About Us: Faculty & Staff
Director
Eva L. Feldman, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Neurology
Eva L. Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., is a professor of neurology at the University of Michigan Health System. She has authored more than 184 articles and 48 book chapters covering a spectrum of issues in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with neurological diseases. Dr. Feldman's current investigative activities emphasize an understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of neuromuscular disorders with an emphasis on diabetic neuropathy and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). At the University of Michigan Health System, she serves as Director of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Center for the study of complications in diabetes and of the ALS clinic and research. Dr. Feldman is listed in Best Doctors of America, serves as the neurologist for the Diabetes Program of the National Institutes of Health, and is on several editorial boards, NIH review panels and study sections. Dr. Feldman has served as a mentor for 23 postdoctoral research fellows, 26 clinical neuromuscular fellows and seven neuroscience graduate students. Her work is supported by two RO1 grants from the National Institutes of Health, and grants from the American Diabetes Association, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and the ALS Association. Dr. Feldman received her M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, completed a neurology residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital where she served as Chief Resident, and completed a fellowship in clinical neuromuscular disease at the University of Michigan.
Faculty
Norman D. Hogikyan, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Chief, Division of Laryngology, Rhinology, and General Otolaryngology
Professor of Otolaryngology and Music University of Michigan
Dr. Hogikyan’s clinical and academic interests are in the human voice, voice disorders and laryngeal surgery. His basic science research has been in the area of laryngeal paralysis and reinnervation, and his clinical research has focused in the measurement of voice-related quality of life. Dr. Hogikyan graduated from the University of Michigan magna cum laude with highest distinction in Cellular and Molecular Biology. He went on to medical school at the University of Michigan and graduated cum laude with distinction in research. While in medical school, Dr. Hogikyan was awarded a prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute-National Institutes of Health Research Scholar fellowship to work at NIH in a molecular genetics laboratory. He went on to complete his residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, and a fellowship in Laryngology with Dr. Robert Bastian at Loyola University of Chicago. He joined the faculty of the University of Michigan in 1995. Dr. Hogikyan and colleagues in Otolaryngology have a well-established collaboration with the Program for Neurology Research and Discovery. Areas of investigation include laryngeal paralysis and reinnervation, peripheral nerve grafting, bulbar manifestations of ALS, and use of stem cells and growth factors in neural regeneration.
Nicholas Boulis, M.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Neurology
Dr. Nicholas Boulis, neurosurgeon at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Neurological Restoration, is a physician scientist whose research interests include biological neurorestoration and neuromodulation through the use of cell, protein, and gene delivery to the nervous system. Dr. Boulis graduated summa cum laude from Yale University with distinction in the intensive Biology and Philosophy majors. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Medical School winning the Harold Lamport Biomedical Research Award. Dr. Boulis has developed a clinical program focusing on peripheral nerve regeneration, spasticity, pain and Parkinson's Disease. He applies advanced microsurgical, radiosurgical, as well as ablative and neural augmentation approaches. He is currently working on strategies for gene based motor neuron protection for ALS, neural targeting of gene delivery, and gene-based neuromodulation. He collaborates with Nicholas Mazarakis, Ph.D., of Oxford Biomedica as well as Michael Imperiale, PhD. and Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., at the University of Michigan in the field of ALS gene therapy. His work on neural targeting of biological therapies involves an active collaboration with Tom Brown, Ph.D., of Massachussetts General Hospital. Finally, his lab collaborates with Imad Najm, M.D., (CCF) on epilepsy neuromodulation,T Subramanian, M.D., (CCF), on Parkinson's neuromodulation, and Michael Davis, Ph.D., (Emory), on anxiety neuromodulation. In the last year, Dr. Boulis has presented his work at the American Society for Gene Therapy, Society for Neuroscience, The Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and The American Association of Neurologic Surgeons. He is the author of 46 publications. For the past seven years, Dr. Boulis has independently organized and secured funding for an outreach/teaching mission to provide surgical therapy to patients in Guatemala requiring treatment for hydrocephalus and spina bifida. To date, "Project Shunt" has provided 186 free operations to impoverished Guatemalan children. Dr. Boulis is an integral member of the Center's innovative neurosurgical team, equally skilled in clinical and laboratory settings.
Kelli A. Sullivan, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor
Kelli Sullivan, Ph.D., is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Neurology. Dr. Sullivan received her Ph.D. from the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Kentucky and completed a first postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Sullivan joined Dr. Feldman as a postdoctoral fellow in 1993. She has authored or co-authored 32 research articles and five book chapters on development and disease models in the nervous system. Her current research focuses on animal models of diabetic neuropathy. Dr. Sullivan is also interested in the developmental expression of IGF-I in the spinal cord and its application to traumatic spinal cord injury.
Assistant Research Professor
Bhumsoo Kim, Ph.D., is a research investigator in the Department of Neurology. Dr. Kim received his Ph.D. in the Neuroscience Program from the University of Michigan with Dr. Feldman. He was awarded an Outstanding Student Publication Award from the Neuroscience Program and a Young Investigator Education Enhancement Award from the American Society for Neurochemistry. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship at the Joslin Diabetes Center of Harvard University before returning to Dr. Feldman's laboratory. Dr. Kim has authored or co-authored 25 research articles. His current research focuses on the relationship between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. The incidence of both diabetes and Alzheimer's disease are increasing rapidly in the United States and there are strong evidences that diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Kim is specifically interested in the regulation of the proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease in diabetic conditions.
Andrea Vincent, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor
Andrea Vincent, Ph.D. is an Assistant Research Professor in Neurology. She completed her doctorate at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, in Hematology before moving to the United States to focus her research interests on neurological disease. Much of her research has explored the role of oxidative stress in neurodegenerative disorders. She previously examined how reactive nitrogen species contribute to stroke-induced brain injury, and then began to map oxidative stress pathways in the peripheral nervous system in diabetes and in the spinal cord in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dr. Vincent applied her expertise to direct the JDRF Oxidative Stress Core from 2002-2006. She developed semi-high throughput drug screening techniques and obtained funding from the ALS Association and JDRF respectively to screen 1040 compounds for the potential to treat ALS or diabetic neuropathy. These screens led to further exploration of disease and therapeutic pathways. Dr. Vincent recently obtained a JDRF Innovative and an American Diabetes Association research grant to explore her new hypothesis that dyslipidemia contributes to the development of diabetic neuropathy. She is testing lipid and glycemia-lowering therapies in experimental models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Hsinlin Thomas Cheng, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Neurology and Anesthesia
Dr. Cheng is an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Anesthesia. He is board certified in both Neurology and Pain Medicine. Dr. Cheng graduated from Taipei Medical College. He received his Ph.D. from the Neuroscience Program of the University of Michigan under the mentorship of Dr. Feldman. Dr. Cheng had his Neurology residency training at Wayne State University. He also finished subspecialty training at the Pain and Palliative Care Program of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a research fellowship in Pain Medicine at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
Dr. Cheng returned to the University of Michigan as faculty in 2006. Currently, He treats patients with a variety of pain syndromes, including painful diabetic neuropathy, at the Back and Pain Center of the University of Michigan. In the laboratory, he uses animal models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes to study the molecular and signaling events that mediate the devastating neuropathic pain in diabetic patients. His goal is to determine the key molecules for the development of painful diabetic neuropathy. By identifying these key elements, mechanism-specific treatments will then be developed. Dr. Cheng is the primary author or coauthor of 17 peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Cheng works closely with Dr. Feldman and other scientists of PNR&D to study diabetic pain. Dr. Cheng’s research is funded by the National Institue of Health to study the molecular mechanisms of painful diabetic neuropathy. He has presented his work at the annual conferences of the American Pain Society and the Society for Neuroscience.
Joseph Corey, M.D., Ph.D.
Research Fellow / Assistant Professor
Joseph Corey, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology. Dr. Corey received his M.D. and Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois (Urbana). For his doctoral research, he developed technologies to pattern cultured neurons into circuits. He also earned an MS in biomedical engineering for Case Western Reserve University where he worked on neural prostheses. He has authored or co-authored eleven publications. His research interests center on development and repair in the nervous system, as well as tissue engineering. His clinical interests are in recovery from neurologic insult and restorative technologies for the disabled. Dr. Corey was awarded a Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award from the NIH to study ways of making better scaffolds for nerve regeneration and has recently been awarded a grant from the Paralyzed Veterans of American to make and test second-generation nanofibers for this purpose.
Adam Rubin, M.D.
Director, Lakeshore Professional Voice Center
Adam Rubin, M.D., graduated summa cum laude from Yale College with degrees in Theater Studies and Economics. He received his medical doctorate from Harvard Medical School. Following his residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Michigan, he completed a fellowship in Laryngology and Care of the Professional Voice under the direction of Robert T. Sataloff, M.D., D.M.A., in Philadelphia. Prior to specializing in Laryngology, Dr. Rubin enjoyed a life-long passion for the human voice. Before attending medical school, he was a professional actor and singer, performing in musicals, and plays at off-Broadway and regional theaters, as well as in a national tour. He is also an accomplished rock and roll singer, and a classical violinist. Dr. Rubin’s basic science interests include viral gene therapy and laryngeal nerve regeneration. He began his collaboration with Dr. Feldman and the PNR&D as a resident, during which time he received the University of Michigan Merle Lawrence Basic Science Research and the John L. Kemink Clinical Research Awards. He currently practices at Lakeshore Ear, Nose and Throat Center in St. Clair Shores where he is Director of the Lakeshore Professional Voice Center, and is thrilled to continue working with the PNR&D.
Rodica Pop-Busui, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
Rodica Pop-Busui, M.D., Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes at the University of Michigan. She is actively involved in both basic-translational and clinical research in diabetes and diabetes complications, with a focus on diabetic autonomic and peripheral neuropathy. Dr. Pop-Busui's basic research project concerned with the role of Cycooxygenase-2 activation and oxidative stress in peripheral nerve dysfunction in diabetes is funded the National Institutes of Health. She is principal investigator in multiple clinical trials funded by National Institutes of Health, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Industry. Dr. Pop-Busui is a recipient of a Fulbright Award in 1995, American Diabetes Association Endocrinology Fellow of Excellence Award in 2001 and of the University of Michigan Clinical Science Scholar Award in 2005. She serves as member of the Council for Clinical Research of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and of the Peer Review Committees of the American Heart Association. Dr. Pop-Busui received her M.D. and Ph.D. summa cum laude at the University of Timisoara in Romania. After completing internal medicine training and obtaining board certification in Internal Medicine in Romania, she completed postgraduate training in diabetes at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield UK and a Fellowship in Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of Michigan and joined the faculty of the University of Michigan in July 2005. She has authored peer-reviewed articles and book chapters related to diabetes, diabetic autonomic and peripheral neuropathy and diabetes complications.
Stephen I. Lentz, Ph.D.
Laboratory Director / Research Assistant Investigator
Stephen I. Lentz, Ph.D., is a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes of the Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Lentz is also the Laboratory Director of the Morphology and Image Analysis Core in the Michigan Diabetes Research and Training Center. He actively collaborates with Dr. Feldman's laboratory in their studies of diabetic neuropathy. Current research uses high resolution confocal microscopy to examine the effects of high glucose on mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis in sensory neurons. Dr. Lentz received his Ph.D. in the Cellular and Clinical Neurobiology from Wayne State University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, investigating the effects of growth factors on peripheral nerve outgrowth. He came to the University of Michigan in 1998 and has served as the Laboratory Director of the Morphology Core since 2001. He has authored or co-authored 16 peer-reviewed research articles.
James Dowling, M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical Lecturer, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases
Co-Director, Muscular Dystrophy Association/Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinic
Jim Dowling, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Child Neurology in the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Dowling received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Chicago. His doctoral research, performed in the laboratory of Dr. Elaine Fuchs, Ph.D., focused on the role of integrins in epidermal and neuronal development. He performed his clinical fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. His research efforts are focused on understanding and treating childhood muscle diseases. He is currently using the zebrafish model system to study Myotubular Myopathy and Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy, two severe myopathies of infancy that have no cure or modifying treatments. He has authored or co-authored 19 publications. He is also the Co-Director of the University of Michigan’s Muscular Dystrophy Association/Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinic.
Fellows
Brad Bader, M.D.
Fellow/Resident, Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery
Brad Bader, MD is a resident in the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Michigan. He has been involved with research in the lab since January 2008. He is collaborating with Drs. Feldman, Hogikyan and Corey on exploring ways to apply nanofiber technology to peripheral nerve regeneration. He is also working on a method to reinnervate the paralyzed vocal cord in a rat model. Dr. Bader completed his undergraduate degree at Southern Methodist University and his medical school training at the University of Texas-Houston Medical School. Dr. Bader will complete his residency in June 2009 and will be pursuing fellowship training at Ohio State University in Reconstructive Surgery of the Head and Neck.
Claudia Figueroa-Romero, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Claudia Figueroa-Romero, Ph. D. is a postdoctoral research fellow who received her Ph. D from the Department of Biological Chemistry at the University of Michigan in the laboratory of Dr. Anne B. Vojtek. Her thesis research on the regulation of the Ras Trafficking and Ras Signaling was awarded with the Dziewiatkowski Award given to the most outstanding Ph.D. dissertation in the Department of Biological Chemistry. Dr. Figueroa-Romero continued her postdoctoral training in Dr. Vojtek’s lab characterizing the binding between the scaffold protein POSH and the serine/threonine kinase Akt2 and the biological significance of this interaction as regulator of the JNK signaling pathway. Dr. Figueroa-Romero joined the Feldman lab in 2007. Her current research focuses on identifying regulatory mechanisms, triggered by hyperglycemia, of molecules important for mitochondria biogenesis. This research will contribute to our understanding of the molecular players involved in diabetic neuropathy. She has authored or co-authored 10 publications.
Lucy Hinder, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Lucy Hinder received her Ph.D from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK in 2007. Her graduate research focussed on the neural control of altered skin blood flow and behavioural responses in experimental diabetes; assessing the efficacy of antioxidant, vasodilator and growth factor therapeutic strategies on functional and quantitative indices of diabetic neuropathy. Dr. Hinder began her postdoctoral career under the mentorship of professors Cotter and Cameron in Aberdeen, using electrophysiology and confocal microscopy to study the role of electric fields in diabetic wound healing. Dr. Hinder joined the Feldman lab in 2009 as part of the ‘Mouse models of Diabetic Nephropathy and Neuropathy’ NIH grant, specifically working towards the development of robust mouse models for the evaluation of potential therapeutic interventions in human patients.
Simon Lunn, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Simon Lunn, Ph.D., received his Ph.D. from the University of Dundee, Scotland, UK in 2005. His doctoral work was carried out in the Department of Cell and Developmental biology under the mentorship of Dr. Kate Storey. There, Dr. Lunn investigated the role of growth factor signals crucial in the first steps during the formation of nervous system during development. Dr. Lunn then moved to the United States to pursue his postdoctoral work. Dr. Lunn’s research interests focus on the mechanisms of neurological disease. Current research focuses on developing effective treatments for Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. Dr. Lunn uses models for ALS developed in the Feldman laboratory that allow him to investigate neuron disease and the role of growth factors such as IGF and VEGF that may provide vital neuroprotective properties for motor neuron survival. Dr. Lunn is part of the Stem Cell Initiative. Dr. Lunn works with a multi-system approach investigating the properties of both human and mouse stem cells in conjunction with directed differentiation and growth factor treatment to develop potential therapeutic application of stem cells in ALS
Matthew Old, M.D.
Fellow/Resident, Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery
Matthew Old, M.D. is a resident in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Michigan. He is participating in a research fellowship during the 2006-2007 academic year exploring neural regeneration patterns as well as the effects of viral gene therapy with neurotrophic factors in recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and facial nerve injury with Dr. Feldman and Dr. Hogikyan. Matt completed his undergraduate degree at Stanford University and his medical school training at the University of Texas-Houston Medical School. Dr. Old will complete his residency in June of 2008.
Catrina Robinson, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Catrina Robinson is a postdoctoral research fellow who received her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a specialization in Pharmacology/Toxicology from Auburn University in 2007. For her doctoral research, Robinson characterized the modulation of polysialic acid on glutamatergic synaptic transmission. During her graduate work, Robinson earned numerous recognitions for academic excellence and merit including “Outstanding Graduate Student” and the honor of being the “Graduation Marshal” for the Harrison School of Pharmacy. As a postdoctoral research fellow, she was awarded a position on the Neurology Training Grant. Robinson’s research interest involves understanding the mechanism of diabetes accelerated Alzheimer’s disease progression, focusing on the role of lysosomal dysfunction. Robinson also has interest in the role that oxidative stress plays on the aging neuromuscular system.
Stacey Sakowski, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Stacey Sakowski, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral research fellow who received her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology & Genetics from Wayne State University in 2006. During her graduate work, Dr. Sakowski was awarded the Graduate Professional Fellowship and a position on the Psychiatry Training Grant and her graduate research training focused on the biochemical characterization and analysis of post-translational modifications of proteins involved in serotonin biosynthesis. As a research fellow, Dr. Sakowski was awarded a position on the Neurology Training Grant. Her current research interests involve studying the mechanisms of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dr. Sakowski is utilizing zebrafish ALS models to understand the mechanisms of neurodegeneration and identify points for therapeutic intervention within the ALS disease course prior to the irreversible loss of motor neurons. Her goals are to also characterize the efficacy and mechanisms of neuroprotection in ALS using growth factors such as IGF-I. Dr. Sakowski is the author/co-author of six manuscripts.
Adam Schuyler, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Adam Schuyler, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral research fellow who completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. For his doctoral research, Adam developed computational models for studying the dynamics of proteins. He has authored/co-authored nine peer reviewed articles. His research interest is in the continued development of multi-scale computational models. Adam is currently developing an ALS model to describe how various mutant forms of the SOD1 enzyme are able to trigger a toxic function. An understanding of this universal mechanism will lead to effective therapeutic treatments.
Staff
Carey Backus
Research Associate II
Carey Backus received her BA in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley in 1991. She joined Dr. Eva Feldman's laboratory in 2001 from UCSF to assist in ongoing research on neuronal dysfunction in diabetes and ALS. Carey cultures primary sensory, motor and cortical neurons to use as in vitro disease model systems. Recently she has begun working with human embryonic stem cells and is focusing on how to differentiate them into motor neurons, which could then be used as a potential therapy for a rat model of ALS.
Lisa L. Baiz
Research Assistant I
Lisa Baiz is a Research Assistant I in the Department of Neurology. She is currently involved in three ongoing clinical trial studies taking place at the University of Michigan, along with other sites across the nation. She does data entry for the IGF-I study, which is for people with ALS, the IGTN study, which is for glucose intolerance and neuropathy and the JDRF study for diabetic neuropathy. Most of her time is dedicated to the IGF-I study where, along with data entry, she also works with Dr. Feldman and the research team in all aspects of the clinical trial.
Angela Busta, M.S.
Angela Busta received her MS in Animal Science from Michigan State University in 2007. Before coming to the University of Michigan, she worked in the Cellular Reprogramming Laboratory at MSU where she gained experience working with zebrafish. She joined the Department of Neurology at UM in 2008 to help with the development of zebrafish models of myopathy and ALS.
Judith Boldt, B.B.A.
Executive Assistant
Judith Boldt is executive assistant to Dr. Feldman, responsible for grant and manuscript submissions, as well as daily correspondence and administrative activities for the Taubman Institute and the Program for Neurology Research and Discovery laboratory. Boldt also assists Dr. Feldman in her work on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Center for the Study of Complications in Diabetes. Ms. Boldt received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Eastern Michigan University in 2005.
Jacqueline Dauch
Research Technician
Jacqueline Dauch received a bachelors degree in Pre-medical Studies and Spanish from the University of Michigan in 2009. In the laboratory, she uses animal models of type 2 diabetes to study the molecular and signaling events that mediate diabetic neuropathy pain (DNP). Her goal is to determine the key molecules for the development of DNP. By identifying these key elements, mechanism-specific treatments will then be developed. Jacque works closely with Dr. Cheng to study DNP.
Elizabeth Gibbs
Ph.D. Candidate in Neuroscience
Elizabeth Gibbs received a B.A. in Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA. Her research focuses on the cellular mechanisms underlying inherited neuropathies and myopathies, particularly the role of membrane trafficking pathways. She is currently looking at muscle development and maintenance abnormalities in zebrafish models of myopathy.
John Hayes
Research Lab Tech Senior
John Hayes received a B.A. degree from Oakland University in 1999. He joined the laboratory in the spring of 2000 to assist in ongoing research within the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Center for the Complications in Diabetes. Mr. Hayes performs immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, nerve conduction studies, analgesia testing and animal dissections. Mr. Hayes also works with the Animal Models of Diabetic Complications Consortium characterizing diabetic neuropathy in mice.
Yu Hong
Research Associate I
Yu Hong received her MS in Molecular Biology from University of Maryland at College Park. In 2002, she worked at Biotherapies Inc. and Pfizer Inc., studying a growth inhibitor of breast cancer and using siRNA technology to silence a lipoprotein candidate gene involved in cardiovascular disease. In 2003, she joined the program for PNRD at University of Michigan. Her current efforts involve investigating gene regulatory profiles for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease and Diabetes.
Junguk Hur
Ph.D. Candidate in Bioinformatics
Junguk Hur received a B.S. in life science from Pohang University of Science and Technology in Korea and a master’s degree in bioinformatics from Indiana University, Bloomington. His primary research area is literature mining and information retrieval which aims at identifying targets (genes and proteins) from vast amount of context specific biomedical literatures. He has developed SciMiner, which is a web-based user-friendly literature mining tool that can be used on any topic of users’ interest. He is also working to discover new molecular targets for diabetes treatment through high-throughput microarray analysis and literature mining.
Lisa McLean
Research Associate I
Lisa McLean joined the laboratory in April 2001 as a member of the JDRF Oxidative Stress Core to assist in ongoing research to determine oxidative stress damage found in tissue, cells, plasma and urine. She came from the UMCCC Prostate Cancer SPORE Program where she was involved in developing and characterizing animal models of prostate cancer. She is currently supported by a research grant from the American Diabetes Association to explore lipid-induced neuronal injury. Lisa is experienced in primary cell culture and prepares the adult DRG neurons cultures for researchers weekly. She is the lab specialist on the functions/operations of the Fluoroskan and Multiskan plate readers and she performs assays specializing in Oxidative Stress measurements using absorbance, fluorescence and luminescence. She also does cell culture, immuno-histochemistry, Western blotting and image capture using confocal microscopy. In addition, she is in charge of supplies, accounting and managing the day to day operations of the laboratory.
Originally from South Korea, Alex moved to the United States in November 2003 to join the laboratory and gain hands-on research experience in the field of neurology. Alex received his D.V.M. in 2001 at Konkuk University and his masters of neuroscience degree in February 2003 at Ajou University. He works directly with all senior staff members to investigate stem cells as a novel therapy in the treatment of animal models of ALS and artificial nerve grafts to treat nerve injury.
Crystal Pacut
Research Technician
Crystal received her B.S. degree in Molecular Biology from Michigan Technological University in 1998. She has been at the University of Michigan since 2002 and joined the Feldman lab to help start up Human Embryonic Stem Cell (hESC) work. She will be working closely with other research investigators in order to study the mechanisms behind neuron disease and degeneration in regards to ALS.
Stephanie Peterson
Major and Planned Gift Officer
Stephanie Peterson is a major gift officer in the University of Michigan Health System who became involved with PNR&D (Program for Neurology Research and Discovery) fundraising activities in late 2000. Her current work entails initiating and coordinating major and planned gifts from individuals in support of PNR&D research. In addition, Ms. Peterson solicits sponsorships for events from companies and groups like Pepsi Bottling Group and the Executive Women’s Golf Association. Prior to coming to PNR&D, she worked at MCARE in the Partnership Health program. Ms. Peterson has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan.
Susan Pietropaolo
Research Specialist, Lead
Susan Pietropaolo received her bachelors degree in Microbiology from Colorado State University in 1988. She joined the laboratory in the fall of 2006 after spending 11 years at the University of Pittsburgh studying autoimmune type 1diabetes. Her current research studies involve using histology, molecular biology, and phage-microarray technology to identify neuronal proteins reactive with sera from Type 1 diabetic patients who have autoimmune neuropathy. The identification of these proteins should yield insights into the role of the immune system and candidate molecular pathways that are inflamed or damaged in the nervous system. In addition, identified marker(s) will be used to develop an assay that has the potential to offer a more accurate diagnosis and/or predict the progression rate of this often debilitating complication of type 1 diabetes.
Kathleen Ryan
Clinical Subjects Coordinator (Clinical trials)
Kathleen Ryan, R.NCS.T. is a Clinical Subjects Coordinator in the Department of Neurology. She spent 7.5 years in the Radiation Oncology department of the University of Michigan coordinating cancer clinical trials. She conducted these trials both at UM hospital and at several UM off site facilities where she worked independently. Her current investigative activities center on the coordination of new and ongoing clinical research studies. For the past 3 years, these studies include patients with neuropathy associated with diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance and cardiac autonomic neuropathy. Ms. Ryan is a registered technician (R.NCS.T.) with the American Association of Electrodiagnostic Technologists (AAET). She works with Drs. Eva Feldman and Rodica Pop-Busui at the University of Michigan.
Desmond Wilson
Research Tech
Desmond Wilson received a bachelors degree in psychology and amthropology from Loyola University New Orleans in 2007. He joined the laboratory in the fall of 2008. Mr. Wilson performs immunohistochemistry, cryosectioning, confocal microscopy, and animal dissections. Mr. Wilson also assists with the AMDCC phenotyping core, characterizing intraepidermal nerve densities in diabetic mouse models. He plans on attending Medical School in the fall of 2009.
Students
Michael Blankinship
Michael Blankinship, is a fourth year medical student working under James Dowling. Michael received his Bachelors of Arts from Albion College in Biology and Chemistry in 1999 and received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan Program in Biomedical Sciences through the Department of Human Genetics in 2005. Michael is scheduled to receive his M.D. degree from the University of Michigan in May of 2009. His past research has included work in synthetic organic chemistry, mobile DNA elements, and diastolic cardiac dysfunction. For his Ph.D. thesis, he worked under Dr. Jeffery Chamberlain and developed vector and vector delivery methods for gene therapy of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy as well as undertook structure/function studies of utrophin. Currently he is studying the pathogenesis of collagen VI deficiency using zebrafish as a model organism with an eye toward using small molecules to treat the underlying mechanisms of disease. In humans, collagen VI disorders cause both Bethlem myopathy and Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy.
