Research funding propels Team Science forward

Oregon State University is focused on big discoveries that drive big solutions. Many science faculty received grants last year in support of discovery-driven science, applied and transdisciplinary research science education and innovation in OSU’s priority research areas of integrated health and biotechnology, climate science and solutions, robotics, data science and AI, and clean energy and solutions. Below are some of the highlights—not including multi-year projects started before 2023.

Faculty honors

Astrophysicist Jeff Hazboun received a $73K Faculty Early Career Development award from the National Science Foundation. This prestigious NSF early career award is highly coveted by faculty! Hazboun’s project includes curriculum development and the implementation of a summer workshop in astrophysics-themed data analysis designed to foster inspired teaching, stimulate excitement in pulsar timing array research, facilitate the learning goals of undergraduate and graduate students, and support the community college students’ transition into four-year schools.

Mathematician Christine Escher received a $50,397 award from the NSF to host the Pacific Northwest Geometry Seminar series over three years at various Pacific Northwest universities. Escher is the principal organizer of the conference. This award supports meetings of the Pacific Northwest Geometry Seminar (PNGS), a regional meeting for researchers and educators of geometry, to be held at the University of British Columbia (2025), Seattle University (2026) and Lewis & Clark College (2027).

Integrated health & biotechnology

Materials scientist Kyriakos Stylianou, along with members of the College of Pharmacy and the College of Agricultural Science, received $2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop improved ways of preventing stored potatoes from sprouting, particularly in the organic sector. Stylianou’s team studied nearly 200 different plant essential oils for their anti-sprouting effects. Oregon, Washington and Idaho produce more than 60% of the potatoes grown in the United States, and Pacific Northwest potato cultivation is a $2.2 billion industry.

Microbiologist Maude David is part of a multi-institution research team to receive a $4.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study European foulbrood disease (EFD) in honey bees. The group is investigating the factors contributing to the high incidence of infection, and will then share their findings with local beekeepers and growers to improve mitigation efforts. Beekeepers in Oregon typically pollinate about five different crops annually. If the colonies are weakened by EFD, this results in less pollination, which is a concern for blueberry and almond growers.

Evolutionary biologist Michael Blouin was awarded $1.86M over five years ($371K per year) from the National Institutes of Health for his project entitled, “Genetic mechanisms of snail/schistosome compatibility.” Schistosomes are water-borne blood-flukes transmitted by snails, which infect over 250 million people in more than 70 countries and cause severe and chronic disability. A debilitating helminth parasitic disease of humans, vaccines are available for schistosomiasis. This project will identify new genes that make some snails naturally resistant to infection by schistosomes, revealing potential new ways to reduce parasite transmission at the snail stage.

Statistician Robert Trangucci received $164K from the University of Michigan for his project entitled, “Data driven transmission models to optimize influenza vaccination and pandemic mitigation strategies.” Selection bias is common in infectious disease datasets due to complex observational and biological processes, and bias can arise from covariate data which is missing due to analytical limitations. The research team is addressing the concern by extending existing models to accommodate risk and data gaps over time for application in vaccination and other novel datasets.

Chemist Dipankar Koley received $542K from the National Institutes of Health for his project entitled, “Microenvironmental characterization and manipulation to prevent secondary caries.” A common reason for dental replacement is a recurrence of caries around existing restorations caused by microbial activity. The project seeks development of new and innovative materials to bias this microbial environment toward improved dental health, and the researchers are investigating the use of cations of magnesium and zinc applied with specialized release platforms.

Collaborative research at the interface of robotics, computer vision and AI

Statistician Yanming Di received $249K from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a project entitled, “DeepSeed: A computer-vision network for onsite, real-time seed analysis.” The Willamette Valley is considered the “grass seed capital of the world.” Seed testing, used for determining seed lot quality and establishing seed value, is a fundamental phase of the agricultural marketing system. With recent advances in robotics, computer vision, and AI, an opportunity presents itself for a new wave of innovations. This project utilizes AI and robotics to innovate devices and protocols for sampling grass seeds and a computer vision system for automated seed analysis. The investigators consist of experts in seed services, computer vision, statistics, and mechanical engineering.

Climate science and related solutions

Materials scientist Kyriakos Stylianou received $689K from Saudi Aramco for a project entitled “New Generation of CO2 Capture Adsorbents: Synthesis, Performance under Humid Conditions, and Scaleup.” In this project, the Stylianou group aims to discover novel adsorbents for the selective capture of CO2 from diluted sources. Successful materials will undergo scaling up and evaluation for their efficacy in removing CO2 from air.

Marine ecologist Bruce Menge received $200K from the National Science Foundation for his project entitled, “RAPID: A subtle epidemic: unique mortality of Mytilus californianus on the Oregon coast.”

The research team is investigating the major changes occurring in the Pacific Northwest marine ecosystems, with evidence these communities exhibit low resilience to climate change. For example, sessile invertebrates (mussels, barnacles, etc) become more abundant while seaweed species (kelp, etc) decline.

Evolutionary biologist Kathryn Everson received two awards for $276K from the University of Kentucky Research Foundation for a project entitled, “The role of hybridization in generating biodiversity: Insights from genomics of Madagascar’s true lemurs (Eulemur).” This project is funded by the NSF to understand how new species form in the context of complex gene flow and to expose the genomic signatures of evolutionary processes. The researchers will characterize patterns of gene flow, selection, and genome architecture for a species of lemur to gain a genomic perspective on the evolution of species boundaries. In addition, the team will construct a hybridization model using data on geographic range, diet, and social behavior for this lemur.

Clean energy and related solutions

Aerosol chemist Alison Bain received $284K from McGill University for her project entitled, “Single particle measurements.” This research aims to understand the optical properties of stratospheric aerosols. Using single particle experiments under environmentally relevant temperatures and humidities, the team will extend a wavelength-dependent refractive index model to include these conditions. They are also looking at how atmospheric aging impacts the optical properties of these materials.

Chemist Wei Kong received $110K from the American Chemical Society for her project entitled, “Superfluid helium droplets as microreactors for studies of photochemistry of fossil fuel hydrocarbons: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the corresponding endoperoxides.” The project will use superfluid helium droplets as microreactors to investigate the kinetics of the photooxidation process of a major component of petroleum (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAH). Using several analytical techniques, the team will test the hypothesis that supercooling the helium droplets will stabilize an excited state of the oxygen molecule and prevent further reactions.

Collaborative partnerships to fuel a thriving world

Biochemist Ryan Mehl received $234K from the NobleReach Foundation in partnership with the National Science Foundation. The project “Ideal eukaryotic tetrazine ligations for imaging protein dynamics in live cells” was selected as one of the first set of 11 national pilot projects to receive $234K from the NobleReach Foundation.The partnership seeks to identify and accelerate the translation of NSF-funded research into biotechnologies and bio-inspired designs with commercial and societal impacts. This pilot will help inform future translational funding opportunities along with enabling Professor Mehl and the other selected principal investigators to accelerate bringing their research to the market and society.

Biochemist Patrick Reardon received $500K from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Instrumentation Program for his project entitled, “MRI: Acquisition of Helium Recovery Equipment: An integrated system for helium capture and recovery for the OSU NMR facility.” This award supports the acquisition and installation of an integrated system for helium capture and recovery for the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) facility. Helium is in high demand and is used for a wide variety of industrial and research applications, and it is a non-renewable resource which highlights the need for laboratories to capture and recycle this important gas. The NMR lab is supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, NSF, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, and OSU, and it is a core facility and cornerstone for groundbreaking research in interdisciplinary science and engineering, chemistry, biochemistry, and biophysics at OSU, throughout the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. The facility continually strives to enhance its state-of-the-art instrumentation for the highest levels of analytical performance.

SciRIS Stage 1

Professor Claudia Maier, alongside a multidisciplinary team including researchers from the Colleges of Engineering and Agricultural Science, received a SciRIS Stage 1 award to study on triple-negative breast cancer.

Maier’s team includes two other College of Science researchers, Yanming Di from the Department of Statistics and Chad Giusti from the Department of Mathematics.

In biology, cells exhibit a range of diverse characteristics known as cellular heterogeneity, regardless if the overall biology appears uniform. This diversity influences disease progression, treatment outcomes and the likelihood of disease recurrence. Single-cell proteomics is an emerging technique that allows researchers to study these differences at the individual cell level.

Collaborating with faculty from the College of Engineering and the College of Agricultural Science, the team aims to refine a single-cell mass spectrometry workflow focusing on triple-negative breast cancer and specifically targeting therapy-induced senescent cells. Senescent cells eventually stop multiplying but don’t die off, leading to the continued release of chemicals that can trigger inflammation and damage healthy cells. This research builds upon previous work and collaboration, moving from technology development to practical application in biomedicine.

By understanding the heterogeneity within breast cancer and the role of senescent cells in treatment resistance, the researchers aim to develop methods for detecting and characterizing TIS cells from tissue samples. This information will be crucial for developing treatments that target these cells, potentially improving outcomes for TNBC patients.

SciRIS-ii (Individual Investigator)

The following three scientists received SciRIS-ii awards: Kyriakos Stylianou, Christine Escher and Xueying Yu.

Materials scientist Kyriakos Stylianou will use his SciRISii award to study a new, more efficient way to diagnose and treat cancer using advanced technology that combines imaging and therapy in one tiny package.

Theranostics is a novel cancer approach that uses radiotracers, compounds made of radiation and chemicals that selectively bind to a specific target in the body. The tracers identify and then deliver radioactive drug therapy to the tumor, resulting in better outcomes and personalized treatments.

Stylianou will explore using metal-organic frameworks to build the nanoparticles. His research will also look at utilizing boron neutron capture therapy, a promising approach to cancer treatment that results in minimal consequences to normal cells.

By combining gadolinium for imagining and carborane-based ligands—which include boron—for therapy, the MOF would be able to diagnose and treat cancer after being activated specifically in tumor microenvironments.

The successful demonstration of the theranostic capabilities of the MOFs in lab settings will mark the initial phase towards more complex studies conducted in living organisms.

Mathematics Professor Christine Escher will use her SciRISii award to delve into Global Riemannian geometry, a field studying the relationship between local and global geometric properties of space. Specifically, the focus is on understanding manifolds with lower curvature bounds by exploring symmetries.

Escher will be continuing to collaborate with Catherine Searle from Wichita State University, to achieve a comprehensive classification of such manifolds, contributing to a deeper understanding of Riemannian geometry.

Escher will be attending a semester-long program at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley entitled, “New Frontiers in Curvature: Flows, General Relativity, Minimal Submanifolds and Symmetry.” This opportunity facilitates collaboration and provides access to specialized resources. One of Escher’s Ph.D. students, Augustin Bosgraaf, will also participate in the program, further enhancing the mentorship and educational aspects of this research endeavor.

Assistant Professor of Mathematics Xueying Yu received a SciRISii grant to understand the behavior of dispersive equations, which are fundamental in describing various natural phenomena such as light transmission, charge transport in DNA and particle interaction in atoms. While these equations are widely used across physics and biology, their long-term behavior remains largely unexplored.

Collaborating with researchers at the University of Bologna in Italy, the University of New York at Binghamton and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yu will focus on equations with variable coefficients which are more complex to analyze. The project aims to develop theories and tools to understand the long-term behavior of these variable coefficient dispersive equations, focusing on aspects like global well-posedness, scattering effects and unique continuation of solutions.

This project will not only contribute to advancing mathematical understanding but also have practical implications in various fields such as numerical simulations, optics, condensed matter, fluid mechanics and biology.

Our departments also prioritize creating access to science education and research, fostering community relationships and developing needed services.

Microbiology outreach makes science more colorful

The College of Science’s microbiology department created the Pernot Microbiology Camp to draw more local students from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, low-income and other diverse backgrounds to the study of microbiology. Faculty in the department also offered a session on Microbiology for the Advocates for Women in Science, Engineering and Math Club for both 5th grade and high school students. Microbiologist Jerri Bartholomew created the Art-Sci collaborative to build a bridge between art and science. This involves public galleries showcasing student work and local artists. The department also hosted internationally acclaimed microbiologist Jo Handelsman for the inaugural Berg Lecture. Open to the public, this lecture drew community members, students and faculty.

Statistics collaborates with Oregonians

The statistics department participated in the Statewide Crop Load Project annual meeting to discuss results with vineyard managers and wine producers in Oregon. Faculty also co-led a workshop in Lincoln County for the Pandemic Resilient Cities project to engage local public health, city officials, school representatives and more to begin a co-creation process for a National Science Foundation proposal. They discussed the needs of the county and priorities concerning future pandemic preparedness.

Physics brings science to high-school students

The physics department held lab tours for Corvallis High School students and created a Zoom version for Madras High School. Several faculty members also did presentations for the Corvallis High School Science Club. The department has a new outreach coordinator that will formally start in fall 2023.

Mathematics outreach seeks to break down common stereotypes

Members from the mathematics department organized the 2023 Math For All satellite conference. This event is an open and friendly space for people to gather and talk about mathematics, math education and how it relates to diversity, justice and equity. Professor Nathan Gibson organized a series of weekly Math Circle meetings for Franklin Elementary students. These circles aim to make mathematics fun, interesting, accessible and inclusive. The Association of Women in Mathematics OSU chapter also participated in many outreach events, including Discovering the Scientist Within, which aims to spark interest in science in young girls. The department also held its 38th annual Lonseth Lecture and invited alumna Corina Constantinescu (Ph.D. ’06) to talk about the “Mathematics of Inclusive Insurance.”

Integrative Biology shares research far and wide

The integrative biology department held its annual Doc Storm Lecture that drew more than 100 people to the LaSells Stewart Center. The Weis Lab participated in Meet a Scientist at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry to educate visitors of all ages about the study of cnidarian-algal symbiosis and the threat of climate change on coral reefs. The lab also participated in OMSI After Dark. Students from the Cornelius Lab partnered with students from the College of Agricultural Sciences to plan Wild about Wildlife, a three-day summer camp for middle school students where they learned about biological science through experiences and field excursions to Hatfield Marine Science Center and the Chintimini Wildlife Center. In June, the department held its annual Robert M. Storm Distinguished Lecture. This year speaker George James Kenagy, Professor of Biology and Curator of Mammals, Emeritus with the University of Washington, spoke about "Survival in the Desert: Coping with Heat, Aridity, and Scarce Resources."

Chemistry outreach helps high-school students find their passion

The chemistry department held the fifth annual Juntos Chemistry Overnight Camp in June. Twenty Latino high school students attended the camp from all over Oregon. The students participated in workshops and got an authentic taste of the OSU college experience. The department also held four lab tours for high school AP science students. Chemistry professor Marilyn Mackiewicz created a new week-long workshop called Ignite inSTEM designed to help students discover the wonders of designing nanomaterials.

Biochemistry and Biophysics outreach has a national impact

The biochemistry and biophysics department was involved in middle school, high school and college outreach events. Faculty were involved in “How To Be A Scientist” and “Career Day'' at local middle schools. At the college level, faculty gave a science career talk at Idaho State University. Associate Professor Alysia Vrailas-Mortimer, just received funding to expand Fly-CURE RCN, a research coordination network that brings together faculty across the U.S. to create course-based undergraduate research experiences.

Collective movement to stabilize ecosystems

In addition to being visually stunning, schools of herring, herds of wildebeest and countless other groups of organisms that act in concert can help complex ecosystems maintain their diversity and stability. Published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, a study led by mathematical biologist Benjamin Dalziel demonstrates that when individuals band together to consume resources as a collective group, the surrounding ecosystem is prone to be more resilient and able to support a wider range of species.

Their findings could be an important step toward understanding how cooperation and biodiversity help living systems stay on an even keel. “We constructed simulations in such a way that we could turn collective behavior on and off without changing anything else in the system,” Dalziel said. “What we found was that adding collective behavior was a game changer in the simulations – it stabilized ecosystems.” Since collective behavior is ubiquitous across the planet, playing a prominent role in everything from bacterial biofilms to human cities, the study’s findings have wide significance.

Data-driven resource management

The need for native seeds

Climate change and irresponsible land use have resulted in the degradation of millions of acres of land around the country. These disturbances are detrimental to native plant health and often creates opportunities for invasive species to thrive.

Statistician Virginia Lesser served as a panel member for a committee to assess the Need for Native Seeds and the Capacity for Their Supply, sponsored by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Native seeds play an essential role in maintaining and restoring natural areas. The committee explored the complex systems of native seed production and use in the United States, and examined their viability for future projects. Their committee was formed in 2019 and developed an interim report in 2020, with a final report expected in 2022.

Smarter forestry practices for a drier climate

As the earth warms, scientists in the Pacific Northwest can be sure of two things: rising temperatures and drier summers. In a state that relies heavily on Douglas fir trees - as a habitat for wildlife as well as economically - understanding how changing temperatures affect forest growth patterns will be critical for forest management. In a collaboration with the College of Forestry, statistics professor Lisa Ganio published a study that found that minor differences in temperature, soil depth or moisture did not significantly influence tree growth patterns. However, growth patterns were significantly impacted by competition, with higher growth in less competitive areas. The results of this study suggest that foresters will be able to focus more attention on other areas, such as habitat preservation.

Changing flood regimes, new projections

The potential for changes in flood regimes due to climate change, in combination with the deep limitations of climate projections, necessitates rethinking how we make flood risk management decisions.

Statistics professor Alix Gitelman participated in a study to develop a new approach for dealing with hydrologic uncertainty and flood management. The developed bottom-up approach was applied to the American River, CA, USA flood management system by first identifying the sensitivity and vulnerability of the system to different climates. To do this, they developed a climate response surface by calculating and plotting Expected Annual Damages (EAD, $/year) under different flood regimes.

Bolstering fire resistance in a changing climate

As fires become more prevalent throughout the west, landscapes are altered in ways that may make them more or less resilient to fire in the future. Enrique Thomann, a mathematics professor, participated in a study published in the Journal of Ecology to examine how changing ecological composition impacts the landscape's ability to resist fire damage in the future - an area that continues to be under-researched.

As the climate warms, there is a growing concern that forest landscapes risk transformation to non- forest systems through alteration of their fire regimes. Fire modifies vegetation composition and structure, including effects on fuel amount and type, fuel connectivity, and canopy- mediated influences on microclimate and fuel moisture. These effects may then shape the spread and severity of subsequent fires.

The strength of fire–vegetation feedbacks (i.e., the degree to which fire- driven changes to vegetation, fuels and microclimate affect the spread and behavior of subsequent fires) is influenced by numerous global change pressures. Given the many interacting variables that influence how ecosystems respond to disturbance, models calibrated to a specific study area are highly valuable in evaluating how that ecosystem responds to alterations of its disturbance regime.

Helping mitigate energy disasters in the Arctic

With expertise that spans disciplines, mathematics professor Malgo Peszynska primarily works on problems related to energy engineering and climate change. Her modeling of transport includes porous media phenomena in aquifers, oil and gas reserves, carbon sequestration, solar cells and the effect of permafrost warming. Perhaps most notable is her use of computational mathematics to model methane hydrate transfer and evolution.

Methane hydrate is an “ice” found primarily in the Arctic permafrost as well as in sub-ocean sediments. Known as one of the largest potential sources of fossil fuel, it is also one of the most risky. Existing in a delicate pressure-temperature equilibrium, exposure to heat could lead to melting that could cause explosions, or the escape of huge quantities of methane gas into the atmosphere.

The specific conditions at which it exists have also meant that it has been exceedingly difficult to study using traditional research tools. This is where using mathematics can be so useful. “As an applied mathematician in this area, the objective is to provide reliable and accurate modeling tools for simulation of various scenarios to help mitigate and contain the possible disasters,” Peszynska said.

Leaving a better world

As one of only three Land-, Sea-, Space- and Sun-Grant institutions in the country, Oregon State University has a commitment of service that extends beyond our campus, state or country borders. Students not only have the opportunity to receive a world-class education, but the opportunity to perform high-level research with faculty who genuinely care about the future of the planet - whether they are biologists, physicists or statisticians.

Dascaliuc researches stochastic cascades and energy transfer in equations of fluid dynamics. The mathematics of fluid flows allow us to understand and predict the complexity of behaviors exhibited in fluids. Deeply rooted in questions of applied science and engineering, the proposed research is a part of a larger program aimed at exploring connections between the mathematics of equations of fluid motions and physics of fluids.

Part of the proposal is to organize a two-week summer collaborative research program for graduate and undergraduate students. This program will be devoted to attracting students from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in STEM and especially in the field of fluid dynamics. The project will be structu­­red so that students without advanced knowledge in differential equations, mathematical analysis and probability can contribute and hopefully become interested and motivated to learn more about the mathematics involved. Funds for Dascaliuc’s SciRIS-ii project titled, “Stochastic Cascades and Energy Transfer in Equations of Fluid Dynamics” are provided by a generous gift made to the Robert W. Lundeen Science Faculty Development Award Fund.

In partnership with the Oregon State Seed Lab, Yanming Di innovates seed sampling devices and protocols. Seeding testing — used for determining seed lot quality and establishing seed value — is a fundamental phase of the agricultural marketing system. Getting an accurate subsample of seed depends on the accuracy and precision of the device used.

Devices and protocols developed by the OSU Seed Lab and the USDA in the 1970s are still considered state of art today, leaving ample room for further improvements. With SciRIS funding, Di and collaborators aim to start a new wave of groundbreaking innovations by incorporating recent advances in robotics, computer vision, machine learning and stochastic modeling into seed testing. Funds for Di’s SciRIS-ii project entitled “Innovating Seed Sampling Devices and Protocols” come from the College of Science’s Education & General Funds.

Colin Johnson’s research uncovers new connections between the ferlin family of genes and disease. Mutations in dysferlin are linked to muscular dystrophy, while mutations in otoferlin and myoferlin have been linked to deafness and breast cancer, respectively. Previous research led by Johnson uncovered key components of otoferlin gene therapy, moving one step closer to restoring hearing for the congenitally deaf.

In partnership with collaborators from the College of Engineering and College of Agricultural Sciences, Johnson’s new project will focus on ferlin gene Fer1L6, which has been linked to ovarian failure and neural tube development deficiencies. It will be the first study to unpack the effects of Fer1L6 on organismal development and neural tube defects. Funds for Johnson’s SciRIS-ii project, entitled “Establishing a Zebrafish model for the study of the Ferlin gene Fer1L6,” come from the College’s Education & General Funds.

SciRIS-ii funding will support a research collaboration between OSU and Stanford University led by Chong Fang. The project will implement state-of-the-art femtosecond laser spectroscopy at the Linus Pauling Science Center. By advancing the mechanistic knowledge and rational design of reversibly photoswitchable fluorescent proteins, this emergent tool for super-resolution microscopy and bioimaging will elevate both labs’ research to new heights while further enhancing the visibility and impact of “molecular movie” technology at OSU.

Funds for Fang’s SciRIS-ii project, entitled “Elucidating primary events of engineered photoswitchable fluorescent proteins with a powerful ultrafast spectroscopy toolset,” are provided by a generous gift made to the Ben and Elaine Whiteley Materials Research Fund.

Petsche is working with graduate students Chifan Leung, Chatchai Noytaptim and Peter Oberly to develop new ways to measure the arithmetic complexity of dynamical systems – a mathematical construction which takes input data and feeds it through a repetitive process – and to show that certain families of arithmetic dynamical systems can be divided into the simple and the complex. Using mathematical techniques including Galois theory, which is the study of symmetry in the solutions to polynomial equations; potential theory; and the analytic theory of Berkovich spaces, a fully modern construction that has recently given mathematicians the ability to apply classical analytic techniques toward modern number theory applications.

Funds for Petsche’s SciRIS-ii project, entitled “Exceptional maps in arithmetic dynamical systems,” are provided by a generous gift made to the Robert W. Lundeen Science Faculty Development Award Fund.

According to quantum mechanics, we can only know the probability for the location of an electron at any given moment. Yet, if the electrons are confined to a one-dimensional space, the system exhibits certain symmetries that may allow one to obtain exact formulas for the statistics of the electrons. Axel Saenz Rodriguez aims to develop the mathematical theory to determine these statistics and to host a conference focused on this research topic. The two-day conference at OSU in Fall 2022 will build a regional network of collaborations; develop research projects suitable for grant proposals; and build research activity and a community on campus for graduate students and faculty. Funds for Saenz Rodriguez’s SciRIS-ii project, entitled “Probability law for 1D quantum electrons,” are provided by a generous gift made to the Robert W. Lundeen Science Faculty Development Award Fund.

Bolstering medicine through interdisciplinary research

As part of the SciRIS program, the College of Science offers other donor-funded awards to bolster research and innovation. The Disease Mechanism and Prevention Fund (DMPF) supports research into the mechanism, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of human disease by the College of Science faculty. These funds are provided by a generous gift from David and Donna Gould. The awardees are Swati Patel, assistant professor of mathematics and Adrian Gombart, professor of biochemistry and biophysics.

Swati Patel’s DMPF proposal is titled “Mathematical modeling of Anthelmintic resistance in soil-transmitted Helminths.” Patel’s research addresses soil-transmitted helminths (STH), parasitic worms that infect an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide, particularly in developing tropical countries that lack adequate sanitation systems. Periodic de-worming is necessary to treat and prevent infection, but STH are developing resistance against the drugs used. Patel develops projects to investigate the mechanisms that lead to resistance and strategies to prevent it through systematic mathematical modeling.

Gombart’s DMPF project, “The role of the cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide in the development of Alzheimer’s disease,” continues work from a previous DMPF award, studying the potential use of an antimicrobial peptide called cathelicidin to curtail the development of Alzheimer’s. Vitamin D and other nutrients regulate expression of the peptide. Gombart’s project could lead to further development of effective preventative therapies or treatments of Alzheimer’s disease. Gombart is a principal investigator at the Linus Pauling Institute and is known for his extensive research on the uses and functions of vitamin D, including using it to combat infection via wound dressings and sutures.