Dr. 沃尔特·亚当斯博士. 弗兰克黄齐 in Biology win NIH grants to fund their biomedical 研究项目

从右到左:Dr. 沃尔特·亚当斯博士. 弗兰克黄齐

Two faculty members in the Biology Department, Dr. 弗兰克黄齐和Dr. 沃尔特·亚当斯 have been awarded research grants from the National 研究院 of Health this year. These funds will directly support Dr. 黄博士和Dr. 亚当斯’ biomedical 研究项目 that investigate the role of nutrient metabolism and infectious disease, respectively. The assistant professors are relatively new to the Department of Biological 科学s, having joined 菠菜网lol正规平台 within the last three years and are excited to build robust research programs in the 理学院. Both faculty members mentor undergraduate and masters-level researchers, and these grants will allow them to expand their mentorship and student research experiences in their laboratories.

Dr. 黄齐的 research centers on understanding how nutrients are metabolized and how this contributes to overall health. He is currently studying the enzyme sirtuin 4 (SIRT4), which is found in mitochondria and has major effects on how cells metabolize carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids. Interestingly, mice that lack this SIRT4 have impaired mammary gland development, but the reason for this is unclear. Dr. 黄齐的 new grant is aimed at uncovering how the metabolic effects of SIRT4 contribute to mammary gland development. By completing this research, the Huynh lab hopes to discover how SIRT4 and the nutrients we consume may affect normal mammary development and whether a disruption of these normal processes can lead to breast cancer.

Finding novel ways to improve human health is also front and center in the research 由博士提议. 亚当斯. His grant focuses on understanding the dynamic, microbial battle between bad bacteria and white blood cells. This microbial warfare, or “Game of Thr一个s under a microscope” takes place in our bodies every day. In his research proposal, Dr. 亚当斯 seeks to understand how our white blood cells fight off Streptococcus 肺炎, a dangerous bacterium that infect our lungs. Both the white blood cells and S. 肺炎 use different strategies and tools to eliminate each other, the outcome of which, can sometimes mean life or death. By identifying what tactics and weapons each side 用途,博士. 亚当斯 and his lab aim to uncover novel treatments for patients with respiratory 感染.

两个博士. 黄博士和Dr. 亚当斯 credit the University Grants Academy (UGA) as an important first step to securing their NIH funding. This 菠菜网lol正规平台 program is specifically designed to support faculty members in the grant writing and application process. 一个额外的 benefit of the UGA is that it provides teaching release for participants, which provides valuable time for faculty to reflect deeply about their research and how to effectively communicate their approach in their proposal documents.