Bio

My laboratory is focused on using engineering and chemical analysis to study oxidative stress in cultured cells and intact tissue. Oxidative stress is present in almost all human pathologies, and my lab is focused on its role in the development and treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative processes. Dynamic Studies of Redox Metabolism — The laboratory has long been interested in studying metabolism rates of the cellular antioxidant glutathione and one-carbon pathways in cancer and brain tissue. In drug-resistant cancer, metabolic dynamics or are better predictors of drug response than static measures provided by metabolomic, proteomic or genomic studies. We use stable isotope tracer technology combined with magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry to obtain kinetic data on metabolic pathways. Working with Professor David Muddiman (NCSU Chemistry) we developed a novel form of functional mass spectrometry imaging (fMSI). Using this method, we can map the variation of metabolic activities across tissue samples. These fMSI data are used in collaborative studies directed by Professor Shawn Gomez (UNC/NCSU BME), to develop mathematical models of redox metabolism in cancer. This approach will help predict the behavior of complex systems and identify emergent properties that cannot be easily inferred from studies of components in isolation. Oxygen-driven Metastasis of Cancer —  The laboratory continues earlier work on measuring the influence of low oxygen environments on cellular metabolic dynamics in vitro, These data will be used to better understand the influence of the tumor microenvironment found in vivo and mapped using fMSI. In vitro experiments allow precise control of the cellular environment not possible in the in vivo experiments. We can use this tool to develop antimetastatic drugs. 

Research Interests

Metabolic Dynamics
MSI, mass spectrometry imaging
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Drug resistance
Cancer, neurodegeneration, aging, oxidative stress

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Awards

NIH Review Committee – NIH Director’s Early Independence Awards (DP5) 2016
NIH Peer Review Committee – Cancer Detection, Diagnostic and Treatment Technologies for Global Health 2015

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