BIO5 Institute

Juyoung Park

Member of the Graduate Faculty
Professor
Primary Department
Department Affiliations

Work Summary

Dr. Juyoung Park holds the position of Professor in the University of Arizona (UA) College of Nursing and serves as the Associate Director of the Brain Digital Technology Laboratory within the UA College of Nursing. She is recognized as a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of American Health Science Section. Dr. Park's research is centered on chronic pain and nonpharmacological pain management for older adults with chronic conditions, including osteoarthritis and dementia. Her approach encompasses complementary/mind-body alternative medicine, such as online chair yoga and qigong, as well as innovative brain stimulation techniques utilizing technology and diverse designs. Currently, she serves as a Co-Investigator on two R01 projects. The first project focuses on nonpharmacological multimodal pain therapies, specifically combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with mindfulness-based meditation. The second project explores the relationship between social isolation and cognitive function in rural and racially/ethnically diverse older residents at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Park has received training grants to conduct research on aging from the National Institute on Aging, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research, and the John A. Hartford Foundation. She has enhanced methodological skills in longitudinal design, clinical trials, and advanced statistics. She was recognized as a Hartford Faculty Scholar and received funding from the John A. Hartford Foundation to conduct research entitled Utilization of Nonpharmacological Pain Management Among Racially and Ethnically Diverse Older Adults in South Florida. She recruited racially and ethnically diverse (African American, European American, Hispanic/Latino, Afro-Caribbean) older adults with chronic pain to explore the influence of ethnicity on barriers and facilitators in the use of nonpharmacological pain treatment. As PI or Co-PI on several intramural, foundation, and NIH-funded grants, she has successfully administered a range of funded projects (human subject protection, data safety and management, budget). Dr. Park is a member of the Gerontological Society of America and the UA Pain Society. She has received several publication awards, including Journal of Public Health best paper of the year, Editor’s Choice Award, American Society of Healthcare Publication Bronze Award, and the Rose Dobrof Award from the Association of Gerontology Education in Social Work. She was a young investigator in the U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative and was named Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar.

Research Interest

Dr. Juyoung Park, PhD, MSW, is a Professor in the College of Nursing, University of Arizona (UA). She also serves as Associate Director of the Brain Digital Technology Laboratory within the UA College of Nursing. Recognized as a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of American Health Science Section, Dr. Park earned a doctorate in Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Her areas of expertise focus on nonpharmacological chronic pain management. Dr. Park has integrated social work perspectives into nonpharmacological chronic pain management for older adults by conducting innovative research, identifying effective and safe interventions, and providing a framework to develop a practice model of nonpharmacological pain management targeted to older adults, their caregivers, and health care providers in the field of aging. Her research ranges from opioid medication misuse to telehealth-based mind-body interventions (e.g., online chair yoga) and home-based remotely supervised transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a nonpharmacologi¬cal approach for older adults with chronic pain. Her research agenda on nonpharmacologi¬cal interventions has expanded to explore their effects on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias to reduce use of psychotropic medications for managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and improve cognitive function and chronic pain. Dr. Park has been the PI or CO-I on research funded by the National Institute on Aging, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, John A. Harford Foundation, and U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative. She has authored or co-authored numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and had presented at many national and international scientific conferences.

Mrinalini Kala

Associate Research Professor, Internal Medicine
Director, Flow Cytometry
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Primary Department

Work Summary

I received my PhD specializing in Immunology in 1998. My post-doctoral trainings were in the laboratories at The Scripps Research Institute and at University of California, San Francisco. During my postdoctoral training, I developed additional skills in immunology, especially in HIV, autoimmune diseases and extensive expertise in cytometry. I was appointed Assistant Professor (research track) at Barrow Neurological Institute in 2006, where I worked on Multiple Sclerosis through several independent grants. I was appointed as founding Director of the Flow Cytometry Core in 2010 at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, where I direct the operation and development of the facility. I laid the foundation of the flow cytometry core at the University Of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and since then, has been very instrumental in the development and expansion of the core. Initially, flow cytometry services focused on cell sorting and analyses of a variety of samples for animal and human research. In a year I expanded the core services for immunology, clinical trial work, as well as developing the testing services for lymphoid malignancies. The clinical flow cytometry testing services for lymphoid malignancies were done in partnership with Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the Molecular Medicine Laboratories at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. In 2017 I was given the responsibility to lead the biorepository for department of internal medicine as a founding director. Since then the biorepository has grown with collaborative works across both campus. adding portfolio of collaborative clinical trails and grants. In addition I also specialize in education and training of professional and support staff, budgeting, core management and marketing. I am engaged actively in providing mentorship and helping the College with the Scholarly Project Students. She is actively involved is collaborating on different projects.

Research Interest

I have broad background in immunology, with specific training and expertise in developing antibody-based therapy utilizing phage display technology for cancer and HIV, role of proteases in autoimmune diseases and deciphering the mechanisms of action of drugs used in treatment of various autoimmune diseases. I have expertise and proficiency in preclinical, translational research models, flow cytometry and biospecimen processing. I utilized this knowledge to be a founding director to lead and develop both a flow cytometry core and biorepository. The college Flow cytometry core was launched in early 2011 with only cell sorter, and currently houses a 3 laser 9 color cell sorter, one 4 laser 16 color analyzer, one 3 laser 8 color cell analyzers, one 2 laser 6 color analyzers and lyse wash machine. A large portion of my time is spent “helping others/collaborating”. As a faculty of internal medicine and director of these cores my efforts are to promote collaborative translational research. My collaborative translational research interests are in providing my flow cytometry and biobanking expertise to projects of my interest and relevance. We currently have more than 1000 subjects in our biobank which includes blood, PBMCs, tissue, urine, DNA, RNA, plasma and serum.

Ghassan Mouneimne

Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology - GIDP
Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Primary Department

Work Summary

Research in our laboratory is focused on understanding how aberrant structural organization of the cytoskeleton influences cellular behavior, such as cancer cell invasion and metastasis. The regulation of cellular behavior by structural remodeling of the cytoskeleton exemplifies the paradigm of “structure regulates function” at the cellular level. Our goal is to identify distinct actin cytoskeletal architectures that impact the response of cancer cells to well-known genetic and microenvironmental factors during cancer progression.

Research Interest

Our research program at the Mouneimne Laboratory concentrates on understanding how hormonal regulation of the cytoskeletal architecture in Estrogen Receptor positive (ER+) Breast Cancer (BC) cells impact their response to the biophysical tumor microenvironment (TME), particularly matrix rigidity. We have established that, through remodeling of the cytoskeleton, ER has dichotomous roles in promoting and suppressing ER+ BC invasion in stiff and soft TMEs, respectively. This differential responsiveness to the biophysical TME, we find, is unique to ER+ tumors and play a distinct role in promoting their metastatic dissemination, which is one of the major focus areas of our group. Further, we are interested in determining the mechanism by which these metastatic properties are maintained after dissemination to distant sites, such as the bone, where ER+ BC cells could remain dormant for several years before progressing to overt bone metastases. Our goal is to identify unique vulnerabilities in ER+ BC tumors potentially valuable for targeting cancer cells in both the neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting, thus blocking progression of initial and residual disease, respectively. The expertise of my group is in two converging areas of analytical cell biology, exploiting quantitative microscopy, and cancer biology, modeling invasive and metastatic phenotypes of breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo. Further, in collaboration with breast oncologists, pathologists, biophysicists, and biomedical engineers, our team is tackling the problem of ER+ BC metastasis from diverse angles, rationales, and training backgrounds, broadening our approach to include basic, translational, and patient-oriented research strategies.

Janine E Hinton

Associate Clinical Professor
Director, Steele Innovative Learning Center
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Primary Department
Department Affiliations

Work Summary

Dr. Hinton is an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona College of Nursing and the Simulation Director responsible for both the Gilbert Simulation Center and the Tucson Steele Innovative Learning Center. She has more than 35 years of nursing experience including 17 years in simulation-based education and research.

Research Interest

Dr. Janine E Hinton is an Associate Clinical Professor and Simulation Director for the University of Arizona College of Nursing responsible for both the Gilbert Simulation Center and the Tucson Steele Innovative Learning Center. She has more than 35 years of nursing experience including 17 years in simulation-based education and research. Hinton is a Center for University Education Scholarship (CUES) Distinguished Fellow and National League for Nursing Leadership Institute, Simulation Alum (2019). She is an early and persistent adopter of simulation-based education (SBE) strategies and technologies to improve preparation of new nurses to enter the workforce. Her research interests include designing and testing intelligent simulation environments for promoting and validating nursing practice competencies. This work includes the use of extended reality, augmented and artificial intelligence, sensor technologies, and robotics. She is also interested in identifying the amounts and types of simulation-based activities that best support improved clinical practice habits such as preventing medication errors and failure to rescue patients experiencing physiologic deterioration.

Alison M Meadow

Adjunct Assistant Research Scientist, Natural Resources and the Environment
Associate Research Professor
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
(520) 626-0652

Work Summary

Alison M. Meadow has a background in anthropology, Indigenous studies, and urban planning. Her research focuses on the process of linking scientists with decision makers to improve the usability of climate science, with a particular emphasis on evaluating the societal impacts of research. She is a co-investigator with the NOAA-funded Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS). Recent projects include creating a series of community climate profiles to inform climate change adaptation planning in the Southwest; evaluating and guiding engaged research processes and outcomes in research centers funded by USGS, NOAA, and the USDA; and leading societal impacts assessments of several programs and institutes at the University of Arizona.

Research Interest

Alison M. Meadow has a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks - Resilience and Adaptation Program. Prior to completing her PhD, she earned an MA in American Indian Studies from the University of Arizona and a BA in Native Studies and Anthropology from Trent University. Alison conducts research on the process of engaged research, the use of research findings in policy and practice, and the connections between engaged research and research use - particularly in the context of climate and environmental decision making. She has written extensively on the process of knowledge co-production, evaluating the societal impacts of research, and ethical considerations in engaged research and evaluation. Alison has a particular interest in supporting research programs, centers, and institutes as they move toward more collaborative and engaged modes of research.

Jessica A Rick

Assistant Professor, Wildlife & Biodiversity Conserv. Mgt
Member of the Graduate Faculty

Work Summary

I am an evolutionary biologist with expertise in the population genomics of wild populations. I have worked across a variety of taxa, with particular focus on wildlife of conservation concern. My research group uses population genomic, phylogenomic, and computational tools to examine the drivers and genetic basis of population structure, local adaptation, hybridization, and macroevolutionary patterns, asking questions about the patterns in the distribution of genetic variation within and among taxa, as well as the evolutionary processes and environmental influences that have led to those patterns.

Research Interest

Dr. Jessica Rick (BS Biology, University of Arizona; MS Integrated Biosciences, University of Minnesota; PhD Ecology, University of Wyoming) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona. Dr. Rick leads a diverse research group with interests in using genomics to better understand wildlife populations. Her group has worked across a variety of taxa, from frogs to fishes to bats to wolves, and has a broad interest in investigating how environmental change drives evolution at the population and species level, and in combining genomic and ecological techniques to connect gene flow processes at the individual and population level to macroevolutionary patterns. In this way, her research focuses on understanding the ways that changing environmental conditions can contribute to patterns of genetic variation across the space and time. In addition, Dr. Rick and her research group have used simulation studies to improve our understanding of the ways that bioinformatic treatment of genomic data can bias the results of population genomic and phylogenomic studies.

Hongyu Qiu

Professor, Internal Medicine
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Primary Department
Contact
(602) 827-2078

Work Summary

Dr. Qiu has both clinical and basic science background with more than 30 years working in biomedical research.

Research Interest

Dr. Qiu, MD and PhD, is a biomedical scientist with a research focus on the physiology and cellular/molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases. her research interest is discovering the mechanisms of aging-related cardiovascular diseases and exploring therapeutic targets and strategies for these diseases, including aging- and hypertension-induced aortic stiffening and consequent heart failure, by using multiple animal models combined with comprehensive approaches covering in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro studies.

Paul R. Langlais

Associate Professor, Medicine
Associate Professor, Physiological Sciences - GIDP
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
(520) 626-5909

Work Summary

The role of insulin is to lower blood glucose levels by stimulating glucose uptake into muscle and adipose tissue. Resistance to insulin, a phenomenon directly involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, is not fully understood. Basic research has yet to discover how insulin action is elicited at the subcellular level. Research in the laboratory of Paul R. Langlais, PhD, focuses on the identification and characterization of proteins involved in insulin-stimulated biology and also tests whether the dysfunction of these proteins is involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Dr. Langlais is also Director of the UAHS Quantitative Proteomics Laboratory, a resource he developed with Dr. Lawrence Mandarino to collaborate with other faculty on projects interested in taking advantage of mass spectrometry to perform proteome-wide hypothesis-testing experiments.

Research Interest

Dr. Langlais graduated from Texas Tech University in 1997 with the realization that he enjoyed his Cell Biology class, so he got lucky and ended up as a Research Assistant in an insulin signaling lab that Fall, all of which led to a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Langlais met his boss, Dr. Lawrence Mandarino, when he interviewed for grad school and they both left UTHSCSA for Arizona State University together in 2005, Dr. Mandarino as the Chair of Kinesiology, Dr. Langlais as a Post-Doctoral Fellow. Spent too long there before taking an Assistant Professor position at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona in 2012 and shortly after had the excellent fortune of obtaining an NIH R01 grant. Dr. Langlais joined the Endocrinology Division in the Department of Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in the Fall of 2016. Dr. Langlais has enjoyed his time at the UA, so good to be back at a health science center and an institution that has a passion for basic biomedical research. Dr. Langlais is also a member of the Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Program at the UA. Dr. Langlais started his career as a scientist in an era where radiation was the main approach to study protein phosphorylation. Luckily he met the right people and got an early introduction to mass spectrometry. As a result, his training incorporated basic molecular biology, traditional signaling techniques, microscopy, and eventually mass spectrometry and proteomics. During this scientific journey, he became self-proficient as an end user capable of running mass spectrometers to study proteins. This led to a lot of collaboration, so much so, that together with Dr. Lawrence Mandarino, they developed numerous proteomics facilities, all of which cumulated to create the University of Arizona College of Medicine Quantitative Proteomics Laboratory, a collaborative resource designed to offer UA investigators a chance to use quantitative proteomics to answer their own personal research questions, of which Dr. Langlais is the Director.