THE
Argo
Official Quarterly Newsletter of the Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology at The University of New Mexico School of Medicine
Fall 2022 Volume 2, Issue 4
MGM in the News: Notable recent grants, papers, and achievements
Special Report - Fellowship Writing Group: Trainees in the department are learning about the grant writing process
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Kathryn M. Frietze, PhD - guest editor
The Argo, MGM Quarterly Newsletter, Fall 2022
Welcome to the Fall 2022 edition of The Argo, the official newsletter of the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology (MGM) at The University of New Mexico School of Medicine.
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Trainee Highlight: 2022 MGM Works-in-Progress winners discuss their research and what makes a good presentation
AIM Core Newsletter Link: MGM is the home of a CoBRE P20 center. Check out all of the latest news from this important resource with the link to the AIM Core Newsletter
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: UNM adds Juneteenth to the official calendar and a link to MGM DEI Newsletter
MGM Funded Programs: MGM offers programs to department members to support research, travel, and equipment.
Welcome, welcome, welcome to MGM! Our department welcomes a new faculty member, Dr. Jaya Rajaiya.
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Welcome to MGM!
MGM welcomes new faculty, Dr. Jaya Rajaiya
Tell us about your research interests? Starting with my doctoral work in tuberculosis which I performed at the National Institute of Immunology in Delhi, I have always been fascinated by the dance between infectious organisms and their hosts. After my postdoctoral fellowship studying transcription factors at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, I discovered a way to merge my interests in eukaryotic gene expression and the molecular interactions that occur during infections, through the study of adenoviruses. My current work is focused on the interactions between adenoviral and host proteins during viral entry and trafficking, and how those interactions mediate host inflammatory gene expression on the one hand, and how opportunistic viruses use these interactions for their own purposes on the other. I believe that by focusing on events early on in the infection of the cell, we may be able to identify new therapeutic targets. This is particularly important for adenovirus infections, for which there is still no safe and specific antiviral therapy.
What do you like to do when you aren't in the lab? I love cooking, hiking, and gardening, and spending as much time as possible with my husband and our children.
What brought you to UNM and MGM? My husband (James Chodosh, MD MPH) and I always wanted to finish our careers in the southwest, and own a home in El Paso. I had a potential opportunity to join the University of Texas – El Paso, but when Jim was offered the chair position in the new Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at UNM, I interviewed here and fell in love with the opportunity to join MGM. We were very quickly charmed by the state, and the scientists we met at UNM and MGM. The collaborative, humble, and generous nature of the MGM community was very appealing to me.
Dr. Jaya Rajaiya
Dr. Alison Kell was awarded her first R01 grant! She will be investigating the role of type I interferon signaling in Seoul orthohantavirus pathogenesis.
Dr. Bryce Chackerian was named Regents' Professor. This is a special title bestowed on senior faculty in recognition of their accomplishments as teachers, scholars and leaders at UNM and also their national/international professional communities. He also received an R01 to investigate malaria vaccines.
Dr. Eliseo Castillo (former Research Assistant Professor in MGM) was awarded his first R01 grant! He will be investigating the harmful effects of microplastics on gastrointestinal health.
Dr. Jing Pu was awarded an NIH MIRA (Maximizing Investigators' Research Award)! She will be investigating lysosome-lipid droplet interactions in fatty acid metabolism.
Dr. Paulus Mrass (Research Assistant Professor in MGM) was awarded a Sponsored Research Agreement! He will be evaluating cancer immunotherapy targets and therapeutics in the context of ovarian cancer.
Dr. Ozbun and Ms. Jamus celebrating their wins at the UNM CTSC Bioventure event.
MGM in the News
Dr. Michael Mandell received tenure and promotion to Associate Professor.
Dr. Sharina Desai (AIM Core Technical Director) was awarded the 2022 SOM Dean's Staff Award.
MGM swept the UNM CTSC Bioventure awards, with Dr. Michelle Ozbun winning the pitch competition for her novel treatment for HPV tumors and Ms. Andzoa Jamus (PhD student, Frietze Lab) winning the poster competition!
Dr. Sharina Desai (AIM Core Technical Director)
Isabella Romano (Frietze Lab) I am a third year BSGP student in the laboratory of Dr. Kathryn Frietze where my project is focused on the generation of a bacteriophage virus-like particle (VLP) based vaccine for opioid use disorder targeting different opioids including oxycodone, heroin, and fentanyl. My research is aimed at testing the protective efficiency of these VLP based vaccine candidates upon challenge with opioid drugs. Specifically, I am examining protection from opioid induced respiratory depression and anti-nociception, as well as the ability of vaccine-elicited antibodies to limit the concentration of drug that crosses the blood-brain barrier. My best tip for anyone preparing for MGM WIP or any other scientific presentation is to practice and get feedback from your mentor and peers. I always find it incredibly helpful to go through my presentation with my lab mates and PI before presenting to a larger audience. .
Every year, MGM trainees present at the MGM Works-in-Progress seminar series. The best presentation by a postdoctoral and pre-doctoral trainee are selected in the summer by MGM faculty vote and announced at the MGM Research Day. This year's winners were Isabella Romano, PhD student in Dr. Frietze's lab, and Dr. Autumn LaPointe, postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Kell's lab. Read on to hear more about their research and their tips for giving a great presentation!
Dr. Autumn LaPointe (Kell Lab) As a postdoc in the Kell Lab, I work on defining the interactions between hantaviruses and innate immunity. More specifically, I have been determining how the immune sensor RIG-I identifies viral RNA during Seoul virus infection of human endothelial cells. I am also developing and validating tools to detect and measure hantavirus replication during infection. My best tips when making a scientific presentation is to practice presenting with other people and to make sure that your presentation tells a story.
MGM Trainee Highlight - MGM WIP Winners
Special Report Fellowship Writing Group
Since March 2022, a small group of MGM trainees and MGM Assistant Professor, Dr. Kathryn Frietze, have been meeting weekly to learn about the grant writing process. The goal? Submit a successful NIH Fellowship (predoctoral or postdoctoral). The plan? Chip away at the process, one document at a time, with peer editing and a Mock Study Section to improve the chances of success. "Participation is open to any trainee who is actively working on submitting a fellowship application. Our focus is on the NIH F30, F31, and F32, but the Fellowship Writing Group could be helpful if you were applying for non-NIH fellowships as well," Dr. Frietze explains. "I try to provide some instruction, resources, and cheerleading to the students, but one of the main benefits of the group is having accountability and a weekly scheduled time to work on writing." Jonathan Hulse, an MD/PhD student in Dr. Kiran Bhaskar's laboratory, is a member of the Fellowship Writing Group. He is working on an F30 application. "This writing group reframed the way I think about scientific communication to incorporate persuasive writing strategies that make grant submissions more impactful," Jonathan says. "Outside of my F30 application, I have been able to use the skills I developed to successfully write an independent grant application for an internal award of $25,000 from the Lobo Rainforest Gap Fund. The mentorship, feedback, and support that I have received from this group have increased my confidence in my ability to navigate the grant writing process and produce fundable grant applications." One of the most exciting aspects of the Fellowship Writing Group happened with the help of 10 faculty members from MGM, Internal Medicine-Division of Global Health, and Pharmacy. These faculty members volunteered to be reviewers of Fellowship Writing Group applications in a Mock Study Section. Trainees tuned in to the Zoom session while eating popcorn in the AIM Conference room, being "flies on the wall" while the reviewers held a Mock Study Section. Trainees all indicated the value of this Mock Study Section for helping their grant writing. Faculty member, Dr. Bryce Chackerian, who served as the Chair of the Mock Study Section says, "The writing group has been incredibly valuable in preparing trainees for submitting competitive NIH fellowship applications, which benefits our graduate students and postdocs and MGM’s research mission." Dr. Frietze will be continuing the Fellowship Writing group into the New Year, and hopes to provide even more trainees the opportunity to get support for their fellowship applications. "My ultimate goal is to increase the number of NIH fellowships awarded to trainees at UNM. Our trainees are competitive for these fellowships, but students often don't know where to start with applications. This is good for the trainees as well as our BSGP program, MGM, and our faculty. The more NIH fellowships our trainees receive, the more funds available to support other trainees in our research labs."
Stephanie Ruby Graduate Student Travel Award Dr. David Peabody This travel award (up to $1500) supports graduate students in the department to attend and present at a scientific conference of their choosing. Applications are due September 1 and February 1. Named after the late Dr. Stephanie Ruby who spent her career in MGM studying RNA. Postdoctoral Travel Award Dr. Kathryn M. Frietze This travel award (up to $1000) supports postdoctoral fellows in the department to attend and present at a scientific conference of their choosing. Applications are due September 1 and February 1. Intradepartmental Collaboration Grant Dr. David Peabody This grant is awarded to 2 or more MGM faculty members to support a new collaborative research project. Funds up to $12,500 are available. Application deadline varies and interested faculty should contact Dr. Dave Peabody for more information. MGM START Award Dr. Kathryn M. Frietze The START Award provides seed money of up to $3000 for promising senior postdocs (at least 1.5 years in PI lab) to start their own project. The START Award is intended to help promising postdocs transition to independence while remaining in their mentor's laboratory. The "Dave Fund" Dr. David Peabody MGM Faculty members can access the "Dave Fund" which is organized by Dr. Dave Peabody. The "Dave Fund" provides easy and quick access to money for a variety of uses, including for repairing or replacing broken equipment or unexpected expenses that cannot otherwise be covered by grants or other funds. Shared Resources Dr. Xuexian Yang MGM maintains a variety of shared resources that benefit MGM department members. This includes (but is not limited to): Autoclave Liquid Nitrogen Storage MilliQ Water dispenser Cold Room Warm Room BioRender Premium License
MGM Funded Programs The Department of MGM has a number of programs that fund research, travel, and provide other resources to help with ease of practice for the department. Below is a list of these programs and the contact person for each.
MGM Diversity Equity and Inclusion
Juneteeth added to the UNM Calendar as an OFFICIAL holiday! Thanks to the WONDERFUL efforts of the DEI Staff Council, Juneteenth has been added to the official UNM calendar of holidays.https://hr.unm.edu/calendars History of Juneteenth In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared a formal end to slavery in the United States. However, change was not instant after the proclamation. Nearly two and a half years later, on June 19th, 1865, the enslaved African Americans of Galveston, Texas got the news by way of the Union army troops that freedom had come at last. The next year, the people of Galveston commemorated that day as Juneteenth, a celebration of freedom. Since then, it’s been observed in communities and states as a holiday, but officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021. Why is the holiday called Juneteenth? The name blends the month and the day this news reached the people of Galveston: “June” plus “nineteenth” is Juneteenth. It’s also often called Emancipation Day or Freedom Day." Please consider making a content contribution to the MGM DEI newsletter! This invitation is ongoing and open for each monthly newsletter. When you submit content, you would be considered a guest editor. Just send brief text, links, images to Dr. Sharina Desai (newsletter editor) spdesai@salud.unm.edu. The DEI committee is looking to include snippets, articles, or stories from other DEI members/grad students/postdocs/profs into a collaborative style project. We want to give other staff/ students/trainees a chance to share highlights/biographies that they think could & should be included. Please contact Dr. Michelle Ozbun for information on MGM DEI MOzbun@salud.unm.edu Michelle A. Ozbun, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) The Maralyn S. Budke Endowed Professor of Viral Oncology Professor and Chief of Scholarship and Mentoring Director of Diversity, Inclusion & Equity Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology For more MGM DEI News, check out the Newsletter! www.smore.com/4urbv
We want to share your stories. Please contact kfrietze@salud.unm.edu so that The Argo can cover this news item in the next issue!
AIM Core Newsletter can be found here! www.smore.com/rt602