Volume 7, Issue 1 | Winter 2022

Science Feature

Briana Meyer, a fourth year PhD candidate in the Biophysics Graduate Program, discusses her research interests.

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating injury that is described by two phases: the primary insult, for example a car accident or fall, and the progressive secondary injury that occurs in the minutes, hours, and days after SCI. Because the primary injury is largely irreversible, mitigating the ongoing secondary injury is important for acute care of patients with SCI. The goal of my research, with my mentor Matthew Budde, PhD, is to develop MRI biomarkers that inform the status of the acutely injured cord and could be used to improve both diagnosis and prognosis, and, ultimately, guide the clinical management of patients. 

Specifically, blood flow, or perfusion, to the spinal cord tissue is disrupted after SCI, and tissue with disrupted perfusion is at risk for further damage or death. Perfusion MRI of the spinal cord has been a consistent challenge in the field despite its routine use in the brain. Recently, our lab has optimized a perfusion MRI method for the rat spinal cord that enables us to collect high-resolution quantitative images of blood flow after experimental spinal cord injury. This was the first published work using this perfusion technique, called pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL), in the spinal cord. Currently, we are analyzing data from a rat study that combines perfusion MRI along with other advanced modalities to test whether acute perfusion MRI is predictive of chronic tissue fate and/or functional outcomes. Ultimately, we are hopeful these studies will lead to successful clinical translation that can guide and monitor interventions.

Seminar Series

Our spring 2022 Graduate Seminar Series takes place virtually most Fridays throughout the semester, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. For details on joining these virtual events, please visit the Biophysics Events page.

Alumni Q&A

Learn about the diverse career paths our alumni have pursued after graduating from the Biophysics Graduate Program.

Mariam Hartley, PhD, Department of Natural Sciences, Milwaukee Area Technical College

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in science?

A: I have always been interested in science and education. 

Q: Since obtaining your PhD here in Biophysics in 2010, share with us your career progression to your current role as instructor in the Department of Natural Sciences at Milwaukee Area Technical College.

A: It was a very short journey from PhD graduate to instructor! I applied to and began working for MATC immediately after graduation. 

Q: Tell us about your major responsibilities, and what projects, committee service, or other activities you might work on in a typical week.

A: My major responsibilities include teaching in online and face-to-face environments, developing, monitoring, and revising curriculum as appropriate, assessing student performance in a variety of ways, advising students, attending departmental and institutional meetings, maintaining my certification, continuing my professional development, and staying current in my field. As for projects, committee service, and other activities, MATC has an almost infinite list of these that are available for instructor participation. 

Q: What aspect of your current job do you find most rewarding, and why?

A: The most rewarding part of my job is experiencing how students incorporate information learned in class into their own careers and personal lives. In this way, I can see that my work truly makes a difference.

Q: What advice do you wish you had been given as a graduate student?

A: I think the most important advice anyone can receive is to do what you enjoy. 

Q: What qualities would you look for if you were in the position to hire a recent graduate from MCW?

A: An individual who truly enjoys teaching. 

Department News

Welcome

• Sarah Erickson-Bhatt (adjunct professor)

Farewell

• John Sherman (graduate student, LaViolette lab)
• B. Doug Ward (biostatistician III; transferred to Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine)

Congratulations

• Balaraman Kalyanaraman published a paper in RSC Chemical Biology.
• Candice Klug was elected to the Alumni Association Board of Directors
• Samuel Bobholz, Savannah Duenweg, Melissa Prah, & Kathleen Schmainda published a paper in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
• Karol Subczynski published a paper in Membranes.
• Jaiqing (Tony) Tong received a 2021 Graduate Student Travel Award
• Jeannette Vasquez Vivar published a paper in Antioxidants & Redox Signaling.

Years of Service

Congratulations to these Biophysics employees for their years of service. Your commitment and hard work are appreciated!

• Seung-Yi Lee (5 years)
• Melissa Prah (10 years)

Planning for the 2022 Employee Service Awards is underway, and details about the event will be announced in spring.

Office of Research Program Project Formation Award Received

Drs. Cecilia Hillard, Balaraman Kalyanaraman, and Jimmy Feix received a two-year program project formation award, titled Development of novel therapies to potentiate levodopa effects.

Levodopa (L-dopa) is the first-line treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD), which is the second most common neurological disorder, affecting over 6 million people worldwide. PD arises with the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain. Orally administered L-dopa crosses the blood–brain barrier and is converted to dopamine, which helps to alleviate motor deficits associated with the disease. Although L-dopa typically is administered with drugs to prevent its degradation by the liver, metabolism by the gut microbiota is a significant barrier to effective treatment. Due to individual variability and changes in the microbiome over time, the need to determine proper dosage and loss of efficacy often reduce the usefulness of L-dopa therapy. In addition, patients receiving L-dopa long-term may develop L-dopa induced dyskinesia, which is characterized by abnormal and excessive movements that are so severe that they interfere with movements needed for daily life. Dr. Kalyanaraman’s project will investigate the effects of drugs initially developed as mitochondrial-targeted therapeutics on the microbial metabolism of L-dopa and its accumulation in the central nervous system, while the Feix lab will investigate the antimicrobial activities and mechanisms of action of these mitochondrial-targeted therapeutics. Dr. Hillard’s project will examine the role of cannabinoid receptors in L-dopa induced dyskinesia. The purpose of these studies is to generate data to support the development of therapeutic agents that potentiate L-dopa efficacy and reduce its toxicity.

The research project is funded by the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment through the Office of Research's parent award, Improving Heart Health, Supporting Healthy Minds, and Dismantling Cancer.

Recipe

Sweet Rice Cake

This recipe was provided by Kathleen Yin, research technologist III in the Center for Imaging Research. She says, "I'd like to share my favorite recipe of Sweet Rice Cake. Eating rice cake during the Chinese New Year celebration means you will have good fortune for the upcoming new year. My family loves it."

Ingredients

1 package (16 ounce) glutinous (sweet) rice flour*
½ cup sugar 
2 cups milk (substitute: coconut milk)
4 large eggs 
 ½ cup vegetable oil
250 grams sweet red bean paste*
1 cup walnuts or sliced almonds (optional) 

*Can be purchased at a Chinese grocery store, such as Meihua market in West Allis. Glutinous (sweet) rice flour is in a green bag.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Mix all ingredients (except for sweet red bean paste and walnuts/sliced almonds) together until smooth.
3. Grease a 9" x 13" pan using 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; then, pour half of the mixture into it.
4. Spread the sweet bean paste (add as much as you desire) into the pan and then cover it with the rest of the mixture.
5. Sprinkle walnuts or sliced almonds on top.
6. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the top of the cake turns light brown. When the cake is cool, cut it into squares and serve it.  

Biophysics News is a quarterly MCW departmental newsletter aimed at enhancing departmental engagement through information and good news sharing. Do you have information you’d like to share–news, a photo, a recipe? Send it to Lydia.

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