Physiology
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Physiology Department faculty members support original research in a number of scientific disciplines.
  
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 Introduction

 

The research interests of Physiology faculty members encompass a wide variety of topics and disciplines. Current projects are numerous and varied with faculty members participating both as primary investigators and as collaborative team members. The rich diversity of ongoing projects provides abundant educational opportunities for Physiology Graduate students, and for students enrolled in various mentoring programs in the basic sciences at East Carolina University.

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     Physiology Research Programs top

 
1		  

Dr. David Beckman		  
 
Faculty Web Page

Pulmonary Physiology, Respiratory Function
  Diaphragmatic hernia
Neurogenic pulmonary edema
Surfactants
Nitric oxide
ARDS

Major Techniques Employed
  Nitrofen model for diaphragmatic hernia
P-V curves
DNA, protein, surfactant phospholipid measurements
Nitric oxide analysis
Permeability coefficient determination
Oleic acid model of ARDS

Current Lab Personnel
  Marvin Whitehurst, Technical Staff

Present Funding
  NC Institute of Nutrition
Title: Efficacy of Vitamine Supplementation on Improving Outcome of Lung Hypoplasia Caused by Congential Diaphragmatic Hernia
Grant Period: July 2000 thru 2001

 		 

     Physiology Research Programs top

 
2		  

Dr. Kori L. Brewer		  
Physiology Web Page
Emergency Medicine Page

Neurophysiology
  Spinal Cord Injury/CNS trauma
Mechanisms of Chronic Pain Following Spinal Cord Injury
Somatosensory Plasticity
Neuroprotection

Major Techniques Employed
  Electrophysiology
In situ hybridization
Immunohistochemistry
RT-PCR
Histology
Behavioral testing

Current Lab Personnel
  Jennifer Hines, Graduate Student

 		 

     Physiology Research Programs top

 
3		  

Dr. Robert G. Carroll		  
 
Faculty Web Page

Cardiovascular Physiology, Shock
  Cardiovascular Disease
Hemorrhage
Resuscitation
Temperature Regulation
Hypoxia

Major Techniques Employed
  Chronic Indwelling Vascular Catheters
Temperature Telemetry
Computerized Data Acquisition
Aseptic Surgical Methods

Current Lab Personnel
  Justin Brown, Graduate Student
Marvin Whitehurst, Technical Staff

 		 

     Physiology Research Programs top

 
4		  

Dr. Laxmansa C. Katwa		  
Faculty Web Page
Cardiovascular Page
Position Available

Cardiovascular Physiology and Molecular Biology
  Cardiovascular Disease
Molecular Cardiology
Structural Remodeling in Heart and Lung Disease
Molecular Signaling in Heart Failure & Hypertensive heart disease
Diabetes
Angiogenesis
Apoptosis

Major Techniques Employed
  Tissue Culture, Western Blot, Zymography, Northern Blot, ELISA
Receptor-Radioligand binding Assays
Recombinant DNA, Nuclear Runoff assays
RT-PCR, Real-Time PCR
Epiflourescence microscopy, Fluorescent microassays, Spectrophotometry

Current Lab Personnel
  Devi Nair, Post Doc.
Vishnu Chintalagattu, Post Doc.
Eric Moore, Technical Staff
LaSean Bost, M1 Summer Research Program
Michael Rosenberg, Summer Venture Program (High School Student)

Present Funding
  NIH R01 (Principle Investigator)
Title: Endothelin Induced Cardiac Collagen Expression
Grant Period: July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2003
Description: Click here for a description of the grant

NIH R01 (Co-Investigator)
Title: Excerise, Diabetes, Smooth Muscle Ca++
Grant Period: April 1, 1999 to March 31, 2003


 		 

     Physiology Research Programs top

 
5		  

Dr. Edward Lieberman		  
Faculty Web Page
EML Research Lab
ECU Neuroscience
Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
  The phyiological basis for axon-to-glia signaling
Perineural potassium ion homeostasis
Metabolic properties of nerves and glia
Regulation of electrogenic ion transport
Ultrastructural relationship between axons and glia

Major Techniques Employed
  Quantitative Electrophysiology
HPLC
Isotopic ion and substrate flux
Immunocytochemistry-electron microscopy

Current Lab Personnel
  Dr. Albert Urazaev, Visiting Professor
Dr. Boris Gafurov, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Robert Jones, Laboratory Technician

Present Funding
  NIH (Principle Investigator)
Title: Properties of axon-to-glia glutamate signaling
Grant Period: thru March, 2001

Guilford Pharaceuticals Inc.
Title: Role of N-acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) in axon-to-glia signaling
Grant Period: Indefinite

 

     Physiology Research Programs top

 
6		  

Dr. Robert R. Lust		  
     Faculty Web Page
     Cardiovascular Page

Cardiovascular Physiology
  Heart research
Function of heart and coronary arteries
Medical and surgical strategies for heart disease and experimental validation
Bypass graft disease
Heart valve function

Major Techniques Employed
  Western Blots / Northern Blots
DNA / RNA / Protein isolations
Surgical models of myocardial ischemia and heart failure
Tissue staining - TTC
Immunohistochemistry

Current Lab Personnel
  David Murray, Graduate Student
Steve Simandle, Graduate student
Elena Pac, Technical Staff

 		 

     Physiology Research Programs top

 
7		  

Dr. Alexander K. Murashov		  
  Faculty Web Page
  Research Lab Page
  Position Available

Stem Cells and Regeneration in the Nervous System
  Regulation of Stem Cells Differentiation
Embryonic Stem (ES) Cells in Therapy of :
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Huntington's Disease
Neuroprotective and regenerative action of estrogens in neural disorders
Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) in treatment of :
• Peripheral Nerve Injuries
• Parkinson’s Disease
Major Techniques Employed
 

Stem Cell Culture
 DNA Arrays,
siRNA
Real-Time RT-PCR
Neurosurgery
Retrograde Tracing
Immunohistochemistry
Immunofluorescence
Confocal Microscopy
Current Lab Personnel
  Dr. Rustem Islamov, Research Associate,
 Elena Pak, Technician
 Roger McMurray, MS Student
Wesley Hendricks, MS Student
Paulina Sierpinski, Student
Lisa Tatko, Student
Present Funding
  Department of the Navy
Title: Neural Signaling Activated by Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines Following Trauma
Grant Period: November 1, 2000 to October 31, 2003

North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Title: Development of a Graduate Course in Physiological Proteogenomics
Grant Period: February 1, 2003 to January 31, 2004

NIH- NICHD
Title: Raloxifene Modulation in Rehabilitation
Grant Period: July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2006 (pending)

NSF
Title: The Role of Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Axonal Growth
Grant Period: September 1, 2003 to August 30, 2006 (pending)
 

     Physiology Research Programs top

 
8		  

Dr. Edward R. Seidel		  
  
   Faculty Web Page

Cellular Proliferation and Cancer
  Regulation of the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase
Function of polyamines in cellular proliferation
Polyamine transport proteins in gastrointestinal absorption of diet
Gene expression in tissues of the gut
Differential gene expression in oncogenesis
Translational control of oncogene expression
Intestinal function during aging
Intracellular signaling

Major Techniques Employed
  Recombinant protein expression
Tissue Culture
Western Blot
DNA mircorarrays
RT-PCR
Gel electrophoresis for RNA and protein identification
DNA sequencing
Measurement of proliferation in cells in culture and in whole animals

Current Lab Personnel
  Joseph Christian, Graduate Student
Jessica Gaskey, Graduate Student
Vernon Ragan, Technical Staff

Present Funding
  NIH AG19384
Title:  Regulation of gastrointestinal absorption by antizyme.
Grant Period: 6/01 to 6/02 (pending)

United States Army
Title:  Identification of genes involved in ovarian cancer.
Grant Period: 6/01 to 6/04 (pending)

North Carolina Institute on Aging
Title:  Absorption of dietary protein during aging.
Grant Period: 01/01 to 09/01 (pending)

 		 

     Physiology Research Programs top

 
9		  

Dr. Jan K. Teller		  
  
   Faculty Web Page

Molecular Neuroscience, Alzheimer’s Disease
  Biochemistry of amyloid ß peptides
Protein-protein interactions

Major Techniques Employed
  Chromatography
Electrophoresis
Immunotechniques
Spectrophotometry
Spectrofluorimetry
Biosensing
Mass spectrometry
Recombinant DNA/protein techniques

Current Lab Personnel
  Dr. Vladimir Shuvaev, Research Associate
Ted Bales, Technical Staff

Present Funding
  NIH-NINDS
Title:  Molecular basis of brain amyloid peptide heterogeneity.
Grant Period: 1998 thru 2003

NIH-NIA
Title:  Candidate protein of the ß amyloid precursor complex.
Grant Period: 1999 thru 2000

 		 

     Physiology Research Programs top

 
10		  

Dr. Michael Van Scott		  
 
Faculty Web Page

Respiratory, Cell and Molecular Physiology
  Functions of Airway Epithelia
Mechanisms Underling Airway Hyperresponsiveness and Asthma
Animal Models of Airway Inflamation and Asthma

Major Techniques Employed
  Western Blot, Northern Blot, PCR
Immunofluorescence, Immunohistochemistry
In situ hybridization

Current Lab Personnel
  Yoshimi Shibata, Ph.D.
Cynthia Kukoly, M.S.
Jerry Hooker, M.S.
Pragna Mehta, Technical Staff

Present Funding
  Contract: EpiGenesis Pharmaceuticals,
"Respirable Antisense Oligonucleotides in the Treatment of Asthma"
M.R. Van Scott, P.I.
July 1, 2000 - 2003

NC Biotechnology Center, Collaborative Assistance Program,
"Antisense to GATA-3 in Allergic Airways Diseases"
M.R. Van Scott, P.I., P. Mehlhop, co-PI.
September 15, 1999 - September 14, 2000.

Pending:

NIH R01, "Chitin has Th1 adjuvant effects on mycobacterial antigen"
Y. Shibata, P.I., M.R. Van Scott, Co-PI @ 10% effort.
April 1, 2001 - March 31, 2005.

NIH R01, "Chitin-activated macrophages down-regulate Th2 responses"
Y. Shibata, P.I., C.J. Kovacs, co-I., M.R. Van Scott, co-I.
December 1, 2000 - November 30, 2004.

 


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