praise indeed.
The department profile in this month’s issue of InterCOM is quite extensive. It’s indicative of the outstanding work that is being done by so many. My deepest thanks to all for your tremendous accomplishments. Keep up the great work! The best is yet to come.
Howard Gendelman, M.D.,
Chairman, Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience
New faculty:
Siddappa Byrareddy, Ph.D., associate professor
New programs:
Nebraska Center for Substance Abuse Research, Shilpa Buch, Ph.D., director
The Nebraska Center for Substance Abuse Research at UNMC promotes and facilitates research in understanding the consequences and prevention of drug abuse and neurodegenerative diseases.
New Course:
PHAR902: Human-Specific Disease Modeling in Mice
Directors: Larisa Poluektova, M.D., Ph.D., and Santhi Gorantla, Ph.D.
Significant research grants/publications (2013-2016):
Research Grants
Current active funding: $9,178,462 direct costs
Shilpa Buch, Ph.D.
HIV Tat & Cocaine-Mediated Induction (5R01DA036157-03)
PDGF-CC Mediated Reversal of Synaptodend (1R01MH106425-01A1)
HIV Tat and Morphine Induce Mircroglial (1R01DA040397-01/multiple PI with Howard Fox)
Opiate induced SIV-Neuropathogenesis (4R01DA035203-04)
Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D.
NTTC Data Coordinating Center (3U24MH100925-03)
Elucidating the role of exosomal miR-21 (5R21MH106422-02)
HIV Tat and Morphine Induce Mircroglial (1R01DA040397-01/multiple PI with Shilpa Buch)
Howard E. Gendelman, M.D.
Nanomedicine and NeuroAIDS (5R01NS036126-19)
SMART HAND (5R01AG043540-03; multiple PI with Larisa Poluektova)
Nanoformulation update, release, toxicology and tissue delivery (2PO1DA028555-06A1)
Novel Kinase & Nanoformulated Protease Inhibitors for Eradication of CNS HIV-1 (R02MH104147)
Leukine (Sargramostim) for Parkinson's Disease Phase 1 Clinical Trial NCT01882010
Santhi Goranta, Ph.D.
Novel Kinase & Nanoformulated Protease Inhibitors for Eradication of CNS HIV-1 (R02MH104147)
Yunlong Huang, Ph.D.
Targeting FOX03a with TIC10 to eradicate (1R03NS094071-01)
Georgette Kanmogne, Ph.D., M.P.H.
HIV Genetic Diversity and Viral Neuropathogenesis (4R01MH094160-05)
Daniel Monaghan, Ph.D.
Development and Pharmacology of Positive (4R01MH60252-12)
NMDA receptor positive allosteric modula (Edna Ittner Trust Fund)
Larisa Poluektova, M.D., Ph.D.
SMART HAND (5R01AG043540-03; multiple PI with Howard Gendelman)
Center for Humanized Mice (5R24OD018546-02)
Humanized Mice as a Tool to Monitor HIV Brain Reservoirs and Effects of Substance Abuse (1R21DA041018-01)
Myron Toews, Ph.D.
Estrogen regulation of glutaminase in pulmonary LAM (NE DHHS- LB506)
Rebecca Wilshusen (Graduate Student)
T Cell-Mediated Mechanisms Of Neurodegeneration in Models of Parkinson's Disease (1F31NS090880-01)
Tony Wilson, Ph.D.
Neurophysiological markers of HAND and the impact of Aging: Evidence from MEG (5R01MH103220-02)
RII Track-2 FEC: Developmental Chronnecto-Genomics (Dev.CoG): A Next Generation Framework for Quantifying Brain Dynamics and Related Genetic Factors in Childhood (The Mind Research Institute)
Web development of Attention Training for PTSD (Creighton University)
Sowmya Yelamanchili, Ph.D.
Elucidating the role of exosomal miR-21 in SIV/HIV neurological dysfunction (R21 MH106422-01; multiple PI with Howard Fox)
Neurosensory COBRE mechanism (P20 RR018788 Shelley Smith); Pilot Grant: Role of miR-1290 in neuronal development
Exosomal microRNAs during traumatic brain injury: microRNAs as effector molecules in neuropathogenesis (Nebraska Research Initiative; multiple PI with Howard Fox)
Publications:
More than 190 peer reviewed publications since 2013. The following earned the cover of the journal.
Jagadish T, Pottiez G, Fox HS, Ciborowski P. Plasma gelsolin accumulates in macrophage nodules in brains of simian immunodeficiency virus infected rhesus macaques. J Neurovirol. 2012 Apr;18(2):113-9. (cover)
Roy U, McMillan J, Alnouti Y, Gautum N, Smith N, Balkundi S, Dash P, Gorantla S, Martinez-Skinner A, Meza J, Kanmogne G, Swindells S, Cohen SM, Mosley RL, Poluektova L, Gendelman HE. Pharmacodynamic and antiretroviral activities of combination nanoformulated antiretrovirals in HIV-1-infected human peripheral blood lymphocyte-reconstituted mice. J Infect Dis. 2012 Nov 15;206(10):1577-8. (cover)
Becker KM, Heinrichs-Graham E, Fox HS, Robertson KR, Sandkovsky U, O'Neill J, Swindells S, Wilson TW. Decreased MEG beta oscillations in HIV-infected older adults during the resting state. J Neurovirol. 2013 Dec;19(6):586-94. (cover)
Olson KE, Kosloski-Bilek LM, Anderson KM, Diggs BJ, Clark BE, Gledhill JM Jr, Shandler SJ, Mosley RL, Gendelman HE. Selective VIP Receptor Agonists Facilitate Immune Transformation for Dopaminergic Neuroprotection in MPTP-Intoxicated Mice. J Neurosci. 2015 Dec 16;35(50):16463-78.
Zhang G, Guo D, Dash PK, Araínga M, Wiederin JL, Haverland NA, Knibbe-Hollinger J, Martinez-Skinner A, Ciborowski P, Goodfellow VS, Wysocki TA, Wysocki BJ, Poluektova LY, Liu XM, McMillan JM, Gorantla S, Gelbard HA, Gendelman HE. The mixed lineage kinase-3 inhibitor URMC-099 improves therapeutic outcomes for long-acting antiretroviral therapy. Nanomedicine. 2016 Jan;12(1):109-2. (cover)
Gross AM, Jaeger PA, Kreisberg JF, Li-con K, Jepsen KL, Khosroheidari M, Morsey BM, Shen H, Flagg K, Chen D, Zhang K, Fox HS, Ideker T. Methylome-wide analysis of chronic HIV infection reveals five-year increase in biological age and epigenetic targeting of HL. Molecular Cell. doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2016.03.019. (cover)
ABC News, "Cells Appear to Age Faster in People With HIV, Study Finds" features article: Gross AM, Jaeger PA, Kreisberg JF, Licon K, Jepsen KL, Khosroheidari M, Morsey BM, Swindells S, Shen H, Ng CT, Flagg K, Chen D, Zhang K, Fox HS, Ideker T. Methylome-wide Analysis of Chronic HIV Infection Reveals Five-Year Increase in Biological Age and Epigenetic Targeting of HLA. Mol Cell. 2016 Apr 21;62(2):157-68. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2016.03.019.
Books
Howard E. Gendelman, M.D., and Tsuneya Ikezu, M.D., Ph.D. (Boston University) edited the second edition of the textbook "Neuroimmune Pharmacology"(Springer).
Pawel Ciborowski, Ph.D. and Jerzy Silberring, Ph.D. (AGH University of Science and Technology, Jagiellonian University, and the Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences) edited the second edition of Proteomic Profiling and Analytical Chemistry (Elsevier)
Larisa Poluektova, M.D., Ph.D.; J. Victor Garcia (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill); Yoshio Koyanagi, Kyoto University, Japan; Markus G. Manz, University Hospital Zürich, Switzerland; Andrew M. Tager, Massachusetts General Hospital and Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, USA) edited "Humanized Mice for HIV Research" (Springer)
Other highlights:
Dr. Howard Fox was featured in a UNMC Today article and on a ABC News feature, "Cells Appear to Age Faster in People With HIV, Study Finds." (NOTE: If you click the ABC link, it has a video from years ago but the story does include comments from Dr. Fox.)
AWARDS:
Scientist Laureates:
Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D. (2014)
Shilpa Buch, Ph.D. (2015)
Distinguished Scientists
Santhi Gorantla, Ph.D., (2014)
New Investigator:
Tony Wilson, Ph.D. (2015)
2015 Marcia and Alan Baer Early Career Innovation in Neuroscience Award.
Tomomi Kiyota, Ph.D.
Minglei Guo, Ph.D.
2015 Nicholas B. Badami HIV Research Fellowship
Yunglong Huang, Ph.D.
Mariluz Anamelva Arainga Ramirez, Ph.D.
2015 Norman and Bernice Harris Neuroscience
Han Liu, James Hilaire, Nicolas DeKorver, Yu Cai, Katherine Olson, Charles Schutt, Beiquing Wu, Aditya Bade
2015 46th Annual Midwest Student Biomedical Research Forum
Kiran Sapkota (first place poster)
Tian Zhou (fourth place oral)
2015 Vada Kinman Oldfield Alzheimer's Research Fund Award
Nicholas DeKover, M.D., Ph.D. Scholar
2014 Outstanding Mentor of Graduate Students
Howard E. Gendelman, M.D.
2014 Shoemaker Award for Neurodegenerative Research
Tomomi Kiyota, Ph.D.
2014 Joseph P. Gilmore Distinguished Basic Scientist Award
Tony Wilson, Ph.D.
2014 University of Nebraska Presidential Graduate Fellow
Philip Purnell, Ph.D.
2013 Vada Kinman Oldfield Alzheimer's Research Fund Award
Tony Wilson, Ph.D.
2013 UNMC Pioneering Women in Medicine
David McMillan, Ph.D.
2013 Most Promising New Invention (UNeMed)
Keshore Bidasee, Ph.D.
2013 Innovator of the Year
Howard E. Gendelman, M.D.
2015 Chronic HIV and Aging In NeuroAIDS (CHAIN) 5th Annual Colloquium
The focus of the fifth annual CHAIN Colloquium was HIV, neurodegenerative disorders and aging, mitochondria – from basic mechanisms to disease. Seven national speakers presented at UNMC on May 20, 2015 (Stefan Strack, Ph.D., University of Iowa; William Lewis, M.D., Emory University; Todd Hulgan, M.D., M.P.H., Vanderbilt; Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D., UNMC; Russell Swerdlow, M.D., University of Kansas Medical Center; Serge Przedborski, M.D., Ph.D., Columbia University). This event also was offered as a webinar with more than 300 registrants from 96 institutions.
2015 Nebraska Neuroscience Alliance Honorees
Scientific Honoree:
Ted Dawson, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Institute for Cell Engineering
Director, Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center
Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Professor in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Professor, Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology & Molecular Sciences
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Community Honorees:
Parkinson’s Health Development in memory of Colleen Wuebben
American Parkinson’s Disease Association, Nebraska Chapter
The Alan and Marcia Baer Foundation and the Baer family
First annual Carol Swarts, M.D., Distinguished Lecture
Robert Gallo, M.D., professor, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Nebraska Nanomedicine Production Plant (NNPP)
The NNPP provides contract development and manufacturing support services to academic institutions, startups and large pharmaceutical companies. The NNPP supports U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compliant batch scale-up of candidate nanoformulations for production, new drug applications, phase 1 clinical trials and technology transfer for large-scale production. The NNPP serves bench to bedside production and quality control development for human drug testing.
HAND in HAND app developed
The app, developed in partnership with Digital Artefacts, uses the ResearchKit software framework designed by Apple to make it easy for researchers to gather data more frequently and more accurately from participants using iPhone apps.
The app is designed to make it easier for large numbers of HIV patients to participate in research. ResearchKit enables participants to easily complete tasks or submit surveys right from the HAND in HAND app and delivers a simple way to present participants with an interactive informed consent process.
Dr. Zheng invited to White House ceremony
Professor Jialin Zheng, M.D., was invited to a White House ceremony Sept. 25 to welcome Chinese President Xi Jimping. The event was attended by U.S. President Barack Obama and 42 Chinese-Americans from different U.S. higher education institutions who have helped in promoting U.S.-China educational collaboration.
Asia Pacific Rim Development Program celebrated 10 years
Drs. Le Kang and Jialin Zheng, with the help of great vision and effort from UNMC leaders, pushed to create what has become the Asia Pacific Rim Development Program, the institutional collaboration between UNMC and universities in China.
Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology
JNIP celebrated its 11th year of publications with Howard Gendelman, M.D., as editor-in-chief, and Robin Taylor as managing editor. In 2015, the journal’s impact factor grew to 4.110.
2016 Parkinson’s Skate-a-thon
The department’s M & M’s (movement and medicine) were among the 500 skaters that took to the ice to help raise awareness and funds for Parkinson’s disease research and educational support.
2015-16 UNMC Women’s Mentoring Committee (PEN department members):
Chair – Shilpa Buch, Ph.D.
Santhi Gorantla, Ph.D.
Sowmya Yelamanchili, Ph.D.
Alumni:
Ted Warren, Ph.D.
Advisor: Wallace Thoreson, Ph.D.
January 25, 2016
"Mechanisms of inhibitory feedback from horizontal cells to cone photoreceptors"
Position: Post Doctoral Research Associate, UNMC
Aditya Bade, Ph.D.
Advisor: Howard E. Gendelman, Ph.D.
December 4, 2015
"Development of Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MEMRI) Methods to Study Pathophysiology Underlying Neurodegenerative Diseases in Murine Models "
Position: Research Associate, UNMC
Ariel Burns, Ph.D.
Advisor: Pawel Ciborowski, Ph.D.
November 5, 2015
"Acute Methamphetamine Exposure Effects Histone Modifying Enzymes and Cytokine Production in Macrophages"
Position: Quest Diagnostics
Kristi Anderson, Ph.D.
Advisor: R. Lee Mosley, Ph.D.
September 11, 2015
"Compensatory Mechanisms Under Dopaminergic Loss in Mouse Models of Parkinson's Disease"
Position: Scientific consultant in behavior instrumentation, Bioseb, Ind., Pinellas Park, Fla.
Shawna Woollard, Ph.D.
Advisor: Georgette Kanmogne, Ph.D.
August 12, 2015
"CCR5 and the blood-brain barrier during HIV-1 infection and cell-cell communications"
Position: Post Doctoral Research Associate, UNMC
Xiaohuan Xia, Ph.D.
Advisor: Iqbal Ahmad, Ph.D.
August 6, 2015
"The involvement of miRNAs in the regulation of RPCs"
Position: Post Doctoral fellow, UNMC
Yi Wang, Ph.D.
Advisor: Jialin Zheng, M.D.
July 31, 2015
"Role of Glutaminase 1 in HIV-1 Associated Neurocognitive Disorders"
Position: Post Doctoral Research Associate, UNMC
Karlene Cork, Ph.D.
Advisor: Wallace Thoreson, Ph.D.
July 28, 2015
"Characteristics of exocytosis and endocytosis in photoreceptors"
Position: Post Doctoral Research Associate, Wallace Thoreson, Ph.D. Laboratory, UNMC
Tianyzi Li, Ph.D.
Advisor: Howard E. Gendelman, M.D.
July 17, 2015
"Targeted Magnetite Tissue Delivery for antiretroviral pharmacokinetics"
Benjamin C. Reiner, Ph.D.
Advisor: Anna Dunaevsky, Ph.D.
April 15, 2015
"Experience-dependent synaptic structural plasticity in a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome"
Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Andrea L. Martinez-Skinner, Ph.D.
Advisor: Howard E. Gendelman, M.D.
March 18, 2015
"In vitro and in vivo evaluation of the nanoART carrying macrophage"
Position: Yale University Medical School
Lu Yang, Ph.D.
Advisor: Shilpa Buch, Ph.D.
March 16, 2015
"ER stress mediated astrogliosis in HAND: Involvement of IP3R2"
Position: Post Doctoral Fellow, UNMC
Pavan Puligujja, Ph.D.
Advisor: Howard E. Gendelman, M.D.
January 16, 2015
"Cell-targeted Antiretroviral nanoformulations: Translational Studies in Mice"
Position: Sr. Scientist- Formulations, Longevity Biotech
Danielle Fenster, Ph.D.
Advisor: Howard S. Fox, M.D., Ph.D.
December 3, 2014
"Bioinformatics analyses of macrophage transcriptome profiles following HIV infection, cART, and METH treatments"
Position: Science Instructor, Creighton Prep High School, Omaha, NE
Fadhel Al-Omar, Ph.D.
Advisor: Keshore Bidasee, Ph.D.
November 13, 2014
"Targeted Glyoxlase-1 Gene Transfer to Prevent CNS Complications in Diabetes"
Position: Assistant Professor, Medicine College, University of Damman, Damman City, Saudi Arabia
Minghui Chen, Ph.D.
Advisor: Wallace Thoreson
October 30, 2014
"Vesicle exocytosis from rod photoreceptor synapses"
Position: Post-doc, James R. Goldenring, M.D., Ph.D., Vanderbilt University
Gang Zhang, Ph.D.
Advisory: Howard E. Gendelman, M.D.
August 27, 2014
"Characterization and Regulation of NanoART Endosomal Trafficking"
Position: Post-doc fellow, Stephen Spector's laboratory, University of California, San Diego
Adrian Epstein, Ph.D.
Advisor: Howard E. Gendelman, M.D.
August 26, 2014
"Brain Metabolomics in the Humanized Mouse Model of HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Dysfunction"
Position: Resident, UNMC
Philip Purnell, Ph.D.
Advisor: Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D.
August 15, 2014
"Mediators of Neuronal Autophagy and Mitochondria"
Position: Resident, West Virginia University, SOM
Qiang Chen, Ph.D.
Advisor: Jialin Zheng, M.D.
August 15, 2014
"CXCR7 Mediated Neural Progenitor Cell Migration and Signaling in the Absence of CXCR4"
Position: Drug Safety Scientist, Merck, China
Yongxiang Wang, Ph.D.
Advisor: Jialin Zheng, M.D.
August 1, 2014
"The Application of Cell Reprogramming in Parkinson's Disease"
Position: Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong, China
Max Kuenstling, M.S.
Advisor: R Lee Mosley, Ph.D.
Position: Grants Program Coordinator, UNMC Vice Chancellor for Research
Lance Villeneuve, Ph.D.
Advisor: Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D.
April 22, 2014
"The fole of mitochondria in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease"
Position: Medical Student, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Nicole Haverland, Ph.D.
Advisor: Pawel Ciborowski, Ph.D.
April 7, 2014
"Proteomic alterations of the macrophage following HIV-1 infection and methamphetamine exposure"
Position: Post-doc, Northwestern University
Lisa Kosloski Bilek, Ph.D.
Advisor: Howard E. Gendelman, M.D.
December 6, 2013
"Immune Modulation for Parkinson's Disease"
Position: Medical Science Liaison, AssureRx Health
Jianxun (Jensen) Xia, Ph.D.
Advisor: Huangui Xiong, M.D., Ph.D.
November 20, 2013
"An electrophysiological study of roles of d-serine and synergistic effects between gp120 and methamphetamine in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 associated neuronal dysfunction"
Position: Postdoc, City University of New York
Jessica Winkler, Ph.D.
Advisor: Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D.
November 22, 2013
"Systems Biology as a tool to Elucidate Differentiation and Disease"
Position: Post Doc, Plant Genetics Laboratory, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Carly Ninemire Bycenski, Ph.D.
Advisor: Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D.
November 18, 2013
"Inflammatory factors reduce neuronal autophagy"
Position: Chemical Analyst at Corbion
Poornima Suresh, M.S.
Advisor: Alexander V. Kabanov, Ph.D., Dr. Sci.
July 30, 2013
"Nanozymes for the delivery of superoxide dismutase 1 to the brain"
Position: American Journal Experts
Amrita Datta Chaudhuri, Ph.D.
Advisor: Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D.
May 30, 2013
"Role of microRNA-142 in Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders"
Position: Post-doc Fellow, Dr. Eunsung Junn's laboratory, Rutgers University
Richa Hanamsagar, Ph.D.
Advisor: Tammy Kielian, Ph.D.
April 30, 2013
"Role of the Inflammasome in the Pathogenesis and Immune Responses to Staphylococcus Aureus Infection in the Central Nervous System"
Position: Post-Doc, Dr. Staci Bilbo's laboratory, Duke University Medical School.
Caronda Moore, Ph.D.
Advisor: Keshore Bidasee, Ph.D.
April 28, 2013
"Reactive Carbonyl Species and Cardiovascular Complications during Diabetes"
Position: Post-Doc Research Associate, UNeMed
Anna Brynskikh Boyum, Ph.D.
Advisor: Alexander Kabanov, Ph.D.
February 6, 2013
"Block Ionomer Complexes of Antioxidant Enzymes (Nanozymes) As Therapeutics for Neurologic Disorders"
Position: Managing Editor "American Journal of Ophthalmology – Case Reports"
Emily Harrison, Ph.D.
Advisor: Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D.
April 20, 2016
"Expression and function of inflammation-associated miRNAs in traumatic brain injury"
Position: Post Doc Research Fellow, University of North Carolina