Research

Research Spotlight: Rodriguez-Oquendo Advancing Precision Medicine

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Christine Kaminski

By: Jessica McBride

Dr. Annabelle Rodriguez-Oquendo, professor of cell biology and the Linda and David Roth Chair of Cardiovascular Research, has made important advances in her research since her arrival at UConn Health two years ago, in support of the University’s mission to further scientific understanding of human disease and develop precision medicine for better patient care.

Rodriguez-Oquendo, an endocrinology specialist, came to the University of Connecticut from Johns Hopkins in September of 2012 because of the commitment by both the State of Connecticut and UConn to the biosciences and genetic research, the opportunity to collaborate with world-class scientists at UConn and The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, and UConn Health’s large and successful fertility clinic.

Since arriving at UConn Health, Rodriguez-Oquendo has received attention for important discoveries regarding a study she led, which was published in the May 20 issue of PLOS ONE. This study, in which Rodriguez-Oquendo and her team charted the genotypes of participants and tracked episodes of heart disease over a period of seven years, concluded that a common mutation in a gene (SCARB1) that regulates cholesterol levels may raise the risk of heart disease in carriers. Now that UConn researchers know the connection between the mutation in SCARB1 and heart disease, their work will focus on determining a way to fix it.

Rodriguez-Oquendo has also brought her experience and expertise in technology commercialization to UConn Health, with the move of her startup, Lipid Genomics, into the UConn Technology Incubation Program (TIP) in June 2015. Lipid Genomics is developing its FDA-approved investigational drug targeted at people with variations in the HDL (“good cholesterol”) SCARB1 gene. More than 117 million people in the US could benefit from this drug. The market value for this therapeutic is $2.8 billion and for the company’s second product, a novel immune checkpoint inhibitor known as lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), the market value is $1.4 billion, totaling a potential $4.2 billion addressable market for Lipid Genomics.

Most recently, Rodriguez-Oquendo has edited an important, comprehensive textbook on precision medicine: Translational Cardiometabolic Genomic Medicine. Currently available for pre-order with anticipated release in October 2015, this work is an important resource to postgraduate (medical, dental, and graduate) students, postdoctoral fellows, basic scientists, and physician scientists seeking to understand and expand their knowledge base in the field of genomic medicine as it is applied to cardiometabolic diseases. It encompasses a range of topics that highlight bioinformatic approaches to better understanding functionality of the noncoding regions of the human genome to the use of molecular diagnostic testing in predicting increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Where applicable, the text also includes chapters related to therapeutic options specifically aligned to molecular targets.

UConn’s Office of the Vice President for Research commends Rodriguez-Oquendo on these recent accomplishments, all of which work to further advance Connecticut and UConn’s commitment to the biosciences, genetic research, and precision medicine.

Read more about Rodriguez-Oquendo’s research in UConn Today. Information about Rodriguez-Oquendo’s textbook is available at the Elsevier Store.

UConn Health Celebrates 25 Years of ADA

Posted on July 27, 2015August 27, 2015 by Chris DeFrancesco

To Dr. Alexia Antczak-Bouckoms, who graduated from the UConn School of Dental Medicine in 1979, the letters “ADA” always stood for American Dental Association.

That was until 1996, when she was injured in accident that has confined her to a wheelchair. Since then, ADA has had a second meaning.

The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush July 26, 1990. Friday the UConn Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities held a celebration to commemorate that milestone in American civil rights.

Antczak-Bouckoms, who’s now on the UConn dental faculty, was among the dozens of advocates for the disabled who were on hand to acknowledge the difference the ADA has made over the last 25 years.

“I think it’s done a wonderful job,” Antczak-Bouckoms says. “I think we need to think about ADA-plus, how we can make it better, and build on the strengths of it, make people’s ability to participate in society more seamless.”

Cathy Ludlum, a writer and disability advocate who lives independently with a disability, remembers what life was like before the ADA, including being carried in and out of buildings, cars and planes.

Bruder-Ludlum — UCEDD Director Mary Beth Bruder and Cathy Ludlum, advocate for the disabled, discuss the Americans with Disabilities Act at a ceremony for the 25th anniversary of the ADA’s signing. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)

“I don’t think anything was accessible. Even if there were buildings without stairs, the doors were too narrow,” Ludlum says. “Accessible transportation was unheard of. It may not be perfect yet, but in those days it was nonexistent. Nobody had a wheelchair-accessible van, and certainly there were no accessible buses or taxis.”

Ludlum recalls not being able to attend her local elementary school because it wasn’t accessible, and how she was told by a prospective employer that a simple accommodation couldn’t be made for her.

“The ADA is as much for people who do not have disabilities as it is for those with disabilities,” says UCEDD Director Mary Beth Bruder. “We all benefit when our government reinforces our equal rights under law. Most importantly, we all benefit when we are able to live and learn and become friends with those who have disabilities who are now able to be full members of the communities in which they live, in part because of the ADA.” The human race has a range of people with strengths and gifts and challenges and we should recognize and celebrate our diversity as we help each other through life. It’s just a perspective, but I believe the ADA enriches all of us and reinforces our collective responsibility to our human race.”

McGaughey, Elling — Professor Emeritus Ray Elling (right), founding member of the UConn School of Medicine faculty, and disability policy specialist Jim McGaughey, are among the advocates for the disabled who spoke at the Americans with Disabilities Act 25th anniversary celebration at UConn Health. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health)

Also present was Professor Emeritus Ray Elling, a founding member of the UConn School of Medicine faculty, who has led efforts to fund a requirement that all federally funded buildings be built with automatic doors. He says it appears to be gaining support in Congress.

“We’ve got a lot to do,” Elling says. “Let’s get the doors open for everyone, and let’s do it now.”

As for Antczak-Bouckoms, she teaches second-year medical and dental students about caring for and relating to patients with disabilities.

She’s also getting ready to roll in her third New York City Marathon this fall.

“That’s been a spiritual experience, going through the five boroughs without a roof over your head to raise money for spinal cord research, it’s just amazing,” Antczak-Bouckoms says.

She’s also completed the Hartford Half Marathon six times.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal Visits UConn Health

Posted on July 1, 2015August 27, 2015 by Christine Kaminski

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal speaking to Anne Diamond Chief Executive Officer, John Dempsey Hospital, and Dr. Pramod Srivastava during his recent visit to UConn Health. — U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal speaking to Anne Diamond,
Chief Executive Officer, John Dempsey Hospital, and Dr. Pramod Srivastava during his recent visit to UConn Health. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health photo)

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal recently met with UConn Health officials to discuss the important role data registries will play in the future of health care in Connecticut and across the country. All health care stakeholders, organizations, providers, insurers, and patients, have questions related to the medical care they are receiving or providing. The answers to these questions should be accessible in registries providing patients the data they need to make informed health care decisions and allowing health care organizations to report and benchmark their quality measures against other providers.

“Beyond participation in national data registries, it will be the changes in clinical practice, based on the rigorous data analysis that will define meaningful improvements in health care delivery. The commitment to total outcome transparency will be anxiety provoking at first but, in the end, it will be the ‘quality tide’ that raises all boats: improved patient outcomes, optimal practitioner performance, and value-added, highest quality care that third party payers will demand,” says Dr. Stephen Lahey, chief of cardiothoracic surgery, and vice chair of quality improvement at UConn Health.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal with L to R: Dr. Pramod Srivastava, Blumenthal, Anne Diamond, and Dr. Stephen Laheh — Dr. Pramod Srivastava with U.S. Sen. Blumenthal, Anne Diamond, and Dr. Stephen Lahey. (Janine Gelineau/UConn Health photo)

During his visit, Blumenthal also toured the research lab of Dr. Pramod Srivastava, professor of immunology and medicine and director of the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center. Blumenthal learned about Srivastava’s recently approved FDA genomics-driven clinical study for patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer, in which personalized cancer vaccines will be developed for each patient.

State Grant for UConn TIP Startup

Posted on June 26, 2015October 3, 2016 by Chris DeFrancesco

A personalized medicine startup in UConn’s Technology Incubation Program (TIP) will receive a $750,000 grant from Connecticut Innovations (CI).

Wa Xian (Sarah Crisp of LymeGreen.com for UConn Health)

Frank McKeon (Sarah Crisp of LymeGreen.com for UConn Health) — Frank McKeon. (Sarah Crisp of LymeGreen.com for UConn Health)

MultiClonal Therapeutics Inc. (MCT) was founded by Frank McKeon and Wa Xian, who formerly held joint faculty positions at UConn Health and the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine. The award, from CI’s Regenerative Medicine Research Fund, will go toward MCT’s efforts to develop personalized therapies for chronic lung diseases.

“The TIP location allows our team to continue its important scientific work in Connecticut, and to collaborate with leading physicians and researchers as we apply our learning and technology to create new personalized therapies,” Xian says. “MCT’s UConn Health location [at the Cell and Genome Sciences Building] will bolster its success by providing resources to support both our business and R&D needs.”

Xian and McKeon will work with Dr. Mark Metersky, pulmonologist who directs the UConn Center for Bronchiectasis Care, and immunology researcher Laura Haynes in the UConn Center on Aging to translate their technology for therapeutic uses.

“We are pleased to support the exciting work of the MCT team,” says Margaret Cartiera, Director of BioInnovation Connecticut at CI. “This was a highly competitive process and our peer reviewers and the advisory committee agreed that this project demonstrated the characteristics of clinical promise and innovation that we look for in an applicant. We look forward to hearing more about MCT’s developments in the future.”

An article recently published in the journal Nature describes technology that for the first time captures the stem cells of medically important tissues such as the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, liver and kidney, opening the possibility for their use in regenerative medicine for chronic diseases. UConn Health faculty members who contributed to the research include Dr. Tom Devers, gastroenterologist and site director for the UConn School of Medicine’s Gastroenterology-Hepatology Fellowship Program, and Dr. Jeffrey Hyams, UConn School of Medicine professor of pediatrics.

Nature published an article from the same group, on a potential lung regeneration mechanism, last November.

The Cell and Genome Sciences Building in winter, 400 Farmington Ave., is home to UConn's Technlogy Incubation Program,. (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health Photo) — The Cell and Genome Sciences Building, 400 Farmington Ave., is home to UConn’s Technlogy Incubation Program,. (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health Photo)

“In the few years since McKeon and Xian arrived in Connecticut, they have formed many deep collaborations with UConn faculty and are creating novel health care solutions in critical areas of need that will be developed and applied here in Connecticut,” says UConn Vice President for Research Jeff Seemann. “We praise them for both their leading-edge technology as well as their entrepreneurial interests. This is exactly what was anticipated when the Bioscience Connecticut initiative was enacted by Governor Malloy and the state legislature.”

Quotations and other information are from a news release from Fierce Medical Devices.

Northeastern Glenn Symposium Attracts Top Researchers

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Carolyn Pennington

From left, Drs. Stephen Helfand and Nicola Neretti from Brown University and Blanka Rogina from UConn Health at the Glenn Symposium on May 27. — From left, Drs. Stephen Helfand and Nicola Neretti from Brown University and UConn Health’s Blanka Rogina.

The first Northeastern Glenn Symposium on the Biology of Aging was held at UConn Health’s Cell and Genome Sciences building on May 27. The symposium was sponsored by the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, which sponsors research in the biological mechanism of aging. Colleagues from Brown, the Einstein College of Medicine, Harvard, MIT, Quinnipiac, UConn and Yale met for the one-day event to share the latest information about aging research.

The symposium was spearheaded by Mark Collins, the director of the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, and Dr. Nir Barzilai, the Ingeborg and Ira Leon Rennert Chair in Aging Research from the Einstein College of Medicine. Drs. Barzilai and Blanka Rogina, associate professor of genetics and genome sciences at UConn Health, organized the meeting.

Rogina said the interest in the symposium was remarkable and resulted in a packed program consisting of 19 oral presentations and 22 poster presentations. More than 130 scientists ranging from principal investigators to undergraduate students attended the event.

Dr. John Sedivy from Brown University moderating a session during the Glenn Symposium held at the Cell and Genome Sciences building at UConn Health. — Dr. John Sedivy from Brown University moderating a session during the Glenn Symposium held at the Cell and Genome Sciences building at UConn Health May 27, 2015.

“It was great to see such enthusiasm and so many labs attending and participating,” said Rogina, who hosted the meeting. “I was happy to see the leaders in aging research from the top universities in the Northeast attending the symposium. It was an exciting day with excellent presentations and a great success.”

The next symposium will be held at Yale University next May.

Robison Named GSA Fellow

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Carolyn Pennington

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) has awarded Fellow status to Julie Robison, Ph.D., associate professor in the UConn Center on Aging. The GSA is the world’s oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging.

The GSA fellowship is an acknowledgment of Robison’s outstanding and continuing work in the field of gerontology. She will be honored during the Society’s 68th Annual Scientific Meeting this November in Orlando, Fla.

CAM Student Award Winners

Posted on May 12, 2015October 27, 2016 by Carolyn Pennington

The Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling (CCAM) at UConn Health held its an annual award ceremony May 4 for winners of the 67th annual Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair.

CCAM members with students award winners from left, Michael Blinov, John Carson, Shangda Xu from Cheshire High School, Ann Cowan, Archeta Rajagopalan from Choate Rosemary Hall, Sofya Borinskaya, Leslie Loew, and Ion Moraru.

The fair, held at Quinnipiac University in March, is a statewide annual event that features 500 pre-selected scientific projects performed by middle and high school students independently or in research labs. The Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling established a CAM award for the best research in Cell Analysis and Modeling – integrating experimental and computational approaches to analysis of events within a cell.

Several CCAM members were judges at the CSF fair and selected two winners for the CAM award: Shangda Xu from Cheshire High School for the project on “Development of a Prescient Warning Model for Cholera Utilizing an Epdemiological Identification of Risk Factors,” and Archeta Rajagopalan from Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford for the project on “The Effect of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor on Retinoic Acid Differentiated SH-SY5Y Cells: A Model for Striatal-Enriched Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase in Parkinson’s Disease.”

The winners were invited to visit CCAM, presented with certificates and monetary awards, and were given a tour of our state-of-the art building, featuring microscopy and computational facilities. The CCAM Director Boehringer Ingelheim Chair in Cell Sciences Leslie Loew and CAM graduate Program Director Dr. John Carson talked about research opportunities at CCAM, and faculty members Ann Cowan, Michael Blinov, Ion Moraru and a graduate student Sofya Borinskaya led students on a tour through the facility.

OVPR Faculty Spotlight

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Carolyn Pennington

Announcement by the Office of the Vice President for Research:

Two UConn faculty members have developed research tools that the University recently licensed to EMD Millipore, a global Life Sciences tools and reagents supplier, announced the Office of the Vice President for Research.

Dr. Linda Shapiro, director of the Center for Vascular Biology and associate professor of cell biology at UConn Health, developed a monoclonal antibody that will be of value as a research reagent in the study of inflammation in response to injury. Her antibody, anti-Aminopeptidase N/CD13 Antibody, went through extensive in-house validation by EMD Millipore prior to antibody reagent going to market.

Dr. Angel L. de Blas, professor of physiology and neurobiology, developed two antibodies that have also been tested and launched as products by EMD Millipore. Dr. de Blas developed Anti-BIG2 Antibody, which can be used in Western blotting, immunocytochemistry, and immunoprecipitation to study cellular trafficking of membrane proteins, and he also developed Anti-Septin 11 Antibody, which can be used in Western blotting and immunohistochemistry to study the organization of the cytoskeleton in various cell types and dendritic branching in neurons.

While research tools may not command the same acclaim as blockbuster drugs, they can enable groundbreaking discoveries. These types of research accomplishments make very important contributions to scientific breakthroughs.

The work of Drs. Shapiro and de Blas brings recognition to the University, and offers the potential to benefit researchers at universities, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

Lessons on Career Choices and Science at the 2015 Physician-Scientist Career Development Colloquium

Posted on April 13, 2015April 30, 2018 by Carolyn Pennington

Finding your way through a career in science and medicine is a daunting challenge to physician-scientists at all stages of their careers. To help guide them in their journey, the UConn Office of Physician-Scientist Career Development (OPSCD) convenes an annual career development colloquium highlighted by a keynote address from a distinguished physician-scientist. The 2015 colloquium, which took place on March 25, featured a keynote address from Dr. Christine Seidman, Thomas W. Smith Professor of Medicine and Genetics at Harvard Medical School and current president of the Association of American Physicians. Describing her own journey through medicine and science, Seidman centered her address around an important driving force in her career: deriving inspiration and direction from the care of her patients.

For Seidman, that inspiration came early in her career. Captivated by the heart (as she described it, “what other organ system sings to you?”), Seidman focused her scientific energies on a great mystery of cardiology: the then-enigma of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Long recognized but poorly understood, HCM causes sudden, unexplained death, often in athletes in the prime of their lives. The mystery of this condition, and the myriad avenues of scientific inquiry it presented, were what launched her journey of scientific discovery. Despite the many advances medical science has made, Seidman reminded the audience, many such medical mysteries remain, and physician-scientists are ideally-placed to recognize and tackle them.

Describing her entry into this unknown area, Seidman extolled her audience to take risks in their own careers by seeking out new ideas, new techniques, and new collaborators. Indeed, this was the key factor that propelled her career forward. Even as a new investigator in the field of cardiology, she looked to literature beyond cardiac pathology, discovering the work of Joseph Martin and colleagues that led to the genetic basis of the neurological disorder Huntington’s disease. Seeking out her own new ideas and collaborators, Seidman collaborated with Bill McKenna and a Canadian colleague, Peter Pare, to evaluate the genetics of a Canadian pedigree of HCM patients. This work led to the discovery of a mutation in the myosin heavy chain gene on chromosome 14 and many subsequent mutations in other genes, providing the first genetic basis for this complex disease.

Even with all these successes, Seidman stressed the importance of continuing to dream and to dream big throughout your career. For her, the big dream is to take the genetic knowledge she has uncovered and use it to change the course of disease for those affected by HCM. For Seidman, the challenges and excitement never end, a sentiment shared by Dr. Andrew Arnold, director of the Office of Physician-Scientist Career Development. “The life of a physician-scientist is challenging, but the challenges and promises are what make the career so exciting” said Arnold. “Hosting distinguished physician-scientists like Dr. Seidman is an excellent way to inspire our trainees and junior faculty to dream big and aim high in their own careers.”

In addition to her keynote address, Seidman’s visit included dinner and small group conversations about science, life, and managing a physician-scientist career with students and faculty at UConn and the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine. These conversations were particularly impactful for the young women pursuing MD/PhD degrees at UConn including Emily Anstadt, a member of the organizing committee for Seidman’s visit. “It is truly inspiring to interact with someone like Dr. Seidman who has raised a family and simultaneously built such a fantastic career,” said Anstadt. “Both family and my career are important to me, and Dr. Seidman’s example renews my faith that I can have both.”

Planning for the next career-development colloquium is already underway, so stay tuned to the OPSCD website for announcements and updates.

2015 SPARK Program Winners Announced

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Carolyn Pennington

Dr. Jeff Seemann, UConn/ UConn Health Vice President for Research and Dr. Bruce Liang, Interim Dean of UConn School of Medicine and Director of the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center, are pleased to announce the recipients of UConn Health’s 2015 SPARK Grant Competition. These awards aim to help investigators move ideas into the earliest stages of commercialization and development.

The selection committee included UConn Health faculty and staff leaders, entrepreneurs and senior executives from top pharmaceutical, biotech and venture capital firms. The committee members were impressed by the science and innovation conveyed in all twelve presentations. A natural outcome of SPARK is the opportunity for participating researchers to connect with and learn from the members representing industry. We were very fortunate this year, as we have already had one of the companies represented on the committee express interest in a technology presented. The committee selected the following six awardees:

Dr. Robert Clark, “Development of a Blood Biomarker for Use in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis”

Dr. Robert Kelly, “Artificial Salivary Pump/Gland Concept”

Dr. Mark Metersky, “Novel Technologies for Cloning Cancer Cells Derived from Pleural Fluid for Diagnosis and Drug Discovery”

Dr. Kourosh Parham, “Inner ear protein prestin as a biomarker for ototoxicity”

Dr. Andrew Winokur, “A Phase I Study of the Biomarker Response and Pharmacokinetic Profile of Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone (TRH) Administered as a Sublingual Tablet”

Dr. George Wu, “Targeted Transplantation of Mitochondria to Liver Cells”

“The top notch research underway at UConn Health ensured that we were able to offer the judges a highly competitive pool of candidates,” said Dr. Seemann. “We are extremely grateful to have the input of the industry members who provided keen insight into the factors leading to translation of research, as is the long term intent of this program.”

The School of Medicine was pleased to support SPARK again this year, said Dr. Liang. “I commend all of the SPARK applicants for presenting a very compelling case for their proposals, and offer my thanks to the Office of the Vice President for Research for its outstanding management of the SPARK program, as well at its financial contributions.”