September 2015
Volume 2, Issue 9
Professor Gogonea Receives NIH Award
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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.
Meet CSU's New Faculty
Featured Researcher
Video Series
CSU Scholar News
Innovation and Economic
Prosperity University
News from the Technology
Transfer Office
11th Annual Midwest
Carbohydrate and
Glycobiology Symposium
Best Poster Prizes Awarded
to Undergraduate Research
Students
Team of Professors are
Winners of First MIRP Award
Jefferson Science Fellowship
Write Winning Grant
Proposals Seminar
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.
Meet CSU's New Faculty
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 landlordtenant laws. While there are long-standing policies that govern and standardize the landlordtenant 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.
CSU Scholar News
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
Winners of the First MIRP Award
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.
From left to right: Drs. Kosteas, Goodell, and Horvath
Jefferson Science Fellowship
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 onsite 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 highimpact 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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