Chapkin Lab is pleased to announce the funding of a new grant!
Attempts to target aberrant Wnt signaling using drugs still face multiple hurdles due to poor tumor cell targeting, negative side effects associated with required long-term treatments and a poor understanding of the mechanisms of action. Consequently, there is an urgent need to further assess non-toxic Wnt targeted therapeutic approaches. This recently funded NIH grant proposal seeks to develop novel membrane targeted therapeutic approaches to abate abnormal Wnt signaling in the colon.
New Stem Cell Paper Published in EMBO Journal
We are pleased to announce that our paper on, “Loss of aryl hydrocarbon receptor potentiates FoxM1 signaling to enhance self‐renewal of colonic stem and progenitor cells” has been published in the EMBO Journal and can now be accessed online.
Authors include: Huajun Han, Laurie A Davidson, Yang‐Yi Fan, Jennifer S Goldsby, Grace Yoon, Un‐Ho Jin, Gus A Wright, Kerstin K Landrock, Bradley R Weeks, Rachel C Wright, Clinton D Allred, Arul Jayaraman, Ivan Ivanov, Jatin Roper, Stephen H Safe, Robert S Chapkin
You can view the abstract at the link below:
https://www.embopress.org/doi/epdf/10.15252/embj.2019104319
Chapkin Lab receives a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) High Impact High Risk Grant
Chapkin Lab is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert Chapkin was awarded a $250,000 grant from The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). These funds will support the “Targeting Plasma Membrane Spatial Dynamics to Suppress Obesity-Induced Colon Cancer” project.
Research in the Chapkin lab focuses on dietary/microbial modulators related to the prevention of cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. Our central goal is to (1) understand cancer chemoprevention at a fundamental level, and (2) to test pharmaceutical agents in combination with dietary/microbial (countermeasures to the Western diet) to more effectively improve gut health and reduce systemic chronic inflammation.
CPRIT awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. For more on CPRIT awards at Texas A&M University, please view here.
Promotions in the Chapkin Lab
Dr. Alfredo Erazo- Oliveras
The Chapkin Lab is pleased to announce the promotion of Dr . Alfredo Erazo-Oliveras and Dr. Xiaoli Wang from Post-Doctoral Researchers to Assistant Research Scientists.
Alfredo has been with the Chapkin Lab for 4 years and has frequently been recognized for outstanding achievement. Alfredo’s main research focus is to establish the role of oncogenic APC on the dysregulation of cellular plasma membrane physical-chemical properties/homeostatic status and induction of aberrant Wnt signaling in the colon.
Dr. Xiaoli Wang
Xiaoli has been with the Chapkin Lab for just under a year and has quickly proven to be an asset to the team. Xiaoli’s research is focusing on the study of plasma membrane protein interactions (plasma membrane spatial dynamics-nanoclustering) using complementary fluorescence microscopy techniques. By understanding the mechanism behind those biological processes, her goal is to facilitate the development of membrane-targeted therapies.
Please join us in congratulating Alfredo & Xiaoli on their promotions!
Salinas Selected as Finalist for ASN Nutrition 2020
Michael Salinas has been named an Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Finalist, and a Graduate Student Research Award Finalist, a program of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) to recognize the highest quality research presented by students and young investigators at NUTRITION 2020 LIVE ONLINE.
More than 1,000 abstracts were submitted by students and postdoctoral fellows and the Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science program aims to recognize the top 15% highest scoring abstracts as finalists. Abstracts were rated by more than 500 nutrition scientists.
Mr. Salinas’s abstract for NUTRITION 2020 LIVE ONLINE is titled
High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity Modulates Colonic Lgr5+ Stem Cell Homeostasis by Dysregulating Plasma Membrane Organization.
“Through this activity, the American Society for Nutrition celebrates the achievements of our rising stars,” stated Richard Mattes, PhD, MPH, RD, President, American Society for Nutrition. “The Society looks forward to watching their future contributions to advance our understanding of nutrition science and practice.”
For a full list of Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Finalists, visit https://meeting.nutrition.org/2020awards/#abstract2020.