A Mentored Career Development Award will allow me to become an innovative, recognized investigator and instructor by expanding my research skills, enhancing my ideas for my own research program in airway smooth muscle biology, and providing me with opportunities to continue to develop expertise in teaching through the outlined career development and research plans. I believe that my previous training and research experience at both large and small universities has given me an excellent foundation in which to begin an independent research career. As a graduate student, I endured a rigorous program of study that emphasized critical and analytical thinking, oral communication and presentation skills, and research excellence in the neurosciences. As a post-doctoral fellow, I developed an interest in the role of airway smooth muscle (ASM) in inflammatory events that contribute to airway diseases and took advantage of opportunities to gain teaching experience. I continue my interest in airway smooth muscle biology with this proposal by examining the T-box transcription factor T-bet in ASM. The proposed career development plan will facilitate my goals through intellectual interactions with colleagues, students and my mentor, Dr. William T. Gerthoffer, along with participation in structured activities including University service, attendance at scientific meetings, and involvement in teaching, career development and laboratory management workshops and seminars. The research project described here examines the hypothesis that ASM expression of T-bet participates in the development of a secretory smooth muscle cell phenotype that affects the inflammatory response by increasing T helper cell 1 (Th1) cytokine secretion. The experiments described will examine IFNgamma regulation of T-bet expression in ASM, determine whether T-bet expression contributes to the development of a secretory smooth muscle cell phenotype by upregulating Th1 cytokines, and addresses whether T-bet alters the functions of ASM cells such as proliferation, migration and contraction. There are few places that I would have the opportunity to interact with faculty that are as recognized for their expertise in smooth muscle cell biology than at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. This award will allow me to begin to ask novel questions about the secretory phenotype of ASM in this supportive research environment that is committed to furthering junior faculty development.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research & Training (K01)
Project #
5K01HL080960-03
Application #
7269459
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZHL1-CSR-G (M1))
Program Officer
Rothgeb, Ann E
Project Start
2005-09-30
Project End
2009-08-31
Budget Start
2007-09-01
Budget End
2008-08-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$122,706
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Nevada Reno
Department
Pharmacology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
146515460
City
Reno
State
NV
Country
United States
Zip Code
89557
Ba, Mariam; Rawat, Shanti; Lao, Ronna et al. (2018) Differential regulation of cytokine and chemokine expression by MK2 and MK3 in airway smooth muscle cells. Pulm Pharmacol Ther 53:12-19
Clifford, Rachel L; Singer, Cherie A; John, Alison E (2013) Epigenetics and miRNA emerge as key regulators of smooth muscle cell phenotype and function. Pulm Pharmacol Ther 26:75-85
Singer, Cherie A (2011) T-bet is induced by interferon-? to mediate chemokine secretion and migration in human airway smooth muscle cells. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 300:L633-41
Kuhn, Andrew R; Schlauch, Karen; Lao, Ronna et al. (2010) MicroRNA expression in human airway smooth muscle cells: role of miR-25 in regulation of airway smooth muscle phenotype. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 42:506-13
Ba, Mariam; Singer, Cherie A; Tyagi, Manoj et al. (2009) HSP20 phosphorylation and airway smooth muscle relaxation. Cell Health Cytoskelet 2009:27-42