Fourteen Ohio University students and faculty and staff members have received funding for their health and medical research from the John J. Kopchick Awards.
The program provided a total of $87,795 in grants and fellowships to advance research on topics such as obesity, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. The recipients were recognized during a ceremony Nov. 14 in Nelson Commons.
“These awards reflect the diversity of translational biomedical research conducted by our faculty and students and reinforce the significance of applying new knowledge to clinically relevant and unmet needs,” said Joseph Shields, vice president for research and creative activity and dean of the Graduate College.
The John J. Kopchick Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB)/Translational Biomedical Sciences (TBS) Faculty Support Fund, Research Fellowship Award and Undergraduate Student Support Fund were created as a result of a $2 million gift commitment from John Kopchick, Goll-Ohio Eminent Scholar and Distinguished Professor of Molecular Biology, and Char Kopchick, assistant dean of students at Ohio University.
In addition, the deans of the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, College of Arts and Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and College of Health Sciences and Professions, as well as the vice president for research and creative activity, are providing a total of $1.9 million in match support.
The John J. Kopchick Awards support undergraduate and graduate students and faculty affiliated with Ohio University’s Molecular and Cellular Biology program and Translational Biomedical Sciences program. Both programs take an interdisciplinary approach to solving complex research questions in the science and medical fields.
The 2015 award recipients are:
John J. Kopchick Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB)/Translational Biomedical Sciences (TBS) Faculty Support Fund
(up to $10,000 for MCB/TBS faculty for research activities and conference travel)
Recipients: Darlene Berryman, Erin Murphy, Ronan Carroll and Ed List
Project Title: “Analysis of individual gut microbiota variation leading to a reproducible model of microbiome quantitation”
Amount: $10,000
Recipient: Xiao Chen
Project Title: “Mechanism and anticancer efficacy studies of glucose transporter 1 inhibitors”
Amount: $6,795
John J. Kopchick Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB)/Translational Biomedical Sciences (TBS) Research Fellowship Award
(up to $10,000 for PhD and DO/PhD students in the MCB or TBS programs to support translational biomedical research, with an additional $5,000 for an off-campus internship).
Recipient: Alison Brittain
Faculty Mentor: John Kopchick
Project Title: “The role of podocyte growth hormone action in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease”
Amount: $10,000
Recipient: Ashley Patton
Faculty Mentors: Kelly McCall and Frank Schwartz
Project Title: “Development of novel small molecule inhibitors of inflammation to prevent high-fat diet induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease”
Amount: $15,000
Recipient: Debra Walter
Faculty Mentor: Karen Coschigano
Project Title: “Renal signatures of coxsackievirus infection and diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice”
Amount: $15,000
Recipient: Ian Ackers
Faculty Mentor: Ramiro Malgor
Project Title: “Non-canonical Wnt5a signaling: a potential therapeutic target in atherosclerosis”
Amount: $15,000
Recipient: Elizabeth Jensen
Faculty Mentor: Darlene Berryman
Project Title: “Analyzing the gut microbiome in growth hormone deficient mice and its possible implications in health”
Amount: $10,000
John J. Kopchick Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB)/Translational Biomedical Sciences (TBS) Undergraduate Student Support Fund
( up to $1,500 for undergraduate students working with MCB/TBS faculty and conducting translational medical research and scholarly activities)
Recipient: Caroline Wilson
Faculty Mentors: Kelly McCall, Doug Goetz
Project Title: “The efficacy of small molecule inhibitors of inflammation to prevent the development of high-fat, diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in primary hepatocytes isolated from C57BL/6J mice”
Amount: $1,500
Recipient: Jesse Kowalski
Faculty Mentor: Ed List
Project Title: “The effects of obesity and weight cycling on hepatic gene expression in mice”
Amount: $1,500
Recipient: Kimberly Kraus
Faculty Mentor: Robert Colvin
Project Title: “Optimization and utilization of hybrid culture between rat and fly primary neurons: a novel model for studying neurodegenerative diseases”
Amount: $1,500
Recipient: Emma Kessler
Faculty Mentor: Steve Bergmeier
Project Title: “Small molecule inhibitors of Glut-1 glucose transporter-induced apoptosis of cancel cells by inhibiting glucose uptake”
Amount: $1,500
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