18. GOALS FOR FELLOWSHIP TRAINING ANDCAREER I aspire to be a neurologist that combines clinical medicine and basic research. To date, I have completed the first two years of medical school enrolled in NorthwesternUniversity'sMedical Scientist Training Program. During these first two years, I have built a foundation for understanding the scientific basis of medicine. Under the guidance of Dr. Robert Goldman and Dr. Eva Redei, I believe that I can obtain the necessary molecular and cellular techniques to become a successful researcher in neuroscience. Both principal investigators are experts in their respective fields and will provide a unique opportunity to combine cell biology and pathophysiology. The knowledge obtained duringmy graduate trainingwill provide me the skills necessary to be a successful medical scientist. SPONSOR 19. NAME AND DEGREE(S) Robert D. Goldman, Ph.D 20. POSITION/RANK Professor and Chair, Dept. of Cell & Molecular Biology, NUMS 21. RESEARCH INTERESTS/AREAS Cell Biology/Cytoskeleton RESEARCH PROPOSAL 22. DESCRIPTION (Do not exceed space provided) Fetal alcohol exposure (FAE) is one of the leading preventable causes of birth defects, neurodevelopmental disorders and mental retardation. Although fetal alcohol syndorme (FAS) was first defined over two decades ago, little is known about the cellular mechanisms responsible for its teratogenic action. Intermediate filament (IF) proteins have been shown to accumulate in FAE and may be in part responsible for cell death. Disruption of IF transport leads to an altered network and accumulation. Based on preliminary data from our laboratory, it is probable that ethanol alters IF transport and results in the net accumulation of these proteins. The objective of this study is to characterize the mechanisms of IF transport in both normal and FAE cells. I propose to first investigate the mechanisms of IF transport using in vivo and ex vivo models. In addition, immunohistochemical, immunofluorescence, microinjection, and electron microscopic techniques will be employed to study the effects of FAE on IF transport. PHS 416-1 (Rev. 12/98) Form Page 2 BB cc NAME (Last, first,middl&mtial) Individual NRSA Table of Contents ========================================Section End===========================================
| Helfand, Brian T; Chou, Ying-Hao; Shumaker, Dale K et al. (2005) Intermediate filament proteins participate in signal transduction. Trends Cell Biol 15:568-70 |
| Helfand, Brian T; Chang, Lynne; Goldman, Robert D (2004) Intermediate filaments are dynamic and motile elements of cellular architecture. J Cell Sci 117:133-41 |
| Helfand, Brian T; Mendez, Melissa G; Pugh, Jason et al. (2003) A role for intermediate filaments in determining and maintaining the shape of nerve cells. Mol Biol Cell 14:5069-81 |
| Helfand, Brian T; Loomis, Patty; Yoon, Miri et al. (2003) Rapid transport of neural intermediate filament protein. J Cell Sci 116:2345-59 |
| Helfand, Brian T; Chang, Lynne; Goldman, Robert D (2003) The dynamic and motile properties of intermediate filaments. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 19:445-67 |
| Helfand, Brian T; Mikami, Atsushi; Vallee, Richard B et al. (2002) A requirement for cytoplasmic dynein and dynactin in intermediate filament network assembly and organization. J Cell Biol 157:795-806 |
