Newly (Re-)Funded Grants

Alessandra d'Azzo, Ph.D.
Affiliated Professor of Anatomy & Neurobiology

GM1 as apoptotic signal in neurodegenerative GM1-gangliosidosis
Goals: To achieve in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the CNS pathogenesis in GM1-gangliosidosis, a catastrophic neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disease (LSD) caused by deficiency of beta-galactosidase (beta-gal).
R01 DK052025
$250,000
06/01/09 - 05/31/11
NIH/NIDDK

Edward Chaum, M.D., Ph.D.

Automated Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy by Content
Remote diagnosis and management of diabetic retinopathy in the primary care setting using computer-based methods.
$2.43M total
7/1/2009-6/30/2012
National Eye Institute, NIH, R-01 EY017065-05 (competitive renewal)
UT/ORNL collaboration

Melinda E.C. Fitzgerald, Ph.D.

Grant Number: 2T37MD001378-08
Mid-South Coalition for Minority Health International
$242,208 per year for 5 years. (1,211,040 total)
Budget Period: 07/01/2009 ˆ 11/30/2009 (adjusted to reset the grant award
to a better time of year)
Project Period: 09/30/2000 ˆ 11/30/2013
National Institutes of Health

Detlef Heck, Ph.D.

Coordination of respiratory and orofacial movements
The goal of this project is to investigate the coordination of respiratory and orofacial movements (like licking and whisking) in awake behaving mice. The study combines electrophysiological, behavioral and anatomical methods to investigate the neuronal mechanisms underlying this coordination.
$213,000
1R01NS060887-01A2
03/01/09 - 02/28/13 3.6 calendar
NIH, NINDS

Cerebellar modulation of frontal cortical function
PIs: Blaha, Goldowitz, Heck, Mittleman
This project investigates the communication between the cerebellum and the prefrontal cortex in normal mice and in mice with cerebellar neuropathologies similar to those observed in humans with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism.
$66,000
1R01NS063009-01A1
03/01/09 – 02/28/14 1.2 calendar
NIH/NIMH

[Scheduled to start in September]

Collaborative research: Cerebellar cortico-nuclear interaction: a combined in vivo experimental and modeling approach
PIs: Heck, Jaeger
The aim of this project is to investigate the interaction between the cerebellar cortex and the deep cerebellar nuclei in an awake mouse preparation and to use the data to develop a biologically realistic model of cerebellar cortico-nuclear interaction.
$159,800
09/01/09  – 08/31/14   1.2 calendar

Alessandro Iannaccone, M.D., M.S., F.A.B.D.A.

Auto-Antibodies as Serum Biomarkers for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
We hypothesize that auto-antibodies (Auto-Abs) are biomarkers relevant to ocular disease status, that they will be measurable in the serum of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and that they will be observed more often advanced AMD. To test this hypothesis, we propose to screen serum samples from AMD patients for the presence of auto-Abs directed against macula-specific retinal (Ret), retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and Bruch’s membrane/choroids complex (BM/Ch) homogenates generated from healthy human donors eyes, via immunoprecipitation and separation on 2D gels. We predict that sera from AMD patients will show higher frequency of auto-Abs than control subjects not only against Ret, but also and especially against RPE and/or BM/Ch antigens.
$275,000
08/01/09-07/30/11
NIH/NEI R21 EY-018416-01

Macular Pigment Optical Density:  Functional Correlates Before and After Augmentation by Dietary Zeaxanthin Supplementation (ZEA-STRESS)
Based on preliminary data that we gathered with a 20mg lutein supplement, we will begin conducting an open-label pilot study administering zeaxanthin daily supplements to 50-85 yo subjects to begin testing the hypothesis that macular pigment optical density (MPOD) has microanatomical and functional correlates in vivo cross-sectionally, and that MPOD augmentation by dietary supplementation with zeaxanthin, one of the main MPOD constituent, will be paralleled by measurable improvements in macular function, assessed by means of psychophysical and electrophysiological criteria.
$55,000
03/01/09 - 02/28/11
Private Funds

Monica Jablonski, Ph.D.

Novel Delivery of Drugs to Treat Age-Related Macular Degeneration
The major goals of this project are to begin to develop and test the kinetics of release of a novel drug from a hydrogel drug delivery system.
Pilot project
$91,196
July 2008 – June 2009 0 calendar
Clinical & Translational Science Institute – UTHSC no salary support

Delivery of a Drug to Treat Leber Congenital Amaurosis
The major goals of this project are to test a novel therapy for treating Leber Congenital amaurosis.
$274,497
#6-FY09-281
June 2009 – May 2012 0 calendar
March of Dimes

Jonathan H. Jaggar, Ph.D.

Calcium Channels in Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells
The major goals are to study physiological functions and pathological changes in arterial smooth muscle cell Cav1.2 channels.
TDC: $1,250,000
07/01/09 - 06/30/14
NIH/NHLBI
R01HL094378

Vasoregulation by IP3 Receptors
Role:  Mentor
The major goals are to study functional coupling between IP3 receptors and TRP channels in arterial smooth muscle cells.
Adebiyi (PI)
TDC:  $540,675
04/01/09 - 03/31/14
K01HL096411
NIH/NHLBI

 Activation of NF B by Calcium Waves in Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells
Role: Sponsor
The major goals of his project are to study are to investigate gene transcription by calcium signals in smooth muscle cells.
TCD: $21,770
07/01/09 - 06/30/10
American Heart Association
AHA2220266

Ryoichi Teruyama, Ph.D.

Epithelial Sodium Channels in the Supraoptic Vasopressin and Oxytocin Neurons
The goal is to investigate the mechanism by which epithelial sodium channel modulate the secretion of the neurohypophysial hormones vasopressin and oxytocin.
TDC: $141,353
07/15/2009 - 06/30/2011
NIH/NHLBI
Recover Act Funds for Administrative Supplements: 3R21HL093728-01S1