Medicine

Francesca Vitali

Assistant Research Professor, Neurology
Member of the General Faculty
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
520-626-4551

Work Summary

Francesca Vitali, PhD, research interests are in precision medicine, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence and big data techniques.

Research Interest

Dr. Vitali's research currently focuses on the development of bioinformatics analysis to advance the prevention and treatment of age-associated neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Vitali is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Arizona and work with the research group of Dr. Roberta Diaz Brinton where is the Director of Bioinformatics and a faculty member of the Center for Innovation in Brain Science (CIBS). She is a doctor of bioinformatics and bioengineering from the University of Pavia, Italy.

Sairam Parthasarathy

Professor, Medicine
Division Chief, Pulmonary / Allergy - Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Professor, Clinical Translational Sciences
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
(520) 626-8309

Work Summary

Dr. Parthasarathy has expertise in noninvasive home ventilation for sleep-related breathing disorders and invasive ventilation in critically ill patients. His major areas of focus have been in promoting adherence to nonivasive ventilation devices in the home setting and patient-ventilator interaction during critical illness. He serves as Chief of Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine at COM-T and as a Special Advisor to NH/NHLBI.

Research Interest

Dr Parthasarathy has a broad background in translational and clinical-translational research that is focused on the following areas as PI or co-investigator: (a) sleep disturbances and the relationship to inflammation and patient-outcomes in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation and (b) health-services research with emphasis on patient-centered approaches and dissemination and implementation aspects of interventions for sleep apnea. He continues to receive extramural funding as PI or Co-investigator from NIH, PCORI, Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) portfolio of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, American Lung Association, as well as funds from industry and private foundations which have enabled him to make contributions to sleep and critical care research.

David A Baltrus

Associate Professor, Plant Sciences
Associate Professor, Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Associate Professor, BIO5 Institute
Member of the General Faculty
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
(520) 626-8215

Work Summary

We are interested in understanding the genetic basis for bacterial interactions with other organisms (be they plants, insects, fungi, other bacteria), and on how evolution shapes these interactions. By better understanding the rules and molecules that structure such relationships, we hope to develop new ways to manipulate these interactions (e.g. through the development of specific antimicrobial compounds) or shape their evolutionary dynamics through time.

Research Interest

David Baltrus (PhD) is broadly interested in understanding how bacterial evolution is shaped by interactions with other organisms. Questions investigated by the Baltrus lab range from asking how evolutionary events such as the transfer of genes between microbes affects the development of antibiotic resistance to testing how microbiomes impact the development and physiology of plants and animals. The lab approaches these questions by using a variety of existing tools, from screening for mutants using "toothpicks and agar plates" to experimental evolution to comparative genomics. However, Dr. Baltrus is also highly interested in developing new tools that enable sequencing and tracking of bacterial populations and communities of interest (like potential pathogens) in real time under natural conditions.

Elizabeth B Hutchinson

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Assistant Professor, BIO5 Institute
Primary Department
Department Affiliations

Research Interest

Elizabeth Hutchinson, PhD joined the University of Arizona department of biomedical engineering in 2019 as an assistant professor in the focus area of biomedical imaging. Her educational background and research interests span both imaging science and neuroscience with the goal of using advanced imaging approaches to develop and understand novel imaging markers of brain changes in neurologic disorders – particularly in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Her research combines human-similar pre-clinical models with cutting edge MRI methodology in order to advance translational neuroimaging tools for the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders.

Richard Simpson

Associate Professor, Nutritional Sciences
Associate Professor, Immunobiology
Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Associate Professor, Cancer Biology - GIDP
Associate Professor, Physiological Sciences - GIDP
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
(520) 621-3096

Research Interest

I am an Associate Professor in the department of Nutritional Sciences (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences) at the University of Arizona and hold joint appointments in Pediatrics (College of Medicine) and Immunobiology (College of Medicine). I am also part of the mentoring team for the Physiological Sciences and Cancer Biology Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs, which recruit students who are continuing in education. My research interests are concerned with the effects of aging, stress and exercise on the immune system, and the role of adrenergic receptor signaling on immune cell redistribution and activation. Major focus areas include understanding (1) how exercise and other behavioral interventions can offset age-related decrements in the normal functioning of the immune system (immunosenescence), (2) how adrenergic receptor signaling can be used to improve cellular products for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and immunotherapy, (3) the interplay between the immune and neuroendocrine system during high level human performance and extreme isolation (i.e. space travel), and (3) how persistent virus infections such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) can alter the phenotype and function of T-cells and NK-cells to protect the host from certain hematological malignancies. My current research is supported by NASA, the NIH (National Cancer Institute) and industry. I am a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and an honorary board member of the International Society of Exercise Immunology (ISEI). I am an active member of the Pychoneuroimmunology Research Society (PNIRS) and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) and sit on the editorial board of the following scientific journals: Brain, Behavior and Immunity; Exercise Immunology Reviews (Associate Editor); Immunity and Ageing; American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

Justin Wilson

Assistant Professor, Immunobiology
Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology - GIDP
Assistant Professor, BIO5 Institute
Member of the General Faculty
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
(520) 626-7622

Research Interest

The innate immune system has a large repertoire of receptors/sensors that respond to microbial components and host “danger signals” in order to regulate inflammation and immune responses. The dysregulation of many of these sensors has been linked to chronic inflammatory disorders (e.g., inflammatory bowel diseases) and multiple types of cancer. My group’s research focuses on how the dynamic relationship between the intestinal microbiota and these innate immune sensors regulate the cell signaling events driving chronic inflammation and cancer development. We seek to treat these diseases through the manipulation of intestinal microbial ecology and redirection of immune activation.

Nancy C Horton

Professor
Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry - Med
Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry-Sci
Professor, Genetics - GIDP
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Professor, BIO5 Institute
Primary Department
Contact
(520) 626-3828

Work Summary

The Horton lab uses biophysical, biochemical, and molecular biology to study protein-DNA interactions and filament formation by enzymes. Current projects include the investigation of mechanisms of disease caused by the Human Parvovirus B19, and advantages of filament formation by enzymes such as the sequence specific DNA endonuclease SgrAI, and the important metabolic enzyme PFK.

Research Interest

The Horton lab uses a variety of biochemical and biophysical methods to investigate DNA binding proteins. Recent projects include the discovery of a novel mechanism of regulation of enzyme activity using filamentation. Filamentation, or self-association into polymers of varied lengths, by enzymes has only recently been appreciated as a widespread phenomenon, although the purpose of filamentation is not known in most cases. We discovered this phenomenon in 2010 in a sequence specific endonuclease, SgrAI, and have now determined its high resolution structure via cryo-electron microscopy. We have also performed a full kinetic analysis showing that filamentation greatly expedites the activation of the enzyme, and also allows for the sequestration of enzyme activity onto only a subset of available substrates. The other major project in the lab concerns the triggering of autoimmune diseases in genetically susceptible individuals. We study proteins from the human parvovirus B19, a virus which often precedes the development of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune hepatitis, and lupus. We study how these proteins interact with cellular components to modulate the immune system into loss of self-tolerance.

Jennifer H Stern

Assistant Professor, Medicine
Assistant Professor, Physiology
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Assistant Professor, BIO5 Institute
Primary Department
Department Affiliations
Contact
(520) 626-5842

Research Interest

Stern lab research aims to understand the role of glucagon signaling in the pathogenesis of obesity, type II diabetes mellitus, and aging. Glucagon Signaling in Obesity and Type II Diabetes: Insulin resistance and elevated insulin are key to the metabolic disturbances in type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Yet, elevated glucagon, common to diabetes, may be equally important in the metabolic abnormalities in T2DM. Dr. Stern has shown that nutritional state differentially affects glucagon secretion in obesity. In turn, the glucagon:insulin ratio is dysregulated in obesity. Current Stern lab research aims to understand the metabolic consequences of a dysregulated glucagon response to fasting and re-feeding. Glucagon Signaling and Aging: More than 25% of the U.S. population greater than 65 years old has Type II diabetes mellitus, representing the highest prevalence of diabetes of any age group. Most research aimed at understanding the consequences of obesity in aging have focused on insulin and downstream signaling cascades, overlooking a potential role for glucagon. Given that many prominent diabetes treatments target glucagon or glucagon signaling pathways, it is essential to understand the role of glucagon in aging. Stern lab research examines 1) the tissue specific effects of glucagon signaling, 2) the role of glucagon signaling in obesity-accelerated aging, and 3) the role of glucagon signaling in healthspan extension promoted by calorie restriction. This work will close a significant gap in our understanding of how glucagon alters aging, while allowing us to assess the potential risks associated with inhibition of glucagon signaling. Other Stern Lab Research Foci: Sleep disturbance and metabolic dysfunction Obesity related cancer development and progression

Jianqin Lu

Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Assistant Professor, BIO5 Institute
Primary Department
Contact
(520) 626-1786

Research Interest

Jianqin Lu, B.Pharm., PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Pharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, College of Pharmacy. The overarching goal of the Lu lab is to apply synthetic chemistry, nanoparticle engineering, and tumor immunology to develop efficacious nanotherapeutics to address the pressing unmet needs in current cancer therapy. Dr. Lu’s graduate research focused on developing functional nanocarriers for synergistic tumor targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics for improved anticancer efficacy and reduced side effects for treating breast, prostate, and cervical tumors. During his postdoctoral training, Dr. Lu developed a nano-enabled cancer immuno-therapeutics platform via instigating the immunogenic cell death (ICD) and inhibiting the immunosuppressive IDO metabolic immune checkpoint. Dr. Lu was the recipient of the Norman R. and Priscilla A. Farnsworth Award at University of Pittsburgh, and USHHS Ruth L. Kirschstein Institutional National Research Service Award in Tumor Immunology among others. Dr. Lu has published 26 research articles, 1 book chapter, and 4 patent applications as well as been the invited speaker in the prestigious 41st Controlled Released Society Annual Meeting & Exposition. Dr. Lu received a PhD degree in Pharmaceutics from University of Pittsburgh (2014), and completed Postdoctoral training at Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago (2015), and in Nanomedicine/Tumor Immunology at California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA (2019), respectively. Lu Lab website: https://caoabgail.wixsite.com/jianqinlu

Edward John Bedrick

Professor, Public Health
Associate Director, Statistical Consulting
Professor, Statistics-GIDP
Professor, BIO5 Institute
Member of the General Faculty
Member of the Graduate Faculty
Primary Department
Contact
(520) 000-0000

Research Interest

I have a long-standing interest and experience in interdisciplinary research, including collaborations with basic scientists and clinicians from a variety of disciplines including biology, anthropology, psychiatry, oncology, pediatrics, and veterinary medicine. I am particularly interested in working on challenging methodological issues that arise in the statistical design and analysis of scientific studies. A formal affiliation with BIO5 would allow me additional opportunities to connect with the talented BIO5 researchers.