The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant to Professor Oliver Monti of The University of Arizona and Professor Yonatan Dubi of Ben Gurion University for a project investigating the emergence of spin polarization at chiral interfaces. This research could lead to new ways of separating electrons without magnetic fields, which could have significant implications for quantum-based technologies.
- Professors Monti and Dubi will study the transmission of electrons through layers of chiral molecules to understand the chirality-induced spin selectivity effect.
- They will use sophisticated electron spectroscopies and scattering theory to characterize the transmission of electrons and isolate molecular and substrate parameters responsible for the effect.
- The project will provide research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and contribute to the development of a quantum-enabled STEM workforce.
- The overarching goal is to develop a quantitative microscopic understanding of the chirality-induced spin selectivity effect and its potential applications in quantum information sciences.
A prestigious grant has been awarded to Dr. Chen Chen from the College of Nursing for her research on dysmenorrhea, or menstrual pain. Dr. Chen, an accomplished nursing researcher and mentor, aims to understand individual differences in dysmenorrhea by studying the relationship between vaginal microbiota, inflammatory mediators, and metabolome. Here are the key aspects of her project:
- Dr. Chen will examine vaginal microbiota and their function to uncover mechanisms underlying individual differences in dysmenorrhea.
- She will recruit diverse girls and women to provide vaginal samples, blood samples, and questionnaire data.
- Using a multi-omics approach, she will examine vaginal microbial taxa, inflammatory mediators, and metabolites associated with individual differences in dysmenorrhea.
- The expected impact of this research includes suggesting new treatment options for dysmenorrhea, revealing vaginal microbiota and metabolites as potential biomarkers, and generating a rich resource for further research on dysmenorrhea and menstrual health.
Dr. Justin Wilson, Assistant Professor in Immunobiology, has been awarded a grant by the DPT of Health & Human Services to explore the role of the innate immune gene AIM2 in regulating intestinal stem cell differentiation into tuft cells during inflammation. The project aims to:
Identify the molecular and cellular processes by which AIM2 promotes intestinal tuft cell development and inflammatory signaling. This includes:
- Using tissue-specific animal models and intestinal epithelial organoids to study the contribution of AIM2 on specific intestinal epithelial populations;
- Using organoids expressing ligand-binding deficient mutants of AIM2 to test the molecular role of AIM2's innate sensing function on tuft cell development;
- Using animal models of intestinal inflammation to study the impact of AIM2 on tuft cell-dependent cytokine signaling and chronic inflammation.
This research could lead to the discovery of new ways to regulate immune responses in the gut to promote beneficial immunity, while resolving chronic inflammatory diseases, including IBD. This research seeks to better understanding the complex communication networks between microbes, epithelial barriers, and immune cells in the intestine.
A grant titled "Acculturative stress and pro-inflammatory markers among Mexican-Origin adults with NAFLD" has been awarded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Principal Investigators Dr. David O. Garcia, Associate Professor, and Dr. Adriana Maldonado, Assistant Professor, at the University of Arizona's Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, will lead the project. The study aims to:
• Investigate the relationship between acculturative stress and NAFLD severity among Mexican-Origin adults.
• Explore the connection between acculturative stress and pro-inflammatory markers among Mexican-Origin adults with NAFLD.
• Qualitatively assess the impact of acculturative stress on modifiable behaviors that drive inflammatory response and are central to NAFLD management.
Key aspects:
• The project focuses on Mexican-Origin adults with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in Southern Arizona.
• It investigates the relationship between acculturative stress and NAFLD severity, as well as the link between acculturative stress and pro-inflammatory markers.
• The study includes a qualitative component to understand the impact of acculturative stress on behaviors contributing to inflammatory response and NAFLD management.
A grant titled 'Computational Tools for Predicting and Understanding Knee Pain Spatial Patterns' has been awarded by NIH. Xiaoxiao Sun, Associate Professor at the University of Arizona, will lead this research project. The goal is to develop computational tools to accurately predict and interpret different types of knee pain patterns, focusing on early detection of structural abnormalities in knee MRIs.
Key Aspects:
- Addressing the need for accurate prediction and interpretability of knee pain patterns in Osteoarthritis
- Utilizing deep learning and statistical approaches for predicting incident localized or diffuse knee pain
- Characterizing the relationship between bone marrow lesions on MRIs and incident knee pain patterns
- Innovative approach to examining knee pain spatial patterns early in the disease course with a focus on interpretability.
Ashley Lowe, an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona College of Nursing, has been awarded a grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to enhance the adoption, fidelity, and effectiveness of the SAFE School Program in Arizona. The program, which allows schools to maintain a single albuterol inhaler for emergency use, has shown promise but faces implementation challenges, particularly in rural areas. The grant will explore three implementation strategies, including a toolkit, nurse coaching, and practice facilitation, to increase program adoption, maintenance, and student reach. Lowe's research aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for the cost-effective implementation of these strategies in other states with similar laws. The project aims to improve student health and safety by ensuring access to life-saving medications during school hours.
Key aspects of the grant:
* Exploring three implementation strategies for the SAFE School Program in Arizona
* Investigating the use of practice facilitation in a school-based stock albuterol program
* Providing evidence-based recommendations for cost-effective implementation strategies in other states
* Improving student health and safety by ensuring access to life-saving medications during school hours.
Marat Latypov, an assistant professor at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to study the impact of impurities on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of aluminum alloys. The project aims to advance understanding and design of recycled aluminum alloys that can maintain high mechanical performance, reducing the need for carbon-intensive primary aluminum production.
- The grant combines experiments, simulations, and machine learning to understand how impurities affect aluminum alloys' microstructure and damage behavior.
- The research will provide insights to minimize the use of primary aluminum and promote closed-loop recycling, benefiting both the environment and industry.
- The project also includes an educational program to promote computational literacy and attract applied mathematics students to the field of materials science.
- The findings of this project will not only apply to aluminum alloys but also to the design of other advanced structural materials like steels.
Dr. Ananya Mallik, a geoscientist from the University of Arizona, has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to investigate the amount of nitrogen in the continental crust. The project aims to determine how much nitrogen is stored in the continental crust and to better understand the nitrogen content of primitive arc magmas. This research could help scientists understand how nitrogen moves between the Earth's surface and interior.
Key aspects of the grant:
- The project will analyze samples from two locations in California and Arizona to determine the nitrogen abundance in the continental crust.
- Nitrogen partitioning experiments will be conducted between lower crustal cumulate minerals and arc melt to determine the nitrogen content of primitive arc magmas.
- A summer camp for high school students from Tucson Unified School District will be held to inspire interest in geosciences and promote workforce development.
- The research could help scientists understand the role of the continental crust in storing nitrogen and the nitrogen fluxes between different subduction zone reservoirs.
Dr. Jennifer Stern from the Medicine department has been awarded an NIH grant by the DPT of Health & Human Services to investigate the role of hepatic glucagon receptor signaling in healthspan and aging.
Key aspects of the project:
- Glucagon receptor deletion shortens lifespan in obese mice and extends lifespan in calorie-restricted mice.
- Glucagon activates AMPK and increases cAMP, both of which extend healthspan.
- The study will use genetic and pharmacological manipulation to increase glucagon receptor signaling.
- The research aims to identify a new therapeutic target to extend healthspan and potentially lifespan, using safe glucagon receptor agonists.
Dr. Jennifer Stern, a leading researcher in aging, metabolism, and diabetes in the Department of Medicine, has been awarded an NIH grant for the project 'Serum Markers of Glucagon Sensitivity in Calorie Restricted Humans'. The study focuses on the role of glucagon, the counter-regulatory hormone to insulin, in calorie restriction-induced improvements in aging.
Key aspects of the grant:
- The Stern lab has shown that glucagon signaling is essential for calorie restriction to extend both healthspan and lifespan in mice. This project will translate these findings to calorie restricted humans.
- Glucagon may affect aging by influencing key molecules such as AMPK, cAMP, FGF21, mTOR, and IGF-1.
- The study will study the effects of a 2-year calorie restriction intervention in CALERIE trial participants to measure fasted serum glucagon, GLP-1, and FGF21 concentrations and assess their relationships with markers of aging and markers of lipid and glucose homeostasis.
- Hypotheses include decreased serum glucagon, increased FGF21, and improved lipid homeostasis, insulin sensitivity in calorie-restricted individuals.
Under the guidance of Assistant Professor Ilayda Altuntas Nott, Art and Visual Culture Education students immersed themselves in a computational art-making, sensory-based learning experience — emphasizing the arts in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) practices.
https://art.arizona.edu/students-explore-steam-practices-in-artmachines-workshop/
A research grant has been awarded by the National Science Foundation to William Pauli from the School of Plant Sciences-Res. The project, 'IIBRP: VR-Bio-Talk', aims to develop a voice-controlled virtual reality platform for analyzing plant data. Key aspects include:
- Creating a life-like VR system for plant data analysis
- Developing AI algorithms for plant digital twins
- Building a voice-controlled VR user interface
- Bridging the gap between data analytics and domain expertise
- Enhancing accessibility for users with limited English proficiency and motor skills.
Barbara Mills, an anthropological archaeologist from the School of Anthropology, has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to investigate how people negotiate identities following migration through the study of corrugated ceramics in the Mogollon Region of the U.S. Southwest.
Key Aspects of the Grant:
* Barbara Mills and her team will examine how multicultural communities interacted and formed identities after a large migration by studying corrugated ceramics, or hand-built vessels with exposed coils.
* They will look at vessels and archives from six archaeological sites before and after the migration to identify communities of potters and understand how potters who migrated into new areas integrated (or not) into their new community.
* The project aims to contribute knowledge about how social dynamics were navigated in the past and provide insights for comparative case studies around the globe.
* The grant funds an undergraduate research assistant to gain experience in archaeological research by doing archival and museum collections work.
Dr. Scott Boitano from Physiology has been awarded a grant by the DPT of Health & Human Services for his research on asthma and protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2). The project focuses on developing new asthma treatments by controlling PAR2 signaling, which plays a role in allergic responses. Key aspects of the grant include:
1. Investigating the impact of PAR2 modulation on airway epithelial cells and sensory neurons in vitro and in pre-clinical asthma models.
2. Uncovering the mechanisms of PAR2 roles in allergic asthma and providing cellular targeting for the development of novel asthma drugs.
3. Demonstrating the potential of small molecule pharmacological control of PAR2 signaling as a novel strategy for asthma protection.
4. Utilizing a combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches to gain a better understanding of PAR2's role in allergic asthma and human validation for potential drug development.
A grant titled 'Factor XIIa is the Long-sought Activator of Circulating Renin in Heart Failure' has been awarded by the DPT of Health & Human Services. Dr. Inna Gladysheva from COM Phx Internal Medicine will lead the research. The project aims to understand how the protein Factor XIIa contributes to heart failure by activating renin, a key regulator of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.
- The study focuses on heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), a common and deadly condition.
- Researchers will investigate how Factor XIIa activates renin in the circulation, potentially leading to novel strategies to prevent HFrEF progression and death.
- The project combines enzymology, biomarker analysis, and heart failure modeling in vivo to explore the role of FXIIa in heart failure.
- The long-term goal is to discover new therapeutic strategies to block or prevent the progression of HFrEF.
Principal Investigator Chris Glembotski, from COM Phx Internal Medicine, has been awarded a grant from the DPT of Health & Human Services for his research project on 'Roles for Endoplasmic Reticulum Associated Degradation (ERAD) in Myocardial Proteostasis'. This project explores the importance of ERAD, a protein degradation process, in protecting the heart from damage during ischemia/reperfusion. Key aspects of the research include:
- Investigating the role of the antioxidant protein Vimp in ERAD and its effects on cardiac structure and function during ischemia/reperfusion.
- Examining the impact of Vimp knockdown on infarct size, remodeling, and molecular sensors of cardiac pathology.
- Dissecting the roles of Vimp's selenoprotein and ERAD-enabling domains in ERAD function using genetically engineered mice.
- Investigating how ERAD affects endogenous proteins in the heart using three complementary approaches.
Ananya Mallik, a geoscientist from the University of Arizona, has been awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation to study the fate of carbonate platforms that have been pushed into the Earth during subduction. The project aims to understand how much carbon is returned to the Earth's surface from volcanic outgassing and how much stays in the mantle. Mallik's team will analyze geochemical fingerprints of subducted marbles and volcanic products in the Carpathian region and conduct lab experiments to model what happens to the carbon in the Earth's mantle.
- The study will test whether subducted marbles are the source of volcanic rocks in the Carpathian region.
- Lab experiments will model the behavior of carbonate in the Earth's mantle and the possible formation of magma.
- The team will produce a mini documentary on carbon's journey from the Earth's surface to its interior and back, promoting it through social media and local organizations.
- The research will improve our understanding of carbon cycling between the Earth's surface and interior and its implications for the global carbon budget.
The Problem
Many women struggle with infertility, often due to issues with their ovaries. The ovaries contain follicles, which are crucial for producing eggs and hormones. Environmental chemical exposures can damage these follicles, potentially causing fertility problems.
Current Research Limitations
Most studies on ovarian toxicity have been done on experimental models, which are slow and costly. Computational approaches combining data from various relevant species to model ovarian toxicity in humans are lacking.
Proposed Solution
This grant creates a virtual consortium bringing together experts in mouse and nonhuman primate ovarian biology, toxicology, and computer modeling.
This team will:
1. Study how ovarian follicles behave normally and when exposed to chemicals (using phthalates as an example) in both mice and nonhuman primates.
2. Use these data to create computer models that can predict how human ovarian follicles might respond to various chemicals.
Expected Outcome
This research aims to develop better tools for understanding and predicting how environmental toxins affect female fertility in humans. By combining animal studies with computer modeling, the team hopes to create more accurate and useful ways to assess potential reproductive toxicants.
Renowned University of Arizona professor Don Falk has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to address the challenges of wildfires and climate change in the Southwest U.S. The project, 'Planning: FIRE-PLAN', focuses on creating a Fire-Climate Response Early Warning (F-CREW) network to identify vulnerable ecosystems and engage with affected communities.
Key aspects of the grant:
* Developing a framework to identify areas most susceptible to fire-mediated changes
* Collaborating with communities through workshops and site visits to create management protocols
* Clarifying the role of wildfire in determining structural change in Southwestern ecosystems
* Addressing fundamental questions about vulnerability to rapid ecological change and the impact of wildfire.
A prestigious grant titled 'An Open-label, Long-term, Safety and Efficacy Study' has been awarded by J&J Neuroscience (Janssen) to Dr. Jordan Karp, Professor and Chair for the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona. Dr. Karp, a renowned psychiatrist and professor, will lead the project, which focuses on investigating the effectiveness of aticaprant as an adjunctive therapy for adults with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and moderate-to-severe anhedonia, who have not responded well to current antidepressant therapy.
Key aspects of the grant:
1. The project, led by Dr. Jordan Karp, aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of aticaprant as an adjunctive therapy for adults with MDD and anhedonia.
2. Aticaprant will be tested against a placebo as an add-on treatment to an antidepressant.
3. The study targets participants who have not responded adequately to current antidepressant therapy with an SSRI or SNRI.
4. The grant is focused on improving depressive symptoms and advancing knowledge in mental health treatment.