Members of the Department of Pharmacology participated in the 17th International Winter Eicosanoid Conference (WEC) held in Baltimore on March 11-13. The meeting was founded and co-organized in 1998 by the late John C. McGiff, M.D., former chairman of the Department of Pharmacology, as an annual forum for the exchange of ideas and learning of exciting new developments in the field of eicosanoids with a focus on cancer, inflammation, diabetes, hypertension, renal and cardiovascular disease. As of 2012, it became a biennial meeting. Michal L. Schwartzman, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology, is a co-organizer of this meeting and in her capacity as editor-in-chief of the journal Prostaglandins and Other Lipid Mediators (PrOLM) served as co-chair of the PrOLM Young Investigators Session in which the four recipients of the PrOLM Young Investigator Awards present their data.
Lars Bellner, Ph.D., instructor of pharmacology, chaired the trainee sessions for young investigators, postdocs and students to interact with seasoned investigators, represented by government agencies including the National Institutes of Health, industry and senior and junior investigators. Petra Rocic, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology, served as a mentor.
Charles T. Stier, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology and director, M.S. Program in Pharmacology, co-chaired the poster sessions and also served as a poster judge along with Sachin Gupte, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology, and Dr. Bellner.
Mairead A. Carroll, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and co-course director of pharmacology, served on the awards committee.
Gail Anderson, administrative assistant in the Department of Pharmacology, served as the conference coordinator for the meeting.
Dr. Gupte presented a talk “Cyp2c44: Stem Cells And Vascular Inflammation/Pathology” in a session on Eicosanoid and Immune Function.
Five members of the Department of Pharmacology received NIEHS-NIH travel awards based on their meritorious abstracts submitted and presented posters. From left:
Samantha Tang presented “Neutraphils Critically Contribute To 20-Hete Increases During Ischemia- Induced Angiogenesis Via A Novel Myeloperoxidase-Dependent Mechanism.”
Mentor: Austin Meng Guo, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology
Ankit Gilani presented “20-HETE Contributes To Diet-Induced Obesity And Insulin Resistance In CYP4A14 Mice.”
Mentor: Dr. Schwartzman
Kevin Agostinucci presented “Overexpression Of CYP4A12-20-HETE Synthetase In The Proximal Tubule Promotes Salt-Sensitive Hypertension.”
Mentor: Dr. Schwartzman
Amanda Soler presented “Intra-Abdominal Lipectomy Reduces Large Arterial Stiffness And Rome.”
Mentor: Dr. Rocic
Gregory Joseph presented “20-HETE Antagonism Reduces Left Ventricular Remodeling Post-Myocardial Infarction.”
Mentor: Dr. Rocic
Liu Lu, photo right, a visiting student from Beijing in the laboratory of Nader G. Abraham, Ph.D., Dr.H.C., professor of medicine and pharmacology, received NIEHS-NIH honorable mention for her abstract “EET- NOV-Wnt1-β-catenin-HO-1 Regulation In Obesity/Cardiomyopathy” and also presented a talk “Ablation Of Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Expression Increases Beige Fat Over White Fat Through An Increase In Mitochondrial Integrity, HO-1 And PGC1α-Adiponectin In Vitro And In Vivo” in the session on Obesity And Diabetes organized by Dr. Abraham.
Other poster presentations included: Shailendra Singh, Ph.D., a researcher in Dr. Abraham’s lab who presented “Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acid Contribute To Reversal Of Heart Failure In Obesity-Induced Diabetic Cardiomyopathy Via Pgc-1α Activation And Reduction In Nov” and Joseph Schragenheim, a master’s student in Dr. Abraham’s lab who presented “EET Enhances Renal Function In Obese Mice Via Stimulation Of Mitochondrial Integrity That Positively Impacts Sodium Co-Transpoter And Perirenal Fat.”
Akos Koller, M.D., Ph.D., adjunct professor of physiology, presented a poster, “Modulation Of The Activity Of Cytochrome P450 Ω-Hydroxylase May Provide Protection For Aging- And Hypertension-Induced Cerebrovascular Inflammation And Vasomotor Dysfunction.”