Browsing by Subject "Signature Center Initiative"

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    THE INDIANA CENTER FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH: PROGRESS REPORT
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2013-04-05) Nakshatri, Harikrishna; Sledge, George W., Jr.; Badve, Sunil; Bales, Casey; Gilley, David P.; Goswami, Chirayu; Wells, Clark D.; Guise, Theresa; Ziner, Kim W.
    The mission of IUPUI breast cancer center is to address prevention, early detection, and treatment of breast cancer through translational projects, supportive cores, and synergistic programs. This poster details our efforts improve resources for breast cancer research and efforts to develop multi-PI investigator proposals. The Signature Center Initiative has developed two web resources: the Breast Cancer Prognostics Database (BCDB) to study prognostic implications of genes of interest in publically available breast cancer databases and PROGmiR, a microRNA database. The BCDB can be used to study overall, recurrence free and metastasis free survival in large patient series. PROGmiR allows investigators to study the prognostic importance of microRNAs. PROGmiR has recently been published and has been accessed by investigators from several countries. The signature center has also devoted considerable efforts in developing tumor tissue resource. Tissue Bank includes a total sample of N = 500 cases with 30% non-Caucasian cases from Wishard Memorial Hospital. Currently 237 cases have been assembled into a Tissue Microarray with clinical and follow up data. The breast cancer center has funded three pilot projects. Drs. Clark Wells, S. Badve, and G. Sandusky are collaborating on the project: “Histologic Analysis of the Protein Levels of Amot130, AmotL1 and YAP in Normal, Hyperplastic and Invasive Breast Cancer Tissues”. This project is investigating localized protein expression in paraffin-embedded tissues to associate expression levels with disease subtype and patient outcome. Dr. David Gilley and his group are collaborating on the project: “Luminal mammary progenitors are a unique site of telomere dysfunction”. This project is investigating the relationship between telomere dysfunction and breast cancer tumorigenesis. In the third project, Dr. Theresa Guise will be investigating the mechanisms of cancer-associated cachexia. Several multi-PI proposals are under preparation and one proposal with Drs. Nakshatri and Kathy Miller as PIs is currently under review.
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    Nanotechnology Research, Education, and Outreach by the Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute (INDI)
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2013-04-05) Naumann, Christoph A.; Rizkalla, Maher; Decca, Ricardo; El-Mounayri, Hazim; Witzmann, Frank; Agarwal, Mangilal
    Through multidisciplinary research and novel educational programing, the Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute (INDI) is sponsored under IUPUI’s Signature Center Initiative to advance nanotechnology-based systems research and spark student interest in this emerging STEM field. Innovation in the field of nanotechnology arises from interdisciplinary approaches and INDI draws on the expertise of faculty across departments and schools (including the School of Engineering and Technology, School of Science, School of Dentistry, and School of Medicine) in order to fuel research collaborations and offer nanosystems coursework to both science and engineering students. Current research efforts are focused in INDI’s thrust areas of bionanotechnology and sustainable nanoenergy, which build on the existing strengths of participating schools and span a range of critical issues in nanomaterials, nanodevices, nanosystems, energy, physics, and nanomedicine. Examples of research include the development of artificial biomaterials, toxicology of nanomaterials, and the development of nanomanufacturing techniques and educational tools. INDI facilitates research efforts by identifying funding opportunities, establishing research teams, offering seed funding, and providing a cluster of analytical equipment, characterization tools, and lab resources that support the work of faculty and student researchers. Aside from research, INDI plays a vital role in nanotechnology curriculum development on campus, in particular, the design and implementation of coursework offered within IUPUI’s newly developed Nanotechnology Track and Energy Engineering degree program. This academic track provides students with both theory and hands-on experiences involving the fabrication, characterization, and applications of nanomaterials, nanodevices and nanomedicine. Moreover, INDI’s community outreach activities, including its nanotechnology summer camps for K-12 students and teachers, aim to provide early student exposure and educate teachers in applying nanotechnology modules within their classrooms. These student experiences are designed to encourage higher education in an effort to generate the advanced nanotechnology workforce needed by Indiana and the nation.