This newsletter aims to facilitate communication within the Department of Human Genetics, and was conceived by the Research Retreat Committee in 2006. Please send items for the next edition to Linda Downes-Piazza at ldownes@vcu.edu.
Dadi Jiang received the Recognition Award for Best Poster Presentation entitled: “Analysis of p53 Gain-of-Function Mutations in Transgenic Mouse Salivary Tumors” from the 3rd Tumor Progression and Therapeutic Resistance Conference in Baltimore, Md., Oct. 22-24, 2006.
Santhosh Girirajan,* Graduate student in *Dr. Sarah H. Elsea’s* laboratory received a travel scholarship from the Graduate School to attend the annual American Society of Human Genetics conference in New Orleans, La.
Identification of novel genes contributing to the severity of phenotype in chromosome 17 rearrangements
*Santhosh Girirajan, Stephen R. Williams,* James Y. Garbern, David J. Bunyan, Eli Hatchwell and *Sarah H. Elsea*. Abstract No. 606B, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Oct. 11, 2006, New Orleans, La.
Identification of novel genes contributing to the severity of phenotype in chromosome 17 rearrangements
*Santhosh Girirajan,* Stephen R. Williams,** James Y. Garbern, David J. Bunyan, Eli Hatchwell and *Sarah H. Elsea.* Presented at the annual Daniel T. Watts symposium at VCU.
* Joint presenters
Latasha Redmond and Joyce Lloyd attended the 15th Conference on Hemoglobin
Switching at St. John’s College in Oxford, England, in September 2006. Redmond presented a poster on her work isolating erythroid cells from mouse embryos using laser capture microdissection, and subsequently performing microarray analyses of gene expression. Dr. Lloyd presented a talk entitled “EKLF and KLF2 have compensatory roles in embryonic globin gene expression and primitive erythropoiesis.” In this work, her group showed that two transcription factors have overlapping functional roles in the development of embryonic red blood cells. Other contributors to this work included Dr. Priyadarshi Basu, Dr. Wafaa Lemsaddek, Tina Lung, Dr. Tanya Sargent, Mohua Basu, Dr. Jerry Lingrel and Dr. Jack Haar. Drs. Gordon Ginder and Jack Haar
from VCU also attended the conference.
On Nov. 31, Meghan Strenk and Joann Bodurtha presented a poster at the annual Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) conference in Washington, D.C. The poster outlined the development and planned evaluation of a computer-based learning module aimed at increasing the genetics awareness of non-genetics professionals, specifically those involved in the Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Va-LEND) program. This program offers interdisciplinary leadership training to individuals in health and related professions. Strenk would like to thank Joann Bodurtha, Lauren Vanner-Nicely, Janet Willis, John Priestley and Jeanne Schlesinger for their help in the development of both the project and the poster.
Dr. Michael Grotewiel received an NIH/NIA grant, R21AG024259 for two years to study genetics of age-related functional decline in Drosophila.
Dr. Jolene Windle received a major NIH grant ($1.2 million-plus award) to study “Mutant p62 and the role of the bone microenvironment in Paget’s disease.”
Several department members were recognized at the 8th Annual Faculty Excellence Awards Program that was held on Oct. 11, 2006. Steven Townson was selected by the graduate students of the Department of Human Genetics to receive the Outstanding Departmental Teacher Award in Health Sciences Education. Colleen Jackson-Cook and John Quillin are also multi-year winners of this award. For the eighth consecutive year Virginia Pallante was selected as the Best Teacher in M1 Human Genetics based on student feedback and the awards committee. Colleen Jackson-Cook and John Quillin were also recognized as Faculty with High Evaluation in the M1 Human Genetics Course based on the same criteria. Congratulations to all for your hard work and dedication to our teaching mission.
This year’s Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation, Sharon H. Kohlenberg 15th Annual Award winners were Joann Bodurtha, Heather Creswick and John Quillin.
Brien Riley, Gursharan Kalsi, Po-Hsiu Kuo, Jennifer Vittum, Vladimir Vladimirov, Michael S. Grotewiel, Diana Patterson, Patrick F. Sullivan, Edwin van den Oord, Dermot Walsh, Kenneth S. Kendler and Carol Prescott (2006) Alcohol dependence is associated with the ZNF699 gene, a human locus related to Drosophila hangover. Mol Psychiatry, in press.
Ian Martin and Michael S. Grotewiel (2006) Distinct effects of genetic background and single gene mutations on locomotor senescence in Drosophila revealed by data metrics. Exp Gerontol. 41, 877-881.
Poonam Bhandari and Michael S. Grotewiel (2006) Behavioral responses to odorants in Drosophila require nervous system expression of the ß integrin gene myospheroid. Chemical Senses, 31(7): 627-639.
Virginia W. Norris, Kathleen S. Arnos, Wendy D. Hanks, Xia Xia, Walter E. Nance and Arti Pandya (2006) Does Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Identify All Children with GJB2 (Connexin 26) Deafness? Penetrance of GJB2 Deafness. Ear & Hearing, Dec:732-741.
Weimin Bi, G. Mustafa Saifi, Santhosh Girirajan, Xin Shi, Barbara Szomju, Helen Firth, R. Ellen Magenis, Lorraine Potocki, Sarah H. Elsea and James R. Lupski. RAI1 point mutations, CAG repeat variation, and SNP analysis in non-deletion Smith-Magenis syndrome. Am J Med Genet, 140A(22): 2454-2463. Published online: 13 Oct 2006
DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.31510.
Please welcome two new staff members to our Department.
Miche’ Goodman is our new clinical program support technician. She transitioned from VCUHS Stony Point Breast Imaging Section where she provided transcription of pathology and mammogram reports and contacted patients with abnormalities on their mammograms. Since 1999, she has served throughout the VCU Health System in various departments including supplemental staffing. She and her family relocated to Central Virginia from Boston, Mass. Goodman is a Boston Red Sox fan. She now is enrolled at John Tyler Community College in pre-nursing majors and eventually would like to work as a coordinator for transplant patients. She looks forward to working here.
Rachel Mocny joined us as our new grants manager on Oct. 25, 2006. She has more than six years of experience working in a university setting, including the past three at the University of Virginia. Mocny has a bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College, Conn.
Kathryn (Kate) Shows, a postdoctoral fellow in Rita Shiang’s laboratory, was quoted and is pictured in Science. In the Nov. 3, 2006, issue, in the article “US Life Scientists Report Rising Salaries and High Job Satisfaction,” Shows comments on balancing science and life.
Don’t forget! Our Human Genetics holiday party will be on Monday, Dec. 4, 2006, from noon – 2 p.m. at the MCV Alumni House, first floor Parlor. Please R.S.V.P. to Linda Downes-Piazza at ldownes@vcu.edu by Nov. 27.
