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Professor Gogonea Receives NIH Award
Dr. Valentin Gogonea, professor in the Chemistry Department, received an NIH sub-award from the Cleveland Clinic to direct the Mass Spectrometry and Biophysics Core. Dr. Gogonea will provide specialized services and assistance to three NIH projects as part of this award. Newly formed high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles (the "good cholesterol") mature and perform their role as effective cholesterol transporters through interactions with plasma enzymes and cell receptors in a process called reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). Since many steps in RCT involve the interaction of HDL with plasma enzyme and cell receptors, a detailed understanding of the interactions between HDL and proteins is extremely important. One state-of-the-art technique for identifying protein-lipoprotein interactions is hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, a method that allows the observation of interacting surfaces between proteins. In his prior studies, Dr. Gogonea applied this technology to study the changes of interaction surfaces in proteins in immature HDL. In this new grant, Dr. Gogonea is expanding on his previous research to investigate the role of dysfunctional HDL in cardiovascular disease. He is collaborating with Dr. Hazen and Dr. DiDonato at the Cleveland Clinic. Understanding RCT will help identify when and why HDL contributes to atherosclerosis. This CSU sub-award totals $545,625. The project began in May 2015 and is expected to conclude in April 2020.
Dr. Megan Hatch joined CSU in fall 2014 as an assistant professor in the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs. The overarching theme of Dr. Hatch's research is inequality, including questions of how domestic social policies are made, and the consequences of those policies. Dr. Hatch's research involves two types of policies: state-level redistribution and unsubsidized rental housing. She relies on interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks and econometric analysis tools. Dr. Hatch's research on state-level redistribution concerns state policy choices regarding taxes on the wealthy, tax credits to the poor, spending on the poor, and regulating the market. With her co-author, she found that inequality levels would have been significantly lower between 1980 and 2005 if states had adopted more redistributive policies. She is currently exploring the effects these policies have on overall population health and health disparities, as well as the impact of economic recessions on policymaker decisions to adopt more or less redistributive policies. The second policy area Dr. Hatch studies is the political context and consequences of landlord-tenant laws. While there are long-standing policies that govern and standardize the landlord-tenant relationship, there is still a lot that we do not know about these policies and their effects on renters. Her research agenda in this area focuses on three inter-related questions. (1) Do governments have distinctive approaches to landlord-tenant policies? (2) Why did states adopt the type of landlord-tenant laws that they adopted? (3) What effect do these laws (and their enforcement) have on renter and housing market outcomes?
Featured Researcher Video Series - Debbie Jackson
Research by Dr. Debbie Jackson is the focus of the latest installment of the Featured Researcher Video series. Dr. Jackson is an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education. Her research interests are in the areas of STEM education at the graduate, post baccalaureate, and undergraduate levels. We encourage you to learn more about Dr. Jackson's research, and to take a look at our previous Featured Researcher Videos.
Dr. Sailen Barik is a professor in the Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences (BGES) and the Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease (GRHD). Dr. Barik has dedicated most of his career to studying how viruses and other agents infect us. He is currently focusing his studies on two major agents. The first agent is respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV is a deadly lung pathogen that infects about 64 million humans annually. In the US, RSV causes 55,000 hospitalizations and 11,000 deaths each year. RSV produces two proteins that suppress our natural immunity. Dr. Barik's studies, funded by the NIH since 1994, have recently revealed that these two proteins target and destroy at least six human protein factors, all of which promote immunity. Most intriguingly, the two proteins work both singly and together to target the same set of human factors. The holy grail of this research is to find out how these viruses collaborate in such harmony, and then to determine how to cripple them. The second agent is Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. Generally transmitted through infected raw meat and domestic cats, toxoplasmosis causes brain damage, blindness, and miscarriage. The high potential of this parasite as a bioterrorism agent has been recognized by the US government, leading to its classification as a biodefense pathogen. Dr. Barik, who has made major contributions in the area of RNA interference (RNAi), has recently discovered the existence of a novel type of RNAi in toxoplasmosis, which is very different from the RNAi in humans. His goal is to exploit this difference to target parasitic RNAi while leaving human RNAi machinery untouched. Dr. Barik's current research assistants include three highly-talented Ph.D. students: Jayeeta Dhar, Michael Ribaudo, and M. A. G. Rabbani.
Innovation and Economic Prosperity University
The Office of Research and the Technology Transfer Office are undertaking a campus-wide initiative to obtain the prestigious APLU IEP Designation, which is currently held by 48 public universities. The "Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) University" designation is conferred on institutions that conduct honest self-assessment to recognize strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities as they advance economic engagement in their communities. The self-study should accelerate a culture change already taking place at our University. A stronger emphasis on the University's contributions to regional economic prosperity creates benefits to all aspects of its research and education mission, especially considering the University's growing commitment to research and scholarship, and the increasing national importance of research universities as resources for regional economic prosperity. A University-wide working group has been established with representation from each college and from key administrative offices to guide the assessment and shape the IEP application. The group will be augmented by external stakeholders whose work is central to the University's economic engagement efforts.
News from the Technology Transfer Office
Commercialization: CSU spin-off company LineStream Technologies, Inc., which has licensed several patents issued to Prof. Zhiqiang Gao, recently finalized a $1.5M commercialization partnership with global conglomerate Danfoss, Inc. Prof. Gao's motion control technology has applications in multiple fields, including motor control and factory automation. Danfoss provides state-of-the-art hardware across a broad range of applications, including motor drives, compressors, pumps, and industrial automation equipment. Small Business Funding: A local SBIR/STTR Program and Basic Proposal Preparation Workshop for the NIH, NSF, and DoD will be held September 29 at the Ohio Aerospace Institute. SBIR/STTR programs are the nation's largest source of early stage, high risk R&D funding for small businesses. Participants will learn how to participate and compete for funding that can enable small businesses to engage in federal R&D and to commercialize technological innovations.
Innovation Summit: Models of Innovation: Case Western Reserve University invites us to join them October 26-28 for three days of scholarship and collaboration focused on opportunities and challenges related to innovation. World-renowned presenters and panelists will offer insight and provide examples of innovative constructs and partnerships. Audience participation will be encouraged, and structured interaction will include "meet the market" and designer workshop opportunities. Hot-topic breakout sessions will focus on key market drivers that include additive manufacturing, consumer healthcare empowerment, and the internet of things. A novel view of innovation drivers that extend beyond technological progress will provide insight into cutting-edge approaches that are transforming capital markets, law, and higher education. For more information, click here.
11th Annual Midwest Carbohydrate and Glycobiology Symposium
The 11th Annual Midwest Carbohydrate and Glycobiology Symposium (MCGS), organized by Prof. Xue-Long Sun, will be held on October 23rd and 24th at Cleveland State University. The goal of the symposium is to bring together researchers interested in carbohydrate chemistry, biology and biomedical applications. This is a free symposium with over 100 attendees expected. The deadline for abstract submission and registration is October 19th. Detailed information can be found here.
Best Poster Prizes Awarded to Undergraduate Research Students
Best poster prizes were awarded to undergraduate research students who presented their work at the 2015 Undergraduate Research Poster Session on September 3rd. Students and faculty discussed research that was funded with a 2015 Undergraduate Summer Research Award. A total of 64 posters represented research in five of CSU's colleges. Mareem Ali (pictured top right) earned first place ($200 gift card) for her project "Novel regulation of the pro-apoptotic protein PUMA in response to hypoxia," which was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Crystal Weyman and PhD student Brianna Boslett.
Rafeeq Roberts (pictured on the left) and Danielle Davis earned second place ($150 gift card) for their project "Dance Artists' Creative Process and Vision: A Digital Archive," which was conducted under the supervision of Prof. Lynn Deering. Adam Maraschky earned third place ($100 gift card) for his research "Tuning the Size of Elastin-like Polypeptide Nanoparticles," which was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Nolan Holland. Many high-quality posters displayed impressive research and successful faculty-student collaborations. The Office of Research congratulates all of the students and their mentors, and encourages undergraduate and graduate students to be actively engaged in research. For more information on the 2015 Undergraduate Research Poster Session that took place on September 3rd, 2015, click here.
Drs. Goodell, Kosteas and Horvath are Dr. Joanne Goodell (COEHS), Dr. Vasilios Kosteas (CLASS) and Dr. Michael Horvath (COSHP), pictured from left to right below, represent the first team to win CSU's Multi-College Interdisciplinary Research Program (MIRP). MIRP funds broad and collaborative research activities that are interdisciplinary and that involve faculty from multiple colleges at CSU. The team proposes to investigate the individual and programmatic factors that lead to STEM teacher turnover. STEM teacher turnover results in high training costs for schools, reduced morale among teachers, and reduced learning among students. This project is unique because it integrates insights from economics (Dr. Kosteas), psychology (Dr. Horvath), and teacher education (Dr. Goodell). The MIRP award will allow the team to collect data to validate the reliability of their survey instruments, and will enable them to submit a strong proposal for external funding to the NSF.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is accepting applications for the 2016 Jefferson Science Fellowship Program. Initiated by the Secretary of State in 2003, this program engages the academic science, technology, engineering, and medical communities in the design and implementation of U.S. foreign policy. Jefferson Science Fellows spend one year at the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Agency for International Development in Washington, D.C. for an on-site assignment that may also involve extended stays at U.S. foreign embassies or missions. The fellowship is open to tenured academic scientists, engineers, and physicians from U.S. institutions of higher learning. Fellows must be U.S. citizens and will be required to obtain a security clearance. The deadline for 2016-2017 program year applications is November 2nd, 2015. To learn more about the Jefferson Science Fellowship and to apply, click here.
Write Winning Grant Proposals Seminar The Office of Research is sponsoring an all-day Write Winning Grant Proposals Seminar. Location: Fenn Tower Ballroom (third floor) Date/Time: Friday, November 6th, 2015, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Presenter: Dr. John Robertson, Assoc. Member of Grant Writers' Seminars & Workshops, LLC
This seminar will comprehensively address both practical and conceptual aspects that are important to writing competitive grant proposals. It will be primarily aimed at early career faculty, but all tenured or tenure-track faculty who want to improve their grant writing skills are welcome to attend. Each participant will receive an 80-page handout and a copy of The Grant Application Writer's Workbook, customized for either NSF or NIH proposals per each faculty member's preference. The seminar agenda will focus on NSF and NIH grant application processes, although it will also be applicable to other funding agencies. Coffee, light refreshments, and box lunches will be provided. Faculty interested in attending the seminar must obtain approval from his or her college/school dean prior to registering. Due to strong interest from the faculty, the registration limit has been increased from 25 to 30 participants. In case of cancellation the cost of participation will be charged to the college. For additional information please contact Dan Simon in the Office of the Vice President for Research at extension 5171 or at d.j.simon@csuohio.edu. The registration deadline is Friday, September 25. To register for the seminar please complete the online registration form. _____________________________________________________________________________ Please share with us important news or updates on your research, scholarly, or creative activities. Updates may be related to a paper that has been accepted for publication in a high-impact journal, a book you've just published, your work that will be exhibited at a prominent institution, or other updates you wish to share with our office. Send details to j.yard@csuohio.edu and d.j.simon@csuohio.edu. _____________________________________________________________________________
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© 2015 Office of Research - Cleveland State University |