From the Chair
Enjoy your spring and summer! - Nancy
SPRING 2025 Cell Biology & Physiology Newsletter VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1
The spring flowers are beginning to bloom here in Albuquerque and we are deep into the Spring semester. The Cell Biology and Physiology Department members have been busy this past quarter! There is an ongoing faculty search for a tenure track faculty member to join the vascular physiology group. This search is chaired by Professor Jay Naik and we look forward to welcoming a new faculty member in July 2025. We also look forward to getting to know the new students and staff in the newsletter who have joined the department (highlighted in the newsletter). It is good to have new members as we continue to grow and flourish. Several of our students also deserve recognition. Dr. Benjamin Lantz successfully defended his PhD dissertation and was awarded his degree. Congratulations Ben! He is continuing in the department as a post-doctoral fellow for now. In addition, Mostafa Sabouri, a third year PhD student in Dan Machin’s laboratory, was awarded a prestigious research award from the American Physiological Society. We also have several trainees who will be presenting at the Rio Grande Physiological Society meeting in Portales, NM, at the Physiology Summit in Baltimore Maryland and at the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders meeting. It is rewarding to see our trainees presenting their work. In January I announced that I will be retiring from the Department and from UNM at the end of June 2025. I have been a faculty member of the department for 30 wonderful years and it will be difficult to be a “retired professor” instead of an active one. However, the department is thriving and I know it will continue to grow and flourish under new leadership. The search for the new chair is in progress and we expect the dean to announce who that will be very soon. In addition, our long-time accountant, Yolanda Chacon-Aguilar is also retiring at the end of June and a search to find a new accountant will be starting soon. Yolanda has kept our books balanced and our department in the black for the past 17 years. Her knowledge, experience and infectious laugh will be missed. As we move into the summer, there are some dark clouds hanging over the department. The reorganization, funding freezes and disruption of the grant review process and awards has impacted us similar to so many others in this country. At this time we have two “hanging” NOAs that have not arrived and many more potentially on the horizon. This has created great uncertainty and financial challenges for investigators, the department, and the school. We hope that the legal and legislative processes soon correct the situation but are aware that we may not be back to “business as usual” for months to years. This is difficult time to be leaving but I trust that the right thing will eventually be done! I truly hope this newsletter finds all of you enjoying lovely weather, professional success and personal happiness. This is the inaugural Newsletter for our new Editor, Audrea Winslow, who has collected and organized many more details on the highlights of the department activities.
Nancy Kanagy, PhD, Professor and Department Chair
Welcome to:
Rebekah has joined Cell Biology and Physiology in Dr. Arun Ganesan's lab as a Research Scientist after previous laboratory experience in both student and staff capacities. She completed both her B.S. and M.S. at UNM in the Department of Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences, and has a wide range of scientific interests. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time outside to enjoy the landscapes of New Mexico.
Victoria Mares, born and raised in Albuquerque, NM, joined us as our Admin Assistant III in December. She has a Bachelors in Science: Exercise Science from UNM. She has former experience and knowledge working in healthcare, specifically physical therapy. She is pursing a masters in Healthcare Administration. Some of her hobbies include running, weight-lifting, and yoga. She enjoys traveling to new places and trying new food. If you have not yet met Victoria, come say 'hi'.' She is in FITZ 149, the front desk.
Welcome!
We also welcome: - Simin Yan, PhD, to Dr. Resta's Lab. - Abigail Cameron to Dr. Ganesan's Lab. - Aanu Ayeni to Dr. Gardiner's Lab.
Link to Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Costs Explainer: https://youtu.be/yxTDlFvkvio?si=_XRb4fvlDR0qXFhI Stand Up For Science https://standupforscience2025.org/ Support science across the country by writing opinion pieces in local papers. Learn how https://sciencehomecoming.com/
Supporters at the Stand Up for Science rally March 7, 2025, gathered to promote funding for research and science-based decision-making.
Events
Topics
Save the date! Dr. Nancy Kanagy’s Retirement Symposium. May 30, 2025, 2-6:30 PM, will be held in College of Nursing & Public Health Excellence Building (CNPHE) Room 1601/1602. Info on next page.
Symposium Highlights
Join us in celebrating the remarkable career of Dr. Nancy Kanagy, Chair of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, as she embarks on her well-deserved retirement!
Keynote Presentations: Hear from esteemed colleagues and former trainees who will share their experiences and the impact Dr. Kanagy has had on their careers and the field. Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow attendees to reminisce and celebrate Dr. Kanagy's contributions. Refreshments: Enjoy light refreshments as we honon Dr. Kanagy's legacy and a celebratory reception afterward.
Let's come together to express out gratitude to Dr. Kanagy for her dedication, leadership, and inspiring contributions to the scientific community! We look forward to celebrating this special occasion with you!
When: May 30th, 2:00P.M.-6:30P.M. (US Mountain Time) Where: College of Nursing and Population Health (CON-PHE) Room 1601/1602
Retirement Symposium Honoring Dr. Nancy Kanagy
Please confirm your attendance in person by RSVP using the link https://tinyurl.com/3h3kan4n or by scanning the QR code.
Abigail Cameron
Accomplishments, Announcements, & Highlights
Dr. Ganesan has been awarded an NIH NIGMS COBRE Pilot Grant from theUNM Center for Metals in Biology and Medicine to support his research on the epigenetic and genomic instability caused by heavy metal toxicity in colon cells. This marks another exciting milestone for the lab. The Ganesan lab is also celebrating the publication of its first collaborative paper in JACS Au, titled “Epigenetic Modifier Drug Valproic Acid Enhances Cancer Metaphase Chromosome Elasticity and Electron Transport: An Atomic Force Microscopy Approach.” In this study, the team employed single-molecule biophysical techniques, including Atomic Force Microscopy, to investigate changes in chromosome elasticity during disruptions in critical epigenetic regulations such as DNA methylation. Additionally, the lab has two manuscripts currently under revision in peer-reviewed journals, and we eagerly await their publication. We want to extend our warmest wishes to Dr. Palakshi Reddy, who left the Ganesan lab after serving as a Research Scientist. He begins an exciting new role as Operations Specialist for Shared Resources and Facilities at the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center. His contributions to the lab have been invaluable, and we wish him great success in this next chapter of his career. At the same time, we are delighted to welcome Rebekah Gridley as our new Research Scientist. Rebekah will continue the lab’s ambitious work on cancer chromosome instability, and we look forward to her contributions in the months ahead. Additionally, Abigail Cameron, a second-year med student, will join the lab this spring to develop her molecular biology skills. Her project will focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in chromosome breaks in colon cancer cells. Dr. Ganesan recently hosted Dr. Daniel Arango, Assistant Professor at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, as a guest speaker for the CMBD seminar series. In addition, Dr. Ganesan continues his role as co-organizer of the monthly RNA Club at the UNM HSC campus. This platform fosters discussions on various topics, including RNA biology, transcriptomics, epigenetic regulation, and chromatin biology. Dr. Ganesan also co-organized the "RNA Club: Cancer Lobo Challenge 2024," a successful fundraising event to raise awareness and support cancer research efforts. With so much happening, the lab is buzzing with activity, and we look forward to sharing more exciting updates soon!
Rebekah Gridley
Dr. Arun Ganesan's Lab
Dr. Amy Gardiner's Lab
Aanu Ayeni
Aanu Ayeni will be joining the Gardiner Lab to study the role of brain microvascular endothelial cell glycoRNAs in prenatal alcohol exposure.
Marissa Westenskow presented her work last Fall at Vascular Biology 2024 in Monterey CA, regarding DNA methylation/demethylation and transcriptional regulation of miR-150-5p in brain microvascular endothelial cells during prenatal alcohol exposure. She also presented her work at the 10th Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease (CVMD) Signature Program Research Day, the 2025 UNM BSGP Student Research Day, and the 2025 Rio Grande Physiological Society Annual Meeting in Portales NM, where she was awarded a senior trainee poster award. She will present new data at the upcoming UNM Brain and Behavioral Health Research Day 2025, the Southwest Society for Developmental Biology 2025 in Albuquerque NM, and the Research Society on Alcoholism 48th Annual Meeting in New Orleans LA. Monica Long presented her work at last Fall at Vascular Biology 2024 in Monterey CA, regarding the development of a 3D model of the neurovascular unit to assess vascular function following alcohol exposure. She also presented her work at the 10th Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease (CVMD) Signature Program Research Day, earning a third place poster award, the 2025 UNM BSGP Student Research Day, and the 2025 Rio Grande Physiological Society Annual Meeting in Portales NM. She will present new data at the upcoming Southwest Society for Developmental Biology 2025 in Albuquerque NM and the Research Society on Alcoholism 48th Annual Meeting in New Orleans LA. Richard Justice received travel awards to attend both the National Diversity in STEM Conference (NDiSTEM) 2024 in Phoenix AZ and the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) 2024 in Pittsburgh PA. He presented his work investigating novel vascular targets of miR-150-5p in brain microvascular endothelial cells. He will also be presenting his work at the upcoming UNM Brain and Behavioral Health Research Day 2025, the UNM Undergraduate Research Opportunity Conference 2025, and the Southwest Society for Developmental Biology 2025 in Albuquerque NM. Finally, he has been selected to participate in the NSF-funded Sanford Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) this Summer in Sioux Falls SD. Ashley Amdor presented her work at the recent 2025 UNM Graduate Poster Showcase and the 2025 Rio Grande Physiological Society Annual Meeting in Portales NM, where she was awarded a junior trainee poster award. Her work focused on RNA-binding proteins in the regulation of microRNA expression and function during prenatal alcohol exposure. She will also present her work at the upcoming UNM Brain and Behavioral Health Research Symposium 2025.
Rene Arechiga-Gonzalez from Gonzalez Bosc Lab has accepted a PhD position at City of Hope Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Duarte, CA.
Dr. Laura Gonzalez Bosc's Lab
Dr. Machin was invited to a research talk at Kansas State University: ‘Targeting the glycocalyx: Insights into arterial health and novel models for cardiovascular research.’ Department of Anatomy & Physiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA; February 2025.
Recent publication: Impact of Maternal Exercise on Mice Offspring Development, Pulmonary Hypertension, and Vascular Remodeling in Chronic Hypoxia https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38768014/ Congratulations! Ben Lantz graduated with his PhD in Biomedical Sciences in December and is now a part-time post doc in the Gonzalez Bosc lab. A new undergraduate student from the Biochemistry Honors Program, Obed Blanco, has joined the Gonzalez Bosc Lab.
Dr. Daniel Machin's Lab
Dr. Gurdeep Singh's Lab
Dr. Daniel Machin's Lab Continued
Dr. Piccirillo's lab has a new publication entitled: ‘Single-nucleus and spatial landscape of the sub-ventricular zone in human glioblastoma’. It was published on January 28, 2025 inCell Reports. Click Here to read.
Dr. Sara Piccirillo's Lab
Dr. Gurdeep Singh designed & started teaching a new course “Bioinformatics for Functional Genomics” (for PhD students) as Course Director in Spring 2025. Dr. Singh is newly elected Faculty Senator for UNM School of Medicine. Shane Martinez in Singh lab got awarded NIH T32-supported Cardiovascular Research Training Program (CRTP) predoctoral fellowship. Tanisha Medha and Faysal Idhirig, two undergrad students at UNM joined Singh lab as Lab Assistants. Justine Goldblatt who recently completed her undergrad from University of Vermont Honors College, started working in Singh lab as Research Assistant.
Mostafa Sabouri - Research Assistant in Dr. Machin's lab, won an award for American Physiological Society: American Physiological Society-Cardiovascular Section Research Recognition Award. The American Physiological Society (APS) Cardiovascular (CV) Section Research Recognition Award (RRA) recognizes outstanding research by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who present a first-author abstract at the American Physiology Summit.
Ashley Amdor at the 2025 UNM Graduate Poster Showcase
For more information or to submit news: Send an email to CB&P DA, Audrea N. Winslow at ANWinslow@salud.unm.edu
Marissa Westenskow at Vascular Biology 2024
Poster Sessions - Research Days!
Richard Justice at the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Conference
Monica Long at the 2025 UNM BSGP Student Research Day