Principals of Biomedical Research
Guri Tzivion, PhD
tzivion@windsor.edu
PBMR 611: Winter 2016
Windsor University School of Medicine
Journal Club Instructors
Dr. Soumitra Chakravarty
Biochemistry
Group 1
Dr. Samuel Taiwo
Pre Med Program
Group 4
Dr. Vivek Joshi
Biochemistry
Group 2
Dr. Fatai Oluyadi
Pathophysiology
Group 5
Dr. Bikramajit Singh Saroya
Pathophysiology
Group 3
Dr. Kusai Salhanie
Pathophysiology
Group 6
Course Description
The Journal Club aims to:
• Train the students in critical reading of
biomedical research papers
• Provide a venue for discussing recent
scientific advances in the biomedical
research field
• Improve the scientific communication skills
of our students
Journal Club
Presentation format:
• Introduction to the subject area:
 General review of the subject
 What was known before the authors started
their work
• The declared hypothesis and objectives of the study
• Methodologies used in the study
• Results:
 Present the actual results of the study
 Discuss each of the figures in detail
Journal Club
Presentation format:
• Discuss the significance of the study and its
contributions to advancing the subject area/field (as
presented by the authors)
• Your critical analysis of the study:
 Strengths and weaknesses
 If you were the reviewer of the paper, what
would be your critique?
Journal Club
Other points to consider in preparing your
presentation:
• Have a simple title for each slide
• Fonts should be large enough to be seen clearly
from the back of the room
• Figures: for multi-panel figures, enlarge and show
each panel separately
Journal Club
Presentation skills:
• Be familiar with the presentation content
• Speak loudly and clear
• Speak with excitement, don’t be monotone
• Do not read the slides – use the text as reference
• Face the audience, make eye contacts
• Use body language (facial expression, gesture)
• Do not abuse the pointer
Student evaluations
Block Exam 1: 25%. Will cover topics 1-2 and
material from the journal club
Block Exam 2: 25%. Will cover topics 3-4 and
material from the journal club
Journal Club Paper presentation: 35%
15%: instructor evaluation of student
participation in journal club discussions
Journal Club
Presentation evaluation grid:
• Familiarity with the subject (20%):
• Presentation skills (20%):
• Stimulation of group discussion (20%):
• Preparedness (20):
• Overall presentation quality (20):
• Final evaluation:
• Comments for the student:
Journal Club
1st theme: longevity research and sirtuin activators
1. Howitz KT, et al. Small molecule activators of sirtuins
extend Saccharomyces cerevisiae lifespan. Nature.
2003 Sep 11;425(6954):191-6.
2. Baur JA, et al. Resveratrol improves health and
survival of mice on a high-calorie diet. Nature. 2006
Nov 16;444(7117):337-42.
3. Hubbard BP and Sinclair DA. Small molecule SIRT1
activators for the treatment of aging and age-related
diseases. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2014 Mar;35(3):14654.
Journal Club
2nd theme: B-Raf mutations and their targeting in Melanoma
4. Davies H, et al. Mutations of the BRAF gene in human
cancer. Nature. 2002 Jun 27;417(6892):949-54.
5. Tsai J, et al. Discovery of a selective inhibitor of oncogenic
B-Raf kinase with potent antimelanoma activity. Proc Natl
Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Feb 26;105(8):3041-6.
6. Bollag G, et al. Clinical efficacy of a RAF inhibitor needs
broad target blockade in BRAF-mutant melanoma.
Nature. 2010 Sep 30;467(7315):596-9.
7. Sosman JA et al. Survival in BRAF V600–Mutant
Advanced Melanoma Treated with Vemurafenib. N Engl J
Med 2012; 366:707-714.
Full text link:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1112302
Journal Club
3rd theme: Diabetes and high cholesterol management
8. Knowler WC, et al. "Reduction in the incidence of type 2
diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin". The
New England Journal of Medicine. 2002. 346(6):393-403
Full text link: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa012512
9. Patel A, et al. "Intensive Blood Glucose Control and
Vascular Outcomes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes". The
New England Journal of Medicine. 2008. 358(24):25602572.
Full text link: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0802987
10. Kastelein JJ, et al. "Simvastatin with or without
ezetimibe in familial hypercholesterolemia". The New
England Journal of Medicine. 2008. 358(14):1431-1443.
Full text link: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0800742
Enzymatic activity of sirtuins
Regulation of Sir2 during calorie
restriction in yeast
Resveratrol
Bordone and Guarente
Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 200
Mammalian sirtuin isoforms
Subcellular localization of Sirtuin
isoforms
De Oliveira et al, Frontiers
in Pharmacology 2012
Sirt1 functions and regulation
The diverse physiological roles of the sirtuins
Finkel et al. Nature 460, 2009
Structure of sirtuin activators used in the study
Effects of resveratrol and caloric restriction on yeast
life span and its dependency on sir2 and pnc1