Adam Case, PhD, assistant professor of cellular and integrative physiology, has been elected to the council of the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine (SfRBM).
The SfRBM is a professional organization comprised of scientists and clinicians investigating redox biology, a unifying theme in the pathophysiology of human diseases.
Most people are familiar with antioxidants, which prevent damage to cells by free radicals. Oxidants, conversely, react with cellular molecules to cause damage and inflammation.
“Redox biology is the study of oxidants and antioxidants in the human body,” Dr. Case said.
Dr. Case’s lab at UNMC has been studying redox biology and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for the past four years.
“We’ve learned that PTSD can disrupt the balance of oxidants and antioxidants in the immune system,” he said. “The psychiatric disease can have a large negative impact on a person’s immune system.”
Dr. Case’s lab is currently researching how PTSD leads to that antioxidant/oxidant imbalance, as well as the potential for new therapies that can restore this imbalance.
Dr. Case will begin his duties as a member of the council following the SfRBM’s annual meeting in November.
As a council member, who will help shape the direction and priorities of the society throughout his four-year term, one of his goals will be to grow representation of redox biologists in granting agency study sections.
“It’s a unique field that crosses virtually every disease,” he said. “In nearly every disease, you can find some antioxidant/oxidant imbalance. But there aren’t that many trained redox biologists on these study sections. I’d like to see the NIH and others institute a study section devoted to redox biology, or at least have redox biologists better represented as members on other study sections.”
Dr. Case said he has aspired to serve on the SfRBM council for some time, and he thinks his election reflects the support his work has received since he came to UNMC as a postdoc fellow in 2012.
“Since that time, I’ve seen this institution invest strongly in individuals with redox biology backgrounds,” said Dr. Case, who became a faculty member in 2016. “UNMC is definitely being recognized as one of the world leaders in this area, and this election really speaks to that. We are a well-respected group in this field.”
Bradley Britigan, MD, dean of the UNMC College of Medicine, said Dr. Case’s colleagues were proud to see him take on this international role.
“Dr. Case is an emerging leader in redox biology, and his election to the council of the leading professional society in this field attests to that,” Dr. Britigan said. “As a decades-long member of this society, I am excited not only about the positive impact he will have on it in his new role, but that he will help elevate the visibility of ongoing work in redox biology at UNMC. The College of Medicine and I very much appreciate the willingness of Dr. Case and other UNMC faculty to commit their time to take on leadership roles in professional societies.”